Quite possibly the biggest fan of National Cookie Day (Photo by Peter Taylor) The next few days will take on a musical flavor. On Monday, jazz pianist Dave Brubeck turns 90, an event which will be celebrated with a new Clint Eastwood-produced documentary that will premiere on TCM. Brubeck (with saxophonist Paul Desmond) pioneered the cool West Coast jazz of the 1950s with such tunes as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk." He still tours regularly and his playing is as strong as ever. In 2009, he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor, and this Sunday, the latest batch of those awards will be given to country singer Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman, choreographer Bill T. Jones, rock legend Paul McCartney, and the one and only Oprah Winfrey. Someone who probably should have received a Kennedy Center Honor, but didn't, was lyricist Ira Gershwin, born December 6, 1896. Ira was the brother of composer George Gershwin, and together they wrote scores of classic tunes (a bare-bones list of which would include "I Got Rhythm" "The Man I Love," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and "Someone to Watch Over Me") that have become enshrined in the Great American Songbook. The first lyricist to win a Pulitzer Prize (for 1931's "Of Thee I Sing"), he died in 1983. Friday will mark the 42nd anniversary of Elvis Presley's "'68 Comeback Special." "The King" had been domesticated by his Hollywood career, turning out one bland movie after another, but this TV special brought back the "dangerous" Elvis of the 1950s -- in black leather! -- and led to the Las Vegas appearances and concert tours that continued until his death. Some historical events of note on Sunday. In 1848, President James K. Polk triggered the Gold Rush of '49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California, and in 1945, the so-called "Lost Squadron" disappeared when five U.S. Navy Avenger bombers carrying 14 flyers began a training mission from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station, from which they never returned. Perhaps they were swallowed by the Bermuda Triangle, or perhaps they were just practicing their stealthy ninja training. Given that Sunday is also the Day of the Ninja, we think that one explanation is as likely as the other. Saturday will bring some birthdays in the world of entertainment. Not only will it be the 49th birthdays of actresses Daryl Hannah and Julianne Moore, it will also be the 80th birthday of legendary French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. Godard was at the center of the French "New Wave" that took cinema by storm in the 1950s. Its gritty, in-your-face techniques have influenced directors as diverse as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, Brian De Palma, and Oliver Stone. Like Brubeck, Godard is still working. His latest movie, "Film Socialisme" was released in France in May, and another film (about the Holocaust) is rumored to be on the way. A filmmaker who couldn't have been more different from Godard was Walt Disney, whose 109th birthday falls on Sunday. Given the distance between Godard's Marxism and Disney's conservatism, one can only wonder what the two of them thought of each other. Perhaps the brainiacs at the Encyclopedia Britannica could tell us, since Sunday is also the 242nd anniversary of the first publication of that know-it-all compendium. Four holidays to finish out the old week and begin the new. Friday is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this year dedicated to "mainstreaming disability in the Millennium." Sunday is International Volunteer Day, which recognizes volunteers for their efforts and increases public awareness of their contribution to society. Monday begins Handwashing Awareness Week, something that's always a good idea, (especially after using the bathroom). Handwashing helps prevent the spread of disease, and if you're celebrating National Cookie Day Saturday, you won't get dirt all over your delicious cookies. Suggested Sites... Dave Brubeck.com - still going strong. George and Ira Gershwin - 's wonderful. Kenndy Center Honors - celebrating the lives of great American artists. Ask a Ninja - go on. Ask. Mayo Clinic: Hand Washing Do's and Don't's - who knew it was so complicated?

Directory categories: Jazz Pianists, Songwriters, Paranormal Phenomena, Disabilities, Volunteerism

Archived under: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 19th Century, Actors, Aging, American History, Animation, Anniversaries, Award Shows, Awards, Baking, Biographies, Birthdays, Books, Broadway, California, Celebrations, Celebrities, Childrens Health, Communism, Communists, Composers, Cookies, Cooking, Country Music, Dance, Directors, Disability, Disappearances, Disease, Disney, Eating, Elvis Presley, Entertainment, Europe, Events, Filmmaking, Food and Drink, France, Gold, Gold Rush, Health, History, Holidays, In Character, Issues and Causes, Jazz, Las Vegas, Men, Movies, Music, Music History, Musicals, Musicians, Mysteries, Mythology and Folklore, Ninjas, Nostalgia, Oprah, Paranormal, Performing Arts, Presidents, Rock and Roll, Singers, Songs, TV, The Beatles, The West, United States, Urban Legends, Weird Stuff, Women

