Paul’s Blog Archives

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Oct. 23, 2023 1924 – The first U.S. Radio Broadcast to the Nation. It was a speech by President Calvin Coolidge. 1941 – The Walt Disney animated feature ‘Dumbo’ premiered

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, October 20, 2023  1910 The first use of a cork-centered baseball in a World Series game. Before that it had a feather center. 1954 The musical “Peter Pan” opened at

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thurs., Oct 19, 2023 1752 Ben Franklin’s famous kite experiment that proved lightning and electricity were related. It is unlikely the kite was struck by lightning, as this would have probably

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Oct. 18, 2023  1767 The Mason-Dixon Line was officially drawn separating the colonies. 1851 The classic Moby Dick, was published by Herman Melville. At first, the book only sold about 3,000

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 1931 Public enemy #1 was convicted of tax evasion. Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was released from Alcatraz in 1939. 1966 The

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 1783 – Queen Marie Antoinette was beheaded at the time of the French Revolution. Her most favorite saying ‘Let them eat cake”, when her subjects were dying

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, October 13, 2023  1775 Congress established the U.S. Navy by authorizing the construction of two warships and appointing a Marine Committee in response to the news that the British fleet

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Oct 12, 2022 1492 Christopher Columbus reached one of the Bahama Islands, naming it San Salvador. 1869 D.C. Stillson patents his pipe wrench. It was the first practical pipe wrench design

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Oct 11, 2022 1983 The last hand-crank magneto telephone call is made (Bryant Pond Telephone Company in Bryant Pond, Maine). 1975 “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” The Emmy-winning Saturday

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, October 10, 2023 1845 The U.S. Naval Academy opened at Annapolis, Maryland. 1920 The First World Series Bases-Loaded Grand Slam. It came from Cleveland’s Elmer John Smith against Brooklyn. The

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, October 9, 2023  1789 New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights that comprises the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. 1945 Prosecution began against 24

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, October 6, 2023  1927 The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson premiered. It was the first feature-length motion picture with a synchronized score and synchronized singing and speech in some scenes. It heralded

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Wednesday, Oct 5, 2022 On October 5, 1922, William Aloysius Keane was born. Aka: Bill Keane, creator of The Family Circus cartoon and creator of the famous quote: “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Oct. 4, 2023 1931 “Dick Tracy”, the comic strip, by Chester Gould, debuted in the Detroit Daily Mirror. 1957 The TV show “Leave It to Beaver” debuted on CBS. Ward, June, Wally

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2022 1951, Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants hit the “Shot Heard Around the World”, a three-run homer in the bottom of the 9th of the final game in a

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023  1951 The science-fiction classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still” was released. It starred Michael Rennie as an alien with his robot Gort and a warning and

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Sept. 27, 2023 1493 Christopher Columbus set sail on his second voyage to the “New World,” on which he brought the first cattle and discovered the Virgin Islands. 1952 The first

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2022  1960, the First Presidential Debate took place in Chicago, between John F. Kennedy and a sweaty Richard Nixon.   Lots from TV History today! In 1962, “The Beverly Hillbillies” debuted on

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 1970 The TV show The Partridge Family debuts on ABC. The show was loosely based on the real-life musical family the Cowsills. 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 1961 The Interstate Commerce Commission ordered the end to segregation on interstate buses. Largely due to the efforts of Freedom Riders, who challenged bus segregation by riding

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 1897 “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” Francis Church’s famous New York Sun response to 8-year-old Virginia O’ Hanlon’s letter, was published. It is the most reprinted newspaper

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Sept. 20, 2023 1873 The New York Stock Exchange was forced to close for the first time in its history. It reopened 10 days later. The failure of the Jay

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 1964, “Flipper” debuted on NBC.  It ran for three seasons. 1970, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” debuted on CBS. 1973, America’s first TRUE “pirate radio” station, Free Radio America went on

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Sept. 18, 2023 1964 The Addams Family TV show debuted on ABC. It was based on characters from Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons. 1965 The secret agent satirical TV show “Get Smart” debuted

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 1949 The television show The Lone Ranger debuted on ABC, starring Clayton Moore as the masked hero. The TV series ran until 1957. It had been a

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Sept. 14, 2022 1814 Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become the national anthem, after seeing the American flag flying following the British bombarding of Ft. McHenry during

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 1788 New York City was established as the capital of the U.S. by Congress. 1969 The Mystery Machine gets rolling when the TV series Scooby-Doo, Where Are

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 1953, John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. They were together for 10 years, until his assassination on November 22nd, 1963. 1966, “The Monkees” TV show premiered on

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 2001 – Hijackers from the group al-Qaeda crash two jets into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Shortly after, both towers

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 1892 The Pledge of Allegiance was first published, in The Youth’s Companion. Francis Bellamy wrote the original 1892 version: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the