Today in Nerd History | November 17

Nerd culture is a vibrant tapestry of events, releases, and milestones that have shaped the entertainment landscape. From iconic movies to groundbreaking games and significant literary contributions, this article takes a trip down memory lane to explore the notable nerd culture events that occurred on November 17th in history. Let’s celebrate these cherished moments that have left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans around the world.

Photo Credit: Musings of a Middle-Aged Geek

THEY TRIED TO BURY THIS

In 1978, the Star Wars Holiday Special aired on CBS. This television special is set between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and revolves around Chewbacca and Han Solo trying to celebrate Life Day on Kashyyyk with Chewie’s family, while being pursued by the Empire.

Nerdy Fact: It was the first appearance of Boba Fett, the notorious bounty hunter who later became a fan favorite. He was introduced in an animated segment that was the only part of the special that George Lucas liked.

Photo Credit: flixchatter

UNDER DA SEA

In 1989, The Little Mermaid premiered in theaters. This animated film tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human prince and makes a deal with a sea witch to become human for three days.

Nerdy Fact: The voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, recorded the songs in the dark to feel like she was underwater.

Photo Credit: ComicBook.com

SUPERMAN DEAD

In 1992, Superman died in Superman #75, following Clark Kent’s final face-off with Doomsday through a series of crossover comic issues. The comic was sold in a black polybag with a bleeding Superman logo and a poster, an armband, a trading card, and a newspaper obituary. The comic sold over six million copies.

Nerdy Fact: The death of Superman received widespread media coverage, including on CNN, NBC, and ABC. Some fans were outraged and heartbroken by the event, while others speculated that it was a publicity stunt or a hoax.

Photo Credit: Screen Rant

GENERATIONS

In 1994, Star Trek: Generations premiered in theaters. This film is about two captains from different eras of the Star Trek franchise who team up to stop a mad scientist from destroying a star system in order to enter a mysterious energy realm.

Nerdy Fact: The writers of the movie, Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga, thought that Star Trek: The Next Generation had been canceled after its sixth season, so they wrote the movie as a farewell to the characters. They were surprised when they learned that the show was renewed for a seventh season, and had to juggle writing the movie and the final episodes of the show.

Photo Credit: Game Rant

GOLDENEYE 007

In 1995, GoldenEye premiered in theaters. This spy film features Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, who must stop a rogue ex-agent from using a satellite weapon against London.

Nerdy Fact: The movie features the highest bungee jump from a structure in a movie, which was over 722 feet from the Contra Dam in Switzerland.

Photo Credit: Escapist Magazine

THE GREATEST WRESTLING GAME OF ALL TIME

In 2000, WWF No Mercy released on the Nintendo 64. This professional wrestling video game features over 65 wrestlers, various match types, and a branching story mode, and is widely considered to be the gold-standard of wrestling video games.

Nerdy Fact: The game has a hidden cheat menu that can be accessed by holding down the L button while selecting a mode from the main menu. This menu allows players to change various settings, such as the blood color, the referee speed, the ring size, and the camera angle.

Photo Credit: IGN

IN HER PRIME

In 2002, Metroid Prime released on the GameCube. This 3D action-adventure game features the bounty hunter Samus Aran exploring the planet Tallon IV and fighting the Space Pirates and their experiments with a mysterious substance called Phazon.

Nerdy Fact: Metroid Prime was originally planned to be developed for the Nintendo 64, but the idea was scrapped because the creator was hated the N64 controller.

Photo Credit: Dolphin Forums

DOUBLE DASH!!

In 2003, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! released on the GameCube. This kart racing video game features two-person karts, special items, and 16 different courses. It is the fourth main entry in the Mario Kart series and the first to use 3D graphics for the characters and items.

Nerdy Fact: The game features a hidden mode called All Cup Tour, which allows the player to race on all 16 courses in a random order, except for Luigi Circuit which is always the first course and Rainbow Road which is always the last.

Photo Credit: Alternate Ending

UNITE THE LEAGUE

In 2017, Justice League premiered in theaters. This superhero film features Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash as they team up to resurrect Superman and stop the evil Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons from using the Mother Boxes to conquer Earth.

Nerdy Fact: The movie had a troubled production, as director Zack Snyder had to step down in May 2017 due to a family tragedy, and Joss Whedon was hired to finish the film, reshooting and rewriting some scenes.