Datebook: February 15 – Fall of Singapore 70 Years Ago

During World War II, Singapore was a major British military base, nicknamed ”Gibralter of the East.” It was considered an impregnable fortress and it’s fall, was a major blow to British forces. Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat to the Japanese the “worst disaster” and “largest capitulation” in British history. Indeed, roughly 62,000 troops were taken prisoner and more than half had died as POWs. Singapore had been a British colony since the 19th Century. On February 8th, the first wave of Japanese troops landed on the island, outgunning British defense. By February 13, most of the island’s defensive weaponry had been destroyed by air, land, and sea troops. On the morning of February 15, Japanese troops broke through the last line of defense, by evening Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival surrendered to General Tomoyuki Yamashita. This was a triumphant victory for Japan. During their occupation, the island was renamed Syonanto. Many of the captured Indian troops, which had fought for the British, were recruited to fight for the Japanese in the Burma Campaign. Occupation ended after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the entry of the Soviet Union into the war. Singapore was returned to the British, and remained under their weakened control until self-governance in the late 1950s and the merger with Malaysia in the 1960s. Yamashita was convicted of war crimes by the US and hanged on February 23, 1946.

It’s Wednesday, February 15

Children ages six to twelve can learn about the magic of light and sound at this week’s WKCTC Friday Night Science event. Discover the science behind light and sound by making an aluminum rod sing and creating a rainbow. The cost is twenty dollars. The two-hour class begins at 5PM. To register, call 270-534-3335.

Maiden Alley Cinema in Paducah presents “The Descendants,” starring George Clooney, tonight at 7. The film’s protagonist tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers severe head trauma during a boat race. The movie plays through Sunday; find more information and additional showtimes at maidenalleycinema.com.

Graves County High School features a number of its graduates as performers in “All Hearts Come Home.” The alumni show is Friday at 7PM at the Performing Arts Center, located next to the high school. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

Tomorrow at noon on WKMS, hear “Say It Loud,” a radio documentary featuring historically important speeches by African Americans. Learn more at wkms.org.

Datebook: January 5 – Nixon Orders Development of Space Shuttle Program 40 Years Ago

The shuttle program was formally launched on January 5, 1972, when President Nixon announced that NASA would proceed with the development of a reusable space shuttle system. The intent was to launch as many as 50 missions per year, with hopes of driving down per-mission costs. The spacecraft system was operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons. Major missions included launching numerous satellites and interplanetary probes, conducting space science experiments, and 37 missions constructing and servicing the International Space Station. A major international contribution was the Spacelab payload suite, from the ESA. NASA retired the Space Shuttle last year. Until another U.S. launch vehicle is ready, crews will travel to and from the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft or possibly a future American commercial spacecraft.

It’s Thursday, January 5

Maiden Alley Cinema presents “Take Shelter” starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, rated R. A man experiences bad dreams and hallucinations, prompting him to build an elaborate and expensive storm shelter in his family’s backyard. The film shows at 7 and at 9:10 tomorrow night. For additional weekend showtimes, visit maidenalleycinema.com.

Author Nick Flynn gives a reading on Monday at 7:30PM in Murray State’s Clara Eagle Art Gallery. Flynn is the author of three books of poetry and two memoirs, one of which is being made into a film starring Robert DeNiro. The reading is free and open to the public, and a book signing and reception will follow at the Faculty Club.

The Paducah Wastelanders’ New Year’s Art Exhibition will be at the Yeiser Art Center tomorrow and Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. The show features paintings, photography, mixed media, ceramics, and sculptures. For more information, call 442-1985.

The Juke Joint Shuffle returns to 913 on Saturday at 1PM. Find out more at wkms.org.

Datebook: December 29 – Inventor of Chicken Nugget Turns 90

Robert C. Baker was born on December 29, 1921 (and died March 13, 2006). He was a professor of food science at Cornell University who invented the chicken nugget as well as many other poultry related inventions. He was considered the “George Washington Carver of poultry.” McDonald’s is often falsely credited for inventing the chicken nugget, but in fact, Baker published his chicken nugget recipe in the 1950s as unpatented academic work and McDonald’s patented theirs in 1979.

