"That's "Hedy," not "Hedley!" Tuesday: As mysterious as Dorothy Kilgallen's death on November 8, 1965, is the 1965 blackout that overtook much of the Northeast United States and Ontario, Canada on this day. While the official cause was a series of mistakes and blown relays, there were also reports of UFOs near some of the power stations. We don't necessarily believe the reports; we're just saying ... Not all of the Northeast was affected, however, and a full moon that night kept things surprisingly safe, with New York City reporting only five instances of looting. When one speaks of New York, it's difficult to not think of Stanford White (whose 157th birthday falls on this day). White's distinctive architectural fingerprints can still be found all over Manhattan more than a century after his death. Such structures as the Municipal Building, the Washington Square Arch, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art – not to mention many of the millionaires' mansions on Fifth Avenue - were his designs. While White's firm designed things to be built, it's a demolished object that we take special notice of today, as it's the 21st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall itself was the literal dividing line between East and West Berlin, constructed to keep East Germans from escaping the Communist regime. When that government fell, so did the wall. Something that irriatated those killjoy East German officials was rock music, and on this day in 1967, the first issue of "Rolling Stone" was published. While "Rolling Stone" was originally dedicated to rock, pop, and blues music and musicians – and those are still its primary focus – it's expanded in the decades since to become one of America's most respected magazines, known for its reporting on politics and entertainment. Speaking of respect, we throw a little of it to the creative community today as it's Inventor's Day, celebrated today because it's the birthday of actress Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr was not only one of the most glamorous and beautiful actresses of the 1930s and '40s, but was also something of a scientific genius. In 1942, she was granted a patent for a communication system that would "hop" frequencies in order to make radio-guided torpedoes harder to detect. While the technology went basically unused until the '60s, today it forms the basis for wi-fi networks and cell phones. Suggested Sites... November 9th, 1965 Blackout - sometimes Occam's Razor is a UFO. New York Architecture Images: McKim, Mead, and White - a century later, still some of Manhattan's most beautiful buildings. The Fall of the Berlin Wall: A Personal Account - the wall came a-tumblin' down. Hedy Lamarr Foundation - devoted to cultivating both brains and beauty. 5 Surprising Inventions From Famous People - Isaac Newton invented the cat door?

Directory categories: Electricity, Berlin, Rock and Pop Musicians, Magazines, Classic Hollywood Actors

Archived under: 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 19th Century, Actors, American History, Anniversaries, Architects, Architecture, Arts, Beauty, Berlin, Birthdays, Buildings, Canada, Celebrations, Celebrities, Cell Phones, Communism, Communists, Electronics, Entertainment, Europe, European History, Events, Germany, History, Holidays, Ice, In Character, Invention, Inventors, Journalism, Magazines, Men, Museums, Music, Music History, New York, Rock and Roll, Science, Scientists, Tourist Attractions, UFOs, United States, Urban Legends, Weird Stuff, Women

