An American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowls in four years with the New England Patriots. Brady helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003-04). In 2007, he led the Patriots to the NFL’s first undefeated 16-game regular season.
Note: Today Brady and the Patriots face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, a rematch of 2008’s Super Bowl XLII upset. It will be Brady’s fifth Super Bowl.
An African-American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress called “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.” In 1955, Parks’ civil disobedience had the effect of sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement and an international icon of resistance to racial segregation.
A groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2 (Groundhog Day) of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the groundhog. During the ceremony, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob and performs shadow-based weather prediction. A group called the Inner Circle, recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos, takes care of Phil year-round and plans the annual ceremony.
An influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety despite being reclusive. He had a volatile personality, and struggled with alcoholism for most of his life. Pollock died at the age of 44 in an alcohol-related car accident. He was born tomorrow in 1912.
A British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century. Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer and an artist. He is the only British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States. He died on this day in 1965.
A Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “feathered serpent.” The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan about 2,000 years ago. Among the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge.
I’m not sure I can call this 8-bit representation of Quetzalcoatl a success since my girlfriend referred to him as “a cat-dinosaur-flower.” Her description seems pretty accurate, really. Since today is the Chinese New Year, perhaps we can call him a dragon.
A former tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles titles during his career. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a U.S. citizen in 1992. Lendl’s game relied particularly on strength and heavy topspin from the baseline and helped usher in the modern era of “power tennis.” He’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #5 of 5 for Australian Open week.
An American former tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles during his career. He is best remembered for his shot-making artistry and for his confrontational on-court behavior that frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities. “You cannot be serious!” He’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #4 of 5 for Australian Open week.
An American former tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles titles. In 1974, Connors became the second male in the open era to win three or more Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year (Rod Laver being the first in 1969). Connors won more than 100 singles titles during his career. He’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #2 of 5 for Australian Open week.
Wish Bear is aqua and has a shooting star on her stomach. All Care Bears have a “tummy symbol” that represents their role or specialty. The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. This very successful franchise launched with 10 characters that Kenner turned into plush teddy bears. From 1983 to 1987, the Care Bears appeared in TV specials, a television series and three feature films.
Grumpy Bear is blue and has a rain cloud on his stomach. All Care Bears have a “tummy symbol” that represents their role or specialty. The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. This very successful franchise launched with 10 characters that Kenner turned into plush teddy bears. From 1983 to 1987, the Care Bears appeared in TV specials, a television series and three feature films.
Funshine Bear is yellow-orange and has a smiling sun on her stomach. All Care Bears have a “tummy symbol” that represents their role or specialty. The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. This very successful franchise launched with 10 characters that Kenner turned into plush teddy bears. From 1983 to 1987, the Care Bears appeared in TV specials, a television series and three feature films.
Funshine Bear was female in the original 1980s series, but has been portrayed as a male since the 2000s. A cartoon transgender bear?
Cheer Bear is pink and has a rainbow on her stomach. All Care Bears have a “tummy symbol” that represents their role or specialty. The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. This very successful franchise launched with 10 characters that Kenner turned into plush teddy bears. From 1983 to 1987, the Care Bears appeared in TV specials, a television series and three feature films.
Tenderheart Bear is orange-brown and has a red heart on his stomach. All Care Bears have a “tummy symbol” that represents their role or specialty. The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. This very successful franchise launched with 10 characters that Kenner turned into plush teddy bears. From 1983 to 1987, the Care Bears appeared in TV specials, a television series and three feature films.
A children’s toy talking bear. The animatronic teddy bear would move his mouth and eyes while “reading” stories played on a cassette tape deck built into his back. At the peak of his popularity, Teddy Ruxpin was the bestselling toy of 1985 and 1986. An animated TV series based on the characters in Teddy’s world debuted in 1987.
One of the most chilling moments of my 1980s childhood involved my sister’s Teddy Ruxpin. Due to touchy buttons, her Teddy would sometimes spontaneously start audio playback. Eventually, because the batteries were dying or due to some mechanical malfunction, Teddy was only capable of speaking extremely slowly. By then his motorized jaw had also been partially broken and hung agape. One night, I remember her slack-jawed Teddy Ruxpin turning himself on and trying to tell us a story of the Mudblups. His deep, drawn-out voice sounded fully demonic. We tried to turn him off but he continued spouting distorted, incomprehensible sounds. Eventually we removed the batteries. Evil Teddy Ruxpin.
Roger Rabbit’s buxom human wife in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the 1988 live-action/animated adaptation of the 1981 mystery novel. In the film, Jessica is portrayed as a sultry cartoon singer at a Los Angeles club. She is one of the most famous sex symbols on the animated screen. “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way,” she claims.
A Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer and electrical engineer. He is known for many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism. Tesla’s patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current (AC) electric power systems and commercial electricity. He invented the radio, experimented with wireless electricity and designed a death ray. He died on this day in 1943.
I love this Funny or Die episode about Nikola Tesla and the evil Thomas Edison: “This is awful. I am inventing electricity and you look like an asshole.” Tesla was a badass.
Mama Quilla is the moon goddess, according to the Inca mythology. She rules marriage, the lunar calendar and the menstrual cycle, and is considered a defender of women. The most common origin story says she is the daughter of Viracocha (the god of civilization) and Mama Cocha (the sea goddess). Inti (the sun god) is her brother and husband.
After 33 days in Peru, we are finally due to return home to Oregon on January 6.
Inti is the sun god, according to the Inca mythology, as well as a patron deity of the Inca Empire. The most common origin story says he is the son of Viracocha (the god of civilization) and Mama Cocha (the sea goddess). Mama Quilla (the moon goddess) is his sister and wife.
Quetzalcoatl – No. 333
A Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “feathered serpent.” The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan about 2,000 years ago. Among the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge.
I’m not sure I can call this 8-bit representation of Quetzalcoatl a success since my girlfriend referred to him as “a cat-dinosaur-flower.” Her description seems pretty accurate, really. Since today is the Chinese New Year, perhaps we can call him a dragon.