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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for August 17

Michael Phelps, Pike Place Market and “The Time Machine.”

August 17, 2020

2–3 minutes

2008: Michael Phelps Shatters an Olympic Record

It was on this day during the Beijing Summer Olympic Games that swimmer Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley. His achievement beat Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals back in 1972. But he didn’t do it alone. Along with Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Jason Lezak, Phelps and friends won a new world record time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds. For his part, Michael was able to complete the 100-meter butterfly leg in just 50.1 seconds.

1907: Pike Place Market Opens in Seattle

Opened on this day in 1907, Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the U.S. Built on the edge of a steep hill, the market consists of many levels of shops. The top level is famous for its fresh produce and fishmongers who literally throw fish to each other in front of their guests. It is estimated that about 500 people live in the market space and the place receives about 10 million visitors annually. (Image: Wikimedia)

1960: ‘The Time Machine’

Based on H.G. Well’s book of the same name, The Time Machine was produced and directed by George Pal who also directed the 1953 version of Wells’ The War of the Worlds. The movie starred Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Alan Young, David Duncan, Whit Bissell and Sebastian Cabot.

The film was a huge hit earning the studio $1,610,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1 million more from everywhere else.

The movie received an Oscar for the time-lapse photography elements. Pal had intended on making a sequel to the movie but died before he could. However, in 1993, a combination sequel/documentary short, titled Time Machine: The Journey Back, featured a scene where Duncan, Taylor, Young and Bissel reprised their roles from the original film.

In 2017, ABC debuted the short-lived TV series, Time After Time, that featured H.G. Wells as a time traveler chasing Jack the Ripper.