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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Feature for December 15, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 SKYWARN^TM 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 SKYWARN^TM 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

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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Feature for December 3, 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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Feature for December 2, 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