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Well, that's what it all comes down to, doesn't it? Welcome once more to The Spark, your source for a deep dig into the week's events. Let's begin, shall we? Monday: The week begins with the anniversaries of the deaths of a couple of prominent Southerners. It's hard to determine which was the more notable, though. Obviously, Elvis Presley dying in 1977 got more ink (and the good people at FTD had more orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland than for any other event or place), and his effect on pop culture is incalculable, but in 1888, John Pemberton died in Atlanta, three years after inventing Coca-Cola. Memphians will note the anniversary with Elvis Week, but we don’t think Atlantans will be celebrating Pemberton Week, so Mr. Presley may get the nod. But Elvis and Dr. Pemberton aren’t the only prominent folks who died on this date. In 1956, Bela Lugosi died. Lugosi was so identified with Count Dracula that he resented the way the role had typecast him, so it was odd that he chose to be buried in the Dracula cape he had worn on stage and screen. In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died. Had he lived another six years, he might have made the cover of "Sports Illustrated," the first issue of which hit the newsstands in 1954. In birthdays today, we note two creators and an icon (of sorts). In 1884, Hugo Gernsback was born. Gernsback is all but unknown today, but in the 1920s, he nurtured not only the genre of science fiction (which he called "scientifiction"), but also created what has come to be known as fandom by printing names and addresses of readers in his science fiction magazines. (Coincidentally, the World Science Fiction Convention opens tomorrow in Reno, NV.) 1892, Otto Messmer was born. Messmer was an artist and animator who may or may not have created Felix the Cat, who, until the advent of Mickey Mouse in the late 1920s, was the biggest animated star in movies. The icon is Fess Parker, who was born in 1924. In the 1950s, he played frontiersman and Congressman Davy Crockett (whose own birth in 1786 we note tomorrow) on television, causing a mania for coonskin caps. In the 60s, he played frontiersman and legislator Daniel Boone. In the oddity file, we see that Chang and Eng Bunker, the original "Siamese Twins," arrived in Boston in 1829. Though they were joined at the sternum, the Bunkers married sisters and fathered 21 children between them. We needn't dwell on the details. And it's the 90th birthday of bohemian writer Charles Bukowski, who managed to turn a life of dissipation and alcohol into poetry. Tuesday: Last week, we mentioned that "The Wizard of Oz" had had its world premiere in Oconomowoc, WI. Well, on August 17, 1939, it finally reached New York, opening at the Capitol Theatre on Broadway. Speaking of things reaching the Big Apple, it was on this day in 1790, that the U.S. capital moved from New York to Philadelphia (the government would open shop in Washington DC in 1800.) Speaking of things leaving New York, Robert Fulton's steamboat, The Clermont, left New York for Albany in 1807. (That route later became notorious in the early 20th century, as philandering husbands and wives used it to follow through on trysts. "Taking the night boat to Albany" became shorthand for having an affair.) And speaking of illicit affairs, how could we forget that, on this day in 1893, Mae West was born? West was an actor an playwright who traded in the power of sex to scandalize, so much so that a number of her plays were shut down for their scandalous plots and she herself was arrested more than once. Some musical events of note today. In 1954, Billy Murray died. Murray is all but unknown today, but he was a staggeringly popular recording artist in the first quarter of the 20th century, becoming the first person to sell a million records. In 1959, Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" was released. It marked a new type of cool jazz that hadn't been widely heard before, and Miles struck gold, with the album being generally considered to the best-selling jazz album of all time. Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson will release an album of his arrangements of songs by George Gershwin today. It’s also the 27th anniversary of the death of George’s brother Ira, though we don't know if the though of Wilson messing with the Gershwin songbook is what killed him. Wednesday: Today is a day for all types of women's events. In 1587, Virginia Dare became the first child of European parents to be born on American soil. She was born in the Roanoake colony in North Carolina, an outpost from which every resident mysteriously vanished soon after. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote. And today, the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders will release a swimsuit calendar. Whether this is a step forward or backward, we leave to you, dear reader. In three completely unrelated events, we note than, in 1227, Genghis Khan, who created the largest empire the world has ever known, died; that today is International Homeless Animals Day; and that an expedition to create the first 3D map of the wreckage site of RMS Titanic will begin. Thursday: Not a good day for witches or those suspected of being witches. In 1612, three women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury, England, were put on trial, for allegedly practicing witchcraft, and eighty years later, in 1692 in Salem, MA, one woman and four men ere executed after being convicted of witchcraft. Following the death of Elvis earlier in the week, the death of Groucho Marx in 1977 didn't cause much of a ripple, but to fans of classic comedy, it was a bigger event. Thanks to the efforts of birthday boy Philo T. Farnsworth (1906), who invented the television, news travels faster than ever -- or certainly faster than it did in 1848, when the news of the California Gold Rush finally reached the New York Herald, a mere seven months after gold had been discovered. Had airplanes been around in those days (and today is National Aviation Day, to commemorate the 1871 birth of Orville Wright), the east coast might have gotten the word sooner, though. Friday: Speaking of getting the word late, it was on this day in 1866 that President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over, a mere 16 months after the surrender at Appomattox. (We might also mention in this context that in 1858, Charles Darwin first published his theory of evolution in "The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London," alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory, though there are still some folks who either haven’t gotten that news, or who choose to ignore it.) In musical anniversaries, in 1882 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" debuted in Moscow and in 1885, Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Mikado," opened in New York. Some sports stuff today, too. It's the 90th birthday of the National Football League, founded in Canton, OH, as well as the being the openings of the World Series of both mahjong and Little League baseball. A less happy reminder of football also occurs today, when "The Tillman Story" opens; it's a documentary investigating the life and the cover-up of the death of NFL star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman. On a (much) lighter note, a "Twilight" convention opens today in Parsippany, NJ. Why Parsippany, we have no idea. Saturday: In 1878, the American Bar Association was founded. We'd make a joke here, but we don't want to get sued. Speaking of theft, it was on this day in 1911 that the Mona Lisa was stolen by an employee of the Louvre Museum (There must be something about art thefts this weekend. Sunday is the sixth anniversary of the thefts of two paintings by Edvard Munch from the Munch Museum in Oslo.) And speaking of exaggeration, it's Wilt Chamberlain’s birthday. Wilt was born in 1936, and while he was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, he also claimed to be one of the most prolific scorers off the court, boasting in his autobiography that he had slept with over 20,000 women (nearly as many as his 31,419 career points). In other birthdays today, piano legend Count Basie, who lead the swingingest big band ever, was born in 1904; Oscar-winning animation director Friz Freleng was born in 1906; Christopher Robin Milne, who inspired (and resented) the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, was born in 1920; and in 1938, country singer Kenny Rogers was born. We're not quite sure when his face was born, however. And on this day in 1959, Hawaii became a state -- just in time to either be or not be the birthplace of Barack Obama. Sunday: In 1485, King Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Shakespeare's play of 100 or so years later painted him as an utter villain, but contemporary historians have rehabilitated him somewhat. Guess history will also be written by the victors. Speaking of writers, we close the week by noting that, in 1893, Dorothy Parker was born. Mrs. Parker was generally considered to be the wittiest woman in America in the 1920s and '30s, with a pen dipped in poison and a tongue to match. In her later years, she tried to renounce her fame and wit, but any woman who could say, "If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised" had something going on. Earlier, we mentioned how Hugo Gernsback more or less created science fiction fandom, and one of those early fans celebrates his 90th birthday today: Ray Bradbury. Bradbury wrote more than just science fiction, but that's what he's best known for. "If you enjoy living, it is not difficult to keep the sense of wonder," he once said. Over nearly a century, that"s a heck of a lot of wonder. See you next time! Suggested Sites... Little League World Series - a Williamsport tradition since 1947. Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders - because you really want to know what the date is. eHow: Rules for Mah-Jongg - not that we understand them. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin - not that he needed it, but it should be interesting, regardless. Titanic Expedition Aims To Create 3D Map Of Wreck - bet they don't find the iceberg.

