Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve 2010

Today is the 358th day of the year. There are 7 days remaining until the end of the year (1 day till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Capricorn.

Today is Christmas Eve.  May Santa visit your home tonight and treat you well.  Because Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, today is also the Federal holiday for Christmas.

Howard Hughs would have been 105 years old today (born December 24, 1905). Actress Ava Gardner would have been 88 (born December 24, 1922).  Singer Ricky Martin is 39 today, author of the "Twilight" series Stephenie Meyer is 37, and television host Ryan Seacrest is 36.

Today on Television

On this day in 1948, "The Perry Como Show" premiered on TV.

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Feature for December 24, 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Festivus 2010

Today is the 357th day of the year. There are 8 days remaining until the end of the year (2 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Capricorn.

Introduced into popular culture via the TV show "Seinfeld," Festivus, on December 23rd is a time to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism.

In Japan, today is the Emperor's birthday.  Emperor Akihito is 77 years old (born in 1933).  In Mexico, today is the Feast of the Radishes.  As part of the festivities, figurines of people and animals cleverly carved out of radishes are sold.

Thirty-five years ago today, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 94–168, known as the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 declaring the SI (International System of Units) as this country’s basic system of measurement.

On December 23, 1913, the Federal Reserve System was established, creating the U.S. central bank, with the responsibility for execution of monetary policy

On December 23, 1987, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the first nonstop flight around the world without refueling.

The founder of the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Joseph Smith, was born on this day in 1805.

On December 23, 1947, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley of Bell Laboratories shared the 1956 Nobel Prize for their invention of the transistor, which revolutionized the electronics industry.

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Feature for December 23, 2010

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Less Than Two Years Left in Mayan Calendar

oday is the 356th day of the year. There are 9 days remaining until the end of the year (3 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Capricorn.

As the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012, we are now just barely less than two years from that date.

Fifty-four years ago on this date (December 22, 1956), a gorilla named "Colo," weighing in at just 3 1/4 pounds, became the first gorilla born into captivity at the Columbus, Ohio zoo.

Former First Lady Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson would have been 98 years old today (born December 22, 1912).  She died just about 3 1/2 years ago on July 11, 2007.

The founder of Savannah, Georgia, General James Edward Oglethorpe, was born on December 22, 1696.

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Feature for December 22, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Winter Solstice 2010

Today is the 355th day of the year. There are 10 days remaining until the end of the year (4 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest amount of daylight for the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  The moon is full and early this morning a total lunar eclipse will be visible (beginning about 2:41 a.m. EST).  This is the first time an eclipse has coincided with a solstice since December 21, 1638, and the next one won't come around again until 2094.  The December full moon is called the Cold Moon or the Long Nights Moon.

Today is Forefathers' Day commemorating the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock on this day in 1620.  Today is also Humbug Day, National Haiku Poetry Day, and Phileas Fogg Wins a Wager Day (in Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" wins his £20,000 wager
exactly 79 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds after starting his trip on October 2nd).

On December 21, 1864, General Sherman took Savannah, Georgia.  Ninety-seven years ago today (December 21, 1913), the first crossword puzzle was compiled by Arthur Wynne and published in a supplement to the New York World.  On this day in 1968, Apollo 8, the first moon voyage, was launched.  On December 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb caused the explosion of Pan Am World Airways Flight 103 in midair its crash into the heart of Lockerbie, Scotland, killing the 259 passengers and crew members aboard and 11 persons on the ground.

On December 21, 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, America’s first full-length animated feature film (and also the first Technicolor feature), premiered on this date at the Carthay Circle Theater, Hollywood, CA.

Today is the 131st anniversary of Russian leader Joseph Stalin's birthday (December 21, 1879).  Rocker Frank Zappa would have been 70 years old today (born December 21, 1940).

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Feature for December 21, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

150th Anniversary of South Carolina's Secession

Today is the 354th day of the year. There are 11 days remaining until the end of the year (5 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.  By February, 1861, five more states had seceded and The Confederate States of America was created with Jefferson Davis as its president.  By June, 1861, eleven southern states had seceded.

The cathode-ray tube was patented on December 20, 1938.

Today is Mudd Day.  This is the anniversary of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd.  Mudd was sentenced to life in prison for providing medical aid to a disguised but fleeing John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  Dr. Mudd was imprisoned for four years but then pardoned by President Andrew Johnson.

On December 20, 1812, Sacagawea, a young Shoshone Indian woman who traveled with the Lewis and Clark expedition as an interpreter and is credited for playing an important role in the success of that mission, died.

Much more recently, on December 20, 1989, U.S. forces invaded Panama in operation “Just Cause” to capture Manuel Noriega and bring him to justice for narcotics trafficking.

On December 20, 1998, President Clinton became only the second U.S. President to undergo impeachment proceedings.

Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, was born on this date in 1868.

Today on Television

Forty-five years ago today (December 12, 1965), the TV game show "The Dating Game" premiered.

The classic Christmas movie "The Wonderful Life" premiered on this day in 1946.

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Feature for December 20, 2010

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Anniversary of the First Radio Broadcast from Space 2010

Today is the 353rd day of the year. There are 12 days remaining until the end of the year (6 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On December 19, 1958, a 58-word recorded Christmas message from then President Dwight D. Eisenhower represented the first ever radio voice broadcast from space. U.S. Earth satellite Atlas relayed the recorded spoken message "to all mankind America’s wish for peace on earth and good will toward men everywhere."

On December 19, 1903, New Yorkers celebrated the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge, the second, and largest, of three steel-frame suspension bridges to eventually span the city’s East River.  The Williamsburg Bridge, with its main span at 1,596 feet, was the world's longest suspension bridge until the 1920s.

Fifty-three years ago on this day (December 19, 1957), Meredith Willson’s hit musical "The Music Man" premiered on Broadway.  It ran until 1961, and received five Tony awards including best musical and best actor (Robert Preston).

Just 13 years ago, December 19, 1997, the movie blockbuster "Titanic" written and directed by James Cameron and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet was released in theaters.  That film won 11 Academy Awards, including best picture.

Former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev would have been 104 years old today (born December 19, 1906).  Actress Alyssa Milano is 38 today and actor Jake Gyllenhaal is 30.

Today on Television

This is week 15 of the NFL 2010 season, with a slate of Sunday games on the tube.

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Feature for December 19, 2010

Saturday, December 18, 2010

International Migrants Day 2010

Today is the 352nd day of the year. There are 13 days remaining until the end of the year (7 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The United Nations (UN) has declared December 18th International Migrants Day to recognize the contributions that millions of migrant workers make to the global economy and to draw attention to the precarious state of their rights.

On December 18, 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, which it did unanimously.

On December 18, 1971, Capitol Reef National Park in Utah was established.

