This Month In YesterYear History - November

Every month, I like to start by reminding you of what pop culture was like 20 (2004), 25 (1999), and 30 (1994) years ago!   

Below, you'll find a little time capsule of what was significant in the world back then.  Hopefully, as you read these brief recaps of the past, you'll remember the who, when, and where of some long tucked-away memories!  That's the whole point of this site! 

POINTS OF REFERENCE

2004:  On the 2nd, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry to earn a second term as President of the United States.  The next day, with no sign the lockout will end soon, the NHL cancels the All-Star game (scheduled for January).  The Russian tanker "Tropical Brilliance" gets stuck in the Suez Canal on the 6th, blocking all traffic for 3 days.  On the 7th, the United States military stormed the city of Fallujah amidst the Iraq War.  On the 8th, Shania Twain and Mercury Records released her "Greatest Hits" album, which became Billboard's Album of the Year in 2005.  On November 9th, the hit video game "Halo 2" is released on X Box.  Mahmoud Abbas takes over as leader of Palestine minutes after Yasser Arrafats death is announced on the 11th.  On the 15th, Maria Sharapova became the first Russian to win the Women's Tennis Association Championship when she defeated Serena Williams.  K-Mart announced on the 17th that they would buy Sears, Roebuck, and Co. for $11 billion.  As I write this, 20 years later, the last K-Mart just closed.  On the 21st, Kurt Busch wins the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.  On the same day, Sweden's Roger Federer wins the men's tennis championship, his first back-to-back title win.  On the 22nd, the Orange Revolution occurred in Ukraine following a Presidential election that saw massive protests claiming election fraud.  On the 27th, Pope John Paul II returns the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox Church.  Tom Ridge, the Director of Homeland Security, resigns on the 30th.  That same day, Ken Jennings' 74 show winning streak on Jeopardy! comes to an end, leaving him with $2.5 million, the biggest all-time game show earnings in history.  Jennings, in 2024, now is the host of Jeopardy.   

1999:  The Los Angeles Lakers debut in the Staples Center on the 3rd, winning 103-88 over the Vancouver Grizzlies.  Dale Jarrett wins the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship on November 7th.  The next day, the 18th James Bond film, "The World Is Not Enough," debuts featuring Pierce Brosnan as Bond.  Denise Richards was the "Bond Girl" for the film.  Also, on the 8th, Andrea Bocelli released his "Sacred Arias" album, which became the world's best-selling classical album by a single artist.  Toy Story 2 hits theaters on the 13th.  Later that night, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in 12 rounds to become the undisputed Heavyweight Champion.  On the 18th, 12 are killed, and 27 are injured at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, when a bonfire causes construction to collapse.  On the 21st, Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a heated controversy in 2000, departs from Cuba with his mother to Florida.  On the 22nd, Toby Keith's classic single "How Do You Like Me Now?" drops and will become Billboard's Song of the Year in 2000.  Jessica Simpson's debut album "Sweet Kisses" debuts on the 23rd.  NHL Legend Steve Yzerman scores his 600th goal on the 26th.  On the 30th, anti-globalism protestors in Seattle, Washington, caught the police unprepared and forced the cancellation of the World Trade Organization's annual meeting. 

1994:  On the 1st, Michael Jordan's #23 was retired during a two-hour ceremony at the United Center in Chicago.  The next day, the NFL announced the new expansion teams, the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The first Playstation gaming console was released in Japan on the 3rd.  The United Center officially opens on the 4th, and the Bulls defeat the Charlotte Hornets.  George Foreman, at 45, KOs Michael Moorer to become the Heavyweight Champion.  Future head of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, wins his election as Governor of Pennsylvania on the 8th.  Also, on the 8th, voters in California elected entertainer Sonny Bono to the United States Congress.  Bill Gates bought Leonardo da Vinci's "Codex" for $30.8 million, the most expensive manuscript ever sold, on the 11th.  Speaking of Bill Gates, also on the 11th, "Interview with a Vampire" was released in theaters, starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Christian Slater.  On the 13th, Dale Earnhardt wins the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.  On November 14th, the first public train runs through the "Chunnel," or the Channel Tunnel between England and France under the English Channel.  The 18th saw the debut of "Star Trek Generations," starring Patrick Stewart.  Convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is clubbed to death by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver in the Columbia Correctional Institution on the 28th.  