Directory categories: Inventors, Vampires, Big Bands, Science Fiction Authors, Music History

Archived under: 17th Century, 18th Century, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 19th Century, Actors, American History, Ancient History, Animal Rights, Animation, Anniversaries, Art Museums, Artists, Asia, Athletes, Authors, Babe Ruth, Baseball Players, Basketball, Beach Boys, Biographies, Birthdays, Calendars, Cartoons, Celebrations, Celebrities, Charles Darwin, Cheerleaders, China, Civil War, Classical Music, Coca Cola, Coincidence, Comedians, Composers, Conjoined Twins, Country Music, Creationism, Crime, Dead Celebrities, Death, Directors, Dorothy Parker, Elvis Presley, England, Entertainment, Games, Government, Graceland, History, Humor, Invention, Inventors, Jazz, Law, Literature, Louvre, Media, Mickey Mouse, Movie History, Movie Theatres, Movies, Museums, Music, Music History, Musicians, NBA, NFL, New York, News, Newspapers, Plastic Surgery, Poetry, Presidents, Regional, Royalty, Science, Science Fiction, Scientists, Sex and Sexuality, Shipwrecks, Singers, Society and Culture, Sports, TV, Technology, Theatres, U.K. History, Underwater, United Kingdom, United States, Vintage, War, Weird Stuff, William Shakespeare, Winnie the Pooh, Witches, Women, Writers, Writing

