Day Tripping: September 26
Resilience
Olivia Newton-John was born in 1948 and raised in Cambridge, England. Her father was on the MI-5 team that brought Rudolph Hess to justice during WWII.
At fourteen, Olivia began her singing career with three classmates. The all-girl group was short-lived but led her to be touted for television roles. A string of solo hits was followed by her breakthrough role on film in Grease with John Travolta. After that, she reinvented her persona, becoming a megastar in the process.
“The only weights I lift are my dogs.”
Newton-John had previously been involved vocally with animal rights activism. But, her diagnosis of breast cancer kept her from appearing publically for several years.
Her comeback was more than a new lease on life. Olivia has since become a spokesperson for cancer research, even auctioning her clothing to raise funds.
Today is:
Pancake Day — a perfect way to start a Sunday morning.
Musical Ride
Let’s Do the Time Warp
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was a total flop when it opened in 1975. Then, it suddenly became a cult classic and has remained so for 45 years. Meanwhile, previously unknown Susan Sarandon went on to a stellar acting career. And, Meatloaf followed up with two hit albums.
Interesting Notes
In 1960, the first televised presidential debate took place between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. More Americans than ever before were given the chance to see candidates and hear their views. The two men who were friends, both acquitted themselves well in four debates in total.
Gone But Not Forgotten
One of the greatest actors ever to grace the screen, Paul Newman went nearly his entire career without winning an Academy Award. Oscar finally came his way with perhaps his worst movie, The Color of Money. Hollywood must have figured they owed it to him.
Newman also became the owner of an Indy racing team and he created a food product line to assist charities. Paul Newman died in 2008 at age 83.
Notable Births
1888 — T.S. Eliot said, “Everyone gets the experience. Some get the lesson.”
1898 — George Gershwin said, “Life is a lot like jazz. It’s best when you improvise.”
K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, PhD. Terry Trueman Dr Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan
All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:
The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present
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