Baseball great Ty Cobb was born on this date in 1886.  Today is musician Keith Richards 67th, producer/director Steven Spielberg's 63rd, and actor Brad Pitt's 46th birthday.


Today on Television

On this day in 1956, classic TV game show "To Tell the Truth" premiered.

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Feature for December 18, 2010

Friday, December 17, 2010

Wright Brothers Day 2010

Today is the 351st day of the year. There are 14 days remaining until the end of the year (8 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On December 17, 1903, after three years of experimentation, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first documented powered and controlled flights of an airplane near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  First Orville and then Wilbur piloted their airplane for sustained flight of less than a minute.  Nonetheless, these flights represent the birth of the modern airplane 107 years ago today.  Since 1963, December 17th has been declared Wright Brothers Day by Presidential Proclamation.

The third Friday in December is also Underdog Day.

On December 17, 1843, Charles Dickens first published his holiday classic "A Christmas Carol."

Today on Television

Thirty-four years ago today (December 17, 1976), Ted Turner launched Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) turning a local Atlanta UHF station into a national cable television network.

Twenty-one years ago today (December 17, 1989), TV show "The Simpsons" premiered.

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Feature for December 17, 2010

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Boston Tea Party Day 2010

Today is the 350th day of the year. There are 15 days remaining until the end of the year (9 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is the 237th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.  On December 16, 1773, a group of American colonists boarded three ships containing taxed tea from Britain and dumped over 350 chests of that tea into Boston's harbor.

On December 16, 1944, the Battle of the Bulge began as a German offensive launched in the Belgian Ardennes Forest.

Each year, the Thursday of the week before Christmas is National Re-gifting Day.  December 16th is also Barbie and Barney Backlash Day.  If you are a chocoholic, December 16th is also National Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

In Mexico, the nine-day celebration of Posadas, where processions of “pilgrims” knock at doors asking for posada (shelter) to commemorate the search by Joseph and Mary for a shelter, begins today.  In Bangladesh, today is Victory Day, celebrating their victory over Pakistan in 1973, when the former East Pakistan became current day Bangladesh.  In Kazakhstan, December 16th is their Independence Day, commemorating the independence from the Soviet Union that they achieved in 1991.  In the Philippines, the world's longest Christmas celebration begins today and lasts until January 6th.

Two-hundred forty years ago, Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770.  Exactly five years later, on this date in 1775, English novelist Jane Austen, the author of "Pride and Prejudice" was born.  Famous American anthropologist, Margaret Mead was born on December 16, 1901.  Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was born on this day in 1917.

Today on Television

Today is the anniversary for a number of popular TV shows.  "Dragnet," starring Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday premiered on this day in 1951.  Sitcom "One Day At a Time" premiered on this day 35 years ago (1975).

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Feature for December 16, 2010

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Bill of Rights Day 2010

Today is the 349th day of the year. There are 16 days remaining until the end of the year (10 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is the 219th anniversary of the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  The Constitution, adopted in 1787, established the framework for a three branch central government with a series of meaningful checks and balances between the branches.  The people of this newly formed nation, however, still feared the potential abuse of power by a strong central government.  A Bill of Rights, then, was developed as a list of checks against government to ensure vital freedoms.  On December 19, 1791, this Bill of Rights was ratified.  On the 150th anniversary of this ratification, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed the first Bill of Rights Day to celebrate the first and most basic set of rights that U.S. citizens hold so dear.  The ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights is summarized below:

Amendment I - Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
Amendment II - Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia.
Amendment III - Guarantee against forced quartering of soldiers.
Amendment IV - Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
Amendment V - Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy.
Amendment VI - Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial.
Amendment VII - Right of trial by jury in civil cases.
Amendment VIII - Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments.
Amendment IX - Other rights of the people.
Amendment X - Powers reserved to the states.

On a lighter note, today is Cat Herders Day.

Seventy-one years ago (December 15, 1939), "Gone With The Wind," the biggest blockbuster of that era premiered.  120 years ago today, Sitting Bull, the famous Sioux leader, who defeated Lieutenant Colonel Custer at the Little Bighorn, died.

Today on Television

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Feature for December 15, 2010

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

South Pole Discovery Day 2010

Today is the 348th day of the year. There are 17 days remaining until the end of the year (11 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Ninety-nine years ago (December 14, 1911), Roald Amundsen, along with his four companions and 52 sled dogs, were the first to locate and visit the South Pole.  All five men and 12 of the dogs returned to base camp safely.

Today is the birthday of Nostradamus (born December 14, 1503), a French physician who is most famous for his predictions of the future.  On December 14, 1799, George Washington died at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia.  On December 14, 1819, Alabama became the 22nd state to join the Union.

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Feature for December 14, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

National Cocoa Day 2010

Today is the 347th day of the year. There are 18 days remaining until the end of the year (12 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The Moon enters its first quarter phase at 8:59 EST today.

Nothing warms you up better on a cold winter day than a nice cup of hot cocoa! Today, enjoy your favorite beverage (or other recipe) with cocoa.

On December 13, 1991, North and South Korea signed a treaty of reconciliation and nonaggression (not a peace treaty), formally ending the Korean War 38 years after the fighting actually ceased (an armistice that was signed July 27, 1953, between the United Nations and North Korea). We can only hope that the recent conflict between North and South Korea, however, will not jeopardize a formal and lasting peace in the region.

Today is the 192nd anniversary of former First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln's birthday (born December 13, 1818).

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Feature for December 13, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Poinsettia Day 2010

Today is the 346th day of the year. There are 19 days remaining until the end of the year (13 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett was an American diplomat, member of Congress, and Secretary of War who introduced the Poinsettia, a Central American plant that was named for him, into the United States.  As he died on December 12, 1851 and the poinsettia is most popular during the Christmas season, today is a day to enjoy their beauty.

In Russia, December 12th is Constitution Day, commemorating the adoption of a new constitution just 17 years ago in 1993.  In Mexico, December 12th is Guadalupe Day, honoring the "Dark Virgin of Guadalupe" who is their republic's patron saint.  In Kenya, today is Jamhuri Day, celebrating their independence from Great Britain on this day in 1963.  In Turkmenistan, today is Neutrality Day, celebrating their recognition by the United Nations on December 12, 1995 as a neutral state.

To celebrate the fact that the number of the day and month are the same (both 12), today has been declared Bonza Bottler Day.

On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.  Ten years ago on this date, the Supreme Court ruled for George W. Bush and ended further deliberation over the outcome of the 2000 presidential election.

Ol' Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, would have been 95 years old today (born December 12, 1915).

This is Week 14 of the 2010 National Football League (NFL) season.

