A Brief History On December 26, 2022, the British world, including Canada, celebrate Boxing Day, a holiday historically when well off people would give gifts to their servants, lower working class, and poor people. The day after Christmas is good for some other things, too, especially resting after all the hubbub of Christmas Eve and Christmas. Digging Deeper Here are some notable events related to December 26th: 1776: American forces, led by George Washington after his famous crossing of the Delaware River, won the Battle of Trenton. 1898: Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of Radium. 1919: Babe Ruth…
Browsing: Music
A Brief History On December 24, 1818, the day Christians celebrate as “Christmas Eve,” the first ever performance of the carol, “Silent Night,” was presented in Oberndorf, Austria at the church of St. Nikolaus. Our nominee for the “Greatest Christmas Carol” would be “O Holy Night,” and you are welcome to tell us which carol you believe is the “greatest.” Digging Deeper We list a few of our other favorites below: “Angels We Have Heard on High” “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” “Good King Wenceslas” “Go Tell It on the Mountain” “Masters in this Hall” Question for students (and subscribers):…
A Brief History On September 16, 1979, the Rap music trio The Sugarhill Gang was formed, and they released their hit, “Rapper’s Delight,” the first Rap song to land in the Billboard Top 40 as a mainstream hit song. Today, we ask our music loving fans, “What is the greatest Rap Song of All Time?” Digging Deeper We list some to choose from, but feel free to name your own pick: “Rapper’s Delight,” Sugarhill Gang, 1979 “The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 1982 “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-a-Lot, 1992 “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” Common, 1994 “Criminal,” Eminem,…
A Brief History On August 8, 2017, country and pop music superstar Glen Campbell passed away. Campbell had a Gold and Platinum singing career and a successful acting career as well, and the first song that put him in the public eye was “Universal Soldier,” reaching #45 on the charts. Digging Deeper Written by singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, an indigenous Canadian woman, her original rendition did not rock the airwaves, but when Scottish singer Donovan and American Glen Campbell covered the song in 1965 the tune became an anti-war icon. Other famous anti-war tunes such as Edwin Starr’s “War,” PF Sloan’s…
A Brief History On July 31, 1970, the British Royal Navy experienced one of the darkest days in their long and glorious history, Black Tot Day. On that day, the RN ended its long tradition of giving each sailor at sea a drink of rum. Digging Deeper While you may not personally miss this bygone practice, we ask, “What do you miss the most?” Some possible answers could be: (for Catholics) The Latin Mass School Dress and Grooming Codes Drive-in Movies Decent Meals and Service on Airliners Polaroid Cameras Phone Booths The Milkman Vinyl Records Sears Catalog Cheap Gasoline Hot…
