Today in History: Miles Davis releases ‘Kind of Blue'
Today in history:
On August 17, 1959, trumpeter Miles Davis released 'Kind of Blue,' regarded as one of the most influential jazz albums of all time.
Also on this date:
In 1807, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat made its first voyage, heading up the Hudson River on a successful round trip between New York City and Albany.
In 1863, federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of shelling.
In 1915, a mob in Cobb County, Georgia, lynched Jewish businessman Leo Frank, 31, whose death sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had been commuted to life imprisonment. (Frank, who had maintained his innocence, was pardoned by the state of Georgia in 1986.)
In 1945, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed independence for Indonesia, setting off the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch rule.
In 1945, the George Orwell novel 'Animal Farm,' an allegorical satire of Soviet Communism, was first published in London by Martin Secker & Warburg.
In 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight ended as Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman landed their Double Eagle II outside Paris.
In 1988, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel were killed in a mysterious plane crash.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave grand jury testimony via closed-circuit television from the White House concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky; he then delivered a TV address in which he admitted his relationship with Lewinsky was 'wrong' but denied previously committing perjury (Clinton was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives, but acquitted in the Senate).
In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Kocaeli Province of Turkey.
Today's Birthdays: Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton is 89. Actor Robert DeNiro is 82. Businessman Larry Ellison is 81. Film director Martha Coolidge is 79. Filmmaker/author Julian Fellowes is 76. Tennis Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas is 73. Singer Belinda Carlisle is 67. Author Jonathan Franzen is 66. Actor Sean Penn is 65. Singer/actor Donnie Wahlberg is 56. College Basketball Hall of Famer and retired NBA All-Star Christian Laettner is 56. Rapper Posdnuos (De La Soul) is 56. Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier is 55. Soccer great Thierry Henry is 48. Rock climber Alex Honnold is 40. Actor Austin Butler is 34. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers is 31.
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Chicago Tribune
15 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Miles Davis releases ‘Kind of Blue'
Today is Sunday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2025. There are 136 days left in the year. Today in history: On August 17, 1959, trumpeter Miles Davis released 'Kind of Blue,' regarded as one of the most influential jazz albums of all time. Also on this date: In 1807, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat made its first voyage, heading up the Hudson River on a successful round trip between New York City and Albany. In 1863, federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of shelling. In 1915, a mob in Cobb County, Georgia, lynched Jewish businessman Leo Frank, 31, whose death sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had been commuted to life imprisonment. (Frank, who had maintained his innocence, was pardoned by the state of Georgia in 1986.) In 1945, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed independence for Indonesia, setting off the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch rule. In 1945, the George Orwell novel 'Animal Farm,' an allegorical satire of Soviet Communism, was first published in London by Martin Secker & Warburg. In 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight ended as Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman landed their Double Eagle II outside Paris. In 1988, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel were killed in a mysterious plane crash. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave grand jury testimony via closed-circuit television from the White House concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky; he then delivered a TV address in which he admitted his relationship with Lewinsky was 'wrong' but denied previously committing perjury (Clinton was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives, but acquitted in the Senate). In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Kocaeli Province of Turkey. Today's Birthdays: Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton is 89. Actor Robert DeNiro is 82. Businessman Larry Ellison is 81. Film director Martha Coolidge is 79. Filmmaker/author Julian Fellowes is 76. Tennis Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas is 73. Singer Belinda Carlisle is 67. Author Jonathan Franzen is 66. Actor Sean Penn is 65. Singer/actor Donnie Wahlberg is 56. College Basketball Hall of Famer and retired NBA All-Star Christian Laettner is 56. Rapper Posdnuos (De La Soul) is 56. Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier is 55. Soccer great Thierry Henry is 48. Rock climber Alex Honnold is 40. Actor Austin Butler is 34. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers is 31.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Where to eat in Rome and Sicily
