Nerd Calendar

A "This Day In History" type blog, for speculative fiction. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy, some horror, some other stuff. Pretty much anything that can loosely be considered geeky. Also, potential spoilers.

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lotta new subscribers on a blog i haven't posted to in four years...maybe i should start doing this again? it's a lot of work but it's a lot of fun.

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April 12, 1961 - Carmen Sandiego Hides a Chronoskimmer on Vostok-1

After stealing a time-travel device called a Chronoskimmer from ACME, notorious thief Carmen Sandiego deployed her criminal associates to various points in history to prevent important events from occurring. She would finally stash the Chronoskimmer inside the rocket Vostok-1, just before Yuri Gagarin piloted the craft into space, becoming the first human to orbit Earth.

Fortunately, ACME agents, following the backup time tunnels left behind by the Chronoskimmer, recovered the device, allowing Gagarin’s flight to continue as planned, preserving the timeline.

(Carmen Sandiego’s Great Chase Through Time, 1997) (source)

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April 11, 2082 - Stewart Lipinski is Born

Stewart Lipinski was born on April 11, 2082, the younger brother of Karen Lipinski. Though living in an era where, after 50 years of the interstellar Universal Mapping Project has found nothing of note, space is considered boring by a disinterested public, Lipinski remained a space exploration fanboy. His enthusiasm carried him through the academy and upon graduation landed him the command of a ship. His happy-go-lucky, people-pleasing attitude would set the tone for his captainship.

Much to the chagrin of both, Lipinski was assigned his older sister as a First Officer. Though vastly more qualified for leadership, her stern, authoritarian style did not compliment the mission of the UMP; neither did it sit well with the rest of the ship’s crew of losers.

One minute into their first mission, the ship was sucked into a wormhole and deposited far beyond the frontier of known space.

(Paul Feig’s Other Space, 2015) (source)

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April 10, 1963 - Lee Harvey Oswald Assassinates Edwin Partridge

Political unrest over the election of Civil Rights proponent John F. Kennedy to the office of President of the United States was already reaching dangerous levels by 1962. During that year’s Cuban Missile Crisis, rumors of “beings with fantastic and dangerous superpowers” began circulating, fueled by eyewitness accounts of naval officers present. The rumors were largely dismissed, but some, including retired US Army Major General Edwin Partridge, were believers.

Partridge was active in the Dallas, Texas political scene, speaking at right-wing rallies and stoking the flames of segregation. He had begun subtly slipping allusions to mutants into his speeches as early as 1961, attracting the attention of violent mutant rights activist Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto.

Lehnsherr recruited 24-year-old Marine Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate Partridge. On April 10, 1963, Oswald completed the job, shooting Partridge in the head with a rifle as he sat at his kitchen table. This event lead the Kennedy administration to commission Project Wideawake, and on the other side of the political spectrum, strengthened the convictions of Partridge’s followers. Mutant hate groups such as Friends of Humanity and the Purifiers sprung up across the American south, and throughout the 1963 “Summer of Hate” at least a dozen suspected mutants were murdered.

(X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2014) (source)

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April 9, 3001 - Professor Farnsworth Unveils His Clone

On his 150th birthday, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth became concerned about his own mortality, and decided it was time to name an heir to his legacy. Though many among the Planet Express crew thought it should be one of them, likely Philip J. Fry, Farnsworth took this opportunity to reveal that he had created a clone of himself 12 years prior, named Cubert J. Farnsworth.

Cubert turned out not to be as Farnsworth expected, however; he saw a future as an inventor as unappealing, and made several snide comments about the professor’s work. Farnsworth became depressed, and revealed to the crew that he had been lying about his age; it was actually his 160th birthday, and he had reached the age where robots from the Sunset Squad take people away, never to be seen again. Under the cover of an overly dramatic thunderstorm, a hooded robot arrived at Planet Express and collected Farnsworth as he wandered about, saying goodbye to every inanimate object in his path.

(Futurama, S2E23 A Clone of My Own, 2000) (source)

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April 8, 1970 - Tom Beckett Dies in Vietnam

Tom Beckett, the older brother of Dr. Samuel Beckett, died in Vietnam on April 8, 1970. After living with his brother’s death for decades, Sam would later make a quantum leap into the body of Tom’s SEALS buddy, Signalman 2nd Class Herbert “Magic” Williams. As Magic, Sam would uncover a spy in the soldiers’ midst: the Vietnamese woman who was supposedly helping the group. Sam-as-Magic would shoot and kill her just as she was drawing a weapon on Tom, saving his life and altering history.