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Feature for December 12, 2010

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Day Of The Horse 2010

 Today is the 345th day of the year. There are 20 days remaining until the end of the year (14 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The California State Legislature and the US Senate have declared the second Saturday of December to be the Day of the Horse. The second Saturday of December each year is also International Shareware Day. The United Nations (UN) has declared December 11th as International Mountain Day.

On this day in 1816, Indiana became the 19th state to enter the Union. Seventy-four years ago, on December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the English throne to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Warfield Simpson.

UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) is 64 years old today (established December 11, 1946). Russian author and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn would have been 92 years old today (born December 11, 1918). Former New York Mayor Fiorello Henry La Guardia was born on this date in 1882.

Thirty years ago on this date, the television show "Magnum, PI" featuring Tom Selleck premiered.

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Feature for December 11, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Nobel Prize Day 2010

Today is the 344th day of the year. There are 21 days remaining until the end of the year (15 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On December 10th each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, Nobel Laureates (announced at the beginning of October) receive their prizes from the Swedish King – a Nobel diploma, a medal, and 10 million Swedish crowns per prize. All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, except for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo, Norway (when Alfred Nobel was alive, Norway and Sweden were united under one monarch).

Today is also Dewey Decimal Day, in honor of Melvil Dewey, the creator of the Dewey Decimal System for library classification who was born on December 10, 1851.  Dewey was also a founder of the Lake Placid Club, a metric system advocate, and the inventor of hanging vertical files.

To commemorate, the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, today Human Rights Day.

For those who work in sales, happy National Salesperson's Day!

Poet Emily Dickinson was born on this date in 1830. Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois and celebrity Apprentice contestant, is 54 years old today.

On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state to enter the Union.



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Feature for December 10, 2010

Thursday, December 9, 2010

International Anti-Corruption Day 2010

Today is the 343rd day of the year. There are 22 days remaining until the end of the year (16 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Since 2003, the United Nations (UN) has designated December 9th as a day to raise public awareness of corruption and what people can do to fight it.

December 9th is also National Pastry Day, so enjoy your favorite type.

On December 9, 1792, the body of Henry Laurens was the first to be formally cremated in America, near Charlestown, South Carolina.

Clarence Birdseye, a founder of General Foods Corporation who developed a way to deep freeze foods, was born on this day 124 years ago (1886).  Comedian Redd Fox would have been 88 years old today (born December 9, 1922).

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Feature for December 9, 2010

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Feast of the Immaculate Conception 2010

Today is the 342nd day of the year. There are 23 days remaining until the end of the year (17 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

A Roman Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the doctrine that Mary's conception occurred in the absence of original sin.  The actual incarnation or conception of her son Jesus Christ is celebrated separately as the Annunciation to Mary, nine full months prior to Christmas when the archangel Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary that she would miraculously conceive the Son of God.

On this date just 30 years ago, Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon outside of his apartment at "The Dakota" in Manhattan. More recently, just 19 years ago (December 8, 1991), the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR) was dissolved. On December 8, 1993, President Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which cut tariffs and eliminated other trade barriers among the US, Canada and Mexico.

Entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. would have been 85 years old today (born December 8, 1925).  Lead singer of "The Doors" Jim Morrison would have been 67 years old today (born December 8, 1943).  Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, was born on this date in 1765.

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Feature for December 8, 2010

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pearl Harbor Day 2010

Today is the 341st day of the year. There are 24 days remaining until the end of the year (18 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

When nearly 200 Japanese aircraft raided Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in a surprise attack that killed nearly 3000 and damaged or destroyed much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, it became "a date that will live in infamy" with the United States officially entering World War II on the following day.

Many years earlier, on December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and did so by unanimous vote.

Much more recently, on December 7, 1972, Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the Moon, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.  On December 7, 1995, U.S. spacecraft Galileo entered its orbit of Jupiter.

This year, today is the Islamic New Year (the first day of the first month of the Islamic calendar).

Since 1996, the United Nations has declared December 7th as International Civil Aviation Day.

On December 7, 1988, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter Scale, in the then Soviet province of Armenia, killed more than 60,000 people.

Singer and songwriter Harry Chapin would have been 68 years old today (born December 7, 1942).

Marie Grosholtz Tussaud, creator of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, was born in France on December 7, 1941.

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Feature for December 7, 2010

Monday, December 6, 2010

Saint Nicholas Day 2010

Today is the 340th day of the year. There are 25 days remaining until the end of the year (19 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra (in what is today’s Turkey) in the fourth century. Known for his charity, the tradition of Santa Claus and gifts is said to have been derived from St. Nick. As Saint Nicholas is considered the patron saint of pawnbroking, today National Pawnbrokers Day is also celebrated.

In West Virginia, December 6th is officially designated as Miners' Day in appreciation, honor and remembrance of the accomplishments and sacrifices of miners in that state.

In Spain, today is Constitution Day, a national holiday commemorating voter approval of a new constitution on this date in 1978.  In Finland, December 6th is Independence Day, a national holiday celebrating their declaration of independence from Russia in 1917.

Surprisingly, the most severe earthquakes in the contiguous United States did not occur in California.  Instead, the most prolonged series of earthquakes occurred in Missouri over the period from December 6, 1811 to February 12, 1812.

On December 6, 1865, slavery in the United States was abolished with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On December 6, 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was established.

On December 6, 1973, Gerald Ford was sworn in as President Nixon's new Vice President, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew.

Today would have been lyricist Ira Gershwin's 114th birthday.

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Feature for December 6, 2010

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Day Of The Ninja 2010

Today is the 339th day of the year. There are 26 days remaining until the end of the year (20 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Writer and game designer Michael Fiegel (founder of aethereal FORGE and creator of Ninja Burger) created Day of the Ninja as a counter to International Talk Like a Pirate Day. He believed it to be only fair that if pirates got a holiday then ninja should get one, too. December 5 was chosen because December 5, 2003 marked the release of Tom Cruise's film "The Last Samurai" featuring a scene where samurai battled ninja.

Today is also AFL-CIO Day, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations joining forces on December 5, 1955.

Walt Disney would have been 109 years old today (born December 5, 1901).

On December 5, 1933, prohibition ended when the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment, which had banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

In Thailand, the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is celebrated along with National Father’s Day.  Haitians celebrate Discovery Day on December 5th to commemorate Christopher Columbus's discovery of Haiti.  December 5th is also Bathtub Party Day.

Today at 12:36 p.m. EST, we enter a New Moon phase.  It is Week 13 of the NFL's 2010 season with a slate of Sunday games featured.

