On this day in history.

[scifan57]

May 25, 1977;

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, quickly becoming one of the most popular movies of all time. I first saw the movie on its opening week at the UA 150 theatre in Seattle. It played there for a full year. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4370/
I saw the movie over 40 times that summer, in several cities.

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/

 

[J. A.]

May 25 (1944) is also the birthday of Frank Oz, puppeteer and voice of Yoda:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oz

 

[scifan57]

May 25 (1944) is also the birthday of Frank Oz, puppeteer and voice of Yoda:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oz

That's why Yoda sounded just like Fozzy Bear from Sesame Street.

 

[giradman]

May 25, 1977;

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, quickly becoming one of the most popular movies of all time. I first saw the movie on its opening week at the UA 150 theatre in Seattle. It played there for a full year. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4370/
I saw the movie over 40 times that summer, in several cities.

Well, I cannot claim watching the film 40 times back then, but likely a half dozen - our son was 4 y/o at the time and would take his toy characters w/ him to the movie - now have the original Trilogy on blu-ray - a recommendation! Dave
.

 

[scifan57]

May 26, 1897;

Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is first offered for sale in London, England.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula

 

[J. A.]

That's why Yoda sounded just like Fozzy Bear from Sesame Street.

I never heard Fozzy Bear talking in English.

 

[giradman]

Fozzie Bear & Yoda (latter about a minute into the video) - for those who want to hear both characters - Dave

 

[J. A.]

Thank you!

 

[giradman]

Memorial Day was yesterday - forgot to post, sorry - an American holiday for the honored dead - see quote below for a brief summary of its history (Source) - Susan and I just returned from a 6-night trip to some of the Civil War battlefields in Virginia & southern Pennsylvania, including Gettysburg (shown below on Memorial Day a few years ago). Dave

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces.[1] The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May,[2] originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans — established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.[3] By the 20th century, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.[1] It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

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[scifan57]

In Canada we have a similar national holiday called Remembrance Day on November 11th, the anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting in World War I. On that day the veterans graves are decorated with flags just like in your photo.

This is a veterans cemetery in Regina where most of the deceased were veterans of the First World War.

 

[scifan57]

May 29, 1953;

On this day at 11:30 a.m., Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest at 29,035 feet above sea level.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_British_Mount_Everest_expedition

 

[scifan57]

Wednesday June 1, 1938;

The first issue of Action Comics, featuring the first appearance of Superman, Was published.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Comics_1

 

[giradman]

Wednesday June 1, 1938;

The first issue of Action Comics, featuring the first appearance of Superman, Was published.
.................

One of my brothers and my son were comic book collectors, I read a few favorites but was never deeply into the genre - BUT, I was curious what a 10 cent comic in '38 would cost now - $1.68 (still cheap, I guess - calculation shown below).

I love using these inflation calculators - back in 1962 when I was a HS sophomore, some of the first transistor radios appeared and I wanted one that cost about $35 - dozens of us sat in the study hall w/ earphones on listening to these little machines in our pockets - well, my parents balked but finally gave in - just did a inflation calculation - $274! Now that was quite a lot back then for the whim of a teenager - Dave

P.S. I can't remember the brand but it was black w/ silver & gold trim - really cool, as I recall!
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[giradman]

D-Day - June 6, 1944!

Today 71 years ago, the Allied invasion of the European continent via the beaches of Normandy - a brief description quoted below (Source) - shown below a map of the participating allied armies; also, for a decent depiction, the movie The Longest Day (1962), which I now own on blu-ray w/ quite good video and sound restoration (each 3.9/5.0 ratings HERE). Dave

During World War II (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

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[scifan57]

D-Day - June 6, 1944!

Today 71 years ago, the Allied invasion of the European continent via the beaches of Normandy - a brief description quoted below (Source) - shown below a map of the participating allied armies; also, for a decent depiction, the movie The Longest Day (1962), which I now own on blu-ray w/ quite good video and sound restoration (each 3.9/5.0 ratings HERE). Dave


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I've seen the movie, it's quite good. Another good movie about the lead up to D Day is Ike, with Tom Selleck as General Eisenhower.