On this day in 1874, baseball was first played in England, at the Lord’s Cricket Grounds. You’ll have noticed by now that it didn’t catch on over there. I can just imagine what the Brits thought when they watched it. “I say old chap, that’s simply not cricket!”
On this day in 1919, the American Association for the Hard of Hearing was first formed in New York City. They started by shouting the AAHH motto called “What’s That?!” It was followed by the AAHH club song called “Speak up, Would Ya!” They created the AAHH coat of arms; two ear horns over the words, “Proud and Loud” and the meeting ended with the official AAHH joke which goes; I just got a new watch. Oh, really, what kind is it? It’s about 11:30.”
On this day in 1964, the government of Italy asked for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over. The Chinese sent Feng Shui experts, the Japanese sent robots and the Canadians sent Bungee Cords.
On this day in 1974, “People Magazine” began publishing. I don’t read it myself that often. I usually see it at my doctor’s clinic and they have very dated copies of “People Magazine”. Last week, I was there for an appointment and the woman sitting next to me was reading about how O.J.Simpson had signed a deal to do Hertz Rent-a-Car commercials and what did I think about hiring someone like that to do TV commercials. I said, “Here, read mine. It’s all about Charlie Sheen signing a deal to do TV commercials for Haynes Underwear.”
On this day in 1986, the United States Senate allowed its debates to be televised on a trial basis. Yeah! That’s what we’d all been clamouring for! Watching Senate debates on TV.
On this day in 1991, the U.S. led, six-week-war with Iraq ended. So let me get this straight; the exit strategy was to be out in six weeks? Oh, the good old days!
If your birthday is February 27th, you share it with actor Howard Hesseman, better known as WKRP’s Johnny Fever, who was born on this day in 1940. Howard, of course, was in one of the funniest sitcom episodes ever, where the radio station had a Christmas promotion involving throwing turkeys out of a helicopter. The best line in that episode and in almost any other TV sitcom was spoken by the radio station sales manager Herb Tarlek, who said, after all the turkeys had fallen to their death, “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!”
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