SaturdaySat, February 1st Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Abolition of Slavery is being celebrated in Mauritius
- Independence Day Holiday is being celebrated in Nauru
- National Heroes Day is being celebrated in Rwanda
- People born on this day are Aquarius as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
Happening Today
- EVENTS
- Rock singer Ozzy Osbourne announces cancellation of upcoming concerts and his retirement from touring via social media due to health issues.
- TV SERIES
- The Ark: Season 1 is released. With their destination still a year away, the crew of Ark One struggles to survive after their ship suffers damage and loss of crew members in this sci-fi drama created by Dean Devlin.
- Gunther's Millions: Season 1 is released. The four-part docuseries about the connection Maurizio Mian has to a German shepherd named Gunther who inherited $80 million from his late owner.
- SPORTS
- Joanne Bracker, American college basketball coach (Midland University 1970-2012; Women's Basketball HOF), who died at 77.
On this day in 2022
- EVENTS
- At age 44, Tom Brady, regarded as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, announces his retirement after a 22 year career and a record 7 Super Bowl titles with the NE Patriots and TB Buccaneers.
- DEATHS
- Easton McMorris, West Indian cricket batsman (13 Tests,1 x 100; Jamaica), who died at 86.
- Joeli Vidiri, Rugby Player.
- GAMING: PC
- Life is Strange Remastered Collection for PC is released. Experience the BAFTA award-winning story of Life is Strange now beautifully remastered with enhanced visuals and vastly improved animation using mocap technology.Play as Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price from a violent altercation.The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future. The Life is Strange Remastered Collection includes 'Life is Strange Remastered' and 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered'.
- SPORTS
- Maurizio Zamparini, Italian football executive (owner/director Palermo FC 2002–18), who died from complications of peritonitis at 80.
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- Military stage a coup in Myanmar, detaining civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi and declare a one-year state of emergency.
- Wildfires ignite on the outskirts of Perth, Australia, forcing evacuations amid five-day COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
- Wisdom the albatross, the world's oldest known bird, hatches a chick at 70 at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge, North Pacific.
- DEATHS
- Dustin Diamond, American actor (Saved By Bell - "Screech"), who died of cancer at 44.
- MOVIES: TVMA
- Rocks is released. A teenage girl suddenly finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother.
- TV SERIES
- The Investigation: Season 1 is released. Copenhagen Homicide Unit's Jens Møller (Søren Malling) leads the investigation into the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall in this six-part Scandinavian crime drama based on the real 2017 case.[Premiered originally in Scandinavia on 28 Sep 2020; in the UK on BBC2 on 22 Jan 2021 and in the US on HBO in February 2021]
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Glyph for Switch is released. This 3D Open-World Platformer lets you chill-out or speedrun stunning scenery on your quest to restore the ancient temple city by solving puzzles and beating enemies.Be aware: Glyph is easy to learn, but hard to master!* 80+ levels* Many hours of game time* 100s of rewards* Perfect your skills and earn cosmetics* Explore expansive non-linear levels* Avoid traps and defeat enemies
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- Locusts swarm across East Africa leads Somalia to declare national emergency, largest in 25 years.
- Largest swarm of locusts across East Africa leads Somalia to declare national emergency.
- DEATHS
- Peter Serkin, American concert pianist (TASHI quartet), and pedagogue (Juilliard; Curtis Institute; Yale; Bard College), who died from pancreatic cancer at 72.
- Andy Gill, British guitarist and record producer (Gang of Four - "Damaged Goods"), who died from multiple organ failure and pneumonia at 64.
- POLITICS
- Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, appointed the new Prime Minister of Iraq by President Barham Salih after 4 months of protests.
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- January 2019 was Australia's hottest month on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
- DEATHS
- Clive Swift, British stage, wireless, and screen actor (Frenzy; A Passage to India; Keeping Up Appearances), who died at 82.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Daughter of Mine is released. 10-year-old Vittoria’s summer will be one of two mothers to challenge, to hate, to love and to forgive. Shy Vittoria has a close relationship with her loving good mother Tina. But their quiet Sardinian life will be upset when the young girl discovers that local party girl Angelica is her birth mother. When Angelica is forced to move away because of financial troubles, she asks to become acquainted with Vittoria. Tina agrees, comforted by the idea that the woman will soon be leaving town. Searching for something deep and inexplicable, Vittoria and Angelica spend more and more time together against Tina’s will.
- Then Came You is released. Skye (Maisie Williams) is a spunky teenager with a terminal illness who befriends Calvin (Asa Butterfield), a 19-year old hypochondriac who is afraid of his own shadow. Calvin helps Skye carry out her eccentric bucket list of things to do before she dies. In the process, he learns to confront and conquer his own fears, including falling in love with the beautiful, but seemingly untouchable, Izzy (Nina Dobrev).
- MOVIES: PG13
- Arctic is released. A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown in hopes of making it out alive.
- Miss Bala is released. Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength.
- MOVIES: R
- Piercing is released. Reed (Christopher Abbott) is going on a business trip. He kisses his wife and infant son goodbye, but in lieu of a suitcase filled with clothes, he's packed a toothbrush and a murder kit. Everything is meticulously planned: check into a hotel and kill an unsuspecting victim. Only then will he rid himself of his devious impulses and continue to be a good husband and father. But Reed gets more than he bargained for with Jackie (Mia Wasikowska), an alluring call girl who arrives at his room. First, they relax and get in the mood, but when there's an unexpected disruption, the balance of control begins to sway back and forth between the two. Is he seeing things? Who's playing whom? Before the night is over, a feverish nightmare will unfold, and Reed and Jackie will seal their bond in blood.
- Velvet Buzzsaw is released. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.
- TV SERIES
- Russian Doll: Season 1 is released. Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) goes to a party as the guest of honor and ends up dead, only to awakens the next day and doing it all over again in this comedy co-created by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland.
- ALBUMS
- Scenery was released by Emily King. The third full-length release for the New York City indie R&B artist was produced by Jeremy Most and mixed Tom Elmhirst.
- Stuffed & Ready was released by Cherry Glazerr. The third full-length release for the Los Angeles trio features a guest appearance from Delicate Steve and was produced by Carlos de la Garza.
- What Chaos Is Imaginary was released by Girlpool. The third full-length release for the Los Angeles-based indie rock duo of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad was produced with David Tolomei.
- This Is Not the End was released by Spielbergs. The debut full-length release for the Norwegian indie rock trio of Mads Baklien, Stian Brennskag, and Christian Løvhaug was produced by Tord Øverland Knudsen of The Wombats and Team Me's Marius Drogsås Hagen.
- Ripples was released by Ian Brown. The seventh full-length solo release for the former The Stone Roses frontman was self-produced.
- Olympic Girls was released by Tiny Ruins. The third full-length release for the New Zealand folk band was produced by Tom Healy.
- Miri was released by Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba. The fifth full-length release for the Malian folk band features guest appearances from Majid Bekkas, Afel Bocoum, Abdoulaye Diabate, Casey Driessen, Dom Flemons, Yasel González Rivera, Habib Koite, and Michael League.
- Isa was released by Croatian Amor. The latest release for the music project of Copenhagen's Loke Rahbek features vocals from Alto Aria, Frederikke Hoffmeier, Soho Rezanejad, Jonnine Standish of HTRK, and Yves Tumor.
- Careful was released by Boy Harsher. This is the second full-length release for the Massachusetts-based electronic duo of Jae Matthews and August Miller.
- Drift Code was released by Rustin Man. The follow-up solo release to ex-Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb's 2002 collaboration with Portishead's Beth Gibbons was home-recorded with Lee Harris on drums.
- Gallipoli was released by Beirut. The fifth full-length release for the indie folk band led by Zach Condon was produced by Gabe Wax.
- Encore was released by The Specials. The first full-length studio release in nearly 18 years for the reformed British ska-punk band sees the return of Terry Hall to the line-up.
- GAMING: PC
- Rainswept for PC is released. Rainswept is an adventure game - A murder mystery dealing with themes of love, relationships and unresolved trauma.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- 8-Bit Hordes for PlayStation 4 is released. From the team that brought you 8-Bit Armies comes a new fantasy RTS as fast-paced and friendly as the original! 8-BIT HORDES is a colorful strategy-arcade game that is easy to learn for players of all skill levels. Collect resources, build up and defend your base, amass your army of orcs or humans and ultimately crush your opponents! 8-Bit Hordes features offline single-player missions, two-player cooperative missions, AI skirmish mode, and Player-vs-Player Multiplayer modes running on dedicated game servers.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Thea: The Awakening for Switch is released. Thea: The Awakening is a turn-based strategic survival game steeped in Slavic myth and monstrosity set after an apocalyptic force known only as The Darkness has engulfed the world. There are Strigas and Baba Yagas aplenty, but there are no heroes, no monster slayers, and no great armies capable of banishing them. You have only a few hopeless and starving survivors who are desperately trying to stay alive. You are their last and only true hope. The game combines turn-based strategic gameplay with the tension and grit of a rogue-like, a captivating story you can uncover through a series of in-game events, and a unique combat system based on a complex card battle game.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Wargroove for Xbox One is released. Take to the battlefield with Wargroove, a strategy game for up to 4 players. Choose your Commander and wage turn-based war on battling factions. Design and share maps, cut-scenes and campaigns with easy-to-use editors and in-depth customization tools.
- POLITICS
- US President Donald Trump confirms US withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty because of Russia's violation of the treaty.
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Archaeologists announce discovery of thousands of undetected structures in Mayan lowland civilisation, Guatemala, using Lidar, suggests population of 10 million.
- BIRTHS
- Stormi Webster, Family Member, born in Los Angeles, CA.
- DEATHS
- Alan Stout, American composer, who died at 85.
- Dennis Edwards, American lead singer of The Temptations (Papa was a Rollin'Stone), who died following a stroke at 74.
- Mowzey Radio, World Music Singer.
- Patricia Lindop, British radiobiologist & physician, who died at 87.
- TV SERIES
- A.P. Bio: Season 1 is released. After losing out on a dream job, Harvard philosophy academic Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) returns to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio to teach AP (Advanced Placement) Biology and clashes with Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) in this comedy from Mike O’Brien, Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels.
- GAMING: PC
- Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age for PC is released. Enter an era of war within the world of Ivalice. The small kingdom of Dalmasca, conquered by the Archadian Empire, is left in ruin and uncertainty. Princess Ashe, the one and only heir to the throne, devotes herself to the resistance to liberate her country. Vaan, a young man who lost his family in the war, dreams of flying freely in the skies. In a fight for freedom and fallen royalty, join these unlikely allies and their companions as they embark on a heroic adventure to free their homeland.Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age improves upon the 2006 classic Final Fantasy XII, now more beautiful and easier to play than ever. The high-definition remaster introduces several modern advancements, including reconstructed battle design and a revamped job system. With newly implemented trophies and share functions, as well as stark visual and sound improvements in true HD for the first time, players both returning and new to the game will experience a grand adventure that spans the world of Ivalice in an entirely fresh and improved way.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Crypt of the NecroDancer: Nintendo Switch Edition for Switch is released. Crypt of the NecroDancer is a hardcore rhythm-based roguelike game. Can you survive this deadly dungeon of dance, slay the NecroDancer, and recapture your still beating heart? Or will you be a slave to the rhythm for all eternity? Players must move on the beat to navigate procedurally generated dungeons while battling dancing skeletons, zombies, dragons, and more! Groove with the game's epic dance soundtrack, or select songs from your own MP3 collection! You can even play with a dance pad to really shake your bones!
- Night in the Woods for Switch is released. Night In The Woods is a 2D story-focused adventure/exploration game with many extracurricular activities to enjoy, characters to meet, and secrets to discover. Run, jump and use astral projection to explore the many sides of town of Possum Springs and the surrounding environs. Waste time around town with your crew of loser friends. Gain abilities that grant passage to new areas. Discover the secrets of a large cast of characters and the town itself. Experience a big crazy world and the remarkable events unfolding there. Play bass. Break stuff.
