June 1 in Nerd History: Get your a** to Mars

Happy National Dinosaur Day! One of the best ways to celebrate? Watch people get ripped apart by some CG dinos.

We're playing through classic games to see if they're worth revisiting, so you don't have to. Today we're looking at the original Ninja Gaiden for the NES. But first, the day in nerd history.

This is The Reset Button from Classic Nerd, resetting your day.

June 1 in Nerd History

Here are 5 things that happened on June 1 that matter to those of us who remember when video game consoles had wood paneling.

I.

Birthdays of honor: Marilyn Monroe (1926), Tom Holland (1996), Morgan Freeman (1937), Heidi Klum (1973), Andy Griffith (1926), Alanis Morisette (1974), Pat Boone (1934).

II.

in 1990, we got our asses to Mars when Total Recall was released in theaters.

III.

In 1999 Napster went online for the first time. Sean Parker ended up doing just fine for himself and Lars Ulrich is still playing drums in Metallica, so you can forgive yourself for downloading all those 311 albums now.

IV.

A fire broke out at the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood in 2008, destroying many beloved and iconic items, including the clock tower from Back to the Future and the animatronic King Kong from the studio tour.

Luckily, the latter was immortalized in 1989's The Wizard.

V.

in 1976, The Runaways, featuring younglings Joan Jett and Lita Ford, released their self-titled debut album — and pushed the concept of "big in Japan" to new heights. While the album did OK in the States, "Cherry Bomb" hit no. 1 in Japan.