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The most famous shot in "A Trip to the Moon." Special effects have gotten slightly better in the century since. Welcome once more to The Spark, your weekly digest of events and happenings and information in the Yahoo! Directory to help you appreciate them more. As we begin this last Spark before the Labor Day holiday, we have to ask just where in the heck the summer went. Seems like it was Memorial Day about five minutes ago, and now kids are back in school and Fall is lurking around the corner. Anyway, let's look at the week ahead. Monday: It's a day for monsters and creators. In the former category, we have Benedict Arnold, who on this day in 1780, secretly promised to surrender the Continental Army's fort at West Point, NY, to the British. Arnold was an egomaniac, who was frustrated with the lack of attention he had received, and what better way to get attention than to commit treason? Speaking of outsized egos, we note that today would have been the 127th birthday of Huey Long, the "Kingfish" who ran Louisiana like a private fiefdom until he was gunned down in 1935. Long ruled the state as both governor and senator, and his campaign slogan of "Every Man a King" mixed populism and fascism in equal measure. But let us not mention only those who destroy, let's celebrate those who create. When thinking of monsters, one almost automatically turns to thoughts of Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, for which we owe thanks to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, born in 1793, she wrote her novel, "Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus," at the tender age of 18. And where would kids (and parents) be today without Babar? Laurent de Brunhoff (born in 1925), is son of Jean de Brunhoff, who created the elephant king, and who continued his adventures when his father died. Of course, those kids grow up to be teenagers and young adults, and where would they be without Robert Crumb, who turns 73 today? Crumb was in the vanguard of the underground comix movement of the 1960s, and he’s still active and creative, and his influence on modern pop culture is incalculable. And what would pop culture be without the Beatles? One hesitates to guess, but you can try to get a handle on it this week at the International Beatle Week in Liverpool, England. Of course, the Beatles played in the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York when they made their American debut in 1964, and that theatre is today home to the Late Show with David Letterman, which made its own debut in "the Ed" in 1993. A nice contrast to end the day. Gazillionaire Warren Buffett hits the big 8-0 today, and out in the Nevada desert, Burning Man begins. The best thing we can say about Burning Man is that it gets all those people who want to go to Burning Man in one spot away from the rest of us. Tuesday: More monsters. In 12, Gaius Caligula was born. Though the surviving sources are incomplete, Caligula was one of the most notorious Roman emperors of them all, known for the stories of his cruelty, instability, and sexual perversion. (We won’t deal with them here, but you can find the stories easily enough.) But Caligula isn't the only monster we note. On this date in 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was murdered and became the first of known victim of Jack the Ripper. And, of course, in 1928, Berlin saw the premiere of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s "Die Dreigoschenoper" (known in English as "The Threepenny Opera"), with its main character, the vicious murderer Captain Macheath, better known as "Mack the Knife." In 1959, Bobby Darin had a huge hit with that song (which is really odd, when one considers it's about a mass murderer killing people), and Friday will see the 51st anniversary of that song being banned by WCBS radio in New York City. At the time, there had been a series of teenage stabbings in the city, and the station didn't want to those crazy teens any ideas. And while marijuana possession is small potatoes compared to all of the above, we see that, in 1948, actor Robert Mitchum was arrested in a Hollywood drug bust, and was eventually sentenced to 60 days in prison, a scandal which in those days threatened to kill his career, but nowadays would rate only a passing mention on "Entertainment Tonight." All this talk of criminals and murderers makes us long for a hero, and fortunately, in 1942, "The Adventures of Superman" radio series began airing on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Wednesday: All we have for today is that in 1902, George Melies’s "A Trip to the Moon," was released in France and became the world’s first science fiction film. Thursday: So, in 490 BCE, the Athenian army was at Marathon, battling with Persia. The herald Pheidippides was sent to Sparta for help. He ran the 150 miles in two days, but because of religious laws, the Spartans couldn't send any help, so he ran back. In spite of not having the extra troops, Athens won the battle. And poor Phidippides took off again, this time running the 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to carry the news of the victory. He gasped out his last words, "We have won," and dropped dead of exhaustion. The lesson: do not underestimate the usefulness of warm-ups and warm-downs. In 1666, the Great Fire of London began in the wooden house of King Charles II's baker. By the time it ended three days later, more than 13,000 houses, including St Paul's Cathedral, had burned to the ground -- but amazingly, only six people had died. If you were living in England in 1752, tomorrow would have been September 14th. While most of the rest of the world had switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar in 1582, the stubborn Brits had stuck to their guns. But, after nearly 200 years, there was an eleven-day discrepancy between the two calendars, and the English had no choice but to convert. There were actual riots, as people cried, "Give us back our eleven days!" But it was to no avail. Great Britain and her colonies were dragged kicking and screaming into the 18th century. Speaking of fighting against reality, in 1934, singer Russ Columbo accidentally shot himself to death. Columbo was a wildly popular singer and actor, and when he killed himself (with an antique gun that was supposedly unloaded), his friends thought the news would prove fatal to his mother, so for the last years of her life, those friends created an elaborate ruse, sending postcards and letters from far-off locations, and using his records to simulate a radio show. In 1944, Mrs. Columbo died, never suspected that her son had died a decade before. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Let's talk about pioneers this weekend. First, there's Louis Sullivan, born in 1856. Sullivan is, for all intents and purposes, the man who invented the skyscraper. Since Chicago had had its own giant fire in 1871, Sullivan had the opportunity and the laboratory to erest steel-framed buildings that towered over anything built before. In 1833, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty answered an ad in "The New York Sun" and became the first world's first newsboy, which is why we celebrate Newspaper Carrier Day today -- at least for those relatively few Americans who still have newspapers carried to them. Sunday would have been the 163rd birthday of Jesse James. Jesse was not the first Western outlaw, but he was the first to become world famous while plying his dubious trade. 1885 saw the opening of the Exchange Buffet in New York City. It was the first self-service restaurant (read, "cafeteria") in the United States. We don't know if they served chocolate (we'd guess yes), but whether they did or not, it's World Chocolate Day Friday, so you can serve yourself and indulge. In 1888, George Eastman registered the trademark "Kodak" (for the clicking sound a camera's shutter makes) and received a patent for his camera that used rolled film. Eastman's "Brownie" camera came from the factory loaded with enough film for 100 photos. When the roll was complete, the customer would mail the whole camera back to the factory in Rochester, NY, where the pictures would be developed and sent back along with a new camera. Sunday is the 81st birthday of comedian Bob Newhart. Newhart is a two-time pioneer, having been in the forefront of the stand-up comedy revolution of the 1950s, when he transformed himself from "button-down accountant" to a comedian with the top-selling album in America. Then, in the '70s, his sitcom, "The Bob Newhart Show," set new standards for writing, ensemble acting, and just plain goofiness. The weekend before Labor Day always marks the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. While it's easy to criticize the telethon for its corniness and out-of-date show business aesthetic, it's impossible to deny Lewis's commitment and ability to raise money -- nearly a billion-and-a-half dollars since 1966. Lastly, we'll note the 98th birthday of the late avant-garde composer John Cage with 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Suggested Sites... United States Military Academy at West Point - for sale, cheap. Contact Gen. Arnold. Official R. Crumb Site - keep on truckin'. The Beatles - the core of the apple. Dangerous Minds: Early Technicolor - the good folks at Kodak bring you color movies from 1922. Jerry Lewis Telethon - mock him if you will, but he does good work.

Directory categories: Revolutionary War, Children's Literature, Rock and Pop Artists, Musicals, Running

Archived under: 17th Century, 18th Century, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 19th Century, Actors, American History, Ancient History, Anniversaries, Architects, Architecture, Artists, Arts, Athletes, Authors, Berlin, Birthdays, Books, Buildings, Burning Man, Business, Calendars, Cameras, Cartoonists, Celebrations, Celebrities, Chicago, Children´s Literature, Classical Music, Comedians, Comic Books, Comics, Communities, Composers, Conspiracies, Contemporary Art, Counterculture, Crime, Criminals, Cultures, David Letterman, Dead Celebrities, Dictators, Ed Sullivan, England, Entertainment, Europe, European History, Events, Exercise, Festivals, Fiction, Fire, Fitness, Food and Drink, Germany, Gunslingers, History, Holidays, Huey Long, Invention, Inventors, Jack the Ripper, John Lennon, Law Enforcement, Literature, London, Martin and Lewis, Media, Millionaires, Monsters and Creatures, Movies, Murder, Music, Music History, Musicals, Mythology and Folklore, New York, News, Newspapers, Nostalgia, Old West, Performing Arts, Philanthropy, Photography, Radio, Regional, Restaurants, Rock and Roll, Rome, Running, Scandals, Science Fiction, Serial Killers, Silent Movies, Singers, Skyscrapers, Society and Culture, Superheroes, Superman, TV, The Beatles, The West, Theatres, U.K. History, United Kingdom, United States, Unsolved Crimes, Urban Legends, Variety Shows, Vintage, War, Weird Stuff, Westerns, Women, Writers, Writing