- Sky Force Reloaded for Switch is released. The best mobile shooter is now ready to rock your iPhone!Sky Force Reloaded is an award winning and highly acclaimed vertical shooter. It features 3d interactive objects, outstanding graphics, special effects, high quality soundtrack and 100% of pure gameplay.Ever wanted to play a good arcade vertical shooter? This one is for you!----------------------------------------------PRESS:IGN Review:9.5/10 - Force your friend to buy this one.AppSmile.com5/5 - With its recent introduction into the App Store, Sky Force Reloaded (or perhaps re-Reloaded) is a title no arcade junkie should miss.PocketGamer:10/10 - Graphically, Sky Force: Reloaded is stunning. The whole game screams quality.PocketPlayers.deOne of the best, if not THE best shooters!----------------------------------------------FEATURES:- 8 large levels- plenty of enemies, - interactive environment elements*- upgradable weapons- dynamic weather (rain, clouds, wind)- highscoresRecommended for fans of Raiden,1942,1945, iFighter, Siberian Strike
- SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt for Switch is released. The clock has stopped around the turn of the 19th century, and humankind has prematurely blown itself to bits. The remaining scraps are huddling in caves beneath the surface, and steam-powered robots have taken over the Wild West.
- Shiftlings: Enhanced Edition for Switch is released. Rock Pocket Games' Shiftlings, a platform puzzler, which can be played both alone or with a friend, revolves around two Alien Twins who are attached to each other through a cable. In single player mode the player can switch the controls between the two aliens on top of switching the size of the two, while in co-op mode, each player controls one of the two twins. Switching size between the two characters is an important part of getting through the tricky puzzles. The smaller size enables higher jumps while the bigger Twin can't jump but instead is able to push boxes and can be used as a trampoline by the smaller counterpart. The Cable, that connects to two Twins, provides both challenges but also solutions to get the two through the puzzles and to the end goal of each level.
- POLITICS
- The Indian government announces plan to give 500 million people free healthcare.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Rex Tillerson confirmed as 69th US Secretary of State.
- DEATHS
- Ken Morrison, English supermarket tycoon (Morrisons), who died at 85.
- Lennie Waldo, Race Car Driver.
- Desmond Carrington, British radio host (The Music Goes Round), who died at 90.
- Etienne Tshisekedi, Politician.
- Étienne Tshisekedi, Congolese opposition leader, who died at 84.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Mr. Gaga is released. Mr. Gaga is a unique documentary experience that tells the story of the internationally acclaimed choreographer Ohad Naharin, who created the daring form of dance and “movement language” Gaga. When he was 22, he was invited to perform with the prestigious Martha Graham dance company, and attended Juilliard and the School of American Ballet simultaneously. But Ohad would not be happy until he could do exactly what he wanted. Moving back to Israel, Naharin became the Artistic Director of the Batsheva Dance Company, developing gaga within his own ensemble. Even after achieving worldwide acclaim, Naharin continues to fight every day, sometimes with his own dancers, once even with the president of Israel, to make his vision come to life. [Abramorama]
- The Lure is released. In this bold, genre-defying horror-musical mashup — the playful and confident debut of Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska — a pair of carnivorous mermaid sisters are drawn ashore in an alternate '80s Poland to explore the wonders and temptations of life on land. Their tantalizing siren songs and otherworldly aura make them overnight sensations as nightclub singers in the half-glam, half-decrepit fantasy world of Smoczynska's imagining. In a visceral twist on Hans Christian Andersen's original Little Mermaid tale, one sister falls for a human, and as the bonds of sisterhood are tested, the lines between love and survival get blurred. A savage coming-of-age fairytale with a catchy new-wave soundtrack, lavishly grimy sets, and outrageous musical numbers, The Lure explores its themes of sexuality, exploitation, and the compromises of adulthood with energy and originality. [Janus Films]
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Candleman for Xbox One is released. Even though it can only burn for 10 seconds, a little candle decides to walk into the darkness on a journey to seek the light. A 3D platformer, Candleman’s action adventure gameplay uses the mechanics of light and shadow to tell an immersive story, and a wide range of environments help provide the backdrop. [Xbox.com]
- POLITICS
- British MPs vote in favour of the European Union Bill, allowing the government to begin Brexit.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- Alphabet, Google's parent company surpasses Apple as the world's most valuable company ($568bn vs $535bn), after releasing income results.
- Myanmar's first freely elected parliament in 50 years has its opening session in Nay Pyi Taw.
- Poor weather conditions strand 100,000 Chinese New Year travelers at a railway station in Guangzhou, China.
- Iowa Caucuses: Republican Ted Cruz defeats Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton beats Bernie Sanders by a coin toss.
