With this week being the big Mardi Gras celebration down in New Orleans, I'd like to recommend my old article about 10 Films that Celebrate Mardi Gras! Please check it out!
In "This Month in YesterYear History," we look back at the big pop culture moments from
20 (2005), 25 (2000), and 30 (1995) years ago!
Below, you'll find a little time capsule of what was significant during this month in history. 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
2005: On the 3rd, rapper 50 Cent released his hit album "Massacre," which would be Billboard's 2005 Album of the Year. Also on the 3rd, Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping, taking 67 hours in the Virgin Atlantic "GlobalFlyer," a single-engined jet designed for the task. On the 13th, Bob Iger is named CEO of Disney, replacing Michael Eisner. Also, on the 13th, Terry Ratzmann shoots and kills six members, including the minister of the Living Church of God in Brookfield, Wisconsin, before killing himself. On the 14th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts U2, Percy Sledge, The O'Jays, The Pretenders, and others. On March 16, Israel officially passes control of Jericho to Palestine. On the 17th, the musical "Spamalot," based on the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," opens at the Shubert Theatre in New York City. It ran for 1,575 performances and won 3 Tony Awards. On the 18th, a show popular with "the kids" debuts on The Disney Channel called "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." Also, on the 18th, Terry Schiavo's feeding tube was removed at the request of her husband. On the 20th, a 6.6 earthquake hit Japan, its first major quake in over 100 years. On the 23rd, a major explosion at the BP refinery in Texas City kills 15. The American version of "The Office," starring Steve Carell, premiered on NBC on the 24th. On the 27th, Grey's Anatomy debuts on ABC. 48-year-old Fred Funk becomes the oldest event winner at the PGA Player's Championship at Sawgrass on March 28. Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" single was released on the 29th, earning a Grammy for Best R&B and Best Female R&B Vocal in 2006 and Billboard's Song of the Year 2005.
2000: The rewritten constitution of Finland is released to the public on the 1st. In the sailing competition, America's Cup, on March 2nd, Team New Zealand beats the Italian yacht Prada Challenge by 0.48s for a 5-0 series sweep. New Zealand is only the 2nd country in 150 years to successfully win two years in a row. Also, on the 2nd, the UK announced it would not extradite Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, so he returned back home. Also, on the 2nd, the St. Louis Blues become only the second team in hockey history to win ten straight "away" games. On the 6th, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts Eric Clapton, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Lovin' Spoonful, The Moonglows, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and several others. The next day, the Boston Bruins traded long-time Captain Ray Bourque to the Colorado Avalanche after he requested a trade to a competitive team before his career ended. Bourque would win the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001, fulfilling that request. On the 10th, the NASDAQ index peaked at 5,132, which signaled the official end of the "Dot Com" boom period. On the 20th, Pope John Paul II visited Jordan, Israel, and Palestine to complete a tour of the Holy Land. On the 21st, NSYNC released "No Strings Attached," which featured hits "Bye, Bye, Bye," "It's Gonna Be Me," "Space Cowboy," and "This I Promise You." On March 23rd, Colorado's Joe Sakic scores his 400th NHL career goal. On the 25th, Will Smith's "Wild, Wild, West" wins the Raspberry Award for "Best" Worst Movie. The following day, "American Beauty" won Best Picture at the Oscars. Hal Sutton edged out Tiger Woods to win the PGA Players Championship on the 27th. On the 28th, a school bus in Murray County, Georgia, was hit by a CSX Freight Train, killing 3 children. On the 30th, Richard Branson is knighted by Prince Charles.
1995: On the 1st, Sheryl Crow's "All I Want To Do" and Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" won several awards at the 1995 Grammy's. Also, on the 1st, Jozef Olesky became the new Premier of Poland, while a new telephone area code (281) in Houston created temporary confusion among city residents. On the 2nd, Joe Mullen becomes the 2nd NHL player to appear in 300 NHL games with 3 different teams when he plays for the Penguins in a 6-3 loss in Buffalo. He ends up playing 379 games for Pittsburgh, 301 for St. Louis, and 345 for Calgary. Space Shuttle Endeavor is also launched into space on the 2nd. On the 4th, George Forman is stripped of his WBA Heavyweight Title when he refuses to fight Tony Tucker. On the 5th, Tim Allen and Roseanne Barr won Best Television Actor and Actress at the People's Choice Awards. On the 7th, New York approves the death penalty, becoming the 38th state. On the 8th, a record -26*F was recorded in Bismarck, North Dakota. On the 9th, Major League Baseball voted to approve a future franchise in Tampa Bay. On the 17th, the United States approved the first chickenpox vaccine, "Varivax." As an aside, the chicken pox vaccine gave me pox-like reactions on my arm, and 25 years later, blood tests show I'm not immune to chicken pox and need a new vaccine. Hmm. On the 18th, Michael Jordan announced he was ending his retirement, which lasted all of 17 months. On the 19th, Jordan returns to the courts after trying his hand at baseball and scores 19 points for the Bulls against the Pacers. On the 25th, Mike Tyson is released from jail after 3 years. "Forrest Gump" wins Best Picture at the Oscars on the 27th. Federal judge and future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer issued an injunction against Major League Baseball on the 29th, forcing the end of the 232-day "lockout."
TOP MOVIES
2005: "Robots" -
Robots is a computer-animated science-fiction adventure/comedy produced by 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. The film stars the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Mel Brooks, Amanda Bynes, Drew Carey, and Robin Williams.