(Quantum Leap, S3E2 The Leap Home Part II, 1990) (source)

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April 7, 2026 - The Moment

On April 7, 2026, all humans suddenly, without explanation, became immortal. They stopped dying. They stopped aging. They stopped being able to conceive babies. Fifteen thousand years later, they would still have no idea why this came to pass.

The date became known as “The Moment.” Over the next few thousand years, these humans would solve all of their problems. War, poverty, disease, and Lunchables would become extinct ideas. They would develop nanites to prevent catastrophic accidents. They would finally perfect space travel and visit a neighboring solar system...only to find it barren.

After thousands of years of discovery, humans became bored. They had achieved everything they ever wanted, and had nothing left to look forward to except a theoretical eternity of life; at this point they had also disproven the theory of the heat death of the universe.

So they instead focused their existence on football.

(17776: An American Football Story, 2017) (source)

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April 6, 853 - Mr. Peabody and Sherman Confront a Dragon

Despite setting the controls of the Wayback Machine for the 6th Century, Mr. Peabody and Sherman arrived in King Arthur’s Court at Camelot on Tuesday April 6, 853. Arthur bemoaned the regularity at which unfortunate events took place on “Black Tuesdays,” citing his singing sword performing out of tune and the magician Merlin forgetting the second half of “abracadabra.” As a dragon attacked the castle, soundly defeating Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table due to rusty armor, Peabody lept into action, using the dragon’s natural curiosity against it to feed it bubble gum. As it tried to breathe fire at Peabody and Sherman, it instead inflated a bubble, turning into a hot air balloon of sorts, and floating the dragon harmlessly away.

(Rocky and Bullwinkle: Peabody’s Improbable History, 1959-60) (source)

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April 5, 2550 - Miranda Keyes is Promoted to Commander of the UNSC In Amber Clad

Miranda Keyes, daughter of legendary parents Dr. Catherine Halsey and Captain Jacob Keyes, served aboard the outdated science vessel UNSC Hilbert during the Battle of Gamma Pavronis VII. Though the ship had no weapons capable of breaching the Covenant’s defenses, Keyes took a desperate gambit and rammed it into the enemy. The gamble paid off; the Hilbert penetrated the Covenant’s shields and was able to push the warship out of orbit, crashing it into the planet’s surface. Her crew escaped unharmed.

To commemorate her valor in battle, a ceremony was held in the city of Quezon on the planet Reach on April 5, 2550. At the ceremony, Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood personally awarded her the Silver Star, a UNSC commendation for extraordinary heroism, promoted her to full Commander, and placed her in command of the frigate UNSC In Amber Clad. Keyes and her ship were immediately returned to active duty, soon becoming embroiled in the Battle of Earth and playing a pivotal role in the combat over Mombasa, Kenya.

(Halo: Reach, 2010) (source)

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April 4, 1982 - Maria Hill is Born

Maria Hill was born on April 4, 1982. After a stint with the United States Armed Forces, she joined S.H.I.E.L.D., quickly establishing herself as one of their best agents and rocketing through the ranks, soon becoming Deputy Director alongside Nick Fury.

In the lead up to the Chitauri invasion, Hill played a key role in rekindling the Avengers Initiative. During the Battle of New York, Hill was instrumental in coordinating Earth’s defense. Her career highlights over the next few years included pivotal parts in Project T.A.H.I.T.I., the takedown of Project Insight, thwarting the H.Y.D.R.A. infiltration, the Age of Ultron and the Battle of Sokovia.

Hill was among those killed by Thanos in the snap.

(Marvel Cinematic Universe, 2008-present) (source)

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April 3, 1971 - A Meteor Brings Aliens to Japan

On April 3, 1971, a meteor landed in Japan. This meteor came bearing an alien species, calling themselves Natives. The Natives immediately began working with humanity to develop an armored combat system later known as the Masked Rider System, fearing an attack from other members of their species, the Worms. This program was overseen by the company ZECT, which divided its forces into two groups: the ZECTroopers and the Zect Riders.

A second meteor would impact Japan in 1999, destroying the Shibuya area of Tokyo and finally bringing the dreaded evil Worms.

