Happy birthday, astronaut Barry Wilmore!

Barry Wilmore, born December 29, 1962 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been in space twice, and will return in 2021.

His first trip into space was aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) as pilot to the International Space Station in November 2009. He celebrated Thanksgiving with the other crew members and the residents of the International Space Station.

His second flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-10M to the International Space Station in September 2014.  He participated in Expeditions 41 and 42.  He returned to Earth in March 2015 after more than 167 days in space.

He is scheduled to be commander of the Boeing Crewed Flight Test (Boe-CFT), the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station, expected to launch in July 2021.

Happy birthday, astronaut Michael Hopkins!

Michael Hopkins, born December 28, 1968 in Lebanon, Missouri, has been in space twice.  

His first flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-10M in September 2013 to the International Space Station.  He participated in Expeditions 37 and 38.  He remained on board for over 166 days and returned to Earth in March 2014.

His second and current trip started in November 2020 aboard SpaceX Crew-1 as commander to the International Space Station.  He is participating in Expedition 64 and will participate in Expedition 65 before returning to Earth in May 2021.

Happy birthday, British actress Jane Lapotaire!

Jane Lapotaire, born January 26, 1944 in Suffolk, England, is an actress who I first saw in the miniseries Marie Curie in 1977.  More recently, she appeared in Downton Abbey as Princess Irina, appearing with Dame Maggie Smith.  I found out she was in another favorite movie, One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing in 1975 with Helen Hayes.  In 2006, she starred with Sir Patrick Stewart in the mini-series thriller Eleventh Hour.  In 2020, she appeared in the remake of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.

It's interesting to note that she was born on the anniversary of Marie Curie's discovery of radium in 1898. 

Soyuz TMA-03M launched 2011

Soyuz TMA-03M crew (L-R): Donald Pettit, Oleg Kononenko, Andre Kuipers

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-03M, launched December 21, 2011, carried members of Expedition 30 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos), Andre Kuipers (ESA), and Donald Pettit (NASA).  They returned to Earth July 2012, which marked the end of Expedition 31 and the beginning of Expedition 32.

"TRON: Legacy" released 2010

The long-awaited sequel to Tron, TRON: Legacy, was released December 17, 2010.  I enjoyed Tron and I was not disappointed by its sequel.  Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprise their roles as Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley, respectively.  

Although it opened to mixed reviews, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.  It won two Saturn Awards:  Best Production Design and Jeff Bridges won for Best Actor.

Daft Punk, the French duo who composed the score, won an Austin Film Critics Association award for Best Original Score. 

"Son of Godzilla" released 1967

Son of Godzilla, released December 16, 1967 in Japan, is the eighth movie in the Godzilla franchise.  It was released to television in the United States in 1969.  Scientists on an island are trying to create a weather-controlling system, but discover a group of gigantic praying mantises (Kamacuras).  The mantises dig up an enormous egg, which hatches, revealing a baby Godzilla.  The mantises attack the baby Godzilla called Minilla, but Godzilla comes to the rescue.  

Godzilla and Minilla work together to defeat Kumonga (Spiga), a giant spider.  

It starred frequent Godzilla actors Akira Kubo, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara and Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla.

Arthur C Clarke, science fiction author, born 1917

Arthur C. Clarke, born December 16, 1917 in Somerset, England, was a science writer, inventor, undersea explorer, and one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time.  He wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the best science fiction films ever, for which he garnered an Academy Award nomination.  He won three Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards for his works. 

He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 and was knighted in 2000.  By that time, his health had deteriorated to the point that he could not travel to London from Sri Lanka where he resided until his death in 2008.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction writing is an annual award in England.

"Godzilla 1985" released 1984

Godzilla 1985, released December 15, 1984 in Japan, was a reboot of the series starring Raymond Burr, who appeared in the Americanized version of the original in 1954.  He reprises his role as Steve Martin from the 1956 version. Akihiko Hirata, who had appeared in many Godzilla movies, wanted to have at least a cameo in the movie, but passed away before he could. 

I haven't seen this one, but it is on my bucket list.  

"Superman" released 1978

Superman, released December 15, 1978, was a triumphant return for the Man of Steel on the silver screen.  Christopher Reeve starred as Superman with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane.  

Superman won a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects.  I remember the tagline being "You will believe a man can fly." It won five Saturn Awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actress, Best Special Effects, Best Music for John Williams, and Best Production Design.

John Williams won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.  

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" released 1977

A Steven Spielberg classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, was released December 14, 1977.  Spielberg was writer and director of the story about an electric lineman (Richard Dreyfuss), who encounters a UFO.  