The story follows an ambitious inventor robot named Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor), who seeks his idol Bigweld (Mel Brooks) to work for his company in Robot City. Rodney discovers a plot by its new leader, Ratchet (Greg Kinnear), and his mother (Jim Broadbent) to forcibly upgrade the city's populace and eradicate struggling robots, known as "outmodes."
The film's development began in 2000 when director Chris Wedge and children's author William Joyce failed to adapt Joyce's 1993 children's book Santa Calls to film. They scrapped the idea of Santa Calls and switched to a story about robots instead.
Robots premiered on March 6, 2005, and was released in the United States on March 11. Critics praised the film's humor and creativity but deemed its story and characters unoriginal and forgettable.
The film was commercially successful, grossing $262.5 million worldwide against a $75–80 million budget. A sequel was discussed but never produced due to Blue Sky's focus on its flagship franchise, Ice Age.
2000: "Erin Brockovich" -
Erin Brockovich is a biographical legal drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, portrayed by Julia Roberts.
Based on the true story, Erin Brockovich was a single mother who became a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brought down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply. Erin begins working for a small law firm after losing a personal injury lawsuit, where she stumbles upon medical records in a real estate file that suggests a link between toxic waste from a Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) plant and widespread illnesses among residents of Hinkley, California. Erin meticulously gathers evidence, interviews numerous affected townspeople, and builds a massive class-action lawsuit against PG&E. Her efforts lead to one of the largest settlements in U.S. history.
The film received five nominations at the 73rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Soderbergh), and Best Supporting Actor (for Albert Finney). It won Best Actress (for Roberts) and countless other awards.
The movie grossed $28.1 million on its opening weekend and spent three weeks as the number-one film. It eventually made $125.6 million in North America and a worldwide gross of $256.3 million.
1995: "Outbreak" -
Outbreak is a medical disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by Laurence Dworet and Robert Roy Pool. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland, and co-stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Spacey, and Patrick Dempsey.
The film focuses on an outbreak of Motaba, a fictional ebola-like virus, in Zaire and later in a small town in California. It is set primarily in the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the fictional town of Cedar Creek, California. Outbreak's plot speculates how far military and civilian agencies might go to contain the spread of a deadly, contagious disease. I guess we found out how far governments would go in 2020.
Warner Bros. released Outbreak on March 10, 1995. The film was a success, topping box-office lists for three weeks before being dethroned by Tommy Boy. It earned $189.9 million worldwide.
The film's popularity resurged during the COVID-19 pandemic, ranking as the fourth most streamed film in the United States on Netflix in March 2020.
TOP SONGS
2005: "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent featuring Olivia
2000: "Say My Name" by Destiny
1995: "Take a Bow" by Madonna
TOP TV NEWS
March 2005:
1st - NYPD Blue ends after 12 seasons.
3rd - The boxing reality competition The Contender debuts on NBC. This first season was very well done and caused me to take my first trip to Las Vegas to see the big finale live at Cesar's Palace.
6th - Iron Chef America debuted on The Food Network and would run for 13 years.
9th - On the 24th anniversary of his debut on CBS, Dan Rather retires as the lead anchorman of CBS Evening News. He is succeeded by Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer.
13th - Jake in Progress debuted on ABC, starring America's Uncle, John Stamos. It would run for two seasons.
14th - Jim Cramer's Mad Money launched on CNBC on this day. Given that there is an entire "inverse-Jim Cramer investment strategy," it may not be the most sound financial advice.
18th - The Suite Life of Zack & Cody premieres on Disney Channel.
24th - The Office debuts on NBC.
25th - The reality show that started it all, The Osbournes, ends after four seasons.
26th - After a 16-year hiatus, Doctor Who returns to the BBC in the UK. Efforts were underway to get the program a spot on an American network, but the Sci-Fi Channel rejected it for the entire first two seasons of its revival run.
March 2000:
2nd - "I Am Weasel" was canceled after three years on Cartoon Network.
7th - Nickelodeon's "Gullah Gullah Island" was canceled, having been on air since 1994.
9th - "God, the Devil, and Bob," an animated sitcom, debuts on NBC only to be canceled two weeks later. Starring French Stewart, James Garner, Alan Cumming, and Nancy Cartwright, only 4 of 15 episodes were ever aired. In 2011, Adult Swim finally aired the remaining episodes.
March 1995:
6th - Deborah Norville begins her post as host of Inside Edition.
The Jenny Jones Show filmed an episode titled "Revealing Same-Sex Secret Crushes." Three days after the episode was taped, one of the guests, Jonathan Schmitz, murdered his secret admirer, Scott Amedure, out of embarrassment.
8th—The George Wendt Show debuts on NBC but only lasts six episodes. It was meant to be a vehicle for Wendt after the success of Cheers. The show was based on the public radio talk show "Car Talk," but viewers quickly tuned out of it.
11th - The Office debuts on CBS. Not to be confused with the wildly successful "The Office" on NBC ten years later, this show starred Valerie Harper and lasted only six episodes. It, too, was based on a British program, this one titled "Upstairs, Downstairs."
21st - Hit sitcom NewsRadio debuted on NBC, starring Dave Foley, Andy Dick, Phil Hartman, and Joe Rogan.
31st - All major U.S. networks interrupt programming to break the news of the murder of music superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. The lead item on the national television network's evening news was the end of the MLB strike, but within thirty minutes of its announcement, Selena's murder became the lead item on all television stations in the majority of the US.
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