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Feature for December 5, 2010

Saturday, December 4, 2010

National Cookie Day 2010

Today is the 338th day of the year. There are 27 days remaining until the end of the year (21 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is National Cookie Day. The tradition may have been started in 1980, when favorite Muppet, Cookie Monster. proclaimed the holiday in the 1980 book "The Sesame Street Dictionary."  Americans love their cookies.  Apparently, they spend more than $550 million annually on Oreos alone.  The most popular cookie baked in U.S. homes is, not surprisingly, the chocolate chip variety.  As one final bit of cookie trivia, in a Dunkin Donuts poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans take the first bite of a gingerbread man cookie out of his head.

Today is also National Dice Day, so enjoy a game to commemorate the occasion.

December 4th is SKYWARNTM Recognition Day.  The event was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League to celebrate the contributions that volunteer SKYWARNTM radio operators make to the National Weather Service.

December 4th is Saint Barbara's Day.  Although St. Barbara was dropped from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1970, the tradition is for a young girl to place a twig from a cherry tree in a glass of water. If it blooms by Christmas Eve, she is certain to marry the following year.

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Feature for December 4, 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010

International Day of Disabled Persons 2010

Today is the 337th day of the year. There are 28 days remaining until the end of the year (22 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Since 1992, the United Nations has proclaimed December 3rd as a day to observe efforts to promote integration of the disabled into general society.

On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the twenty-first state.

On December 3, 1967, a South African surgeon, Dr. Christian Barnard, performed the world's first heart transplantation.

On December 3, 1984, a leak of deadly gas (methyl isocyanate) at a Union Carbide Corporation plant in Bhopal, India, killed more than 4,000 persons and injured more than 200,000.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Hanukkah 2010

Today is the 336th day of the year. There are 29 days remaining until the end of the year (23 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication begins today.  Hanukkah is an eight day festival commemorating the victory of Maccabees over Syrians (165 bc) and the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem.

Today is also Special Education Day.  On December 2, 1975, President Ford signed the first special education law in the U.S.

In England, today is Walter Plinge Day, honoring a London pub landlord in 1900 whose generosity to actors led to their use of his name in situations where an actor was playing more than one role.  This is the equivalent of George Spelvin Day (November 15th) in the United States.

On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe delivered a speech to Congress that included what became known as the Monroe Doctrine.

On December 2, 1859, abolitionist leader John Brown, who raided the U.S. Arsenal at Harper’s Ferr,y was hanged for treason at Charles Town, West Virginia.

On December 2, 1901, King Camp Gillette patented the first safety razor with a disposable blade.

On December 2, 1980, eight national parks were established in Alaska:  Denali National Park and Preserve, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, and Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

On this day just nine years ago, Enron, the Houston energy company, filed for bankruptcy.

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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

World AIDS Day 2010

Today is the 335th day of the year. There are 30 days remaining until the end of the year (24 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The first World AIDS day, an observance to help raise awareness of and support for those affected by the AIDS pandemic resulting from the spread of HIV infection, was held on December 1, 1988.  The date was chosen to maximize coverage by western news media.  Since 1995, U.S. presidents, as well as officials from other governments, have made official proclamations on this day.

In Elmhurst, Illinois, today is Special Kids Day, beginning in 1990 as a holiday event enabling special needs children and their families to visit Santa without obstacles.

On a less serious note, today is also Bifocals At the Monitor Liberation Day.

Today is the 55th anniversary of Rosa Parks arrest for refusing to give up her seat and move to the back of a municipal bus, an act that is considered by many the birth of the modern civil rights movement.

Comedian Richard Pryor would have been 70 years old today.

On December 1, 1891, James Naismith, a P.E. teacher in Massachusetts, invented the game of basketball.

On December 1, 1953, "Playboy" magazine was first published by Hugh Hefner.

Tonight is the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York.  This year, the tree will have more than 30,000 lights are strung on five miles of electric wire.

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Feature for December 1, 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Computer Security Day 2010

Today is the 334th day of the year. There are 31 days remaining until the end of the year (25 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

This is the 23rd annual Computer Security Day, an event started in 1988 to help raise awareness of computer related security issues.

November 30th is also Stay Home Because You're Well Day, an excuse to tell your boss that you will be staying home from work because you are "well" (instead of faking an illness).  It is also Saint Andrew's Day (Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland).

In Barbados, today is Independence Day.  They achieved their independence from Great Britain just 44 years ago, in 1966.

British statesman Winston Churchill was born on this day in 1874.  175 years ago today, American author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was born.

On November 30, 1931, "The Joy of Cooking" was first published.

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Feature for November 30, 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Cyber Monday 2010

Today is the 333rd day of the year. There are 32 days remaining until the end of the year (26 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Coined in 2005, Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving is the online counterpart to Black Friday during which web-based merchants offer sale prices and other promotions during this e-commerce event.

Author C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis would have been 112 years old today (born November 29, 1898).  Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women," was also born on this day in 1832.

110 years ago (1890) today, Army played Navy for the first time in football, with Navy winning 24-0.

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Feature for November 29, 2010

Sunday, November 28, 2010

First Sunday of Advent 2010

Today is the 332nd day of the year. There are 33 days remaining until the end of the year (27 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent on the Church calendar.  From a religious standpoint, then, today is really the beginning of the Christmas season.

In Massachusetts, annually, the fourth Sunday in November is John F. Kennedy Day.

Twenty years ago, today, the United Nations passed a resolution against Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait.  It authorized states “to use all necessary means” against Iraq unless their forces were withdrawn from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.

Anna Nicole Smith would have been just 43 years old, today.

This is Week 12 of the NFL 2010 season. 

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Feature for November 28, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Small Business Saturday 2010

Today is the 331st day of the year. There are 34 days remaining until the end of the year (28 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Today is the first ever Small Business Saturday, intended to be a day to come together in support of the small businesses that employ our neighbors and reinvest our money in our communities and are the heartbeat of our local economies.  From the web page where American Express OPEN, the small business unit, is marketing this event, here are four reasons to support small business:
  • For every $100 spent at local small businesses, $68 returns to the community
  • Small businesses employ half of all private sector employees.
  • Small businesses represent 99.7% of all employer firms
  • For every year over the last decade, 60% - 80% of all new jobs were generated by small businesses.

On November 27, 1746, Robert R. Livingston, the member of the Continental Congress who administered the oath of office to first President George Washington in 1789, was born.  Much more recently, on November 27, 1991, Congress passed the Bank Bailout Bill in response to a record number of savings and loan failures. Actor and martial artist Bruce Lee would have be 70 years old and musician Jimi Hendrix would have been 68 years old today.

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Feature for November 27, 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday 2010

Today is the 330th day of the year. There are 35 days remaining until the end of the year (29 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, because traditionally, by this beginning of the Christmas shopping season, retailers had entered the "black" and revenue from this point forward represented business profits.

In my opinion, Thanksgiving, being all about food, family, and football, is the near perfect holiday.  About the only way it could be improved is to turn it into a true four-day weekend.  The declaration of the Friday after Thanksgiving as "You're Welcomegiving Day" is an attempt to do just that.