Do you want to make Baker’s chicken nuggets? Here’s his recipe: http://cornellsun.com/node/17066

It’s Thursday, December 29

Maiden Alley Cinema presents the psychological thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene” starring Elizabeth Olsen, Hugh Dancy, and John Hawkes, rated R. The film shows at 7 and at 9 tomorrow night. For additional weekend showtimes, visit maidenalleycinema.com.

The Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park invites you to celebrate the New Year on Saturday night. The park’s package includes dinner, a dance, and a continental breakfast on Sunday. For information and reservations, call 1-800-325-1711.

Paris Landing State Park hosts “Shiver on the River” this Sunday at 2:30 at the Marina boat ramp. The event raises money for the REAL Hope Youth Center. Individuals making a minimum contribution of $25 will receive a t-shirt and a free buffet after the awards ceremony. There’s an award for the best costume. The event will be held rain or snow. Find more at shiverontheriver.com.

Visit us online at wkms.org, where you can find more community events. Thanks for listening.

Datebook: December 20 – First Electricity-Generating Nuclear Power Plant ‘Lights Up’ 60 Years Ago

Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) is a decommissioned research reactor and U.S. National Historic Landmark located in the desert near Arco, Idaho. At 1:50 pm on December 20, 1951 it became the world’s first electricity-generating nuclear power plant when it produced sufficient electricity to illuminate four 200-watt light bulbs. It subsequently generated sufficient electricity to power its building, and continued to be used for experimental purposes until it was decommissioned in 1964. The design purpose of EBR-I was not to produce electricity but instead to validate nuclear physics theory which suggested that a breeder reactor should be possible. It paved the way for a nearby reactor to power the city of Arco, Idaho in 1955, the first time a city had been powered solely by nuclear power. EBR-I was also the world’s first breeder reactor and the first to use plutonium fuel to generate electricity.

It’s Tuesday, December 20

Next June West Kentucky Community and Technical College has a Study Abroad Program going to Peru. The trip, which is open to the public, explores the land of the Inca June 11 through 19 and costs $3300. Inquire about scholarships and payment plans at 270-534-3207.

Tonight at 7 Maiden Alley Cinema’s FILMBREW SERIES features a hi def presentation of Die Hard with Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, rated R. The theatre’s at 112 Maiden Alley in downtown Paducah. See maidenalleycinema.com for details.

Owensboro’s River Park Center’s Winter Wonderland offers a large outdoor ice skating rink with thousands of twinkling lights, a 35 foot Christmas tree and concessions. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with $5 admission, including skate rental. It’s closed Christmas Eve and Day, but open weekdays through January 1 with free admission Mondays. The Center’s at 101 Daviess Street.

Let us keep you Company for the Holidays. See our Christmas week schedule of special features at wkms.org, including the Solstice program at 7 p.m. tomorrow.

Datebook: October 28 – Japan’s Largest Inland Earthquake 120 Years Ago

The Mino-Owari Earthquake, also known as the Great Nobi Earthquake, was a large earthquake that struck the former provinces of Mino and Owari in the Nōbi Plain area during the Meiji period in Japan, on October 28, 1891. It is the largest known inland earthquake in Japan. Based on the scale of destruction, it has been estimated to have had a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter Scale. It is also one of the largest earthquakes in the world’s history. When the fault line broke, the height difference between the two sides was approximately six meters.

It’s Friday, October 28th

The PennyRoyal Area Museum invites everyone to the retelling of The Bell Witch Story with County Historian William T. Turner Monday at 6 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children. Costumes are welcome. The Museum is at 217 East 9th Street in downtown Hopkinsville.

