BoomerZoo Almanac for February 25-March 3, 2007: On Beyond the Media
Dr. Seuss, if he were still alive, would have celebrated his 103rd birthday on March 2. Theodore Seuss Geisel, who wrote and illustrated the popular Dr. Seuss books died on Sept. 24, 1991. His original book, The Cat in the Hat, turns 50 this year. When we look back at the anniversaries of all the amazing media events we celebrate this week, it’s a wonder his rhyming stories managed to stand out at all. But to honor his influence on Boomers, their children, and even their grandchildren, let me see if I can make a Seuss-like attempt to list many of the media-related events that have anniversaries this week:
1953
It was 1953
According to the BBC
When the British House of Lords and the MP side
Said “Let’s make English spelling simplified.”
I’m not sure how all those words were spelled before
But spelling English words still isn’t easy and every year there are more!
Spelling bill passes second reading
1955
And then in 1955
Those swivelin’ hips sure looked alive
So the TV cameras all made haste
To only show Elvis above the waist
Didn’t matter to the King
He couldn’t stop that pelvic swing
Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time.
http://www.cbs.com/cbs_video/insider/index.php?chap=7671&cat=31
http://www.elvis.org/interview/inter.html
1956
It took us until 1956 to get
The Uniform Alpha India Romeo alphabet
Now every letter has a name
So C and D don’t sound the same
Hotel India! How are you?
So-so. Just haven’t had enough Zulu
The International Air Transport Association finalizes a draft of the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
http://www.answers.com/topic/nato-phonetic-alphabet
1959
New York City wasn’t bored
When Miles Davis decided to record
An album that was Kind of Blue
In 1959 we all said “Whew!
That Miles is really one hep cat."
In those days we actually talked like that.
Miles Davis holds the first recording session for Kind of Blue at 30th Street Studio in New York City.
1964
Just can’t beat The Greatest rhymer
In 1964 Cassius Clay was a first timer
Liston went down to the man who would be
The amazing, the Greatest, Muhammad Ali
The champion in the boxing world
Could talk and rhyme as he danced and twirled
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see.
Now you see me, now you don't.
George thinks he will, but I know he won't. (Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali)
Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston in , and is crowned the heavyweight champion of the world
1966
Red channel, blue crt, yellow pixel, green
BBC colour could finally be seen
Through ’66 the Beatles, the Stones and such like
Were just as interesting in black and in white
At last, though, for only a million pounds a year
Reruns of The Virginian in colour would appear!
A Web site for the history of early color television: http://novia.net/~ereitan/
1970
AM and FM, shortwave and CBs
News went public in the 1970s
Pop tunes and static, long ads and buffoons
Couldn’t compete with those classical tunes
That blossomed on National radio shows
It just took four decades to get rid of those.
National Public Radio incorporates as a non-profit corporation.
1971
We all knew it was bound to be
The Cat in the Hat appeared on TV
Dr. Seuss - The Cat in the Hat (Original Television Episode)
Starring: Allan Sherman, Daws Butler Director: Hawley Pratt
1974
Nixon, Ford and Stephen Hawking
Two Kings: one Stephen, one Billie Jean
Don’t forget Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
And the Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Lots of Italians whose names still aren’t hazy
Pacino, DeNiro, Fellini, Scorsese.
Francis Ford Coppola, too, wasn’t lazy
In 1974, when People first hit the scene
The Fonz was on TV; Blazing Saddles on the big screen
That year Hank Aaron out-homered Babe Ruth
Duke Ellington died, Muhammad Ali spoke some truth
But perhaps the most important event of that year
Which People may not have reported, though its value is clear
From to , this gem has been toasted
Of course I am speaking of the ubiquitous Post-It.
People magazine is published for the first time.
1983
Mobile armies and surgical scrubs
Hawkeye and Trapper and Henry carrying clubs
Hot Lips and BJ, Colonel Potter, Frank Burns
Drama and comedy, they always took turns
Klinger and Charles and Father Mulcahy
Some from the beginning, some arriving lately
The last time we saw them still rerun free
Was on the final episode of MASH in 1983
The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the , becoming the most watched television episode in history, with 106 to 125 million viewers in the (estimate varies by source).
1983
The government of Canada
Liked its citizens’ wishes
And so in 1983
It stopped requiring licenses for dishes
- Federal government drops rule requiring licenses for private ownership of satellite TV dishes.
1986
It’s true that C-SPAN may not be
What now is called compelling TV
Still it’s interesting once in a while
To see how many legislators aren’t in their aisle.
The U.S. Senate approved telecasts of its debates on a trial basis.
1989
HAH! I said it first
Now you’ll have to pay me
But if I’ve been dead for more than 50 years—
You can have it for free.
The becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
1990
Tweet, tweet, I can whistle all day
Just as long as nothing I write or say
Might be something the UK defense guys
Decide should be kept from John Q Public’s eyes.
Secrets act gags whistleblowers Whistleblowers and journalists will, from today, risk criminal prosecution if they reveal information viewed as damaging to the defense of the UK.
1991
Home computers began popping up everywhere
And typewriters were starting to ebb
Still, it was an expensive way just to process words
And then along came the World Wide Web
Now we can find any info we want
We can buy stuff without leaving our chair
We no longer have to go out in the world
I wonder what it looks like out there?
Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser.
1995
Hurray, and hurrah and yippee we might say
Hip-hip, and yeehaw will also do
But when we find the Web site we’ve been searching for
We used to all call out “YAHOO!”
Yahoo! is incorporated.
1996
Weirder names I can’t imagine
Like Prinpup, Grotle, Lucario and Pikachu
These strange cartoon creatures are media giants
But I never quite figured out just what it is they do.
Satoshi Tajiri creates the hit media franchise Pokémon.
2003
Simple, gentle and sometimes a little annoying,
His hand puppets were just a little too good
It’s obvious that the Grouch and probably Miss Piggy
Would be out of place in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
Fred Rogers, the host of TV's ''Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood'' died at age 74.
2006
Some Wikis may be wacky
But more often they’re true facts
Of course we know we should double-check
Before we translate them into acts.
English-language Wikipedia reaches its one millionth article, Jordanhill railway station
For more about media, messages, massages and the media guru himself, Marshall McLuhan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan