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Did you ever think that maybe it's the Tower is straight, and it's the rest of Pisa that's crooked? (Photo by Sébastien Bertrand) Welcome back to The Spark, version 2.0. As is our new wont, we'll be taking a look at news, events, and anniversaries for the upcoming week in order to point you to deeper resources available about them in the Yahoo! Directory. Anxious to begin? So are we! Let's dive in. Monday: On this date in 1173, construction began in Pisa, Italy on a campanile. Soon after building began, the tower began to sink and tilt. (We think you can see where we’re going with this ...) Suffice it to say, though, we were surprised to learn it took nearly two hundred years to complete. Eight stories in two centuries? That's either some tough zoning commission or pretty strict union rules. In 1483, Sistine Chapel in the the Vatican opened. We always wondered where its name came from, and it turns out it was named after Pope Sixtus IV. In another construction fun fact, we were surprised to learn that the room didn't open with Michelangelo's ceiling paintings in place; they weren't added for another 25 years -- and even then, it took the artist four years to finish the job. (Insert obligatory joke about "he should have used a roller.") We don't know if this is coincidental, but today is also International Art Appreciation Day. So go out and appreciate some art, won't you? We don't take notice of just contractors today; we also salute Mr. Jacob Bronck, the Dutch farmer who managed to purchase what is now the New York borough of The Bronx (which is, of course, named for him) from local Indian tribes for 400 beads. In birthdays today, cartoon icon Betty Boop turns 80, having made her debut in the Fleischer Studios cartoon "Dizzy Dishes" in 1930. Betty looks pretty good for an old dame, and was recently unveiled as the "Official Fantasy Cheerleader" of the United Football League -- and no, we’re not sure what that actually means. Speaking of fantasy mascots, the United States Forest Service unveiled their own mascot, Smokey the Bear, on this day in 1944. For those of you inclined toward motorcycles and unseemly behavior, we'll note that the 70th Sturgis Rally begins today in Sturgis, SD, and leave it at that -- except to not that "unseemly behavior" reminds us that this is the 36th anniversary of Richard Nixon resigning the Presidency. Tuesday: In these days of the Interwebs, it's hard to conceive of how slow communication used to be. For example, it was until this day in 1776 that word of the United States declaring its independence reached London -- over a month after the event took place. It's a good day for revolutionary movements, as, in 1792, French revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace and arrested King Louis XVI. But it's not just a day for revolting; it's also a day for learning and scholarship. In 1846, James Smithson donated $500,000 (about $115 million today) to fund what would turn out to be the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. In much the same spirit, a group of, well, obsessive nerds (and we mean that fondly) met in Cooperstown, NY, in 1971, to found the Society for American Baseball Research, known for such Sabermetric abbreviations as WARP, wOBA, and xFIP. (If you’re more fond of football and video games than you are of baseball, please note that Madden NFL 11 will be released today). Antonio Banderas turns 50 today. We'll say he looks pretty darn good for a guy his age, and leave it at that. It's the 78th anniversary of the death of Rin Tin Tin. Rinty was a German Shepherd puppy who was found on a World War I battlefield by soldier Lee Duncan. Duncan brought the dog back to America and taught him any number of tricks, to the point where the dog became a major movie star in the 1920s, even keeping the Warner Bros. studio from going bankrupt. To get serious for a moment, we wish our Muslim readers a blessed Ramadan, the holiday that begins today. Wednesday: Not much to note today, but we found this juxtaposition irresistible, especially in light of recent events in the Gulf. In 1994, a federal jury awarded $286.8 million to 10,000 commercial fishermen for their losses suffered as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. And on the same date in 1998, British Petroleum purchased Amoco for $49 billion. And in 1934, the first prisoners started arriving at the newly-commissioned federal prison on Alcatraz Island. BP? Oil spills? Alcatraz? We'll leave the math to you. Thursday: State fair season gets underway this weekend, as fairs open in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and West Virginia. The idea of the state fair conjures up (for us, anyway) the idea of small towns and the Midwest, which also reminds us that, in 1939, "The Wizard of Oz" had its world premiere not in Hollywood, but at the Strand Theatre in the bustling Wisconsin town of Oconomowoc. Turns out MGM was afraid they had a flop on their hands, and wanted to keep it quiet. (And we'll mention here that Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, would have turned 115 this Friday). Speaking of fantasies, supposedly on this date in 1943, the U.S. Navy tested a teleportation machine in what has come to be known as the Philadelphia Experiment. Way, way back in 30 BCE, Cleopatra committed suicide by letting an asp bite her. For the geeky, not only will Jon Stewart be interviewing George Lucas at the Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, FL, but it's also the first day of the QuakeCon video game tournament. For the more athletically inclined, the PGA Golf Championship begins today in Kohler, WI, as well as the annual inductions at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Friday: Remember not so long ago, when everyone was all concerned about how 2012 is the end of the Mayan calendar, which somehow means the end of the world? Well, on this day in 3114 BCE, the Mayan calendar started up. We can only guess what was around before that ... A big day for women today. It's the 150th birthday of sharpshooter Annie Oakley, the 100th anniversary of the death of pioneer nurse Florence Nightingale, and the 92nd anniversary of Opha Mae Johnson being the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. In the world of movies, Alfred Hitchcock, "the Master of Suspense," known for such classics as "Psycho," "North by Northwest," and "Vertigo," was born in 1899, which would have made him 111 today -- almost as old as the cast of "The Expendables," which opens today with such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. That it's also Friday the 13th and World Lizard Day seems almost non-coincidental. (Though it's also International Lefthanders Day, so we probably shouldn't make too much of it.) Saturday: Today is the 75th anniversary of the passing of the Social Security Act, which should come as a relief to Steve Martin, who turns 65 today, and is now eligible to retire. On the same day Steve was born, the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II, an event that was helped in no small part by the U.S. Army's Navajo code talkers -- Native Americans who radioed each other in their native tongue, completely confounding the Japanese who tried unsuccessfully to understand them; something that is celebrated today with National Navajo Code Talkers Day. In Glasgow today, pipers from around the world will gather at the World Pipe Band Championships, something annoying for most of us, and bizarre enough to commemorate the 60th birthday of "Far Side" cartoonist Gary Larson. (Though perhaps it's not as bizarre as the UK Mobile Phone Throwing Championships.) A more pleasant musical event will take place on the other side of the Equator, as the World Tango Championships will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sunday: Birthdays today for two people who conquered their own worlds in their own ways. In 1769, it was Napoleon Bonaparte, and in 1912, it was Julia Child. In 1969 on this date, Woodstock opened, featuring such musical acts as Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Jefferson Airplane, The Who, and others. We began this week by mentioning the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so it’s only fitting that we end it by referring to the laying of the foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral in 1248. The Tower took only 200 years to build, but the Cathedral wasn't completed until 1880. We wish you a good week and the hopes that your own construction projects go more swiftly. Suggested Sites... Wikipedia: Sistine Chapel Ceiling - details about the painting and the process. Sturgis Rally - it's either Heaven or Hell, depending. Maybe a little bit of both. National Park Service: Alcatraz Island - take a tour of the Rock. Quake Con 2010 - games slightly more complicated than checkers. Star Wars Celebration V - Han shot first.