Tomorrow the Third Annual Zombie Walk in Paducah starts at 9th and Broadway at 5:30 p.m. Monetary donations benefit Paducah Renaissance Alliance and canned food donations go to the Family Service Society. Walkers dressed as zombies trudge along the sidewalks to Maiden Alley. People over 14 aren’t allowed to wear masks. At seven there’s a Walk After Party and Punk Rock Show at Maiden Alley.

The Marshall County Exceptional School benefits from the Companion Animal Hospital’s 2nd annual chili cook off tonight from 6 to 9 at the main pavilion at Mike Miller Park, Benton. The McKendrees perform live bluegrass.

What do you think? Have you a moment to click pledge now to support this public radio service online at wkms.org? Hope so. Thanks.

Datebook: October 21 – Mary Blair turns 100

Mary Blair was born on October 21, 1911 (and died July 26, 1978). She was an American animation artist best known for her work with The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South, and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs Disneyland’s It’s a Small World ride, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase, and an enormous mosaic inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

It is Friday, October 21

There’s an Oktoberfest celebration in the parking lot across from Maiden Alley Cinema, behind Kirchoff’s and Max’s Brick Oven Café in Paducah tomorrow from 11 to 5. Tickets are $30. Enjoy German fare and music by the Paducah Jazz Ensemble Polka Group and the Solid Rockit Boosters. Maiden Alley shows the classic Strange Brew following the event.

Hopkinsville Community College hosts a Conference on Diversity and Inclusion tomorrow from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, entertainment and conference materials are free. Comedian Vince Morris opens the event. The band Appalatin entertains with a fusion of Latin and Appalachian sound. Learn about navigating communication styles and more.

Jackson Oaks Retirement Community at 2500 Marshall Avenue in Paducah hosts a pancake breakfast fundraiser benefitting the Outward Bound Program for Veterans tomorrow from 9 to 11 a.m. Donations are $5 per person. The program supports wartime soldiers returning home.

Enjoy a special hour-long version of Rick’s Kitchen Sink tomorrow at 2. Support your diverse music choices through the pledge page at wkms.org. Thanks!

Datebook: September 26 – Nolan Ryan sets MLB record for no-hitters 30 years ago

Nolan Ryan, then playing for the Houston Astros, threw his fifth no-hitter, breaking Sandy Koufax’s record on September 26, 1981. Ryan still holds the record for the most career no-hitters, with a total of seven (Koufax is second with four). His sixth and seventh no-hitters came with the Texas Rangers on June 1, 1990 and May 1, 1991. When he tossed number seven at age 44, he was also the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter. A no-hitter is defined by Major League Baseball as follows: “An official no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings.”

It is Monday, September 26

Paducah’s West Kentucky Community and Technical College Scholarship Auction is tomorrow night at the McCracken County Convention Center’s River Ball Room. Tickets are $40 for the evening starting at 6 and including food and entertainment. Auction items include wine tastings, a stay in a French villa, and a dinner for 10 under the stars at a Marshall County farm.

The Humane Society of Marshall County’s 2nd annual Barktobertfest Yard Sale is Saturday starting at 7:30 a.m. Everything’s at the facility at 6301 US Highway 68 east, Benton. Pet games and contests, dog washes from 9 to 1, and a bake sale are among the attractions.

This week Maiden Alley Cinema has A Glimpse of the River’s Edge Film Festival which is November 3 through the 6th. MAC’s free event Thursday begins at 6 p.m. with light refreshments followed by short film samples and the announcement of this year’s Juror. MAC is in the alley between Second and Water streets near the Riverfront in Paducah.

Enjoy a productive week with wkms.org.

Datebook: August 16 – 135th birthday of illustrator Ivan Bilibin

Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin (16 August 1876 – 7 February 1942) was a 20th-century illustrator and stage designer who took part in the Mir iskusstva and contributed to the Ballets Russes. Bilibin gained renown in 1899, when he released his illustrations of Russian fairy tales. He was the designer for the 1909 première production of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel. He delivered lectures in the Soviet Academy of Arts until 1941. Bilibin died during the Siege of Leningrad.

