Nixon’s trip home to California following his resignation was the only time that Air Force One has changed its call sign mid-flight. The moment Gerald Ford was sworn in and pilot Col. Ralph Albertazzie was informed, while the 707 was over Missouri, he radioed to Kansas City Center: “‘Kansas City, this was Air Force One. Will you change our call sign to SAM 27000?’ Back came the reply: ‘Roger, SAM 27000. Good luck to the President.’” SAM means Special Air Mission.
Pres. Richard M. Nixon’s favorite Christmas song was “The Little Drummer Boy”.
Leapy Lee’s only hit in the USA was “Little Arrows.”
(Thanks for the earworm. Not. 
)
Burlesque/vaudeville comic Pinky Lee, host of an afternoon children’s show on NBC in the early '50’s, once collapsed on-air due to an infection, but treatment was delayed because the cameramen and producer thought his fall was part of his act. The “Peanut Gallery” children kept cheering. Lee did not return to the air for 2 years, and then it was as host of “The Gumby Show.”
Rob Paulsen is the voice of Pinky on Pinky and the Brain.
Arthur Q. Bryan was the voice of Elmer Fudd, not Mel Blanc as most people think. When Bryan died, Blanc couldn’t do the voice, so Fudd was retired and replaced by Yosemite Sam.
Mel Tormé was drafted into the Army in 1944, but soon after when he went on bivouac, cuts were discovered in the soles of his feet, and it was determined he was so flat-footed that he should never have been drafted in the first place. He was sent home from the Army in 1945.
Emperor Hirohito’s speech to the Japanese people - the first time most of them had ever heard his voice - was recorded on a vinyl record for a later radio broadcast in August 1945. An abortive military coup by hardliners determined to keep fighting World War II failed to find and destroy the record.
Emperor penguins and king penguins do not make any sort of nests. Instead, a single egg for each mated pair is incubated on a parent’s feet and kept warm by a flap of skin called a brood pouch. Incubation can take 8-10 weeks and occurs during winter, so the egg must always be kept warm and safe.
Beethoven originally planned to dedicate his Third Symphony to Bonaparte, but became enraged when he heard that Bonaparte had declared himself Emperor. Instead, the symphony is termed “Eroica”.
He should’ve named it “Washington.”
George Washington stunned the world when he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later when he left the U.S. Presidency after two terms; both times he might easily have seized power for life. Napoleon Bonaparte was reported, on his deathbed, to have sadly murmured, “They wanted me to be another Washington.”
The first Academy Award for Best Original Song went to “The Continental,” sung by Ginger Rogers in the movie The Gay Divorcee. The Hays Office insisted that the title be changed from the original play, The Gay Divorce, since the idea of a cheerful* divorce was anathema.
*“Gay” as “homosexual” had not hit the mainstream at the time, though it’s likely Cole Porter knew the double meaning in the title.
Only two people have won a Tony Award for portraying a person of the opposite sex:
Mary Martin as Peter Pan and Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray
Cyril Ritchard, who starred as Captain Hook opposite Mary Martin in Peter Pan, was the voice of Elrond in Rankin-Bass’s version of The Hobbit.
Kathryn Beaumont voiced both Wendy in Disney’s version of Peter Pan and Alice in Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderland.
Adriana Caselotti provided the voice of Snow White at the age of 19, but, due to Disney’s contractual control over her voice, was never allowed to perform professionally again in any other credited role.
Two members of the band Snow Patrol attended one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious schools, Campbell College in Belfast.
Charles II is reputed to have said: “There never was trouble brewing in Scotland, but that a Dalrymple or a Campbell was at the bottom of it”.
British political theorist and writer Peter Hennessy learned in his research that, had World War III broken out, the Queen and several members of the Privy Council would have been hidden on the Royal Yacht Britannia, which would have sailed off the western coast of Scotland, to maintain continuity of government.
The Chief Justices of Canada were traditionally appointed to the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council. In that capacity, they sometimes heard appeals from the Supreme Court of Canada, an in some cases agreed to overturn the decision under appeal.