The Treehouse of Horror are a series of episodes in the animated series The
Simpsons. They are Halloween specials, each consisting of three separate,
self-contained segments. These segments usually involve the Simpson family
in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting. Considered
non-canon, they always take place outside the normal continuity of the show
and completely abandon any pretense of being realistic. The first Treehouse
of Horror episode aired on October 25, 1990 as part of the second season and
was inspired by EC Comics horror tales. The episodes are known for being far
more violent and much darker than an average Simpsons episode. As of 2008,
there are 18 Treehouse of Horror episodes, with one airing every year, and
the newest episode, "Treehouse of Horror XIX", is scheduled to air on
November 2. Episodes contain several trademarks, including the alien
characters Kang and Kodos, "scary names" in the credits, a special version
of the opening sequence, and parodies of horror and science fiction films.
The show's staff regard the Treehouse of Horror as being particularly
difficult to produce as the scripts often go through many rewrites, and the
animators typically have to design new characters and backgrounds.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_(series)
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1517:
According to traditional accounts, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five
Theses onto the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, marking the
beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther)
1587:
Leiden University Library in Leiden in the Netherlands, one of the cultural
centres that gave direction to the development and spread of knowledge
during the Age of Enlightenment, opened its doors after its founding in
1575.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden_University_Library)
1941:
The 60-foot (18 m) colossal busts of U.S. Presidents George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore,
created by artist and sculptor Gutzon Borglum, were completed.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore)
1984:
Indira Gandhi, India's first and to date only female prime minister, was
assassinated by two of her own bodyguards, sparking riots in New Delhi and
several other cities throughout the country.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi)
2000:
Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collided with construction equipment while
attempting to take off from Taiwan's Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport
during heavy rain, killing 79 passengers and 4 crew members.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines_Flight_006)
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Ragnarok: (n) (Norse mythology) The final battle between gods and giants,
involving all creation which denotes the end of the world as it is known and
almost all life.
(
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ragnarok)
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.
--James Boswell
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Boswell)