America loved Lucy, and so did TV Guide. They loved her so much, in fact, that they put her and her baby boy, Desi Arnaz Jr., on the cover of their very first issue in April 1953. Arnaz Jr. (or "Lucy's $50,000,000 Baby," as the tagline called him) was the real cover star, but Lucille Ball did get some cover space in the form of an inset image in the top right corner.
Ball had given birth to the little one via C-section just a few months earlier, the same night her "I Love Lucy" character gave birth on TV. Because of that strategic timing and the subsequent TV Guide cover, many people assumed Arnaz Jr. actually played Lucy's baby on her show. (Their confusion may have been aided by the fact that casting agents chose look-alike infants for the role of Little Ricky.)
Volume 1, Issue 1 included complete TV listings for the week of April 3rd-9th, 1953 and featured the following articles:
Lucy’s $50,000,000 Baby
TV’s Last Minute Men (And Women)
Stars Tell ‘What TV Has Taught Me’
But, why the $50 million tagline? According to TV Guide, $50 million was the magazine's estimate as to how much the Desi Arnaz Jr. "brand" might be worth, based on the wave of baby Arnaz merchandise, which included everything from Lucille Ball maternity wear to dolls and nursery sets.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
- 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti, pieces broken in half
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chilies
- 5 3/4 cups water
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced avocados
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Brown ground been and onions in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat, crumbling beef as you cook. Drain off grease. Add garlic, beef bouillon and all seasonings and cook an additional 30 seconds over medium high heat.
- Stir in spaghetti, tomatoes, green chilies and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and cook 12-15 minutes OR until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally and replacing lid. Add additional water a little at time if water evaporates before spaghetti is cooked. Once cooked, there should be a little water remaining.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese a handful at a time until melted. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Top with desired garnishes.
and....
1865 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York, New York.
1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota.
And births this date include....
1927 – Barbara Rush, American actress
1937 – Dyan Cannon, American actress
1941 – Maureen Reagan, American political activist (d. 2001)
1965 – Julia Ormond, English actress
The word spaghetti is plural for the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning “thin string” or “twine.”
Spaghetti Origins
On Top of Spaghetti
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball,
When somebody sneezed.
And on to the floor,
And then my poor meatball,
Rolled out of the door.”