Directory categories: Painting Masters, Animation, Baseball History, Movie History, Rock and Pop Music History

Archived under: 18th Century, 1940s, 19th Century, Actors, Alcatraz, Alfred Hitchcock, American History, Ancient History, Animation, Anniversaries, Architecture, Arts, Baseball, Basketball, Betty Boop, Birthdays, Buildings, Calendars, Cartoonists, Cartoons, Celebrations, Celebrities, Cell Phones, Cheerleaders, Chefs, Coincidence, Concerts, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, Directors, Disappearances, Dogs, England, Entertainment, Europe, European History, Events, Festivals, France, Friday the 13th, Gamers, Games, Government, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, Holidays, Islam, Italy, Japan, Judy Garland, London, MLB, Mascots, Mayan Civilization, Military, Motorcycles, Movie History, Movie Theatres, Movies, Music, Music History, Musicians, Mysteries, Mythology and Folklore, Napoleon Bonaparte, New York, Nostalgia, Online Gaming, Real Estate, Revolutionary War, Rin Tin Tin, Rome, San Francisco, Science Fiction, Scotland, Secrets, Silent Movies, Small Towns, Star Wars, U.K. History, United Kingdom, United States, Urban Legends, Video Games, WWI, WWII, Women, Yahoo! Directory

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Look at those masses huddling! (Photo by Shane Gallagher) America met its biggest sweetheart this week in 1885. On June 17th, the French transport ship Isère arrived in New York Harbor, docking at Bedloe's Island two days later. Not many sweethearts arrive in a box, but this one did; in fact, she arrived in 214 specially-built boxes, some of which weighed several tons. The "sweetheart" in question was, of course, the Statue of Liberty -- or, to give the lady her proper title, "Liberty Enlightening the World." Miss Liberty had last seen daylight in 1884 when her completed parts were assembled and she had towered over Paris. In fact, she would have been ready earlier (insert joke here about ladies taking ages to get ready ...) but since the Americans seemed to be dragging their heels in building her pedestal, the French decided to take it a bit easy on their end, too. We can scarcely blame them, since funding for that pedestal was by no means assured. It wasn't until two months after Lady Liberty had arrived on U.S. soil that enough money had been pledged and a home on Bedloe's Island was guaranteed for her -- nut thern, no one likes to see a lady out on the streets! She was greeted on June 19th by a flotilla of small boats, a cavalcade of cannon, and a hearty shout of "Bung jaw!" by Adolph L. Sanger, president of the New York Board of Aldermen. Sanger was "grievously upbraided" by his fellow aldermen, though not for his linguistic failings, but for his failure to bring any beer or sandwiches to this auspicious occasion. As it turns out, Sanger would have plenty of time to make those sandwiches. He'd have time to brew some beer, too, since Miss Liberty's full unveiling had to wait until 1886 -- and once again, it was the fault of that pedestal -- the damn thing still wasn't ready for her! In defense of that pedestal, even today it's a mighty piece of engineering. Built on top of Fort Wood (an 11-pointed star shaped fort), Mademoiselle Liberty's pedestal is an 89-foot high piece of masonry that remains one of the heaviest ever built. Reinforced with huge girders that continue upward to become part of the statue itself. So strong is that structure that, according to the National Park Service, a gust of wind capable of blowing the Statue over would have to be almost strong enough to blow over the island itself as well. On April 22nd, 1886, the last piece of the pedestal was finally completed and jubilant workers threw silver coins into the mortar. All that remained was for Liberty herself to be rebuilt, which took just four short months -- all ready for her first official public appearance on October 28th, when she was finally unveiled by President Grover Cleveland. Not a bad debut for a young immigrant girl from France. Suggested Sites... The History of Liberty - all you ever wanted to know about the Statue. Wikipedia: Statue of Liberty - facts, figures, and history. National Park Service: Statue of Liberty Stats - because who doesn't love numbers? New York Harbor Parks - a local take on Liberty.

Directory categories: Statue of Liberty, New York, New York City History, 19th Century French History, Grover Cleveland

Archived under: 19th Century, American History, Anniversaries, Architecture, Buildings, Europe, France, History, Immigration, New York, Parks, Presidents, Recreation and Travel, Sculpture, Statue of Liberty, Tourist Attractions, Travel, United States, Women

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Celeb prints at Grauman's (Photo by soyignatius) Sid Grauman was a showman. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, patrons expected that a quarter would buy them a full evening's entertainment in lavish surroundings, and that's just what Grauman provided. Beginning in 1918, Grauman built a trio of movie palaces that put all others to shame. The first was the aptly-named (considering its constuction costs) Million Dollar Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The second was the Egyptian Theatre, home of the first-ever "Hollywood premiere" -- Douglas Fairbanks' 1922 "Robin Hood." The crown jewel, however, was Grauman's Chinese Theatre, built on Hollywood Boulevard at a cost of $2,000,000 (approximately $24 million today), and seating 2,000 patrons (and an orchestra of 65) in comfort and style. The most notable part of the Chinese Theatre (other than its Asian-inspired design) is its forecourt, paved with the footprints and autographs of over 200 of Hollywood's greatest stars. The tradition allegedly began when either Grauman or Natalie Talmadge stepped into a block of wet cement during the theatre's construction in mid-April, 1927. Grauman, seeing the publicity factor of having a built-in tourist attraction, seized on the idea and, when the theatre officially opened on April 30th of that year, Fairbanks and his wife, Mary Pickford -- who were possibly the biggest stars the movies have ever known (as well as having a financial interest in the theatre) -- were the first to immortalize their feet in Grauman's concrete. In the 80-plus years since, millions of tourists have come from around the world to compare their shoe sizes with those of Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe -- or others whose stars didn't burn quite as brightly. If you go to Grauman's, though, don't expect to see Charlie Chaplin's footprints: they were removed in the 1950s when Charlie was accused of being a Communist. Suggested Sites... Grauman's Chinese Theatre - official site of the theatre and the most famous autograph collection in the world -- open 24 hours a day! Cinema Treasures - find a movie palace near you. Grauman's Chinese Forecourt Map - from Doug and Mary to the stars of "Harry Potter" -- the who's-who of who's where. Los Angeles Conservancy: Broadway Theatre District - if you're in Los Angeles anyway, you can't miss these movie palaces from the Golden Age of Movies. The Last Remaining Seats - see classic movies the way they were meant to be seen: in a giant auditorium with 2,000 strangers.

Directory categories: Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, Movie Theatres, Classic Hollywood Actors, Hollywood Travel

Archived under: 1920s, Actors, Architecture, Buildings, Celebrities, Charlie Chaplin, Graumans Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Movie History, Movie Theatres, Movies, Theatres, Tourist Attractions

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