“Sinkies" are people who occasionally dine over the kitchen sink. As Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving leftovers provide the perfect reasons to enjoy a quick meal, the day after Thanksgiving, every year, has been designated as Sinkie Day.

The day after Thanksgiving each year is also National Flossing Day.  Make sure you get all that turkey out of your teeth.

President George Washington's designation of November 26, 1789, as Thanksgiving Day was the very first United States holiday by Presidential Proclamation.  In 1607 on this day, John Harvard, the clergyman an scholar Harvard University would be named after was born.  Peanuts creator Charles Schulz would have been 88 years old today.  On this date in 1956, TV's longest running game show, "The Price Is Right" premiered.

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Feature for November 26, 2010

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Day 2010

Today is the 329th day of the year. There are 36 days remaining until the end of the year (30 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to All!  Today is a day for Americans to be thankful for our many blessings and to celebrate with food, family, and football.  Let the holiday season begin.

Today, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie would have been 175 (born 1835), The Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio would have been 96 years old (born 1914), and JFK Jr. would have been 50 years old (born 1960).

The 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade takes place in Manhattan this morning.  Likewise, the 84th America's Thanksgiving Parade takes place this morning in Detroit.  For football fans, today features three NFL matchups.

Since 1993, November 25th has been observed as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on the anniversary of the 1960 murders of the Mirabel sisters in the Dominican Republic.


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Feature for November 25, 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

D. B. Cooper Day 2010

Today is the 328th day of the year. There are 37 days remaining until the end of the year (31 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On Nov. 24, 1971 (39 years ago today), Northwest Airlines Flight 305, from Portland, Oregon, was hijacked by a man calling himself Dan Cooper. In Seattle, the FBI handed over a bag full of 10,000 $20 bills, along with four parachutes in exchange for the release of 36 passengers and 2 stewardesses. Cooper demanded the pilots take off and head at low speed and low altitude to Mexico City.  When told that there was not enough fuel, he settled for Reno, Nevada.  Somewhere over southwestern Washington state, however, he apparently parachuted out of the rear of the plane with the ransom money.  A four-state manhunt, however, found no trace of him.  This fugitive, who became known as D.B. Cooper after a miscommunication between a reporter and his police source, immediately became a folk hero.  The FBI's official stance is that Cooper died from his jump, but his body has never been found.  In 1980, an 8-year-old boy recovered some of the ransom money from the Columbia River bank.  Although, through the years, a few promising leads have emerged, all to this point have been dismissed.

Today is also Tie One On Day.  I know what you're thinking, but, on the day before Thanksgiving, this is a holiday to celebrate the apron and the earlier generations of women who have worn one.

Also, whatever your unique talent may be, as today is Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day, why not take the opportunity to show it off.

Today would have been the 236th birthday of 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor (1784), the 142nd birthday of musician Scott Joplin (1868), the 122nd birthday of lecturer Dale Carnegie (1888), and the 85th birthday of author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. (1925).

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Feature for November 24, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Fibonacci Day 2010

Today is the 327th day of the year. There are 38 days remaining until the end of the year (32 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

The Fibonacci sequence adds the previous 2 numbers to get the third.  Therefore, the first four numbers of this sequence are 1, 1, 2, 3.  Hence, November 23rd (11/23) is Fibonacci day.

On November 23, 1804, fourteenth U.S. President Franklin Pierce was born.  Legendary outlaw Billy The Kid, was born on November 23, 1859.  Comedian Harpo Marx would have been 117 years old today.  On November 23, 1919, the first play-by-play football broadcast covered a Texas A&M vs. Texas game.  Life magazine debuted on this date in 1936.  On November 23, 1963 the first episode of “Doctor Who” premiered on British TV.

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Feature for November 23, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Humane Society Anniversary Day 2010

Today is the 326th day of the year. There are 39 days remaining until the end of the year (33 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Sagittarius.

On November 22, 1954, Humane Society of the United States was established.  Today, then, is the 36th birthday of our nation’s largest animal protection organization.

Today is also National Stop the Violence Day, would have been former first lady Abagail Adam's 266th birthday, and is the 20th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's resignation from her position as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

November 22nd, however, is probably most famous for what happened in 1963.  While riding in an open vehicle in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper.

On November 22, 1859, Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" was published on this date by London publisher John Murray.  Interestingly, the term "evolution" did not appear until the 1872 (last) version of this work.

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Feature for November 22, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

World Television Day 2010

Today is the 325th day of the year. There are 40 days remaining until the end of the year (34 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

In 1996, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed November 21st to be World Television Day. November 21, 1996 was the date of the UN's first World Television Forum. The UN also recognizes the third Sunday in November as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Today is also the 38th annual World Hello Day, begun in 1973 as a response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. The idea is to greet ten people to demonstrate the importance of personal communication for preserving peace.

Supposedly, when one crosses a moose and a walrus, the result is called an "alascattalo." Alascattalo Day, which just so happens to fall on this date, is a day to honor Alaskan humor.

Today kicks off National Family Week, National Bible Week, and National Game and Puzzle Week.

On this date in 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the Constitution. In 1800, on this date, the United States Congress first met in Washington, at the newly completed north wing of the Capitol building (they had been meeting in Philadelphia from 1790-1800). On November 21, 1980, 86 million viewers tuned into "Dallas" to see who shot J.R. Ewing. On November 21, 1991, Frenchman Gerard d’Aboville completed a four month journey in which he rowed himself across the Pacific Ocean from Choshi, Japan to Ilwaco, Washington in the United States. Fifteen years ago (November 21,1995), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 5000 for the first time.

The November full moon, occurring now, is called the Beaver Moon because at this time of year, beavers are industriously preparing themselves for the coming winter.

This is week 11 of the 2010 NFL season.

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Feature for November 21, 2010

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Childrens Day 2010

Today is the 324th day of the year. There are 41 days remaining until the end of the year (35 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

November 20th is Universal Childrens Day by United Nations (UN) recommendation.  The date selection is based on today being the anniversary of the day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959.

Today is also National Adoption Day, the 12th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance in memory of those murdered because of anti-transgender prejudice, National Family Volunteer Day and Name Your PC Day.  In Mexico, November 20th is Revolution Day, a national holiday to celebrate the anniversary of the social revolution launched by Francisco I. Madero 100 years ago in 1910.

With all of the talk about the upcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, it has almost become lost that today is the anniversary date of Queen Elizabeth's marriage to Philip Mountbatten, in 1947.  Happy 63rd anniversary to the young couple!

On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the 10 amendments to the US Constitution that came to be known as the Bill of Rights.  In 1945, the first session of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials started at Berlin, Germany.