TOP MOVIES

2004: "The Incredibles"   

The Incredibles is a superhero film produced by Pixar Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures.  It stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson.  Set in a futuristic-retro version of the 1960s, the movie follows Bob and Helen Parr, two superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.  The two hide their powers following a government mandate and attempt to live a quiet suburban life with their three children.  However, Bob's desire to help draws the entire family into a giant confrontation.  

The films were developed as an extension of the 1960s comic book and spy films from director Brad Bird's childhood.  He pitched the film to Pixar after Warner Bros was disappointed with his first animated feature, The Iron Giant (1999.)  Since the animation team was tasked with animating an all-human cast, new technology was required to animate the detailed human anatomy, clothing, and realistic skin and hair.

The Incredibles debuted at the El Capitan Theatre on October 24, 2004, and was released in theaters in the United States on November 5.  It earned $632 million worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004.  The Incredibles received widespread acclaim from critics, praising its animation, screenplay, voice acting, action sequences, sound design, humor, and music.  

A sequel, Incredibles 2, was released in June 2018.

1999: "Toy Story 2" 

Toy Story 2 is an adventure/comedy film produced by Pixar Animation for Walt Disney Pictures.  It's the second installment in the franchise, following the 1995 original film.  It stars a voice cast of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Pidgeon.  

In this film, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector, prompting Buzz Lightyear and friends to save him. Woody, however, is tempted by the idea of immortality in a museum.

Disney initially planned for Toy Story 2 to be a direct-to-video sequel.  The film began production in a building separate from Pixar with a smaller staff since most of the main Pixar crew was busy working on A Bug's Life (1998).  When the initial story proved promising, Disney upgraded the film to a theatrical release, but Pixar was unhappy with the movie's quality.  The Pixar team redeveloped the entire plot in one weekend.  Although most Pixar features take years to develop, Disney's established release date could not be moved, and production for Toy Story 2 was compressed into nine months.

Despite its struggles, Toy Story 2 debuted on November 24, 1999, to a successful box office run, eventually grossing over $511 million. It received widespread critical acclaim from critics and audiences, with a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.  Toy Story 2 would become the third-highest-grossing film of 1999, behind Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and The Sixth Sense.

A second sequel, Toy Story 3, was released in 2010, and a third sequel, Toy Story 4, was released in 2019.

1994: "The Santa Clause" 

The Santa Clause is a Christmas comedy film directed by John Pasquin that stars Tim Allen.  Allen plays Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally kills Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.  When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they fly to the North Pole to learn that Scott must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

The Santa Clause premiered on November 5, 1994, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 11.  It grossed $190 million worldwide and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.  It has since become a Christmas-time staple among viewers.  

Its success led to two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), both financially successful despite the mixed reception.  The franchise continues with a follow-up series, The Santa Clauses, which premiered November 16, 2022, on Disney Plus.

During research, I came across an interesting statistic from USA Today.  The film gets credit for most Americans' misspellings of Santa Claus. Many people add an "e" at the end of Claus, not realizing the film title has to do with "a clause" in the legal sense and not Santa's name.

TOP SONGS

2004:  "My Boo" by Usher and Alicia Keys

1999:  "Smooth" by Santana and Rob Thomas

1994:  "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men

TOP TV NEWS

November 2004:

1st -  The Young and the Restless aired its 8,000th episode on CBS.  

3rd - Nanny 911 debuts on FOX.  

7th - Dallas airs a third TV movie, "Dallas Reunion:  The Return to Southfork" on CBS.

10th - Sesame Street celebrates its 35th anniversary on PBS. 

16th - Medical drama House debuts on FOX.  

23rd - Longtime CBS news host Dan Rather announces that he will step down in March.

30th - After winning 74 consecutive games on Jeopardy!, Ken Jennings finally loses to Nancy Zerg.  His final cash winnings were $2,522,700.  

November 1999:

1st - The Early Show launches on CBS.

4th - Greed debuts on FOX.

19th - John Carpenter becomes the first million-dollar winner on ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  He is also the first game show contestant to win $1 million.  

        - Sabrina The Animated Series comes to an end, having run for only one season.

22nd - Hercules:  The Legendary Journeys starring Kevin Sorbo is canceled after 6 seasons and 111 episodes.

November 1994:

3rd - Various NBC comedies featured similar stories centered around electrical blackouts.  Mad About You, Friends, and Madman of the People participated in the cross-series event.

16th - The Essence of Emeril debuts on The Food Network.  It will run for over 13 years until 2007.

19th - A new Spider-Man cartoon debuts on FOX Kids.  It will run four seasons and be canceled in 1998.

26th - The Little Mermaid:  The Animated Series is canceled by CBS after two seasons.