It also starred Terri Garr.  I don't remember Lance Henriksen, but he was in the film, too.  

It won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and one for Special Achievement (Frank Warner for Sound Effects Editing).  It was nominated for 7 more, including John Williams for Best Original Score and Spielberg for Best Director.  

Spielberg and Williams won Saturn Awards for their accomplishments. John Williams won a Grammy for Best Original Score.  

Happy birthday, Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean!

Steve MacLean, born December 14, 1954 in Ottawa, Canada, is a veteran of two space shuttle flights. 

His first flight was aboard Columbia (STS-52) as payload specialist for the Canadian Space Agency in October-November 1992.  

His second and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-115) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in September 2006.  He was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm2.  He was the second Canadian to perform a space walk.  Chris Hadfield was the first. 

Pioneer 8 launched 1967

Pioneer 8, launched December 13, 1967, was the third of four satellites NASA launched to study the sun.  They were designed to make the first detailed, comprehensive measurements of the solar wind, magnetic field and cosmic rays.

Contact was made with Pioneer 8 in August 1996.  As recently as 2000, NASA made contact with Pioneer 6, launched the December before.  Although that was the last time, NASA believes contact can be made with Pioneers 6-8.  Pioneer 9 is definitely not working. 

The Secrets of Isis episode "Dreams of Flight" debuts 1975

The fifteenth episode of the first season of The Secrets of Isis, Dreams of Flight, aired December 13, 1975.  It features the story of a Hispanic girl, who designs model airplanes.  She wants to enter a contest at the school but the favorite to win and her brother both try to discourage her from trying.

It is a good lesson against arrogance, bigotry and racism.   

Joanna Cameron starred as Andrea Thomas and Isis.  Brian Cutler as Rick Mason and Joanna Pang as Cindy Lee were the rest of the regular cast.  Cynthia Avila appeared as Chela Montoya.

"Star Trek: Nemesis" released 2002

Star Trek: Nemesis, the fourth and final movie to feature the Next Generation cast, debuted in US theaters December 13, 2002.  The film was the first to feature the Romulans primarily.  Unfortunately, it was not the box-office success as the previous Star Trek movies.  It was the first film that did not open at #1 its first weekend.  Due to its poorer than expected performance, subsequent movies featuring the Next Generation cast were cancelled. 

The original crew of Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, appeared.  Tom Hardy and Ron Perlman played antagonists.  There were cameos by Kate Mulgrew as Admiral Kathryn Janeway, Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher, Majel Barrett as the computer's voice and Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan.  

Tom Hardy was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. 

Remembering Charley Pride (1934-2020)

Country music legend, singer, baseball player and groundbreaker Charley Pride passed away today at 86 from COVID-19.  He was born in Sledge, Mississippi March 18, 1934, the fourth of eleven children born to poor sharecroppers.

He got his first guitar at 14 and taught himself to play.  In 1952, he pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League, and then signed with the Boise Yankees, the farm team of the New York Yankees. An injury caused him to be traded (with another player) to the Birmingham Black Barons.

He was pitching for a semipro team in Helena, Montana when his singing ability became known. He released his first single The Snakes Crawl at Night in 1966.  It did not chart and neither did the second single.  But his third Just Between You and Me reached #9 on the US Country Chart. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for it the next year.

He won four Grammys over his career including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

He is one of only three African-Americans to become a member of the Grand Ol' Opry and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.  He's had 30 #1 country hits.

"Star Trek: Insurrection" debuts 1998

Star Trek: Insurrection, released December 11, 1998, is the third in the Star Trek movies featuring the Next Generation cast. 

The movie is about a planet with regenerative radiation, where the people never grow old.  The radiation  regenerates their bodies, making them immortal.  

Jonathan Frakes, who plays Commander Riker, directed.  The entire cast of the Next Generation appeared in the movie.  Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, and Marina Sirtis.  F. Murray Abraham played the main antagonist. 

"Invasion, USA" released 1952

Invasion, U.S.A, released December 10, 1952, is a kinda creepy movie, as people in a bar watching TV observe an invasion by the Soviet Union.  I was introduced to this movie via Mystery Science Theater 3000.  A lot of the movie is stock footage of airplanes, and the ending is an interesting twist, although a bit of a cop-out.

One scene has Phyllis Coates and Noel Neill working as airline ticket agents.  Both women played Lois Lane opposite George Reeve as Superman.  

The film is considered a success, bringing in a profit of over $1.2M.

