The Slice: Looking ahead to looking back

Let’s get the jump on some 2008 anniversaries.

Here is a preview of a few milestones we might be hearing about next year.

1938

Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” is performed for the first time. And there are still high school kids getting ready to blow their lines.

Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia. Not everyone is sure that was such a good thing.

Superman appears for the first time in comic books. Mild-mannered reporters become one of the first sub-categories of nerds.

1948

Marvin the Martian debuts as one of Bugs Bunny’s foils. What a maroon.

Scrabble is introduced. Players start trying to cheat about three minutes later.

TV’s “Howdy Doody” becomes a hit. So much for running around in the yard and getting a little exercise.

1958

Sputnik falls back to Earth. What goes up, etc.

Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in televised NFL championship that set pro football in motion toward becoming a national obsession. (See Saudi Arabia comment.)

Prince is born. If you’re thinking “Prince who?” you probably were already an adult when this happened.

1968

“Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” debuts. Some far-out comedies age better than others.

Anthony Michael Hall is born. You don’t recognize Farmer Ted?

“Planet of the Apes” appears in theaters. Insert your own intelligent design crack.

1978

Jonestown incident in Guyana. Choose your insane cult leaders carefully.

A Taste of Honey has a hit with “Boogie Oogie Oogie.” Everybody sing.

“National Lampoon’s Animal House” makes it to the big screen. My advice is to start drinking heavily.

1988

Roy Orbison dies. But that one PBS special will go on forever.

The Chicago Cubs play their first home game at night. Maybe they need to find an alternative to day games and night games.

Paul Turner starts work for The Spokesman-Review. (See Saudi Arabia comment.)

1998

“Titanic” wins a slew of Oscars. Remember, the final arbiters of taste are 13-year-old girls.

The fun “Shakespeare in Love” asks us to believe that the other actors couldn’t tell Gwyneth Paltrow was female. OK. Right.

Apple unveils the iMac. But that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone.

“Today’s Slice question: Would you be interested in going for a walk with me next spring, so you can show me the secrets of your Spokane?