ROME Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ditirambo Recommended by a foodie family member (who might be annoyed I'm sharing her favorite special spot), Ditirambo is a classic Roman trattoria. Tucked in a warren of streets near the Campo de'Fiori, the intimate space is the opposite of swanky, with a dark beamed ceiling, pale yellow walls, art by local artists, simple cloths on wood tables, and super-friendly staff. When the one table of loud Americans left, we were the only ones not speaking Italian, creating an atmosphere of hanging out with the locals. But don't let the simplicity of the place fool you. The food is the star here, with fresh seasonal ingredients driving the menu's weekly specials and fixed choices. 'I piatti di mezzo' (middle dishes), a cross between an appetizer and a first course, include vegetarian choices such as eggplant meatballs, and zucchini millefeuille with smoked buffalo mozzarella. All breads and pastas are homemade, including filled pastas — ravioli, tortelloni, and such — and the Roman classic cacio e pepe, basically Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper that is made slightly differently by every chef in town. Other seasonal specialties include rigatoni alla carbonara made with pork cheeks, farro pappardelle with rabbit ragù, sea bream with capers, tomatoes, and olives, and suckling roasted pig. Our choice, fettuccini with fresh and fried artichokes and bacon, was sublime. We paired it with a local white Lazio wine, chosen from an extensive list. Open for lunch and dinner. Advertisement della Cancelleria, 74, 00186 Roma +39-06-687-1626, At Sora Margherita in Rome's Jewish Quarter, the walls are covered with handwritten thank-you notes from happy patrons. Necee Regis Sora Margherita We had hoped to try a certain restaurant in the Jewish Quarter, but alas, it was closed for lunch that day. While wandering the neighborhood, an unexpected downpour led us running to the door of Sora Margherita, a tiny restaurant where we had one of the best meals of our trip. The place was packed with diners, but the friendly hostess managed to squeeze two soggy patrons into the one-room space and produced a handwritten menu of pastas, salads, and traditional Roman dishes: grilled marinated lamb, rustic chicken stew, steak with grilled vegetables, and fried salt cod. We ordered carciofi alla giudia, a deep-fried artichoke dish originating in Rome's Jewish community; polpete al sugo, three massive meatballs in a rich red sauce; and fettuccine cacio e pepe. When the Italian diners at our elbows were served what we had just ordered, we knew we had selected wisely. The smashed artichoke was like a golden sunflower, with leaves as crispy as potato chips that then melted in the mouth. Astonishing. The pasta was just peppery and cheesy enough, though our new friends suggested that next time we try it with added ricotta. The meatballs, flavorful and filling, were the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine. As the lunch crowd departed, we could view the walls covered with handwritten thank-you notes from happy patrons. We were too full to order dessert, but our neighbors insisted we try a bite of their ricotta and sour cherry tart, a classic Jewish Quarter sweet. Open for lunch and dinner, with outside dining when weather permits. Advertisement Piazza delle Cinque Scole, 30, 00186, Roma +39-06-687-4216, The cool interior of Glass, a restaurant serving typical Sicilian dishes and pizza in the hilltop town of Piazza Armerina. Necee Regis SICILY Glass Clinging to a hilltop in central Sicily, the small town of Piazza Armerina is a terrific place for lunch when visiting the nearby Villa Romana del Casale, a not-to-be-missed fourth-century UNESCO World Heritage site known for its more than 37,000 square feet of well-preserved Roman mosaics. Before visiting the villa, we were hiking the maze of Piazza Armerina's medieval streets on an unsuccessful hunt for pizza when someone directed us to Glass. Stepping from the bright, hot sunshine into the cool stone building, we sat beneath the arched ceiling — hungry, tired — and learned that pizza is only served at dinner. When traveling, it's easier to pivot than to force a plan that isn't working. So, we stayed, and were thrilled that we did. It was tough to choose among the many offerings of typical Sicilian foods: Antipasti with Mortadella, speck, caponata, fresh ricotta, eggplant rolls and more; beef tartar with red wine reduction; fusilli with eggplant and almonds; hand-rolled pasta twists with cream of pistachios from Bronte (a town near Mount Etna famous for its small sweet pistachios only harvested every two years); fusilli with asparagus and speck; grilled Angus beef with arugula and parmesan; rolled veal stuffed with ham and pistachios; and hand-rolled macaroni with sausage and fennel. We chose the latter two dishes, and left sated and satisfied. Maybe someday we'll return for pizza. Open for lunch and dinner. Advertisement Largo Capodarso, 5, 94015 Piazza Armerina +39-093-557-7680 Red shrimp crudo with Sicilian avocado on sauteed spinach with a grapefruit reduction, served at Portocostanza, a stylish restaurant overlooking the port in Palermo. Necee Regis Portocostanza I'd be lax if I didn't mention the prevalence of locally-caught seafood in Sicily. Sardines, anchovies, shrimp, squid, shellfish, and finfish, including swordfish, are served in pasta, grilled, fried, and raw. For a special celebratory meal, a friend in Palermo directed us to Portocostanza, a stylish restaurant overlooking the port. The creative menu focuses on Sicilian flavors, with a farm-to-table approach that includes organic vegetables and herbs acquired from local farmers and its own 5-acre garden. Watching boats lazily glide past our tableside floor-to-ceiling glass windows, we bypassed the tasting menu and shared several dishes for our lunchtime meal: red shrimp crudo with Sicilian avocado on sauteed spinach with a grapefruit reduction; spaghetti with mixed