This afternoon, Northwestern and Illinois will play the first NCAA football game at Wrigley Field since 1938, but, because of space constraints between the end zone closest to Wrigley Field's right field wall, both teams' will have to play all offensive possessions in the same direction, toward the stadium's third-base line.  Army and Notre Dame will face off in Yankee Stadium tonight.

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Feature for November 20, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

World Toilet Day 2010

Today is the 323rd day of the year. There are 42 days remaining until the end of the year (36 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

World Toilet Day is a day to celebrate the importance of sanitation and raise awareness for the 2.6 billion people (nearly half of the world's population) who don't have access to toilets and proper sanitation.  The World Toilet Organization (WTO), a non-profit organization has posted some facts to help understand the issue.

November 19th is also Have A Bad Day Day

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. On 19 November 19, 1868, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted their emblem. It was also during this time that "The Marines' Hymn" was first heard.

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Mickey Mouse Day 2010

Today is the 322nd day of the year. There are 43 days remaining until the end of the year (37 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Although Mickey Mouse actually appeared six months earlier in the silent animated cartoon, "Plane Crazy," the animated short "Steamboat Willie," released on November 18, 1928, also featuring Mickey Mouse, was the first to feature synchronized sound.  "The Gallopin' Gaucho" was actually the second Mickey Mouse cartoon made, but was released later.  Nonetheless, the Walt Disney Company considers the November 18, 1928 release date of "Steamboat Willie" as Mickey Mouse's birthday.  Therefore, today he is 82 years old.  Happy Birthday, Mickey!!!

Today (third Thursday of November) is the 30th annual Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer society.  If you've been trying to quit, today is the day to put away your cigarettes for good.  Maybe you can kick the habit for good.

The third Thursday of November is also Use Less Stuff Day.  November 18th is annually Married to a Scorpio Support Day.  Today would have been the 101st birthday of American singer Johnny Mercer.

On November 18, 1963, the first push-button phones went into service in two Pennsylvania cities.  Touch tone service was available as an option to standard rotary dial service for an additional charge.  On November 18, 1978, 912 people died at the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana, the largest murder suicide in history.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

National Educational Support Professionals Day 2010

Today is the 321st day of the year. There are 44 days remaining until the end of the year (38 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Today is the 22nd annual observance of National Educational Support Professionals Day.  It is held yearly on the Wednesday of American Education Week.  Today is the day to recognize all those individuals in our schools, who may not directly teach, but also have key roles in supporting education.

November 17th is also Homemade Bread Day.  In much of Germany, Buss und Bettag (Repentance Day) is a legal public holiday today (Wednesday before the last Sunday of the church year).

On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal, in northern Africa, was officially opened.  This 100 mile long canal shortened the sea route from Europe to India by 6,000 miles. An Anglo-French commission ran the canal until 1956, when Egypt seized control of it.

Soichiro Honda, founder of the Honda Motor Company, was born on November 16, 1906, and would have been 104 years old today.

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

International Day for Tolerance 2010

Today is the 320th day of the year. There are 45 days remaining until the end of the year (39 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.


In 1996, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly established November 16th as the International Day for Tolerance, to commemorate the adoption of a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance the previous year.


On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state.

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Monday, November 15, 2010

George Spelvin Day 2010

Today is the 319th day of the year. There are 46 days remaining until the end of the year (40 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

George (or Georgette or Georgina) Spelvin is a popular pseudonym used in American theater.  This fictitious name, used by actors who for various reasons want to remain anonymous, is said to have appeared in more than 10,000 Broadway performances.  As this pseudonym was first used in the play "Karl the Peddler" on November 15, 1886, today is designated George Spelvin Day.  Georgina Spelvin has fallen out of general use since its 1973 use in the pornographic film "The Devil in Miss Jones."

November 15th is also I Love to Write Day, America Recycles Day, and National Bundt Day.

When Arthur Dorrington signed a contract to play hockey with the Atlantic City Seagulls, on November 15, 1950, he became the first black man to play organized hockey in the US.  Today, therefore, is the 60th anniversary of the first Black professional hockey player.

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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day 2010

Today is the 318th day of the year. There are 47 days remaining until the end of the year (41 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Today is a day for just chilling out.  Relax and don't take yourself too seriously -- enjoy yourself and laugh today.

The United Nations has designated November 14th as World Diabetes Day.  If you are an art fan, today is the anniversary of French impressionist Claude Monet's birth on November 14, 1840.  November 14th was also the birthday of former First Lady Mamie Dowd Eisenhower.

Apollo 12, the second manned lunar landing, was launched on November 14, 1969.  Exactly three years later (November 14,1972), the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 1000 for the first time in history.

For football fans out there, this is Week 10 of the NFL's 2010 season.

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Feature for November 14, 2010

Saturday, November 13, 2010

World Kindness Day 2010

Today is the 317th day of the year. There are 48 days remaining until the end of the year (42 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

As the anniversary of the opening day of the first World Kindness Movement® conference held at Tokyo, in 1998, today is designated World Kindness Day. Therefore, make it a point to be kind to someone today. Simple acts like holding a door open for someone, giving up your seat to an elderly person, or even just saying hello with a smile on your face are the kind of courtesies that really make a difference.

On this date in 1927, the Holland tunnel opened between New York and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River and was the world's first long, mechanically-ventilated underwater tunnel. On November 13, 2001, Taliban troops were pushed out of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

This is Week #11 of the NCAA football season. Big games today include: Indiana vs. Wisconsin, Miami vs. Georgia Tech, Kansas State vs. Missouri, Utah vs. Notre Dame, Mississippi State vs. Alabama, South Carolina vs. Florida, and top-ranked Oregan vs. California.

Today is the Los Angeles Storytelling Festival. Today, in London, is the Lord Mayor's Show, culminating tonight with the impressive Lord Mayor's Fireworks Display.

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Friday, November 12, 2010

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day 2010

Today is the 316th day of the year.  There are 49 days remaining until the end of the year (43 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an equal rights activist who fought for the rights of all humanity.  She was an abolitionist, fighting against slavery, who later became a leading figure in the early women's movement, which was focused on achieving women's suffrage and other women's rights.  As she was born on November 12, 1815, this date was chosen to commemorate her accomplishments.

In Mexico, November 12th is Postman's Day.  Every year on “Día del cart-ero,” Mexicans show their appreciation for their postal carriers by leaving a little something in their mailboxes.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened for traffic on November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. On November 12, 1946, The Exchange National Bank of Chicago, Illinois, opened the first drive in banking service in America. The Ellis Island immigration station, in New York, was officially closed on November 12, 1954.  On November 12, 1981, the first Trans-Pacific balloon crossing, launched in Nagashima, Japan, arrived at Covelo, California.