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Bronze The Fonz poster (From the official Bronze The Fonz website) This is truly a happy day in pop culture, for there is an unveiling of monumental proportions. Today, Milwaukee introduces us to the culmination of its efforts to Bronze The Fonz. That's correct: The Fonz, from "Happy Days." Arthur Fonzarelli's likeness will now be immortalized in the downtown RiverWalk district. It seems that Henry Winkler's chick magnet will now be truly, um... magnetic. Several local groups have raised the $85,000 to commission the artwork in hopes of bringing more visitors to the locally popular riverside shopping area. Continuing TV Land's movement to idolize television's "finest characters in their depicted hometowns," Milwaukee joins the club. Fonzie is the latest installment to join the likes of Ralph Kramden and Mary Tyler Moore in what may be a new twist on Americana. We expect to see statues of leaders, explorers, scientists, and artists, of course, but occasionally there's an oddity thrown into the mix (Seattle's Fremont Troll is certainly in a category all to itself). Sometimes the location of the monument is more than fitting, such as Philadelphia's Rocky Balboa, or Elvis Presley in Honolulu. But it's often the placement that lends to the "huh?" factor. Seattle is also home to the largest sculpture of Vladimir Illych Lenin. And John Lennon resides on a bench in a park in Havana, Cuba, of all places -- occasionally without his glasses. Curious, no? At least the television-inspired creations appear in places where their fictional stories took place. Regardless, if you're delighted by this sort of discovery as you wander urban streets, these sculpture projects aim to please. So while some might thumb their noses at these tributes to pop culture, we give it a thumbs-up. Suggested Sites... Hank Zipzer - official site for Henry Winkler's children's book series. Visit Milwaukee - travel and tourism site from the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau. Help Bronze The Fonz - for complete coverage and dedication ceremonies of the Bronze Fonz on August 19, 2008.

Directory categories: Happy Days, Henry Winkler, Milwaukee Local Guides, Bronze Sculpture Artists

Archived under: Actors, Arts, Celebrities, Elvis Presley, Entertainment, John Lennon, Sculpture, TV

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Groucho Marx (NBC promotional photo) Thirty years ago this week, an icon of entertainment died: A performer who was recognizable by his voice, his physicality, and his frequent appearances on television and in films. We refer, of course, to Julius Henry Marx -- better known as Groucho. Groucho Marx died on August 19, 1977, but with all the fuss over Elvis Presley's death three days earlier, his passing was virtually overlooked by the media. But for those with a taste for a sharp tongue and terrible puns, Groucho lives on. In a career that spanned almost all of the 20th century, Groucho and his brothers conquered vaudeville, Broadway, radio, and motion pictures. After he retired from movies (more or less), Groucho hosted "You Bet Your Life," with its immortal catch phrase, "say the secret word and win $100." He made a "comeback" at the age of 82 (though he'd never really left), packing concert halls with his one-man show. While some may prefer the karate-chopping guy in the jumpsuit, we'll take the cigar-smoking con man in the greasepaint mustache waggling his eyebrows at the nearest blonde. Suggested Sites... Marx-Brothers.org: Groucho Marx - detailed biography of the life of Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx. Marx-Brothers.org - information on every aspect of the lives and careers of the five Marx Brothers. The Smoking Gun: Groucho Marx's FBI File - investigating what kind of Marxist Groucho was. Clown Ministry: The Marx Brothers - letters, quotes, photos, and articles about Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, and Gummo. Museum of Broadcast Communications: Groucho Marx - information about Groucho's television career.

Directory categories: Groucho Marx, The Marx Brothers, Comedians, Comedy Films, Television Game Shows

Archived under: Comedians, Dead Celebrities, Death, Elvis Presley, Entertainment, Humor, TV

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Touring Graceland (Photo by jschroe) Paul Simon and Marc Cohn have both sung about it. There's even a movie about it. Twenty-five years ago today, that little place at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard opened its doors to an inquisitive public. Almost as legendary and mythical as the man himself, the Graceland Estate continues to be a hugely popular tourist attraction, statistically the second most visited private residence in the United States -- after the White House. But to be honest, we'd rather be in Memphis, Tennessee, weeping by the King's grave, eating cheeseburgers on the lawn, and wondering why on earth we can't go upstairs. The colonial style mansion was built in 1939 and purchased by Elvis in 1957. It started life at a mere 10,000 square feet. But by the time the Presleys had finished with it, the place had grown to 17,000 square feet. On Graceland's silver jubilee, we're grateful the King needed somewhere to keep all those gold records and automobiles. Suggested Sites... Graceland Virtual Tour - just like being there, except without the mosquitoes. National Register of Historic Places - a proud member since 1991. Elvis Presley - Elvis.com? Best URL ever. Graceland Merchandise - lip curlers not included.

Directory categories: Elvis Presley, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Sightings

Archived under: Anniversaries, Architecture, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Museums, Music, Regional

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