 

It’s Tuesday, August 16.

Easter Seals West Kentucky, Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky and KY-Spin, Inc. host a workshop “individualized education program – IEP”, including meal, in Paducah Thursday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Families learn how to advocate during the IEP process. Sign up in advance at 270-444-9687. The ESWK Child Development Center is at 801 North 29th in Paducah.

Thursday — the stroke/head injury support group meets at 5:30 p.m. in the Murray Calloway County Hospital’s Center for Health and Wellness Conference room. For more call 270-762-1557.

Maiden Alley Cinema presents Richard Linklater’s 1993 film Dazed and Confused tonight at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 and two complimentary beverages come with each ticket purchase. It’s film brew night, and proceeds benefit the Cinema, in the alley near the riverfront in Paducah. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

See wkms.org for details about the stories of former residents of Land Between the Lakes heard on Constance Alexander’s series Connecting People and Place. Thanks!

Datebook: August 8 – Mont Blanc climbed 225 years ago

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises 15,782 feet above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. The first recorded ascent of Mont Blanc was on August 8, 1786, by Jacques Balmat and the doctor Michel Paccard. This climb, initiated by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who gave a reward for the successful ascent, traditionally marks the start of modern mountaineering.

It’s Monday, August 8.

Murray Preschool/Head Start and Early Head Start programs register students Thursday from 8 to 3, first floor, Alexander Hall, North 16th Street, Murray State campus. Preschool/Head Start serves eligible three and four year olds. Early Head Start serves eligible pregnant women,infants and toddlers to age three. For more information call 270-809-3262.

The Pennyroyal Area Museum has a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the Charles Jackson Circus Museum Thursday at 2 p.m. The Museum is at 314 East 9th Street in Hopkinsville as an extension of the Pennyroyal which is open Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Paducah’s 48 Hour Film Project starts when participating teams gather at 6 p.m. Friday at Maiden Alley Cinema to receive required elements, like genre and character, to work into a film which must be submitted by 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Paducah is one of 87 cities world wide competing in this year’s 48 Hour Film Project.

It’s easy to submit your public service announcement at wkms.org. Thanks!

Datebook: July 11 – ‘The Two-Headed Nightingale’ turns 160

Millie McCoy and Christine McCoy were born July 11, 1851 (and died October 8, 1912). They were American conjoined twins who went by the stage names “The Two-Headed Nightingale,” “The Eighth Wonder of the World” and “The Carolina Twins.” Their parents were slaves on the plantation of Mr. Alexander McCoy near the town of Whiteville, North Carolina. They were sold to a showman named Joseph Pearson Smith at birth. He and his wife provided the twins with an education and taught them to speak five languages, dance, play music, and sing. For the rest of the century, the twins enjoyed a successful career as “The Two-Headed Nightingale”, and appeared with the Barnum circus.

It’s Monday, July 11

Tonight at 6:30 Project Aids Orphan hosts a showing of the half hour film Binta and the Great Idea at Maiden Alley Cinema near the riverfront in Paducah. The 2007 Oscar nominee features Binta, a little girl from Senegal talking about her life, the importance of education for girls, and her father’s great idea. Tickets are $5.

Murray State’s MFA Summer Reading series continues tonight at 7:30 in Clara Eagle Gallery, 6th Floor Price-Doyle Fine Arts near 15th and Olive. Novelist, poet and instrumentalist Philip Stephens of Kansas City, Missouri reads. His new book Miss Me When I’m Gone involves a failed folksinger and a murderess. The readings are open to all through Wednesday.

Learn about the impact Interstate 69 will have on Hopkins County at a Chamber Hot Topic/After Hours tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hopkins County Fairgrounds-Ballard Convention Center in Madisonville. Hear from the Transportation Cabinet, Hoosier Voices for I-69, the Evansville Chamber, and the C-Link Board of Directors.

Learn more at wkms.org. Thanks.