Today, the Denzel Washington movie about a runaway train, "Unstoppable," opens in theaters.

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veterans Day 2010

Today is the 315th day of the year.  There are 50 days remaining until the end of the year (44 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

From President Obama's Presidential Proclamation:

On Veterans Day, we come together to pay tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. Americans across this land commemorate the patriots who have risked their lives to preserve the liberty of our Nation, the families who support them, and the heroes no longer with us. It is not our weapons or our technology that make us the most advanced military in the world; it is the unparalleled spirit, skill, and devotion of our troops. As we honor our veterans with ceremonies on this day, let our actions strengthen the bond between Nation and her warriors.

In an unbroken line of valor stretching across more than two centuries, our veterans have charged into harm’s way, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, to protect the freedoms that have blessed America. Whether Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard, they are our Nation’s finest citizens, and they have shown the heights to which Americans can rise when asked and inspired to do so. Our courageous troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe have earned their place alongside previous generations of great Americans, serving selflessly, tour after tour, in conflicts spanning nearly a decade.

Long after leaving the uniform behind, many veterans continue to serve our country as public servants and mentors, parents and community leaders. They have added proud chapters to the story of America, not only on the battlefield, but also in communities from coast to coast. They have built and shaped our Nation, and it is our solemn promise to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen as they return to their homes and families.

America’s sons and daughters have not watched over her shores or her citizens for public recognition, fanfare, or parades. They have preserved our way of life with unwavering patriotism and quiet courage, and ours is a debt of honor to care for them and their families. These obligations do not end after their time of service, and we must fulfill our sacred trust to care for our veterans after they retire their uniforms.

As a grateful Nation, we are humbled by the sacrifices rendered by our service members and their families out of the deepest sense of service and love of country. On Veterans Day, let us remember our solemn obligations to our veterans, and recommit to upholding the enduring principles that our country lives for, and that our fellow citizens have fought and died for.


World War I formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.  In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day holiday.  In 1938, the U.S. Congress made Armistice Day a legal Federal holiday.  In 1954, Congress amended the Armistice Day act, renaming the holiday as Veterans Day.  In 1971, the holiday was moved briefly to the fourth Monday of October, but in 1978, it was returned to the original November 11th date.  In other parts of the world, this holiday is celebrated as Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day -- the red poppy has become a familiar emblem due to the poem In Flanders Fields) or Armistice Day.

On a related patriotic note, today is the anniversary of the first time that "God Bless America" was sung.  Irving Berlin wrote this song for Kate Smith, who first sang it during her regular radio broadcast on November 11, 1938.  Today would also have been General George S. Patton's 125th birthday.

Also, on this date in 1889, Washington became our 42nd state.  This is also Polish Independence Day, celebrating the anniversary of their independent rule, in 1918, after more than 100 years of control by Prussia, Austria, and Russia.

On a more frivilous note, November 11th is annually Guinness World Records' Day.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

U.S. Marine Corps Birthday 2010

Today is the 314th day of the year.  There are 51 days remaining until the end of the year (45 days till Christmas).  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Happy 235th birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps.  On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress approved a resolution creating the first two battalions of Marines, charged with fighting for the American colonies' independence on both land and sea.  In 1921, General John A. Lejeune directed that on 10 November of each year, his order (Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921), which summarized the history, mission, and tradition of the Corps, be read to all Marines to honor the founding of the United States Marine Corps.
  For proud Marine warriors, then, the tenth day of November is a day of camaraderie; a day to honor Corps and Country; and a day to honor the birth of the most loyal, most feared, most revered, and most professional fighting force the world has ever known.

Today is also the 27th birthday of Microsoft Windows.  On November 10, 1983, Microsoft released the very first version of Windows as an extension of MS-DOS with a graphical user interface.

The PBS children's series "Sesame Street" is 41 years old today.  On November 10, 1969, its very first episode aired.

The current ten digit numbering system used today in North American telephone networks was devised in 1947 by AT&T and Bell Labs.  Until November 10, 1951, however, all long distance phone calls were operator assisted.  On this date in 1951, the mayor of Englewood, NJ (area code 201), direct-dialed the mayor of Alameda, CA. By 1960, all telephone customers could dial long-distance calls.  Hence, today is Area Code Day.

You may be familiar with the Gordon Lightfoot song about "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."  If so (or if not), 35 years ago, the American Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed "Mighty Fitz," "The Fitz," or "The Big Fitz") sank suddenly in Canadian waters.  Its crew of 29 perished with no bodies being recovered. When the wreck was found, it was discovered that the Fitzgerald had broken in two.


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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

National Young Readers Day 2010

Today is the 313th day of the year.  There are 52 days remaining until the end of the year (46 days till Christmas).  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

The second Tuesday in November is a day to celebrate the importance and joy of reading for young people.

In commemoration of astronomer and author Dr. Carl Sagan, today, the anniversary of his birth, has been designated Carl Sagan Day.

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Monday, November 8, 2010

X-Ray Discovery Day 2010

Today is the 312th day of the year.  There are 53 days remaining until the end of the year (47 days till Christmas).  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

On this day in 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered x-rays. He named the unknown "invisible light," or ray that he observed an x-ray, because in mathematics "X" is used to indicated the unknown quantity.  He quickly determined that x-rays would pass through the tissue of humans and when used to expose film, would make things like the underlying bones visible.  As early as 1896, x-rays were already being utilized clinically in the United States for such things as bone fractures and gun shot wounds.

As the second Monday in November, today is designated as World Orphans Day.  November 8th is also National Parents As Teachers Day.  On November 8, 1889, Montana became the 41st state.  On a lighter note, November 8th is both Abet and Aid Punsters Day and Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day.

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Sunday, November 7, 2010

International Tongue Twister Day 2010

Today is the 311th day of the year.  There are 54 days remaining until the end of the year (48 days till Christmas).  At 2:00 a.m. this morning, Daylight Savings Time ends.  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

If you enjoy your tongue twisters, today, in Wisconsin, the 10th annual International Tongue Twister Contest will be held.  As a little associated trivia, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the hardest tongue-twister in the English language is “The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick.” William Poundstone claims that the hardest English tongue twister is “The seething sea ceaseth and thus the seething sea sufficeth us.”

Today, the day that we "fall back" from Daylight Savings Time and get an extra hour is also Zero Tasking Day.  The premise is that we take that extra time to relax, take a break from hectic schedules, and re-energize.  Today is also National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day.

For all the football fans out there, this is week 9 of the NFL's 2010 season.  Beginning today, Apple iPhones will be sold in Target stores.  The ING New York City Marathon is today.

