Welcome to Decembrius, month number 10 to the Romans who only had ten months in their original calendar. It’s the same Latin root as Decimate, Dime, Decimal and Dixie.

courtesy MichaelSporn Animation.com

My friend Michael Sporn wrote a nice account of my New York booksigning and took some great pictures. Check out http://www.michaelspornanimation.com
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Birthdays: Woody Allen is 71, Richard Pryor, Mary Martin, Cyril Ritchard, Dick Shawn, Bette Midler is 61, Lee Trevino, Charlene Tilton, Lou Rawls, Rex Stout the creator of Nero Wolfe Mysteries, Gilbert O’Sullivan,Colombian DrugLord Pablo Escobar, Treat Williams

1835- Hans Christian Andersen publihed his first book of Fairy Tales.

1879-Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera HMS Pinafore opened. Sullivan conducted the orchestra while Gilbert was a choruster. “So Stick to your desk and never go to sea, and you will be the leader of the Queen’s Navy..”

1887- The first Sherlock Holmes mystery by Arthur Conan-Doyle "A Study in Scarlet" first published in Beatty’s Christmas Gazette.

1938- Legendary filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein released in Moscow his film of Russian patriotism ALEXANDER NEVSKY, with soundtrack provided by Sergei Prokoviev.

1953- Ex- Esquire Magazine art director and frustrated cartoonist Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy Magazine. It featured a nude centerfold of actress Marilyn Monroe. She joked to the press I had nothing on but the radio! Hefner assembled the layout of the magazine on his kitchen table and borrowed money from his mother-in-law to pay for the printing. The first Playboy had no number or date, because Hef was certain he couldn’t afford to make an issue number two.



1982- Dr. Barney Clark receives the first Artificial Heart. Part of the research development was credited to Paul Winchell, puppeteer and cartoon voice who created Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smith, Dick Dastardly and a plastic heart valve. At first it was hoped these plastic valves could take the place of real hearts, but today they are mostly used for temporary relief until a human donor heart can be found and will now be replaced by the newer technologies.