SaturdaySat, May 23rd Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Buddha Day is being celebrated in Mongolia
- Buddha Jayanti is being celebrated in Nepal
- Buddha Purnima is being celebrated in Bangladesh
- Budhha Purnima is being celebrated in India
- Labour Day is being celebrated in Jamaica
- Lord Buddha's Parinirvana is being celebrated in Bhutan
- Vesak Day is being celebrated in Indonesia, Singapore
- Vesak Full Moon Poya Day is being celebrated in Sri Lanka
- People born on this day are Gemini as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
On this day in 2022
- DEATHS
- Wendell, Brazilian soccer goalkeeper (7 caps; Botafogo, Fluminense FC, Santa Cruz FC), who died at 74.
- TV SERIES
- Prehistoric Planet: Season 1 is released. Spanning five-nights, the nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough and scored by Hans Zimmer, explores how dinosaurs lived in different environments 66 million years ago.
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- PGA Championship Men's Golf, Ocean Course Kiawah Island: Phil Mickelson becomes oldest major winner in history (50); wins his 6th major by 2 strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen.
- 21 runners die in freezing conditions during an ultramarathon in Yellow River Stone Forest Park, Gansu Province, China.
- 28th Billboard Music Awards: The Weeknd wins 10; Pop Smoke wins 5.
- Belarus accused of “state-sponsored hijacking" after diverting commercial Ryanair flight to Minsk to arrest dissident journalist Roman Protasevich.
- DEATHS
- Bob Fulton, Australian rugby league five eighth (35 Tests; Manly, Warrington, Easts; RL "Immortal") and coach (39 Tests Australia; Manly, Easts), who died from cancer at 73.
- Cristóbal Halffter, Spanish conductor, and composer (Yes, speak out, yes; Lazarus), who died at 91.
- Eric Carle, American illustrator, collage artist, and writer of children's books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), who died of kidney failure at 91.
- Max Rufus Mosley, Race Car Driver.
- TV SERIES
- Master of None: Season 3 is released. Denise's (Lena Waithe) relationship with Alicia (Naomi Ackie) is the focus of season three.
- In Treatment: Season 4 is released. The fourth season of the half-hour drama returns with psychologist Dr. Brooke Taylor (Uzo Aduba) working with her new patients during the the COVID-19 pandemic: Eladio (Anthony Ramos), a home health aide to a wealthy family's adult son; Colin (John Benjamin Hickey), a former millionaire-white-collar-criminal just out of prison and Laila (Quintessa Swindell), a teenager dealing with overbearing parents.
- POLITICS
- Max Mosley, British auto racer and lawyer (President Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile [FIA] 1993-2009), who died from cancer at 81.
- SPORTS
- Ron Hill, British athlete (Boston Marathon,1970; Commonwealth Games marathon gold,1970), who died at 82.
- Ron Hill MBE, British athlete (Boston Marathon,1970; Commonwealth Games marathon gold,1970), who died at 82.
On this day in 2020
- DEATHS
- Saturn, American-born alligator that escaped Berlin Zoo during WWII, who died at about 84 in Moscow Zoo (Moscow, Russia).
- Mota Jr, Rapper.
- Hana Kimura, Wrestler.
- SPORTS
- Eddie Sutton, Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State; first coach to take 4 schools to NCAA tournament), who died at 84.
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- Fifty children rescued from an international paedophile ring on the dark web in Thailand, Australia and the US by Interpol under Operation Blackwrist, main organizer sentenced to 146 years.
- Brazilian cosmetics group Natura buys UK's Avon for $2 billion, creating the world's fourth-largest cosmetics company.
- Prototype of new high-speed train that will float above the track, capable of travelling 600km an hour (370 mph), unveiled by Chinese Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in Qingdao.
- Richard Ashcroft regained rights to his song ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ after more than two decades. The Verve singer lost the rights to his most recognisable song, which ended up in the possession of The Rolling Stones’ Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Released in 1997 on Urban Hymns, the track sampled The Rolling Stones’ song ‘The Last Time’, using a composition by Andrew Oldham, and became the centre of lawsuits, which saw Ashcroft stripped of rights and royalties..
- More than 170 tornadoes reported in a week in US states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Iowa, killing seven and causing widespread damage.
- Six migrant children have now died in US custody in eight months prompting calls for an investigation.
- The last slave ship to smuggle slaves to America from Africa, the Clotilda (sunk 1860), is found in Mobile river, Alabama.
- DEATHS
- Dumiso Dabengwa, Politician.
- GAMING: PC
- Total War: Three Kingdoms for PC is released. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is the first in the award-winning series to recreate epic conflict across ancient China. Combining a gripping turn-based campaign of empire-building & conquest with stunning real-time battles, THREE KINGDOMS redefines the series in an age of heroes & legends.
