Pop Culture Happenings: January

Learning became fun in 1973, we had sweet dreams in 1983 and Gretzky was named the GOAT in 1998.

__50 years ago__

1973

On Jan. 6, 1973, kids watching Saturday morning cartoons got to see something new and amazing between episodes of “Scooby-Doo” and “The Flintstones:” “Schoolhouse Rock!” premiered on ABC with “My Hero, Zero” a musical animated short about how Zero is the hero of multiplication. The song was written and sung by Bob Dorough and illustrated by Tom Yohe at the request of ad exec David McCall, who noticed his young son struggling to learn multiplication tables, despite being able to memorize the lyrics of pop songs. “Schoolhouse Rock!” ran for seven seasons with 37 episodes and made learning about math, grammar and civics fun, with unforgettable lyrics from “Three is the Magic Number,” “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just a Bill” — which, frankly, some members of Congress would definitely benefit from with a re-watch.

__40 years ago__

1983

The Eurythmics gave 1983 some “Sweet Dreams” with the release of their second album. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was released Jan. 4 with the title track reaching No. 2 on the U.K. Singles Chart and becoming one of the year’s biggest sellers. The band, named after a method of teaching music, consisted of Dave Stewart’s bass-heavy synth and the dark, smooth vocals of Annie Lennox. The album’s success was boosted by the MTV video featuring Lennox sporting an orange crew cut. And, as a bonus, 10 years later, “Schoolhouse Rock!” was still going strong as a staple of Saturday-morning cartoon watching.

__25 years ago__

1998

On Jan. 9, The Hockey News named Wayne Gretzky the greatest hockey player ever, and while others may say they disagree, deep down in their puck-shaped hearts, they know it’s true. Nicknamed “The Great One,” Gretzky played 20 seasons and is the leading goal-scorer, assist producer and point-scorer in National Hockey League (NHL) history. He had more assists in his career than any other player scored total points. He is the only NHL player to total more than 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. And, though Saturday morning cartoons aren’t really a thing anymore, “Schoolhouse Rock!” can still be viewed on Disney+.