160 replies to this topic

[Bob Riebe]

2023  Holidays  August 25:

 

National Park Service Founders Day

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act. The Act established the National Park Service. As part of the Department of Interior, the National Park Service protects 400 areas across the 50 American states and territories and the district of Columbia. They are entrusted with the protection of national parks totaling 84 million acres!

 

Uruguay Independence Day

In 1825, Uruguay joined many other nations to rebel and push for independence, leading to a 500-day war that ended in 1828 with a treaty brokered by British diplomat Viscount John Ponsonby. The history of conflict in Uruguay was finally over, at least for some time, and the excitement for the nation’s freedom remains alive to this day. After enduring conflict and civil unrest for almost 200 years, Uruguay has become a nation known for its incredibly welcoming population, friendly citizens, and beautiful landscape. Over the past decades, Uruguayans have experienced a steady rise in the increase of living conditions and general wellbeing.

[Bob Riebe]

2023  Holidays August 26

• National Toilet Paper Day

   

  It wasn’t until 1857 that toilet paper began being sold in the United States of America. The first toilet paper was loose flat sheets of paper. Then in 1930, the Germans invented the perforated rolls we have today consisting of 1,000 small sheets that were separated by a perforation. In the 1960s, toilet paper came in different colors, especially in pink and green to match the bathroom hues. In the early 2000s, colored toilet paper rolls started to exit the market but they can still be found in some parts of the world.

[Bob Riebe]

2023  Holidays  September 17

 

• Constitution Day - September 17, but observed on September 18, 2023 since it falls on a weekend
• VFW Ladies Auxiliary Day 

[Tim Murray]

Some posts have been removed because of their content, others because they no longer made sense. This thread is a harmless bit of fun. If you don’t like it, please just ignore it.

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Daily Holidays that fall on October 1, include:

• International Coffee Day -International Coffee Day takes place on October 1 every year. Making the daily journey from tropical Africa to the breakfast mugs of households all over the world, coffee beans have been scattered all over the world for more than 600 years
• International Day of Older Persons 
• Model T Day :commemorates the day that changed how America traveled on its roads. Model T was an iconic automobile that changed America’s streetscape.
• ROK Alliance Day  It marks the anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953, marking the beginning of the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Holidays October 9

 

Independence of Guayaquil, national holiday

     On August 10, 1809, Quito launched its first attempt to shake off the chains of Spanish colonialism with the “First Cry of Independence,” but it wasn’t until 1814 that the fight for liberation in Guayaquil began to gain momentum. Guayaquil residents awoke on October 9, 1820 morning to admire the city’s newly hoisted independent white-sky blue flag after the city declared its independence. As a result, Guayaquil, a coastal port, became the first city in Ecuador to declare independence from Spain.

The accomplishment of Guayaquil’s freedom sparked additional agitation in neighboring cities, which was shortly followed by Cuenca’s independence on November 3, 1820. The final fight, the Battle of Pichincha, was won by the troops of Marshal Melchor Aymerich on May 24, 1822, granting freedom to the rest of Ecuador.

 

International Beer and Pizza Day 

      There’s no better day to throw a pizza and beer party. When you think of pizza, you most likely think of Italy, but did you know that the first pizza was made by the Greeks and Egyptians, not the Italians? Pepperoni may be the most popular pizza topping in the world but in ancient times, the Greeks and Egyptians coated their flat-bread pizza in olive oil and spices.

 

 Leif Erikson Day

     Leif Erikson was likely born in Iceland around 970 or 980, son of Erik the Red and Thjodhild, and distant relative of the explorer who was said to have discovered Iceland. He was a true Viking from the start and had two brothers and a sister. His father was banished from Iceland and went to Greenland to establish the first permanent settlement there in 986. 

Leif, however, apparently had enough of the extreme cold. He and his crew traveled to Norway in 999, where he was converted to Christianity and given the mission of introducing Christianity to Greenland. This was essential to his legend, as it was during this journey to Greenland, 500 years before Columbus would sail the ocean blue, that he was apparently blown off-course to what he called “Vinland.” Hint – it’s North America!

 

The New World to Leif is Eastern Canada to us, but that didn’t stop him from naming it “Vinland,” after all of the vines and grapes that covered the land. His crew built a settlement there for visitors and spent the winter in their undiscovered territory. Come Spring, Leif’s crew loaded their ship with grapes and timber and headed back to Greenland. 