Pioneer Venus Multiprobe releases 4 probes into Venusian atmosphere 1978

The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe, Pioneer Venus 2 or Pioneer 13, launched in 1978, released one large and three smaller probes into the Venusian atmosphere, December 9, 1978.  The probes collected data as they descended toward the surface.  They did not carry photographic instruments and were not designed to survive landing.  However, one did survive and continued transmitting for an hour after impact.  

The probes found temperatures between 448 °C and 459 °C at the surface.  Pressure on the ground is between 86.2 bar and 94.5 bar.   

Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, born 1902

Margaret Hamilton, born December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, is fondly remembered for her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.  Although she played a mean witch, Hamilton was known to love children, an advocate for animal rights, and generally loved by casts and crews.  

Her role as the Wicked Witch of the West was ranked as #4 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 years of the Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

She passed away in May 1985 of a heart attack. 

Chic's "Le Freak" reaches #1 1978

R&B band Chic, third single from their album C'est Chic, Le Freak, reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 December 9, 1978.  It reached #1 on the Disco charts for seven weeks.  Billboard magazine ranked it as the number 3 song for 1979.  Le Freak is certified 4 x platinum.

It was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2018, for being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant." 

Happy birthday, "X-Men actor Tyler Mane!

Tyler Mane, born December 8, 1966 in Saskatchewan, Canada, played Sabretooth in the first X-Men movie.  The incredibly handsome actor has also played Mike Myers in the rebooted Halloween series of movies.

Billy Joel receives Billboard Music Century Award 1994

At the Billboard Music Awards December 7, 1994, Billy Joel won the Century Award.  I can't find a description of the Century Award, but it was only awarded from 1992 to 2006.  I'm glad my man Billy and my man Sting (2003) won the award.

Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" reaches #1 1941

Glenn Miller and his orchestra's recording of Chattanooga Choo Choo reached #1 December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy, and remained there for 9 weeks.  It was the first song to receive a gold record for sales of 1.2 million copies.  

It was featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade.  It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.  In 1996, Miller's recording of Chattanooga Choo Choo was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

"Young Sherlock Holmes" released 1985

Young Sherlock Holmes, produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Barry Levinson, was released December 4, 1985.  It is a story about Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, meeting as boys in a English boarding school.  

It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It won a Saturn award for Best Music. The stained glass knight scene was my favorite. 

Endeavour (STS-88) launched 1998

STS-88 crew

Front row (L-R): Sergei Krikalev, Nancy Currie-Gregg

Back row (L-R): Jerry Ross, Robert Cabana, Frederick Sturckow, James Newman

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-88), launched December 4, 1998, carried the first American module, Unity node, to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Robert Cabana, Pilot Frederick Sturckow, Jerry Ross, Nancy Currie-Gregg, James Newman, and Sergei Krikalev (Roscosmos).

Ross and Newman performed three EVAs for a total of over 21 hours, to complete the Unity node installation.

They returned to Earth December 13.  

Soyuz TM-11 launched 1990

Soyuz TM-11 crew (L-R): Toyohiro Akiyama, Viktor Afanasyev, Musa Manarov

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-11, launched December 2, 1990, was the 11th expedition to the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Viktor Afanasyev, Musa Manarov, and Toyohiro Akiyama (a Japanese reporter).  

The cosmonauts remained on board until May 26, 1991, when they returned to Earth with Helen Sharman, a British astronaut.  Akiyama returned to Earth December 10, 1990 aboard Soyuz TM-10.

Jonathan Frid "Barnabas Collins" born 1924

Jonathan Frid, born December 2, 1924 in Ontario, Canada, is best known as Barnabas Collins in the daytime horror show Dark Shadows.  Frid served as a seaman in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII.  

He starred in almost 600 episodes of Dark Shadows and even had an appearance in the 2012 movie version, starring Johnny Depp.

He passed away in April 2012 just a few weeks before the movie was released, making it his final acting role.

Chang'e 5 probe lands on the moon today!

China's lunar probe Chang'e 5, launched November 23, landed on the moon today.  Its mission is to sample the lunar soil (about 4.4 lb or 2 kg) and return to Earth about December 16-17.  It will make China the third nation to send a probe to the moon and return with samples.

Happy birthday, NASA astronaut Terry Virts!

Terry Virts, born December 1, 1967 in Baltimore, Maryland, has been in space twice.

His first mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as pilot to the International Space Station in February 2010.  Its primary payloads were the Tranquility module and the Cupola, a control station that provided a 360° view of the station.

His second trip was aboard Soyuz TMA-15M, launched in November 2014.  He participated in Expedition 42 and served as commander of Expedition 43.  

He has performed 3 EVAs for just over 19 hours.