1964: The Beatles began their 3-month hold of the #1 song in the US

We are looking back at another anniversary of The Beatles arriving in New York City.  

It was an amazing weekend for the group, from massive crowds at JFK International Airport to a record breaking appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

It also began their incredible domination of the US pop charts.  

According to Billboard, The Beatles had the #1 song in the US from February 1st to May 9th:

"I want to hold your hand";

 "Can't buy me love", 

and "She loves you".

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1896: Puccini’s La bohème debut in Italy

"La Boheme" made its debut on this day in 1896.

And we've been watching the story and listening to the music ever since.

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Puccini: La Boheme PAVAROTTI,LUCIANO https://t.co/Lgf3FhM8mO via @amazon

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) February 1, 2017

February 1968: Nixon started his campaign for President

How did we get to the point where candidates are running for over two years and networks are scheduling debates so far in advance?   

 

Remember FOX and their August 2015 GOP debates or MSNBC with their Democrat debates a year before the party conventions?

 

We remember today that former Vice President Nixon announced that he was seeking the presidency on this day in 1968.  To be fair, everyone knew that Mr. Nixon would be running in 1968 but the official announcement did not come until today.

 

Back then, we were announcing candidacies in February.  Today, we are holding a caucus in Iowa and setting up New Hampshire.

 

Former VP Nixon battled Governor Reagan of California and Governor Rockefeller of New York but won the nomination on the first ballot in Miami. 

 

On Election Day, Mr. Nixon got 43.4% and Vice President Humphrey was right behind with 42.73% of the 74 million votes cast.  Governor George Wallace got 13.5% and carried five Southern states.     

 

In the end, Nixon got the Electoral Votes to become the 37th president.   

 

I was very happy that Mr. Nixon won.  I couldn’t vote in 1968 but he was my choice.   Nevertheless, I look back at that campaign and wish that we were not starting presidential elections so early.

 

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1979: Most painful Super Bowl loss or Pittsburgh beat Dallas in SB 13!

Let’s remember Super Bowl 13 or Dallas vs Pittsburgh or Roger Staubach vs. Terry Bradshaw or Coach Landry vs Coach Knoll.

It turned out to be the last post-season game played in the 1970’s between the best two teams of the decade.

Coach Landry’s Cowboys played in the 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978 and 1979 SB’s. They won two of them.

Pittsburgh blossomed in the 1970’s with great draft picks. They played in the 1975, 1976, 1979 and a year later in 1980. They won all 4 SB’s.

Super Bowl 13 went down to the last minute.  

Pittsburgh was up 35-17 but Dallas scored twice and made it 35-31 with seconds left.  The Cowboys tried the onside but Pittsburgh recovered and the game was over.

SB 13 will always be remembered for Jackie Smith dropping a “certain” Cowboys’ TD in the end zone.

It was a great game. I still feel bad for Jackie Smith dropping that pass from Staubach.

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The World's Fair, The Beatles, The Ford Mustang and a few stories of 1964

Our family landed in Miami on September 4, 1964, or my brother’s birthday.  I guess that we had double reasons to celebrate that day.  

A week later,  we found our way to Wisconsin where a church was kindly sponsoring our family.  We reunited with my Uncle and his family up there.

All of us learned a lot about the US that year:

The Beatles and lots of other rock groups, were on The Ed Sullivan Show.  It seem like every Sunday there was a new band, from The Beatles to The Dave Clark Five to the Animals and more.  Like most kids back then, my brother and I got our music from AM radio and then saw the groups on that memorable show; 

The Ford Mustang was introduced.  I remember going with my father to a Ford dealer and admiring this wonderful new car;

We watched our first World Series on TV. The Cardinals beat the Yankees in what would be Mickey Mantle’s last post-season game.   He won game 3 with a HR and then hit his last (# 18) World Series HR in game 7.

and perphaps the biggest event of 1964: The New York World’s Fair.

It was a showcase for companies and future technology, such as a touch tone phone!

One big change is that we were a manufacturing nation in 1964. We made cars, telephones, TV’s and lots of other things.   It would have been inconceivable back then to go to the store and find nothing made in the USA.   No one would have believed that it’d be the exact opposite 50 something years later.

We don’t do that anymore and that is something to think about, specially after this pandemic that came from China.

You can hear my 1964 World Fair chat with Bill Katz of Urgent Agenda.   

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Listen to "We remember 1964 New York World's Fair with Frank Burke, author" on Spreaker.