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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Sadie Hawkins Day 2010

Today is the 310th day of the year.  There are 55 days remaining until the end of the year (49 days till Christmas).  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

The first Saturday in November is traditionally observed as an occasion where women and girls are encouraged to ask the man or boy of their choice out on a date.  Apparently, cartoonist Al Capp started this tradition in the 1930s with his “Li’l Abner” comic strip.  Sadie Hawkins was "the homeliest gal in the hills" who grew tired of waiting for the fellows to come a courtin'.  Her father decreed the first annual Sadie Hawkins Day, a foot race in which the unmarried gals pursued the town's bachelors, for their chance at a marriage to those that they were successful at catching and dragging back.

In honor of Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician and inventor of the saxophone, November 6th, his birthday, is Saxophone Day.  The first Saturday in November is also Fala Day, in tribute to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s faithful Scottish Terrier named Fala.  The inventor of basketball, James Naismith, was born on November 6, 1861.

A number of familiar television programs began on November 6th.  Today is the 63rd anniversary of "Meet the Press" (the oldest program on TV began in 1947) and the 35th anniversary of "Good Morning America" (started in 1975). "The Phil Donahue Show" first aired November 6, 1967 and was part of daytime television until 1996.

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Friday, November 5, 2010

Guy Fawkes Day 2010

Today is the 309th day of the year.  There are 56 days remaining until the end of the year (50 days till Christmas).  If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

On November 5, 1605, a group of provincial English Catholics attempted the Gunpowder Plot, to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament and assassinate King James I, installing his nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, as the new Catholic Queen.  The plot was discovered and stopped, with a mercenary named Guy Fawkes caught in the cellar of Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder.  November 5th has become known, in England, as Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Day/Night) and is commemorated with fireworks and by burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.

Happy 33rd Anniversary to former President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush.

This is also the anniversary of the first NBA player to shatter a backboard.  Apparently Chuck Connors of the Boston Celtics did so during a pre-game warmup on November 5, 1946.  This somewhat surprised me -- I would have expected this to have occurred in a more modern era of the game.  Chuck Connors, however, also played major league baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs and was star of the television series “The Rifleman.”

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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Use Your Common Sense Day 2010

Today is the 308th day of the year. There are 57 days remaining until the end of the year (51 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Will Rogers birthday was identified as a day to celebrate the use of common sense.
One of his quotes is: “Common sense ain’t all that common.”

For men who do not usually cook, today is National Men Make Dinner Day. Although Halloween is over, only a few days later, on November 4th (today), you can celebrate National Candy Day.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Sandwich Day 2010

Today is the 307th day of the year. There are 58 days remaining until the end of the year (52 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, suppossedly invented the sandwich, in 1762, as a convenient method of eating during a lengthy gambling session. Sandwich day is on his birth anniversary, November 3rd, to recognize his culinary contribution.

Today is also Cliché Day. In Japan, it's Culture Day, a national holiday. November 3rd is Panama's Independence Day. On this day in 1969, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) was born.

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Election Day 2010

Today is the 306th day of the year. There are 59 days remaining until the end of the year (53 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

By law, Election Day in the United States occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Depending upon the year, then, the actual date can range from 2-8 November. This year, then, Election Day occurs on the earliest possible of these dates. The right to vote is one we should cherish as Americans. If you are eligible to vote, then, please make sure that your voice is heard.

As North and South Dakota entered the Union on November 2, 1889, today is Admission Day for the 39th and 40th state. November 2nd (or the following Monday if that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday) is National Traffic Directors Day. For Catholics, November 2nd is All Souls' Day. It is also Plan Your Epitaph Day.

On this date in 1947, Howard Hughes flew his mammoth "Spruce Goose" aircraft (a $25 million, 200-ton wooden monstrosity) for its first and only flight.

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Monday, November 1, 2010

National Authors' Day 2010

Today is the 305th day of the year. There are 60 days remaining until the end of the year (54 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Although Authors' Day was originally observed by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1929, in 1949, the U.S. Department of Commerce made it an official observance in a resolution that states: “by celebrating an Authors’ Day as a nation, we would not only show patriotism, loyalty, and appreciation of the men and women who have made American literature possible, but would also encourage and inspire others to give of themselves in making a better America..."

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, today is Liberty day, which celebrates and commemorates the institution of a free press, in 1915, when David Hamilton Jackson printed "The Herald" as the first free newspaper in the then Danish West Indies.

November 1st is also Cook For Your Pets Day, National Family Literacy Day, and, of course, All Saints Day (a holy day of obligation for any Catholics out there).

Horse racing fans may appreciate today as the anniversary of the "Match of the Century" between Seabiscuit and War Admiral on November 1, 1938, at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland. Despite War Admiral running his best time for that distance, Seabiscuit won the race by 4 lengths in front of an estimated 40,000 spectators at the track and 40 million listening to the race on radio.

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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween 2010

Today is the 304th day of the year. There are 61 days remaining until the end of the year (55 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

A very happy Halloween to all and may the bags of all the trick-or-treaters out there be filled with goodies of the type that they enjoy. In somewhat fitting fashion, the day is also National Caramel Apple Day, National UNICEF Day (due to the UNICEF box collections on Halloween), and Books for Treats Day. If you are interested in the history of Halloween, Samhain was a Gaelic festival held on October 31–November 1 to mark the end of the harvest and during which people would wear costumes and masks, in an attempt to placate or ward off harmful spirits. When this pagan festival got intertwined with the Christian All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, it exerted huge influence upon the secular customs now associated with Halloween, a Scottish shortening of All-Hallows-Even.

In memory of magician Harry Houdini's death on October 31, 1926, today is National Magic Day, to commemorate him and the craft of magic which he practiced to entertain others. In 1966, the week leading up to National Magic Day was officially declared National Magic Week.

If you are like me and appreciate corny jokes, then today, as National Knock-Knock Jokes Day, is a great day to enjoy and/or share some of your favorite knock-knock humor.

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Saturday, October 30, 2010

National Candy Corn Day 2010

Today is the 303rd day of the year. There are 62 days remaining until the end of the year (56 days till Christmas). If your birthday is today, you are a Scorpio.

Whether or not candy corn is worthy of its own day could probably be debated at length. It wouldn't matter, however, because candy corn does have its own special day, and it's aptly chosen as today, the day before Halloween.

On the birthday of Charles Atlas, the famous bodybuilder, who was born on this date in 1893, some also celebrate Bodybuilders Day today. If you are into planning your end-of-life event, October 30th is Create a Great Funeral Day. Depending upon where you are, the night before Halloween is Mischief night, Gate Night, Devil's Night, Goosey Night, Cabbage Night, or Mizzy Night and many pranks and much mischief are carried out. Also along the Halloween theme, tonight is listed as Haunted Refrigerator Night. If you are a believer in lists, today is National Checklist Day. As today is National Forgiveness Day, it is a good day to be forgiving to others.

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