ON THIS DAY

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1840, New Zealand was settled by the British. Apparently, for years, they couldn't sleep. But the Brits finally got them settled.

In 1881, an ancient Egyptian obelisk known as "Cleopatra's Needle" is erected in New York's Central Park. It was far from the last needle ever found there.

On this date in 1930, the U.S. all-time record low temperature of 85 below zero was set at Mt. Carroll, Illinois.

• The bird baths were so frozen, robins learned to play hockey!
• It was so cold, people were crawling in refrigerators and covering themselves with ice cream just to stay warm.
• It was so cold, a snowman was seen building a fire.

In 1938, the play "Our Town" was performed for the very first time, in New Jersey. It was much more popular than its predecessor, "Your Town."

On this date in 1947, the very first TV station west of the Mississippi went on the air, in Hollywood, California. Of course, they immediately took credit for having the #1 newscast.

In 1955, the U.S. announced it would develop intercontinental missiles with nuclear warheads. Why they would put nuclear candy on missiles is beyond me.

On this day in 1968, "Rowan and Martin's Laugh In" debuted on TV. You bet your sweet bippy it did.

In 2002, K-Mart filed for bankruptcy... and wanted to change its name to Not OK-Mart.

It was six years ago tonight that Conan O'Brien hosted his last "Tonight Show." You can understand why Conan hates the Stephen King book, "Sometimes they come back."

Christopher Kennedy Masterson turns 36. Years ago, he was Francis on "Malcolm in the Middle." Wow.

Guy Fieri turns 48 today. Instead of candles on a cake, he just tries to blow his hair out.

Diane Lane turns 51 today. She could have been Diane Street or Avenue, but she went with Lane. She starred in the movie "Unfaithful," although, I don't remember Tiger Woods making a movie.

Linda Blair, the little girl in the "The Exorcist" turns 57 today.

• And, as I like to say every year, she's still turning heads.
• I don't know what possessed me to say that.
• She's got a new single out: "Demons are a ghoul's best friend." Somebody stop me! OK, I will...

Steve Perry, the original singer for Journey, turns 67 today.

• He's gone from "Oh, Sherry" to "What was that again, Sherry?"
• He's one of the few artists whose name rhymes with his biggest hit -- "Oh Sherry."
• He still believes in "Don't Stop Believin'." He just can't remember what he was supposed to believe in.
• You know, he's getting closer to that "Wheel in the Sky" every day.

Graham Kerr, the "Galloping Gourmet," turns 82 today. The only galloping he does these days is in front of grocery stores, a quarter at a time.

National Blonde Brownie Day -- First known as "blonde brownies" and later just "blondies," chocolate-free butterscotch brownies were all the rage in the mid-1950s

The world's oldest man has died at 112 in Japan. I tell you, that title is cursed.

McDonald's in Japan has introduced French fries that are covered in chocolate. The chocolate makes the employees forget what they're serving and ask customers, "Would you like fries with that?"

The panic on Wall Street reminds me of an old joke: "Miss Watkins, get my broker on the phone!" "Stock?" "No. Pawn."

There's a new movie this weekend, "The Fifth Wave." How did I miss the first four?

For Desert Radio AZ, I'm Crusty Windbreaker