- WHO declares a global public health emergency over the rapid spread of zika-linked conditions.
- DEATHS
- Israr Ali, Pakistan cricket all-rounder (4 Tests; member of Pakistan's first Test team that played against India 1952–53), who died of pneumonia at 88.
- Kelly Mcgarry, Mountain Biker.
On this day in 2015
- EVENTS
- 31st Sundance Film Festival: "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic.
- DEATHS
- Monty Oum, American Animator (RWBY), who died of an allergic reaction at 33.
- Aldo Ciccolini, Pianist.
- POLITICS
- Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle, British engineer, politician and CEO (Equal Oppurtunities Comm), who died at 91.
- SPORTS
- France defeats Qatar,25-22 to win the World Men's Handball Championship in Lusail, Qatar.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning becomes all-time record-holder for MVP trophies, winning his 5th at the NFL Honours in New York; also 2013 Offensive Player of the Year.
- American businessman and lawyer Adam Silver becomes the 5th NBA Commissioner.
- Janet Yellen becomes Chair of the US Federal Reserve, succeeding Ben Bernanke.
- Syrian civil war death toll reaches 130,000, while 4 million are displaced.
- 14 people are killed after Mount Sinabung erupts in Indonesia.
- DEATHS
- Luis Aragonés, Soccer Coach.
- SPORTS
- Ray Guy (Oakland/LA Raiders) becomes second pure kicker, and first pure punter to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On this day in 2013
- EVENTS
- Zenit-3SL, a Ukrainian-Russian carrier rocket, fails 40 seconds after liftoff and crashes into the Pacific Ocean.
- 44th NAACP Image Awards: "Red Tails" wins Outstanding Motion Picture.
- The Nigerian Army bombs a Boko Haram camp, killing 18 people.
- John Kerry succeeds Hillary Clinton as US Secretary of State.
- " House of Cards", starring Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood and Robin Wright as his wife, is released on Netflix.
- BIRTHS
- Miss Katy, YouTube Star, born in Russia.
- Cooper Lunde, Instagram Star, born in South Korea.
- DEATHS
- Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe, Norwegian composer, who died at 86.
- Ed Koch, American congressman & New York City Mayor (1977-89), who died from heart failure at 88.
- Paul Holmes, New Zealand radio and TV broadcaster, who died from prostate cancer and heart problems at 62.
- Huck Spaulding, Race Car Driver.
- Vladimir Yengibaryan, Armenian boxer (Olympic gold light welterweight 1956), who died from Alzheimer's disease at 80.
- Sir Paul Holmes, New Zealand media broadcaster, who died from prostate cancer and heart problems at 62.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Koch is released. Former Mayor Ed Koch ruled New York from 1978 to 1989—a down-and-dirty decade of grit, graffiti, near-bankruptcy and rampant crime. Making his directorial debut, former Wall Street Journal reporter Neil Barsky has crafted an intimate and revealing portrait of this intensely private man and the town he helped transform. Through candid interviews and rare archival footage, Koch thrillingly chronicles the personal and political toll of running the world’s most wondrous city in a time of upheaval and reinvention. [Zeitgeist Films]
- Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary is released. Before he was convicted of murdering a policeman in 1981 and sentenced to Death Row, Mumia Abu-Jamal was a gifted journalist and brilliant writer. Now after more than 30 years in prison and despite attempts to silence him, Mumia is not only still alive but continuing to report, educate, provoke and inspire. Stephen Vittoria's new feature documentary is an inspiring portrait of a man whom many consider America's most famous political prisoner. [First Run Features]
- MOVIES: PG13
- The Gatekeepers is released. A documentary by the Israeli director Dror Moreh which consists of interviews with six surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency established in 1949 which has engaged in counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering, among other things.
- Warm Bodies is released. A zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims.
- MOVIES: R
- Girls Against Boys is released. Two bartenders get their revenge against men who have mistreated them.
- Bullet to the Head is released. After watching their respective partners die, a cop and a hitman form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.
- TV SERIES
- House of Cards (2013): Season 1 is released. The US remake of the 1990s British political miniseries moves the shenanigans to Washington DC. After learning he won't be appointed to a coveted Cabinet position, House Majority Whip Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire plan revenge on the administration he helped elect.