seafood in light tomato cream with capers and mint-flavored breadcrumbs; and snapper fillet with confit cherry tomato cream and Salina caper powder. All were terrific, along with house-made breads, and we'd happily return to taste the many other tempting options, such as risotto with fish broth and shrimp; crispy octopus on smoked eggplant; and mixed salad with tuna tartar, mango cream, and almond flakes. They also have a pizza menu and serve happy hour snacks on an outside upper deck. Reservations are strongly suggested for both lunch and dinner. Advertisement Marina Yachting, Via Filippo Patti, 30, 90133 Palermo +39-091-619-9199, At Bollicine in Palermo. a fire-singed, pillowy crust pizza is topped with salty prosciutto, sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, creamy Buffalo mozzarella, and earthy, nutty artichokes. Necee Regis Bollicine Palermo is known for its street food, especially arancina, cheese or meat-filled deep-fried rice balls, and for its gelaterias serving a wide selection of fruity, nutty and chocolate/coffee flavors. We sampled many of these wondrous things, but nothing — really nothing — could outshine the pizza at Bollicine. Located around the corner from the historic Teatro Santa Cecilia, where we attended a top-notch jazz performance, the restaurant's outdoor seating was packed and festive on a Saturday night, with service friendly and quick. The menu offered a variety of antipasti, pastas, burgers, and salads, but the draw for us was the 20-plus pizzas. It was difficult to choose among offerings that included sausage, champignon mushrooms, anchovies, Mortadella, smoked scamorza, Gorgonzola, speck, red pumpkin cream, spicy salami, pistachio pesto, ricotta, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, rapini, and more. Our friends are tired of hearing us swoon over our choice — the Salento — with its fire-singed, pillowy crust topped with salty prosciutto, sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, creamy Buffalo mozzarella, and earthy, nutty artichokes. When I return to Palermo, this will be my first meal. Piazza Rivoluzione, 13, 90133 Palermo +39-327-002-6314, Necee Regis can be reached at . Necee Regis can be reached at
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Buzz Feed
29 "Weapons" Details, Easter Eggs, And Secrets
Zach Cregger's Weapons is the latest horror film to be a massive hit at the box office in 2025. And, because everyone and their mom is currently obsessed with this critical darling, now seems like a great time to take a deeper dive into some fascinating behind-the-scenes facts, details, and Easter eggs. 🚨🚨🚨 Note: Spoilers ahead. 🚨🚨🚨 The number 217 (as in 2:17 a.m., the time the children ran out of their houses in the film) has a lot more meaning and references you might not have noticed at first. For example, 217 — as many horror fans will know — is a nod to Stephen King's The Shining. And Cregger himself confirmed this. In Stephen King's novel The Shining, Room 217 is the haunted hotel room where Danny encounters a ghostly woman in the bathtub. It was inspired by the real Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which has its own ghost stories, and where King himself once stayed during a visit. In Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of The Shining, the room number was changed to 237 at the request of the Timberline Lodge (where exteriors were filmed) so guests wouldn't avoid the real Room 217; the lodge didn't have a Room 237, so it felt safer for business. However, for "purists" and book fans, 217 remains the 'true' haunted room, while 237 is the famous film version. You may have also noticed that the ratio of people left behind (Justine and Alex) to the number of students who disappeared from the classroom is 2:17. Also, in a more subtle nod to "2:17", there are 7 leads in the film (Justine, Archer, Paul, James, Marcus, Alex, and Gladys) who each have 12-minute "chunks" — which is 2:17 backwards. Finally, there's a popular theory out there that "217" may be a political reference to the 217 votes that passed a ban on assault weapons in the US House of Representatives in 2022. It's definitely an interesting coincidence when you combine the theory with that wild AR-15 rifle (a weapon often associated with mass shootings) hovering above a house in Archer's dream. There are several references to parasites in the film — largely in the background — which subtly foreshadow Gladys's behavior as a parasite herself. For example, in Justine's classroom, you can see the topic of "Parasites" on the whiteboard. Later, during Alex's classroom flashback, Justine briefly asks, 'Who else can think of a parasite?' Then, in the 'Marcus' chapter, a TV narrator describes the parasitoid fungus Cordyceps that takes over ants. You may have noticed a symbol like "⛛6" carved on Gladys's bell. The film never explains what it means, though we can probably jump to the conclusion that it's related to witchcraft, but there are A LOT of theories about its meaning. In witchcraft and occult symbolism, the triangle is a feminine symbol often linked to the Crone goddess, representing wisdom, endings, and magic. While number six has historical connotations in occult contexts—it's associated with witchcraft, devilry, and evil, especially when repeated (e.g., "666") There's also a theory out there that Gladys is much older than you might think and not actually Alex's great-aunt, but in fact a witch (or other supernatural force) inhabiting her body. The main reasoning behind this theory is Gladys's reference to "consumption," a very old term for tuberculosis (just as Marcus noted in the film), which was prevalent in the 1800s. Cregger has also talked about how his family's history with alcoholism informed the film's story. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger said, "The final chapter of this movie with Alex and the parents, that's autobiographical. I'm an alcoholic. I'm sober 10 years; my father died of cirrhosis. Living in a house with an alcoholic parent, the inversion of the family dynamic that happens. The idea that this foreign entity comes into your home, and it changes your parent, and you have to deal with this new behavioral pattern that you don't understand and don't have the equipment to deal with." To that end, many viewers have also noted that the circle/triangle that appears in the "O" in the Weapons title card is identical to the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol. The idea for Weapons actually started when one of Cregger's best friends unexpectedly died. Cregger elaborated in the film's production notes: "One of my best friends unexpectedly died. I think there are times when screenwriters can write from a place of ambition, and that's maybe not the most creatively healthy way to go about it. But I was in such a severe, painful place that I was able to write just out of pure need, without any idea of what it was going to be." Though Cregger has not outright said who the friend was, many believe he's talking about his friend and co-founder of sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U'Know, Trevor Moore, who died on Aug. 7, 2021. Moore died of blunt force head trauma after accidentally falling from a second-story balcony at his Los Angeles home. Back in 2023, a major bidding war broke out over Weapons between Jordan Peele, through his Monkeypaw Productions, alongside Universal, and New Line Cinema for the rights. New Line ultimately won with a $38 million deal — about $7 million more than Universal's offer. Peele was reportedly so invested that he considered contributing his own backend profits. After Peele and Universal lost, Peele parted ways with two of his longtime managers, creating speculation that it was due to the Weapons bidding war loss. Interestingly, one of the managers Peele "fired" was Peter Principato, who also happens to be Zach Cregger's manager. In case you're wondering, the child narrating the story is no one we meet in the film. The narrator is voiced by Scarlett Sher, who played Lily in Hustlers (Constance Wu's character's daughter). Pedro Pascal was originally going to be in Weapons, but scheduling issues due to the 2023 strikes forced a full recast — leading to Josh Brolin taking over his role. Similarly, Renate Reinsve, perhaps best known for The Worst Person in the World (2021), was set to play the role of Justine Gandy, which eventually went to Julia Garner. Funnily enough, initially, Cregger actually felt that Julia Garner was "too young" for the part of Justine. And Oscar‑nominee Brian Tyree Henry was also part of the original ensemble, though it's unclear in what role. Cregger and Amy Madigan were simply having lunch together at a Greek restaurant when he offered her the part. BTW, if you're wondering where you know Amy Madigan from, you may recognize her from earlier iconic roles as John Candy's girlfriend in Uncle Buck (1989), Kevin Costner's wife in Field of Dreams (1989), or her later dramatic turn in Gone Baby Gone (2007). Benedict Wong, meanwhile, was cast "at the 11th hour." Cregger was "in a despair moment" not being able to get that role cast when he had a Zoom meeting with Benedict, who had apparently just woken up and then perfectly ad-libbed his way through the scene. Cregger offered him the role right then and there. Speaking of casting, fans of Barbarian may have appreciated the cameos from Justin Long and Sara Paxton. Long played AJ in Barbarian, while Sara (who is also Cregger's IRL wife) did the voices of the Nursing Video Narration, Assistant, and Megan in Barbarian. Cregger has cited Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999) as a major influence on Weapons, saying he felt it gave him "permission" to aim to make a "horror epic." In fact, Alden Ehrenreich's character Paul's look, in particular his mustache, was a direct homage to John C. Reilly's (who also plays a cop) in Magnolia. Cregger was adamant that each chapter of the film be told in a very subjective way. So, for example, with Alex, everything is shot from his third-grader height. To achieve the very specific look of the children running, the filmmakers used movement coaches and even constructed an entire obstacle course to prep the young actors for their scenes. In addition to writing, directing, and producing Weapons, Zach Cregger also served as a composer on the film, collaborating with brothers Ryan and Has Holladay. The three grew up together in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The local families of the subdivision that provided many of the film's locations would turn out and basically camp out in lawn chairs during filming, sharing iced tea and snacks among themselves. Production saved and re-homed at least two dogs and one cat over the course of the shoot. The production office also had Sea Monkeys that started as babies and grew to adults over the course of filming. Cregger actually did the spray painting of "Witch" on the side of Julia Garner's car. He did it during a lunch break from filming. Finally, when Cregger first sat down to write Weapons he didn't have a "plan" for where the story would go. He started with the opening we know — the little girl talking about the kids running out of their houses — and asking himself, "Why?" without having an answer, LOL. Obviously, he eventually figured it out (and it turned out perfect). Obsessed with weird, dark, and creepy things (like horror films!!!)? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox!
