In 1953, Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky; Dwight Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States; Christine Jorgensen had successful sex reassignment surgery; James Watson and Francis Crick announced the discovery of the structure of DNA; The Academy Awards were broadcast on television for the first time; Jonas Salk announced the polio… Continue reading Welcome to the world Little Ricky: A look back at 1953
Category: Retrospective
A detailed look at my top ten films for a given year
Nobody likes it when you’re 23; a look back at 2023
In 2023, China launched a series of spy balloons over the United States; Silicon Valley Bank failed; King Charles III was coronated; On the way to visit the wreckage of the Titanic, the submersible Titan imploded; The WGA and SAG-AFTRA launched a strike against Hollywood studios; Kevin McCarthy’s brief reign as Speaker of the House ended in… Continue reading Nobody likes it when you’re 23; a look back at 2023
Camelot ended: A look back at 1963
In 1963, The United States banned travel to Cuba; Harold Wilson became prime minister of the United Kingdom; Marin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail,” and gave his “I Have a Dream,” speech; Buddy Rogers became the first WWWF Champion; Coca Cola introduced its first diet drink, Tab; ZIP codes were… Continue reading Camelot ended: A look back at 1963
Three years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1973
In 1973, Richard Nixon was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States; George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier to become world heavyweight champion; The Vietnam War ended; Major League Baseball debuted the designated hitter; The Sears Tower became the world’s tallest building; Skylab launched; The Bahamas, Guinea-Bissau, and Papua New-Guinea became… Continue reading Three years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1973
Everything that follows is older than Harry Styles: A look back at 1993
In 1993, Eritrea became an independent nation, and Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Bill Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States of America; Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal A. Ayyad, Abdul Rahman Yasin, and Ahmed Ajaj attempted to blow up the World Trade Center; Janet Reno became the first… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Harry Styles: A look back at 1993
Iraq War part 2: A look back at 2003
In 2003, The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry into earth’s atmosphere; The US and allied forces invaded Iraq; The Human Genome Project was completed; The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia joined the European Union; Tesla was founded; Robert Novak controversially identified Valeria Plane as a covert agent; 4chan… Continue reading Iraq War part 2: A look back at 2003
Four years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1972
In 1972, Kurt Waldheim became Secretary General of the United Nations; President Nixon visited China and met with Mao Zedong; Pioneer 10 became the first man-made spacecraft to leave the solar system; Five White House operatives were arrested for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee; On Bloody Friday, twenty-two bombs planted by… Continue reading Four years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1972
100 years of the Income Tax: A look back at 2013
In 2013 Barack Obama began his second term as President of the United States; Benedict XVI resigned and Francis was chosen to replace him as the 266th pope; Edward Snowden revealed the US government had been engaged in mass surveillance of its population; Grand Theft Auto V was released; Croatia joined the European Union; In… Continue reading 100 years of the Income Tax: A look back at 2013
History has its eyes on you: A look back at 2022
In 2022, The XXIV Winter Olympics were held in Beijing; Russia invaded Ukraine; Troy Kotsur became the second deaf performer to win an Academy Award; Salman Rushdie was attacked while giving a speech in New York; Charles III became King of England; Liz Truss became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for fifty days days;… Continue reading History has its eyes on you: A look back at 2022
Time to phone home: A look back at 1982
In 1982, Elk Cloner, the first computer virus, was created; Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands; The World’s Fair was held in Knoxville; Fahd became King of Saudi Arabia; Italy won the World Cup; The first CDs were created in Germany; Yuri Andropov became Secretary General of the Communist Party; Michael Jackson released Thriller; Barney Clark… Continue reading Time to phone home: A look back at 1982