Austin, Texas History & Culture - Meet People & Have Fun

Patton: George C. Scott as General George Patton - Film History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

Let's honor and remember one of America's greatest war heroes, General George Patton, on the 75th anniversary of his death (December 21, 1945).
We'll be screening the iconic 1970 film "Patton", winner of 7 Academy Awards, with George C. Scott in the title role.

The first portion of our program, approximately 15-20 minutes, will be a brief overview of the film, including its historical context, plot summary, things to look for, accuracy, etc.
The second portion of our program will be a full screening of the film.
During the screening we invite you to participate in a discussion of the film with your fellow participants via Zoom.

Patton is a 1970 American epic biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott as Patton and Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, who based their screenplay on Patton: Ordeal and Triumph by Ladislas Farago and Bradley's memoir, A Soldier's Story.
Patton grossed over $60 million against a budget of $12 million. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Scott also won the Best Actor for his performance, though he declined the award.
The opening monologue, delivered by Scott as General Patton with an enormous American flag behind him, remains an iconic and often quoted image in film. In 2003, Patton was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive also preserved Patton in 2003.

Film Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QleJxygRP0o

George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber." He competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, finishing in fifth place. Patton entered combat during the Pancho Villa Expedition of 1916, the United States' first military action using motor vehicles. He fought in World War I as part of the new United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces: he commanded the U.S. tank school in France, then led tanks into combat and was wounded near the end of the war. In the interwar period, Patton became a central figure in the development of the army's armored warfare doctrine, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country. At the United States' entry into World War II, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division.
Patton led U.S. troops into the Mediterranean theater with an invasion of Casablanca during Operation Torch in 1942, and soon established himself as an effective commander by rapidly rehabilitating the demoralized II Corps. He commanded the U.S. Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach Messina. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shell-shocked soldiers, and was temporarily removed from battlefield command. He was assigned a key role in Operation Fortitude, the Allies' military deception campaign for Operation Overlord. At the start of the Western Allied invasion of France, Patton was given command of the Third Army, which conducted a highly successful rapid armored drive across France. Under his decisive leadership, the Third Army took the lead in relieving beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, after which his forces drove deep into Nazi Germany by the end of the war.
Severely injured in an auto accident, he died in Germany twelve days later, on 21 December 1945.

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***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Texas History & Culture and Washington, DC History & Culture.

Texas History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Texas - and the world!
Meetup - Austin:
https://www.meetup.com/AustinTexasHistoryAndCulture/
Meetup - Dallas-Fort Worth:
https://www.meetup.com/DallasFortWorthHistoryAndCulture/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TexasHistoryAndCulture/
Eventbrite:
https://TexasHistoryAndCulture.eventbrite.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TexasHistoryAndCulture/videos

Donations Support Our FREE Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you - thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/

Eleanor Roosevelt - Birthday Celebration and Film History Livestream

Let's celebrate First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's 138th birthday - born October 11, 1884.
This is a special program where we'll explore Eleanor's fascinating life and inspiring career, and we'll do it through the context of the Eleanor Roosevelt PBS documentary "American Experience".
During and after the screening you are welcome to join your fellow participants in a live online discussion of the film via Zoom.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Eleanor Roosevelt struggled to overcome an unhappy childhood, betrayal in her marriage, a controlling mother-in-law, and gripping depressions — all the while staying true to her passion for social justice. This biography includes rare home movies, contemporary footage, and reflections from Eleanor’s closest surviving relatives, as well as biographers Blanche Wiesen Cook, Allida Black, and Geoffrey C. Ward, bringing to vibrant life one of the century’s most influential women.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 - November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She served as the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, making her the longest-serving first lady of the United States. Roosevelt served as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. President Harry S. Truman later called her the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements.
Roosevelt was a member of the prominent American Roosevelt and Livingston families and a niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. She married her fifth cousin once removed, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1905. She persuaded Franklin to stay in politics after he was stricken with a paralytic illness in 1921, which cost him the normal use of his legs, and began giving speeches and appearing at campaign events in his place. Following Franklin's election as Governor of New York in 1928, and throughout the remainder of Franklin's public career in government, Roosevelt regularly made public appearances on his behalf; and as First Lady, while her husband served as president, she significantly reshaped and redefined the role.
Though widely respected in her later years, Roosevelt was a controversial first lady at the time for her outspokenness. She was the first presidential spouse to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column, write a monthly magazine column, host a weekly radio show, and speak at a national party convention. On a few occasions, she publicly disagreed with her husband's policies. She advocated for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees. Following her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt remained active in politics for the remaining 17 years of her life. She pressed the United States to join and support the United Nations and became its first delegate. She served as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By the time of her death, Roosevelt was regarded as "one of the most esteemed women in the world"; The New York Times called her "the object of almost universal respect" in her obituary.

