Wednesday, March 21, 2007

It's World Meteorological Day and a date in history that's chock full of odd objects traversing the atmosphere. Or almost traversing it... in the case of the near-miss of asteroid 4581-Asclepius today in 1989. It's also the day the Mir Space Station fell from the sky, Gemini 3 launched, and rocketry's father Werner von Braun was born. And it's the day President Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative. Amazing. We'll have some voices and sounds to convey those stories, and then we'll lighten up with a silly song published on this day in 1923. There's also an eight-second snippet from a famous Oratorio that was first performed today in 1743. And finally, there's news of a change in the Almanac beginning next week.

Internationally, it's a day for observing water and seals. In the US, it's rollercoasters. And today, two Canadians have something to say about errant herring and chanting children, a Brit talks to the audience, and a German gets a wise-crack in. We'll also listen to anniversary sounds relating to the Equal Rights Amendment, Reese Witherspoon, and Pat Robertson. Plus, the first Augusta National Invitation Tournament was played today in 1934, and there's more on that at ProVoiceTracks.com/almanac, along with a link to more audio from one of the Canadians on the show.

The first full day of Spring is sprouting with audio specific to this day... everything from the thrills of Charles Lindbergh's Medal and the Selma marchers to the agony of a Slovenian/Yugoslavian ski jumper and a Cleveland DJ's apologies for the concert that went wrong. For him, Alan Freed, things would get worse but that's a story for another day. This day, there's also anniversary audio from Beethoven, Kate Smith, Larry Hagman, and Little House on the Prairie. Plus birthday music from Modest Mussorgsky (by way of Ravel). There are links to more information about Lindbergh's Medal of Honor and the marches in Selma, Alabama, at ProVoiceTracks.com/almanac

Spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere today, a day that's also World Frog Day. We'll observe the former with Ella Fitzgerald and the latter with... well, frogs. It's Independence Day in Tunisia, and it's a big day for publishing. Albert Einstein sheds light on one or the other. Also, anniversary audio from Lyndon Johnson and Humphrey Bogart... and birthday audio from Vera Lynn, Holly Hunter, Ozzie Nelson, and Big Bird. We'll also hear from Libby Riddles, who in 1985 became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Libby and Iditarod links are on the companion Web page at ProVoiceTracks.com/almanac.

On this, the day the swallows return to Capistrano, we'll listen to a little of the Amos n Andy show, first broadcast in Chicago on this day in 1928, and we'll hear from Moms Mabley, born on this date in 1894. There's also anniversary audio from Bob Dylan, Goldfinger, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, C-Span, and President Bush. On the companion Web page at provoicetracks.com/almamanc, there's more information about San Juan Capistrano, Amos 'n' Andy, and Moms Mabley.

On this last Almanac edition before a long-weekend break... Today is World Pi Day and it's Potato Chip Day in the US. We'll choose one for a sound opportunity, touch on The Mikado (first performed on this date in 1885), and listen to a few seconds of the first-ever Gold Record (TM), certified this date in '58. Also, anniversary audio from Jack Ruby and birthday sounds from Billy Crystal, Albert Einstein, and Jerry Jeff Walker. And we'll close with the Rolling Stones: why they moved to France on this day in 1971 -- and what happened afterward. NOTE: The next AE Almanac will come down Monday, 3/19.

March 13th is a slow day for observances around the world so we'll take it to the next level. It's Hamburger and Pickle Month and it's World Clown Week! It's also Play the Recorder Month, and your Almanac host makes his recorder dubut in today's episode. Tennessee's Butler Act went into effect this day in 1925. We've a brief explanation and we'll move on to 1938 and Germany's annexation of Austria. Today's the day news started getting out, and we've a snippet from a radio report. And then there's anniversary audio from The Long Hot Summer, The Allman Brothers Band, and Neil Sedaka. We close with observing the 21st anniversary of the Microsoft IPO. On the Almanac's companion Web page, there's more information about the Butler Act, the Scopes Trial, and there's even a link to the Microsoft IPO calculator. What the heck!

The biggest-yet AE Almanac starts with today's observances on Mauritius and Australia. There's a little music from the former -- and the latter provides a natural segue to FDR's first Fireside Chat, given this date in 1933. It's a date that Harry S. Truman chose in 1947 to speak and take action (Truman Doctrine) against the spread of Communism abroad. We'll hear from both Presidents and move on to the world of entertainment. Les Miserables opened on Broadway today in 1987. We'll listen to just a little bit, and then it's to anniversary audio from Simon and Garfunkel, Wally Schirra, and Barbara Feldon.

It's Baron Bliss Day in Belize. The Baron is the kind of tourist any country would love to have. We'll start there and bring you a few notes from a Verdi opera first performed on this date. And then it's to other anniversary audio... including the film debuts of Bob Hope and James Dean, Edward R. Murrow's McCarthy episode of See It Now, and a Dan Rather first -- and last. And yes, that's more CBS programming than usual for any one Almanac. We'll close with the guitar of Robin Trower, born this day in 1945.

It's International Womens Day, and we'll observe it by touching on its history and bringing you the voice of Louise Beavers, who was born on this day in 1902. Before The Beulah Show, Beavers broke cinematic ground in Imitation of Life. We'll also have anniversary audio from Richard Strauss (Don Quixote), the Fillmore East (Big Brother and the Holding Company), Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide), and what was probably President Reagan's first "Evil Empire" reference in a speech given on this day in 1983.