Fly the W

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

When I moved to the Midwest in the summer of 2000, I learned that Phil Rizzuto was not the baseball announcer who had coined the phrase, “Holy cow!” I also learned that there was a controversy about this, and that, as a fan of the New York Yankees and a native New Yorker—and worse, someone unaware of any controversy—I was on the wrong side of said dispute. Born wrong.

No, I was informed, the recently departed Harry Caray was the first to use the phrase on-air and was the announcer with whom “Holy Cow!” should always be associated. Not the beloved Yankees announcer.
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Today in History: Nov. 4

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law making it illegal to not believe in the divine origin of the Bible 370 years ago today. The punishment for this crime was death by hanging. The law also established a fine of five shillings for failing to attend church on Sunday.

* * * *
Presidents of the United States elected on November 4: James Buchanan, Grover Cleveland (1884; a campaign button from that election is at top), Calvin Coolidge, Dwight D. Eisenhower (1952), Ronald Reagan (1980), Barack Obama (2008).
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Today in History: Nov. 3

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

“Let the kids stay up with the entire family,” the ad copy reads. The Wizard of Oz, MGM’s 1939 film classic, became the first Hollywood movie to be broadcast uncut on a television network 60 years ago tonight when CBS showed it as the final episode of its anthology program, Ford Star Jubilee.

Liza Minnelli, the 10-year-old daughter of the star of The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland, and Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, served as hosts and introduced the film.
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