January 12 in nerd history: Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors, Batman!
Last updated: February 23, 2024
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January 12 in Nerd History
Here are five things that happened on January 12 for those of us who know all the lyrics to "Do the Bartman".
I.
Birthdays of honor: Jeff Bezos (1964), Kirstie Alley (1951), Joe Frazier (1944), Jack London (1876), Rob Zombie (1965), Haruki Murakami (1949), Melanie C (1974), Dominique Wilkins (1960).
II.
Holy bunions, Batman! Today in 1966, the live-action Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward debuted on ABC.
Not only did this show bring us some really weird exclamations from Robin, it aired for three seasons and 120 episodes. The sheer number of episodes, in part due to the fact that nearly every story was told in two parts (as it was shown twice a week) made it the longest running live-action superhero show until Smallville finally surpassed it in 2007.
Its campy style and unintentional humor (such as encouraging kids to eat their veggies in the middle of a fight) were only bested by the POWs and BAMs and extremely '60s-ish camera angles.
Say what you will, but generation upon generation of kids grew up knowing Adam West and this delightfully silly world as their first taste of the Caped Crusader. Eat your heart out, Christian Bale.
III.
Today in 1981 one of the most popular shows in TV history debuted when Dynasty aired on ABC.
Conceived to beat rival Dallas, the prime-time soap ramped up to become the number one show in the country by 1985. But its popularity fell off quickly and it was canceled in 1989.
Still, oil barons and rich families (not to mention Joan Collins) made for some damn fine TV.
IV.
If you visited Disneyland before 2001, you probably had the same thought everyone else did: Why aren't there more options for me to spend money?
But that all changed when Downtown Disney opened and Disneyland truly went from just being Disneyland to becoming Disneyland Resort. Finally, guests could get to go through security and drop some cashola without having to deal with all those annoying attractions.
The area connects the hotels and parks, and has undergone several changes and expansions — including a major reworking currently underway.
V.
25 years ago Brittney Spears was just a kid asking a nameless person to hit her one more time. That's right, today in 1996 Brittney's debut album ...Baby One More Time hit record stores.
Thanks to the lead single of the same name, it was a massive success, selling over 25 million records worldwide, and making Spears just the fifth person under the age of 18 to top the Billboard 200.
As for everything that's happened in her life since then, we'll leave it to the plenty of other websites that cover those sorts of things (i.e., yeah we know you already know).