- POLITICS
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins re-election in a landslide over the opposition Congress Party, world's largest-ever democratic election with over 600 million voters.
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Hamburg, Germany, becomes the first city to ban diesel cars on some roads.
- DEATHS
- Homer Neal, African-American particle physicist, who died of a stroke at 75.
- Don Hume, Race Car Driver.
- Glynn Edwards, English television actor, who died at 87.
- László Tábori, Hungarian middle/long distance runner (1,500m world record 1955), who died at 86.
- GAMING: PC
- Dark Souls Remastered for PC is released. Embark upon an epic dark fantasy in a universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore.
- SPORTS
- NFL owners approve new NFL national anthem policy whereby players required to stand if they choose to be on the field for pre-game presentations.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Library of Al-Qarawiyyin, the world's oldest continually operating library, reopens after a major restoration by King Mohammed VI in Fez, Morocco.
- UK raises terror threat level to critical following Manchester bombing.
- DEATHS
- Roger Moore, British actor (The Saint, James Bond), who died at 89.
- Alexander Burdonsky, Russian theater director and Joseph Stalin's grandson, who died at 75.
- Cortez Kennedy, American NFL defensive tackle (Seattle Seahawks)dies at 48.
- GAMING: PC
- Mirage: Arcane Warfare for PC is released. Mirage is a skill-based multiplayer FPS that lets you tear your enemies limb from limb with destructive magic and melee combat. Experiment and find your perfect playstyle between six diverse classes including stealthy assassins, hulking brutes, powerful mages and more. With an unparalleled focus on truly feeling in control of your magic and sword, Mirage demands combat creativity and will challenge you like never before.
- Starpoint Gemini Warlords for PC is released. A blend of space sim, RPG and 4X games. Conduct research and construction in your own gigantic space station, command your war fleets and heroic companions to invade enemy territory, build up your stronghold, trade, mine, salvage and remind your enemies why they fear you.
- Steel Division: Normandy 44 for PC is released. Steel Division: Normandy is a tactical real-time strategy (RTS) game that pits players against AI enemies in a single-player campaign -- or against several opponents in massive 10-on-10 multiplayer battles.
- The Fidelio Incident for PC is released. The Fidelio Incident is a single-player, first-person thriller set off the coast of Iceland. Inspired by Beethoven's only opera Fidelio. After a violent plane crash, Stanley must search a desolate frozen island in search of his wife Leonore while covering up any traces of their identity.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Spellspire for PlayStation 4 is released. Blast fiends by spelling words and make your way to the top of the Spellspire. Spellspire is a mashup of word game and action role playing game. Pick letters from a grid to spell words and shoot them from your wand as spells. The longer the word, the bigger the blast. Collect gold dropped by slain monsters and buy more potent wands, hats and robes with magical special effects and abilities. Will you reach the top of the Spellspire, and what will you find?
- Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada for PlayStation 4 is released. Struggle for survival. Death before surrender! Experience the dramatic story and epic, action-packed battles of the Sanada clan during Japan's Warring States period.
- Portal Knights for PlayStation 4 is released. Leave the familiar world behind and step into the fantastic unknown with Portal Knights, a cooperative 3D sandbox action-RPG! Level up your character and craft powerful gear to defeat your enemies in real-time tactical combat. Explore dozens of randomly-generated islands and restore peace to a world torn apart by The Fracture.Begin your journey as a Warrior, Mage, or Ranger. Defeat formidable monsters and epic bosses while gathering resources to craft powerful weapons, armor and spells to help you on your adventure.Travel between worlds by collecting portal shards and rebuilding the ancient gateways. Meet 100+ memorable NPCs, recruit a pet, and experience dynamic events that happen in real-time! Build your perfect home and choose from dozens of materials and furnishings to make it your own!Craft your adventure. Forge your hero. Defeat the Portal Guardians. Become the ultimate Portal Knight!
- Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception for PlayStation 4 is released. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a grand tale that will enchant the hearts and minds of players as it takes them on an incredible journey. With a beautiful visual novel story experience, intriguing characters, fast-paced SRPG combat, world-class soundtrack, and more, the game is the perfect escape for adventure gamers!Mask of Deception begins atop a snowy mountain where the protagonist awakens in an unfamiliar wilderness, surrounded by deadly creatures, with nothing but a hospital gown and a splitting headache. However, hes rescued by a beautiful girl named Kuon, who sports both adorable animal ears and a beastlike tail. Finding that the hapless man has no memory of anything, Kuon decides to take the amnesiac into her care, naming him Haku. As their journey takes them across the land, Haku will encounter colorful characters, build deep relationships, battle ruthless enemies, and find himself inexorably dragged into the political machinations of the mighty nation of Yamato.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Disgaea 5 Complete for Switch is released. This entry to the legendary Disgaea series tells a tale of revenge, and of rebellion.As a new and terrible Overlord named Void Dark seeks to enslave the countless Netherworlds, one young demon has stood to end his reign-Killia. In Disgaea 5, players lead Killia and his tenacious army of rebels on their dark and dangerous path to vengeance. Filled with more over-the-top action and hilarious writing than ever before, Disgaea 5's damage numbers are surely headed for the record books.Features:* Alliance Attacks: New to the Disgaea series, your relationship with your teammates influences a new battle system called Alliance Attack. These special moves are only available to main characters and only when their relationships are appropriately aligned.* Recruitment: A familiar feature for Disgaea faithful, this system lets you choose from over 40 races and jobs, and identify new party members with the exact traits you desire.* Revenge Mode: The Revenge Mode empowers your characters with bonus stats when they've become fed up of their allies being beat on.* Explore the Netherworlds: While previous games in the series have shown a glimpse of the darkness that is the Netherworlds, Disgaea 5 takes you to a myriad of those dark lands.* Languages: Enjoy English and original Japanese voices, and French and English in-game text!* Includes Laharl's and seven additional side-stories. Join past Disgaea characters for exciting post-game content!* Add seven great characters to your squad not found in the original retail release including Nisa, Girl Laharl, and more!
- POLITICS
- US President Donald Trump meets Pope Francis at the Vatican.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- Chinese archaeologists announce findings of earliest use of barley in China to make beer, Shaanxi province 3400-2900 BC.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Overwatch for PlayStation 4 is released. Overwatch is a highly stylized team-based shooter set on earth in the near future. Every match is an intense multiplayer showdown pitting a diverse cast of soldiers, mercenaries, scientists, adventurers, and oddities against each other in an epic, globe-spanning conflict.
- SEPERATIONS
- Actress Amber Heard (30) files for divorce from fellow actor Johnny Depp (52).
On this day in 2015
- EVENTS
- 60th Eurovision Song Contest: Mans Zelmerlow for Sweden wins singing "Heroes" in Vienna.
- BIRTHS
- Calvin Mecham, YouTube Star, born in Utah.
- DEATHS
- Anne Meara, American comedian and actress (Stiller & Meara, Archie's Place, The Other Woman), mother of Ben Stiller, who died at 85.
- John Carter, American actor (Scarface, The Hoax, Badlands, Max-Falcon Crest), who died at 87.
- John Nash, American mathematician (subject of movie "A Beautiful Mind") and Nobel laureate, who died in a car crash at 86.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- " Pauline" a chamber opera by Margaret Atwood and Tobin Stokes premieres at the York Theatre in Vancouver.
- Russia and China veto the U.N. Security Council resolution to establish an International Criminal Court for war crimes in Syria.
- The parents of a camera assistant who was killed after being hit by a train while shooting footage for a biopic about Gregg Allman were suing the musician and the film's producers. The case claimed film-makers "selected an unreasonably dangerous site for the filming location" and failed to take actions to adequately protect the crew..
- DEATHS
- Mona Freeman, American actress, who died at 87.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Stand Clear of the Closing Doors is released. The story of an autistic youth named Ricky who, after a particularly difficult day at school, escapes into the subways. It's here that he starts his real journey, on a days-long voyage of discovery while, above ground, his mom frantically searches for him.
- Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia is released. Controversial, brilliant, and ever entertaining, the late Gore Vidal recalls his remarkable life as America’s most outspoken intellectual superstar in this illuminating, up close and personal documentary. Through intimate interviews with Vidal himself, as well as friends and colleagues like Tim Robbins and Christopher Hitchens, the film reveals how the charismatic cultural critic used the media to wage blistering attacks on hypocrisy and establishment politics. Vidal is witty, unsentimental, and enlightening as ever in this definitive portrait of one of the most fascinating personalities of the last century. [IFC Films]
- Cold in July is released. How can a split-second decision change your life? While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar, Freddy Russell. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father, Ben, rolls into town; hell-bent on revenge. However, not all is as it seems. Shortly after Dane kills the home intruder, his life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence. Twists and turns continue to pile up as the film reaches its inevitable destination: a gore-soaked dead end. [IFC Films]
- The Dance of Reality is released. After a 23-year hiatus, The Dance of Reality marks the triumphant return of Alejandro Jodorowsky, the visionary Chilean filmmaker behind cult classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain. In the radiantly visceral autobiographical film, a young Jodorowsky is confronted by a collection of compelling characters that contributed to his burgeoning surreal consciousness. The legendary filmmaker was born in 1929 in Tocopilla, a coastal town on the edge of the Chilean desert, where the film was shot. Blending his personal history with metaphor, mythology, and poetry, The Dance of Reality reflects Jodorowsky’s philosophy that reality is not objective but rather a “dance” created by our own imaginations.