***

Zoom Connection Link
Click (or Copy and Paste) and Follow the Instructions:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89211545078?pwd=QnK9Dnttn7ndd8al8CCrpjTvmaafgB.1
Meeting ID: 892 1154 5078
Passcode: 154121
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,89211545078#,,,,*154121# US (Houston)
+16694449171,,89211545078#,,,,*154121# US
Join instructions
https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/89211545078/invitations?signature=DrW0NCrGSACuuidXBy0UJyvEIIAgGZuLdJf2K4H3uZ0

Connecting a few minutes early is recommended.
If you experience any technical issues please restart your Zoom session and/or your device.
When all else fails please follow the directions.

***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Texas History & Culture and Washington, DC History & Culture.

Texas History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Texas - and the world!
Meetup - Austin:
https://www.meetup.com/AustinTexasHistoryAndCulture/
Meetup - Dallas-Fort Worth:
https://www.meetup.com/DallasFortWorthHistoryAndCulture/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TexasHistoryAndCulture/
Eventbrite:
https://TexasHistoryAndCulture.eventbrite.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TexasHistoryAndCulture/videos

Donations Support Our FREE Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you - thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/

Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age - Art Program Hosted by Robert Kelleman

You’re invited to join us for an art history livestream featuring Rembrandt van Rijn and the Dutch Golden Age.
While our program will focus on Rembrandt, we’ll also explore several of artists and the overall history and culture of the Dutch Golden Age.
This is the first of a 2-part series on Dutch art, with a separate program featuring Johannes Vermeer (The Girl with the Pearl Earring).
During and after the program you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the art with your fellow participants via Zoom.

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch: 15 July 1606 - 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art. It is estimated that Rembrandt's surviving works amount to about three hundred paintings, three hundred etchings, and several hundred drawings.
Unlike most Dutch painters of the 17th century, Rembrandt's works depict a wide range of styles and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical and mythological subjects and animal studies. His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.
Rembrandt never went abroad, but was considerably influenced by the work of the Italian Old Masters and Dutch and Flemish artists who had studied in Italy. After he achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high, and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters. Rembrandt's portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible are regarded as his greatest creative triumphs. His approximately 40 self-portraits form an intimate autobiography.

The Dutch Golden Age was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the Rampjaar occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific developments, art and overseas colonisation was among the most prominent in Europe. The first half of the period spanned from the beginning of the Eighty Years' War until its conclusion in 1648, with the second half lasting until the outbreak of the Franco-Dutch War. During the period, Dutch colonialists, many of them affiliated with the East India Company and West India Company, established trading posts and colonies in the Americas, Southern Africa and Asia, protected by the powerful Dutch States Navy. The Dutch also dominated the triangular trade and Atlantic slave trade during this period.
Dutch culture flourished during this period as well. However, by the end of the 17th century, conflicts with neighbouring powers as well as declining economic influence led to the end of this period. The process by which the Dutch Republic became one of the foremost maritime and economic powers of the world during the era has been referred to as the "Dutch Miracle" by historian K. W. Swart. The term "Dutch Golden Age" has been controversial in the 21st century due to the extensive Dutch involvement in slavery and colonialism during the period, and it has been deprecated by several museums in the Netherlands, including the Amsterdam Museum.

***

Zoom Connection Link
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Connecting a few minutes early is recommended.
If you experience any technical issues please restart your Zoom session and/or your device.
When all else fails please follow the directions.

***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Texas History & Culture and Washington, DC History & Culture.

Texas History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Texas - and the world!
Meetup - Austin:
https://www.meetup.com/AustinTexasHistoryAndCulture/
Meetup - Dallas-Fort Worth:
https://www.meetup.com/DallasFortWorthHistoryAndCulture/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TexasHistoryAndCulture/
Eventbrite:
https://TexasHistoryAndCulture.eventbrite.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TexasHistoryAndCulture/videos

Donations Support Our Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you - thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/

Elvis Presley's 91st Birthday Celebration - Music History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

It's Saturday night, let's get together and remember the "King of Rock & Roll," Elvis Presley, on what would have been his 91st birthday.

Music History Livestreams present noteworthy songs from featured artists along with the historical and cultural context of their music.
During and after our program you'll have the opportunity to discuss the music with your fellow participants via Zoom.

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known simply as Elvis, was an American singer, musician and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century and is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King". His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to great success—and initial controversy.
Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on rhythm acoustic guitar, and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll.
In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42.

***

Zoom Connection Link
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Connecting a few minutes early is recommended.
If you experience any technical issues please restart your Zoom session and/or your device.
When all else fails please follow the directions.

***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Texas History & Culture and Washington, DC History & Culture.

Texas History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Texas - and the world!
Meetup - Austin:
https://www.meetup.com/AustinTexasHistoryAndCulture/
Meetup - Dallas-Fort Worth:
https://www.meetup.com/DallasFortWorthHistoryAndCulture/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TexasHistoryAndCulture/
Eventbrite:
https://TexasHistoryAndCulture.eventbrite.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TexasHistoryAndCulture/videos

Donations Support Our Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you - thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/