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September 12:

September 12: Blast from the Past

The sitcom Family Affair aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1972.

The series starred Brian Keith as bachelor Bill Davis and follows his adventures as he attempts to raise his brother’s orphaned children, 15-year-old Cissy (Kathy Garver) and the 6-year-old twins, Jody (Johnny Whitaker) and Buffy (Anissa Jones). The butler, Mr. Giles French was played by Sebastian Cabot. The show ran for 138 episodes. Family Affair was created and produced by Don Fedderson, also known for the series My Three Sons.

“Lassie” debuted in this day in 1954

The television series Lassie followed the adventures of a female Collie named Lassie and her human companions. The show debuted on Sunday, September 12, 1954 and aired till March 24, 1973 on the CBS network. It was one of the longest running dramatic series on TV, with seventeen seasons before entering first-run syndication for the final two seasons. Lassie was initially filmed in black and white, making the transition to color in 1965. It was the created by producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax. In its first years Lassie won two Emmy Awards and its stars, Jan Clayton and June Lockhart were both nominated for Emmys.

The Monkees aired on this day in 1966

The Monkees is a NBC situation comedy that aired from September 12, 1966 to March 25, 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men (The Monkees) as they strive to make a name for themselves as rock ‘n roll singers. The show won two Emmy Awards in 1967.

Theme Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0FUvLfxyp0

Bonanza debuted on this day in 1959

Bonanza is western television series that ran on the NBC network from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series (behind Gunsmoke). It still continues to air in syndication. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked #43 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Tine.

September 11:

September 11: Attack on America

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve." In a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared: "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

At 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors.  Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767--United Airlines Flight 175--appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor.

America was under attack by Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist organization, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America's support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War, and its continued military presence in the Middle East.

As millions watched in horror the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington and slammed into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m. Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to a structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building. All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon along with all 64 people aboard the airliner.

Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn for the worse when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke.

At 10:30 a.m., the other Trade Center tower collapsed. Close to 3,000 people died in the World Trade Center and its vicinity, including a staggering 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors.

Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane--United Flight 93--was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark International Airport in New Jersey. The passengers fought the four hijackers.  The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field in western Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. All 45 people aboard were killed. Its intended target is not known, but theories include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network based there, began on October 7, 2001. Bin Laden was killed during a raid of his compound in Pakistan by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/attack-on-america

September 10:

September 10: TV Dinner Day

Although frozen dinners were available to bars and tavern as early as 1940, the concept really took hold in 1954 when Swanson’s frozen meals appeared. Swanson was a well-known brand that consumers recognized, and Swanson launched a massive advertising campaign for their product.

They also coined the phrase TV Dinner, which helped to transform their frozen meals into a cultural icon.

In their first year, Swanson & Sons sold over 10 million TV dinners. The 98-cent meals included turkey, corn bread dressing, gravy, peas, and sweet potatoes.

September 9:

September 9: National Grandparent’s Day

In 1970, a WV housewife from Fayette County, Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, initiated a campaign to set aside a special day just for Grandparents.

Through concerted efforts the campaign expanded statewide. Senator Jennings Randolph was especially instrumental in the project.

The first Grandparents Day was proclaimed in 1973 in West Virginia by Governor Arch Moore. Also in 1973, Senator Randolph introduced a Grandparents Day resolution in the United States Senate. The resolution languished in committee.

Mrs. McQuade and her team turned to the media to garner support. They also began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in every state. And they sent letters to churches, businesses, and numerous national organizations interested in senior citizens.

In 1978, five years after its West Virginia inception, the United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter. September was chosen for the holiday, to signify the "autumn years" of life.

http://www.grandparents-day.com/y2009/history_new/html/history/short_ver-nv2.html#facts

September 8:

September 8: Star Trek

The first regular episode (“The Man Trap”) of Gene Roddenberry’s Sci-Fi franchise
Star Trek aired on Thursday, September 8, 1966 on NBC-TV. The show was canceled
on September 2, 1969.

Check out these bloopers from the 1960’s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZAkGfJY05k

September 7:

September 7: Uncle Sam

On this day in 1813, the United States got its nickname, Uncle Sam.

The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson stamped the barrels with “U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's."

The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.

Read how this iconic image because popular at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-nicknamed-uncle-sam

September 6:

September 6:  Pilgrims set sail

The Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England aboard the "Mayflower” on September 6, 1620. After a grueling 66-day journey across the Atlantic marked by disease, which claimed two lives, the ship, with 102 passengers and a crew of 25-30, dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod on November 11th where the Pilgrims began settling Plymouth Colony, the first English
colony in what would become Massachusetts.

http://pdxretro.com/2011/09/06/

According to Pizza.com, the top five most popular days to eat pizza are Super Bowl Sunday, New Year's Eve, Halloween, the night before Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day.

September 5:

September 5: National Cheese Pizza Day

Read about the history of pizza at http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/MAIN/pastas/fall-pizza-recipes.asp

1905 - Gennaro Lombardi claims to have opened the first United States Pizzeria in New York City at 53 1/2 Spring Street. Lombardo is now known as America's "Patriaca della Pizza." It wasn't until the early 1930s that he added tables and chairs and sold spaghetti as well.

1943 - Chicago-style deep-dish pizza (a pizza with a flaky crust that rises an inch or more above the plate and surrounds deep piles of toppings) was created by Ike Sewell at his bar and grill called Pizzeria Uno.

1945 - With the stationing of American soldiers in Italy during World War II (1941-1945) came a growing appreciation of pizza. When the soldiers returned from war, they brought with them a taste for pizza.

1948 - The first commercial pizza-pie mix, "Roman Pizza Mix," was produced in Worcester, Massachusetts by Frank A. Fiorello.

1950s - It wasn't until the 1950s that Americans really started noticing pizza. Celebrities of Italian origin, such as Jerry Colonna, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, and baseball star Joe DiMaggio all devoured pizzas. It is also said that the line from the song by famous singer, Dean Martin; "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that amore" set America singing and eating pizzas.

1957 - Frozen pizzas were introduced and found in local grocery stores. The first was marketed by the Celentano Brothers. Pizza soon became the most popular of all frozen food.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Pizza/PizzaHistory.htm

What is the most popular day to eat pizza?