- MOVIES: PG13
- The Love Punch is released. When their retirement nest egg is wiped out, Richard (Pierce Brosnan) and Kate (Emma Thompson), a divorced couple whose banter suggests that the flames of their former relationship have not been fully extinguished, scheme to steal a $10 million diamond from the French financier who defrauded them. Roped in to assist in the heist are the couple’s former neighbors (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie) who are also rooting for the couple's reconciliation.
- Words and Pictures is released. Prep school English teacher Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) laments his students' obsession with social media and good grades rather than engaging with the power of the written word. A one-time literary star, Jack has not published in years filling his spare time with drink versus the art of language. He meets his match in Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche)—an abstract painter and new teacher on campus, who was once celebrated for her art. From the start, the two flirt and provoke each other with equal relish. With a performance review looming and his teaching job on the line, Jack hatches an inspired plan for galvanizing student interest in their studies: he declares a war between Words and Pictures, confident that the former can convey greater meaning than the latter. Dina and her art students accept the challenge between Jack and his English students, and the battle lines are drawn.
- X-Men: Days of Future Past is released. The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in an epic battle that must change the past - to save our future. [Twentieth Century Fox]
- Blended is released. After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.
- MOVIES: R
- The Angriest Man in Brooklyn is released. Some people have bad days. Henry Altmann (Robin Williams) has one every day. Always unhappy and angry at the world including everyone in it, Henry sits impatiently at the doctor’s office when he is finally seen by Dr. Sharon Gill (Mila Kunis). Sharon, who is enduring her own bad day, reveals that Henry has a brain aneurysm. This news makes Henry even angrier, yelling at Sharon he demands to know how much time he has left. Faced with Henry’s anger and insults, Sharon abruptly tells him he has only 90 minutes. Shocked and reeling by this news, Henry storms out of the office leaving Sharon stunned by what she has just done in a lapse of judgment. As Sharon goes on a city-wide search, Henry struggles with his diagnosis, determined to make amends with everyone he has hurt in his life. [Lionsgate]
- The Hornet's Nest is released. This is the story of our most valiant soldiers and Marines, told through the narrative of a father and son, attempting to reconnect under unimaginable circumstances, who are assigned to cover the conflict for one of the United States’ major broadcast networks.
- GAMING: PC
- Tropico 5 for PC is released. Packed with a host of new gameplay features and new artwork designed from scratch, Tropico 5 takes the series into a new direction - dynasties!. You, as El Presidente, will first take control of the infamous island of Tropico during early colonial times and then guide it through the centuries as the world changes and moves ever forward. You must tackle the changing needs of your people, as well as opposing governments and factions, and thus lay the foundations for your own dynasty. As you move through your years in office you can promote members of your extended family on the island to positions of power: such as ambassador, commanding general or even Supreme Ruler, to ensure your legacy thrives through the eras. As your influence and wealth grows, so do the threats to your burgeoning island superpower. Can you survive both World Wars, prosper through the Great Depression, rule as an iron-fisted dictator through the Cold War and advance your country to modern times and beyond? From the 19th to the 21st century, each era carries its own challenges and opportunities. As well as a wealth of other new features, including advanced trading mechanics, technology, scientific research trees and island exploration, Tropico 5 adds cooperative and competitive multiplayer for up to four players for the first time in the series' history.
- Killer Is Dead: Nightmare Edition for PC is released. Killer Is Dead is the latest title from the demented mind of celebrated game creator, SUDA51, serving as a spiritual successor to his previous cult favorites, No More Heroes and Killer 7. Stylish cel-shaded visuals set the mood in this gritty, bloody, ultra-violent world where biomechanical augmentations increase the power of criminals and "executioners" alike. Mondo Zappa, a newly recruited executioner, hunts criminals wielding a Japanese sword in his right hand, and the crushing power of biomechanical engineering in his left.
On this day in 2013
- EVENTS
- Patrick Roy is named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, his former team where he won two Stanley Cups.
- BIRTHS
- Boston Hoellein, YouTube Star, born in Logan, UT.
- Amansaka Yukikuu96, Instagram Star, born in Japan.
- MOVIES: R
- The Hangover Part III is released. The continuing misadventures of the Wolfpack.
- TV SERIES
- Save Me: Season 1 is released. After nearly dying, Cincinnati housewife Beth Harper (Anne Heche) discovers she can talk to God.
- Does Someone Have To Go: Season 1 is released. Employees are given power to make decisions on who will get a pay cut, be demoted, or laid off.