Today (pretend it's August 4) in 1946
This was the average price of a gallon of gas.
What is...$0.21
The Nat King Cole Trio requests that you "Get Your Kicks" on this.
What is... Route 66
This phrase meaning "overly enthusiastic and energetic". Also, the Oregon State Animal!
What is...eager beaver
"What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down," is a line from this 1946 film written and directed by Frank Capra.
What is...It's A Wonderful Life
When Erik & Darya informed the birthday boy he would be a grandfather, he said the term "Grandpa" might need a bit of easing into and requested to be called this instead.
What is...Your Highness
This fancy new telescope type, developed by scientists and engineers of the Radio Corporation of America, was reportedly used by the Navy in a New York Times article that describes its use as, "enabl[ing] the Navy to work in total darkness..."
What is...infrared
In a popular song from this musical, the title character sings "Anything you can do I can do better / I can do anything better than you."
What is... Annie Get Your Gun
This is a phrase meaning "get down and boogie".
What is... cut a rug
"Course you got a Laughing Place. Everybody's got one. The trouble is, most folks won't take time to go look for it," is a line from this 1946 film which inspired a log ride at Disneyland that was recently dismantled and replaced.
What is...Song of the South
This is what Grammy and Grandpa did when they saw ambulances parked near where they were waiting to be picked up after completing one of their many Oregon Coast hikes.
What is... pulled a classic Veach prank and made it look like Grandpa had a heart attack! (And nearly gave us one instead)
It was reported that these two countries applied for membership to the United Nations, though neither country was actually admitted until December 14, 1955.
What are...Ireland and Portugal
Despite its popularity during the Holiday season, Vaughn Moore actually wrote and recorded this song during a July heat wave, using these lyrics as a plea with Mother Nature.
What is... Let it Snow!
This word was coined in 1944 by Maury Maverick, a former congressman, and referred to the “over involved, pompous talk of officialdom.”
What is... Gobbledygook
"The truth is, you always hear him ring the second time... even if you're way out in the backyard. Father, you were right. It all works out. I guess God knows more about these things than we do," is a line from this 1946 film about a married woman who plots to kill her husband.
What is...The Postman Always Rings Twice
During a trip to Korea in 2003, Grandpa told Tim he wished to learn this, and did so...mostly. He picked it up in only about 20 minutes and spent the rest of the trip from the airport to their house using this newly learned "skill"!
What is...read all the street signs in Korean! He didn't know what any of them meant but he could read them!
Our favorite musician / bbq chicken extrordinaire was born!
Who is...Grandpa!
According to Billboard Magazine, this song by Perry Como was the biggest song of 1946.
What is... Prisoner of Love
An older fella; not to be confused with the band who sings "Island in the Sun" and "Buddy Holly".
What is... geezer
"If you mean what have you done to me, Miss Havisham, let me answer. Estella has been part of my existence ever since I first came here, the rough, common boy whose heart she wounded even then," is a line from the 1946 version of this film adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel of the same name.
What is...Great Expectations