Comedy Calendar

February 16, 2012

      On this date in 1852 an angry mob attacked a Cleveland medical college whose faculty allegedly had been robbing graves and dismembering the bodies for research. But, fortunately, times have changed. Today doctors don't wait until you're dead to take an arm and a leg.

     On this day in 1852 John McCormick became the first human ever to walk upside-down on the New York stage. Billed as "The Great Philosophical Antipodean Pedestrian," he walked across the ceiling of the Bowery Amphitheater. How did he do it? Verrrry carefully.

     Henry Wilson, the 18th Vice-President of the U.S., was born on this day in 1812. Unlike most vice-presidents, Henry actually did something that made news while in office. He died.

     John McEnroe is 53 today. They say being born made him so angry, he cried and whined, yelled at the nurses, stomped his booties, and even spit up at the chaplain.

     Fidel Castro was sworn in as ayatollah of Cuba on this day in 1959. And all indications are he plans to run for a second term.
     So who knows? Maybe we can survive Barack Obama.

     Archaeologists opened King Tut’s tomb on this date in 1923. There was a tell-all book published about King Tut — called "Mummy Dearest."

     Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was born on this day in 1903. Bergen gave the world three of its favorite characters: Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd, and Murphy Brown. I have a feeling if Bergen could have seen his daughter Candice on "Murphy Brown," he'd roll over in his urn and laugh.

     John Henry Breck was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on this day in 1877. Breck began manufacturing shampoo in 1908 and spent the next 54 years studying the hair and scalp conditions of beautiful women. At least, that's what he told Mrs. Breck.

     On this day in 1929, five-thousand bottles of beer exploded in Berka, Thuringia, which as every serious beer drinker knows is now part of eastern Germany. Berka Beer was the world's first beer with gusto. Five-thousand bottles of it had too much gusto -- that's why they exploded.

     Band leader Wayne King was born on this day in 1901. He was the waltz king whose band featured a trembling solo violin that sounded like it had been soaked in bourbon. Or maybe the violinist had been soaked in bourbon.

     Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was born on this day in 1903. He had four children: Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd, Effie Klinker, and Murphy Brown. It's amazing Murphy turned out so well, considering the others were real dummies.

     The DuPont company patented nylon stockings on this day in 1937, paving the way for women to toss out all their old cotton stockings. Just think, ladies, if not for DuPont, you'd still be spraying your pantyhose for boll weevils.

    John McEnroe was born on this day in 1959. McEnroe was the inspiration f'or the movie "Three Men a and a Baby." The producer got the idea when he saw John playing men's doubles.