Video: 'History of NORAD Tracks Santa'
(Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 1955, around 9:00 p.m. MST) — The Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, found itself fielding phone calls from children wanting to know the whereabouts of Santa Claus today after a newspaper ad mistakenly gave the Center’s number. Continue reading NORAD begins tracking Santa Claus 70 years ago this hour (Dec 24 1955)
(for the week ending Wednesday, December 21, 1955) — “White Christmas” by The Drifters featuring Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinckney peaked at #80 on today’s Billboard Top 100 chart (published Dec. 31, 1955) for one week. Continue reading ‘White Christmas’ by The Drifters peaks at #80 in USA 70 years ago today (Dec 21 1955)
Video: 'THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry, presented by classic-tales.net'
(Sunday, December 10, 1905) — The O. Henry short story “The Gift of the Magi” about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money was published today in the New York Sunday World magazine under the title “Gifts of the Magi.”
Video: 'A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)'
(Thursday, December 9, 1965, 7:30 p.m. EST) — A Charlie Brown Christmas, the first animated TV special featuring characters from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, was first broadcast tonight on CBS.
(Saturday, December 7, 1955) — “Nuttin’ for Christmas” by Art Mooney and His Orchestra, with six-year-old Barry Gordon as lead vocalist debuted at #62 on today’s Billboard “The Top 100” chart (for survey week ending November 30). Continue reading ‘Nuttin’ for Christmas’ by Art Mooney with Barry Gordon debuts at #62 in USA 60 years ago today (Dec 7 1955)
Video: 'The Beatles: 1965 Christmas Message Recording Session Out-Take'
(Tuesday, October 19, 1965) — The Beatles made the first of two attempts to record a Christmas message for members of their fan club (as they had in 1963 and 1964) today at Marquee Studio in London, produced by the group’s press officer Tony Barrow.
Video: 'The Beatles at Christmas Show, Hammersmith Odeon, Dec 1964'
(Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 1964 6:15 p.m. GMT) — Following the success of “The Beatles’ Christmas Show” in December 1963 and early 1964, manager Brian Epstein decided the group should repeat the trick with “Another Beatles Christmas Show” starting tonight (through Jan. 16, 1965) at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Continue reading ‘Another Beatles Christmas Show’ opens at Hammersmith Odeon in London 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 24 1964)
Video: 'The Great War episode 2 Stalemate' (Dec. 24, 1914, at 50:10)
(Thursday, December 24, 1914, Christmas Eve; on the Western Front of the First World War) — Impromptu Christmas truces began to take hold along parts of the Western Front today between British and German soldiers who, in some cases, exchanged gifts and even played soccer with each other. Continue reading Christmas truces break out on World War I Western Front as British and German soldiers unite 110 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 24 1914)
(Saturday, December 22, 1984) — “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure consisting of popular British and Irish musical acts in order to raise money for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia, debuted at #65 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Continue reading ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ by Band Aid debuts at #65 in USA 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 22 1984)
Video: 'Classic Christmas Movies [Compilation] | MEGA CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COMPILATION | Advent Calendar #3' ('Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer' at 25:16)
(Sunday, December 6, 1964, 5:30 p.m. EDT) — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a Christmas television special about a misfit reindeer and his friends who look for a place that will accept them and produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass, first aired tonight on NBC. Continue reading ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Christmas animated television special debuts on NBC 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 6 1964)
