birthday | Gunsmoke and Knitting

Posts Tagged ‘birthday’

What birthday am I celebrating?

September 9, 2013

STAR TREK first began its mission to explore strange new worlds, and so on . . . on September 8, 1966. The link is from Science.com.

Click on this timeline to make it bigger:

This blog is Gunsmoke and KNITTING, so to celebrate the birth of Star Trek, here is a knitting project for your little Klingon. And speaking of Klingons, did you know that Michael Dorn has a role on Castle? (If you are interested, there are a lot of links in the previous sentence.)

See more like this on All She Wants to do is Knit.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged astronomy, birthday, entertainment, Klingons, knitting, Michael Dorn, NASA, nerds, science fiction, space, Star Trek, travel, whimsey | Leave a Comment »

What am I sappy cat blogging?

September 6, 2013

Koko and her kitten

Koko is the gorilla who was taught American Sign Language by researcher Dr. Penny Patterson. Koko is particularly fond of kittens. The connection is another gorilla story. Glenn Cravath (American artist 1897-1964) was born this day. He is the artist for the book cover for King Kong, published in 1932, and for comic strip style advertisements for the movie based on the book. The film was released in 1933 with Fay Wray playing the hapless bride. A remake was done in 2005, starring Naomi Watts as the female lead and Jack Black as King Kong (no, that’s not right.)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged animals, art, birthday, cats, film, Friday, Glenn Cravath, history, King Kong, nature, sappy cat blogging | 2 Comments »

Who do I toast today on tattoo Tuesday?

August 6, 2013

Andy Warhol was a leader in the pop-art movement that reached prominence in the mid-20th century. He was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh. While best known for his prints and paintings (among the most expensive ever sold) that celebrate advertising and pop cultural icons, Warhol was trained at Carnegie Mellon University and his body of work includes hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music. An extensive collection can be found at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

He pushed the boundaries socially, culturally and artistically. I think he both a leader and a product of social change in post-war America.

Warhol is buried in Pittsburgh at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery. A statue (below) in his honor is in Bratislava, Slovakia. His parents had emigrated from Slovakia in 1914.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Andy Warhol, art, birthday, style, tattoo Tuesday, tattoos | 4 Comments »

Whose birthday am I celebrating?

April 23, 2013

Happy birthday to William Shakespeare, born on this day in 1564. This year his birthday corresponds to Tattoo Tuesday – so here goes . . .

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, birthday, history, holidays, Shakespeare, style, tattoo Tuesday, tattoos | 2 Comments »

What am I celebrating?

February 2, 2013

The Centennial of Grand Central Terminal in New York City, which officially opened on February 2, 1913.

More here in this video of Grand Central’s secrets by the New York Times.

And here at Grand Central Terminal: Guess who’s turning 100?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, birthday, centennial, Grand Central Station, history, new york, transportation | 2 Comments »

Whose birthday will I be celebrating?

January 20, 2013

Leonard “Bones” McCoy, born January 20, 2227.

STARFLEET HISTORICAL FILE: McCoy, Leonard H.
Mid-level Biography Brief Mode
Final Rank: Admiral, retired
Full Name: Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.
Year of birth: 2227
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. David McCoy
Education: University of Mississippi, 2245-49; medical school, 2249-53
Marital status: Divorced
Children: A daughter, Joanna
Quarters: Original Enterprise: 3F 127

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, entertainment, science fiction, space, travel | 2 Comments »

Whose birthday am I celebrating?

January 7, 2013

Happy Birthday to Flash Gordon. This comic strip first appeared on January 7, 1934.

The comic strip follows the adventures of Flash Gordon, a handsome polo player and Yale graduate, and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. The story begins with Earth bombarded by fiery meteors. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale, whose plane has crashed in the area, and the three travel to the planet Mongo, where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by Ming the Merciless, evil ruler of Mongo.

Flash Gordon later appeared in movies and on television, as well as in the comics.

Credit for the comic strip and quote – Wikipedia.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, comic strip, Flash Gordon, history, science fiction, space, travel | Leave a Comment »

Whose birthday am I celebrating today?

September 14, 2012

Happy birthday to Boston Harbor Lighthouse – the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States of America – it was first lit on September 14, 1716. I was interested to learn that it is the only US lighthouse that still has an official keeper. It was built to guide the way into Boston Harbor – already an important commercial port in the early 1700s – it was financed by a tax on the tonnage arriving at the harbor.

Located on Little Brewster Island in Boston’s outer harbor, it is a National Historic Landmark and an active U. S. Coast Guard aid to navigation.

Ref. Boston Lighthouse History

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, Boston, Boston Harbor Lighthouse, history, lighthouse, national historic landmark, travel, U.S. Coast Guard | 2 Comments »

Whose birthday am I celebrating today?

August 23, 2012

We have met the enemy, and they are ours.

Oliver Hazard Perry – who, symmetrically, was born and died on August 23 – 1785 and 1819, respectively.

Born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, with a history of accomplished Naval officers on both sides of the family, Oliver served in the War of 1812, initially supervising the construction of naval vessels and the training of their crews for battling the British on Lake Erie. In 1813 he engaged the British fleet off Put-in-Bay.

The British anticipated an easy victory and the early fighting went in their favor. After losing his flag ship, Perry sailed for the ship Niagara and was able to ram the lead British ship while firing rifles on the crew.The Battle of Lake Erie became a decisive victory for the Americans. As a result, Perry became a popular hero and is memorialized throughout the area.

Perry Monument, Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio

References

Ohio History Central

Midwest Connection

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Battle of Lake Erie, birthday, Great Lakes, history, military history, Ohio, Oliver Hazard Perry, Put-in-Bay, south bass island | Leave a Comment »

Whose birthday am I celebrating today?

August 22, 2012

“Brevity is the soul of lingerie.”

“Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves.”

“This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.”

Upon being informed of Calvin Coolidge’s death, she replied, “How could they tell?”

And, of course, “One more drink and I’ll be under the host.”

Dorothy Parker, of course, born August 22, 1893. Poet, writer, playwright and founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. When the Round Table broke up, she went to Hollywood and was a two-time Oscar nominated screen-writer. She was active there until black-listed by the McCarthyism. She remained politically active throughout her life. Parker downplayed her skills, but was well known and appreciated for her bright wit and scathing humor.

Founding members of the Algonquin Round Table: (l-r) Art Samuels, Charlie MacArthur, Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woollcott. What a wonderful experience it must have been to experience lunch at the Algonquin Round Table during that time and with those characters.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alexander woollcott, Algonquin Round Table, birthday, calvin coolidge, celebrities, Dorothy Parker, entertainment, harpo marx, history, hollywood, oscars, poetry | 2 Comments »