(Kamen Rider Kabuto, 2006-07) (source)

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April 2, 1974 - Edward Dalton is Born

Edward Dalton was born on April 2, 1974. A hematologist who never wanted to be a vampire, he was bitten by his younger brother Frankie to prevent him from becoming blood farm stock. By 2019, vampires vastly outnumbered the humans they depended on for food, and Dalton became head of a project to find a sustainable alternative.

Dalton remained a human sympathizer. After accidentally running another car off the road while distracted, he met a human woman, Audrey Bennett. Bennett would later introduce him to Elvis, a man who had regained his humanity after some time as a vampire. Dalton’s research quickly shifted to curing vampirism. He succeeded, and then set about trying to cure as many vampires as possible - before it was too late.

(Daybreakers, 2009) (source)

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April 1, 2014 - Mikey Becomes Paranoid About Ex Machina

After viewing the film Ex Machina, Mikey Neumann began to question his every belief about human sexuality.

This movie made him paranoid. It changed his life. Now, he doesn’t walk into any room he doesn’t know how to walk out of. He boils all of his food to rid it of contaminants and poisons. He poops in tiny bags because he’s awaiting the redonishing of Kifalca, the demon priestess of the fire lord Gibraltar, summoner of life gas, siphoner of that same-

(Movies With Mikey: Fave 5 of 2015, 2015) (source)

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March 31, 1538 - Seong Han-myeong is Born

ソン・ハンミョン  (Seong Han-myeong) was born on March 31, 1538. A skilled martial artist and master of his own dojo, Seong was well known and respected across his home country of Korea. After the deaths of his wife and son, Seong became overly protective and controlling of his daughter, Seong Mi-na, the last scion of his bloodline. He took a particular interest in a student at his dojo, Hwang Seong-gyeong, and considered asking the boy to become his adopted son. Before he could, Hwang left to join the Coastal Forces. Mi-na had also attempted to join the Coastal Forces around the same time, but was rejected due to her gender; this angered Seong, who chastised his daughter and ordered her to remain home. He would continue to meddle in Hwang and Mi-na’s lives for years to come, including an attempt to arrange their marriage, which neither appreciated.

When Hwang embarked on a quest to find the legendary sword Soul Edge, Seong gave his blessing, and wished to assist him. He offered Hwang the Mountain Breaker, his favorite weapon. Hwang politely declined, feeling it was not write to take Seong’s most prized sword, but instead accepted Blue Storm, another formidable sword, and a Seong family heirloom. Meanwhile, Mi-na announced her plans to also seek the Soul Edge, again angering her father. She ran away without his blessing to embark on the quest anyway.

Seong and Mi-na would be estranged for years, but when they finally met again, Seong would accept that his daughter was her own person and a functioning adult, and made a vow to treat her as such.

(Soul Blade [Soul Edge/Soul Calibur I-VI], 1995-2018) (source)

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March 30, 1978 - Lisbeth Salander is Born

Lisbeth Salander was born on March 30, 1978 to Agneta Sofia Salander and Alexander Zalachenko. From early childhood, Salander exhibited violent and vindictive behavior, often in retaliation to attacks against herself or loved ones. When she was twelve, her father beat her mother severely enough to cause brain damage; in response, Salander doused him in gasoline and set him on fire, scarring him for life but not killing him.

Later becoming a brilliant but antisocial hacker, Salander took the handle “Wasp.” She was hired by Milton Security to investigate disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist. This would kickstart a series of events which saw her working with Blomkvist to investigate a series of serial killings conducted between 1947 and 1967.

(The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2011) (source)

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March 29, 1847 - Your Wagon Leaves Down the Oregon Trail

On March 29, 1847, your family departed from Missouri down the Oregon Trail in search of a better life. Through careful resource management and wilderness survival skills, including ace marksman hunting, you may just make it - provided you don’t die of dysentery.

(The Oregon Trail [Apple IIe Edition], 1978) (source)

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March 28, 1979 - Nicky Parsons is Born

Nicolette “Nicky” Parsons was born March 28, 1979 in New York City. By the early 21st century, she had become a field agent for the CIA’s Black Ops program Operation Treadstone. She met amnesic agent Jason Bourne in Paris when he followed her boss, Alexander Conklin, to a safe house she was working. During the course of the CIA’s manhunt for Bourne, Parsons attempted to help him as much as possible. When asked why, she only hinted that the two of them may have shared a more intimate relationship prior to Bourne’s memory loss.

Parsons was shot to death by a CIA asset during a motorcycle chase in Athens, Greece.

(The Jason Bourne Film Series, 2002-16) (source)