Browsing: Arts & Entertainment

A Brief History On February 7, 1497, the followers of Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola of Florence, Italy, gathered and burned a large quantity of objects they referred to as “vanities,” objects such as cosmetics, books, artwork, mirrors, fancy clothes, playing cards, and musical instruments, any objects these religious zealots thought could lead people to sin. Digging Deeper Misguided people have engaged in burning books and other articles that they have seen as contrary to their view of what is “proper,” “right,” or “moral” throughout history, and of course the Florence incident was not the first or largest of these burnings,…

A Brief History On February 4, 1983, the World was shocked to hear that popular 32 year old singer Karen Carpenter had died, due to complications from anorexia nervosa.  The public gaped at photos of an emaciated and shrunken singer they had known as a beautiful girl. Digging Deeper Carpenter, one half of the brother sister singing duo known as The Carpenters, had scored mega hit records with “Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Superstar,” “Hurting Each Other”, “Sing,” “Yesterday Once More,” and many others.  Karen and her brother, Richard, were also popular overseas, ranking 3rd all-time in Japan…

A Brief History On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was founded, replacing the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which had been founded in 1871 as a replacement itself for the National Association of Base Ball Players (note no mention of “professional”) which operated from 1869 to 1871. Digging Deeper Known today as Major League Baseball’s “Senior Circuit” as simply the National League, the original league had 8 teams, including Chicago White Stockings (which actually became the Cubs, not the White Sox!), the Louisville Grays, the Philadelphia Athletics (not the ones that became the…

A Brief History On January 31, 2017, we at History and Headlines recognize those people who, during this month, not necessarily in the past, have either done some disreputable thing or their disreputable past has come to light.  Whether you call them villains, jerks, creeps, idiots or whatever, these people have brought shame upon themselves, at least for this month if not for their lives or careers.  By including a person and their action in this list we do not condemn that person to a lifetime label as an idiot, just labeling them an idiot for this specific month. Digging…

A Brief History On January 29, 1963, the first class of inductees to the new Pro Football Hall of Fame was announced, 17 players and executives that helped make professional football a reality. Digging Deeper Located in Canton, Ohio (because this is the birthplace of what became the NFL), the Pro Football Hall of Fame is independent of the National Football League, though it maintains a close association.  Originally a paltry 2 rooms, the building now has 5 rooms and over 82,000 square feet.  The Hall has a gift shop, research library, and of course a theater where you can…