MAY 16TH, LONG BEFORE… Judy Garland became a star… the movie rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz were sold.
May 15th, 1856… its creator Lyman Frank Baum was born. He’s the guy who urged the wholesale extermination of all America’s native peoples:
“The nobility of the Redskin is extinquished, and what few are left are a [...]

Friday the 13th, 1995… a singular individual died quite a mysterious death. There’s a DVD available titled “How to Draw a Bunny,” which –to quote the jacket notes– “explores the fascinating, often hilarious and always enigmatic world of artist and underground icon Ray Johnson. The fact that it was January 13th shouldn’t deter us from [...]

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1985, 11 people were killed by police, when authorities dropped a bomb on a house containing members of MOVE, including five children, and it’s founding member, John Africa (Vincent Leaphart). Ramona Africa was the only adult member to survive this brutal attack on civilians. The U.S. government and its federal [...]

Yesterday, the 8th, was Thomas Pynchon’s birthday. I spent all day scouting the local candle shops hoping to run into him, but…. You’ll be the first to know if I ever get lucky. May 9th is the anniversary of the FDA approving the Pill in 1960…which is related to the Nick Drake and [...]

May 6th, on the surface, seems like quite an anniversary day for blacks:
In ‘94, Nelson M & his ANC are confirmed winners…in their electoral fight.
Same day, same year… Lennox Lewis TKO’s Phil Jackson (not the fake Zen basketball guru)…for a victory in his fight, taking the World Heavyweight Championship.
Eugene Antonio Marino settles into his new [...]

May 5th was the date The Coasters’ “Yakety Yak” was released on Atco. The guys had six Top Ten hits, but this was their only #1 ditty. One of their big appeals was the saxophone riffs of King Curtis. An amazing musician who…when Larry Brown (the future L. Russell Brown of “Tie [...]

May 4th the Ohio National Guard actually marched onto Kent State University and killed and maimed students. Murderer Nixon had announced that he had ordered U.S. troops into Cambodia during the Vietnam War…and students with a conscience actually decided to do something about it. Like go crazy…and stop business as usual. To join [...]

Since the Grand Opening was postponed a few times… we gathered info on a number of dates (below). As a rule, we’ll focus on a single historical event…along with whatever “romantic” leads might exist. Please note that the inclusion of personal info here does not necessarily mean someone is on the make and/or [...]