Nothing is known of his death, which was presumably in Greenland. However, his legacy has lived on for centuries. As word of his travels spread, other Norwegian explorers made the journey to Vinland, even making contact with the indigenous people. Norse settlements peppered Vinland, though they did not last. The Norwegian people were earning a reputation for these journeys, which spread toward Europe rapidly – some believe even Christopher Columbus had heard about it.

 

Norwegian people identify themselves and their culture with the courageous and intrepid explorations of Leif Erikson. As they immigrated in droves to the United States, statues of Leif Erikson began to crop up, and Scandinavian communities, particularly in the Midwest, still define themselves by his spirit and legacy today!

 

 

    

Edited by Bob Riebe, 08 October 2023 - 03:21.

[Bob Riebe]

2023  Holidays  October 25

• Geelong Cup Day:  The day of the running of the Geelong Cup — a Group 3 thoroughbred horse race with a minimum of A$115,000 in prize money — is generally referred to locally as Geelong Cup Day, 13 days before the 1st Tuesday in November, on October 25 this year. It’s not an official bank holiday except in the municipal district of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The race is considered an accurate predictor of what horse will win the prestigious Melbourne Cup, which is always on the first Tuesday in November.
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• National Greasy Foods Day

• National Greasy Foods Day is the feel good holiday that comes every October 25. It’s state fair season: time to fire up the frying oil, chop the potatoes, and break out the napkins. On October 25, you don’t have to feel guilty about eating greasy foods, because you’re are actually encouraged to!

   

  ROBERT DAY --  for a certain Robert, who also loves greasy food. (They should start a greasy burger day!)

   

• St. Crispin's Day:Saint Crispin's Day, or the Feast of Saint Crispin, falls on 25 October and is the feast day of the Christian saints Crispin and Crispinian, twins who were martyred c. 286. They are both the patron saints of cobblers, leather workers, tanners, saddlers and glove, lace and shoe makers (among other professions).

Edited by Bob Riebe, 24 October 2023 - 01:05.

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Daily Holidays that fall on October 31, include:

• All Hallows Eve 
• The word, Halloween or Hallowe’en dates from before the 16th century and draws from its early Christian past. In old Scottish, Hallowe’en translates as “All Hallows’ (holy) Even” referring to “All Hallows’ Evening,” the day before All Hallows Day, a solemn occasion in which all of the Catholic Church’s heavenly saints were honored. By the 18th century, Halloween shows up with the spelling we know today.
• Girl Scout Founder's Day 
• Girl Scout Founder’s Day takes place on October 31 every year. The holiday commemorates the heroics of Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the Girl Scouts. She was born on October 31, 1860, which is why this date was chosen for the holiday. Taking charge of 18 girls, she led them as a troop on outdoor and other educational activities. Girl Scout Founder’s Day goes on to celebrate the wonderful feat of bringing confidence to millions of girls in achieving their biggest dreams.
• Reformation Day 
• Reformation Day is memorialized on October 31 every year. Reformation Day started in the 15th century when a German monk, aggrieved by the activities of the Catholic Church, especially the sale of indulgences as penance, nailed his arguments, named “The 95 Theses” to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church.

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Holidays  November 09

 

British Pudding Day

 

British Pudding Day is celebrated on November 9 every year. It is a day when pudding lovers can gather and indulge in every kind of pudding that they ever desired. British Pudding Day celebrates the origins of British Pudding and how the rich culinary tradition behind baking puddings is still alive and a favorite of many all over the world. British puddings are different from American puddings in that the former comes in both sweet and savory flavors while the latter is usually a sweet dessert dish. Due to its rich and complex flavors, British puddings have been a staple cuisine of its people for many decades. This day is just another opportunity to give it the love it deserves.

 

Eleven09 Day

 

Eleven09 Day is observed annually on November 9 and praises the work of the Eleven09 organization, an institution that helps veterans adjust back from military life to civilian life. It assists them in building careers and becoming successful in their skill sets. It also recognizes the importance of military background in the formation of veterans’ essential sense of honor, duty, leadership, and work ethic. These heroes made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of the United States and our lifestyle. We must never forget their names and the things they had to let go of when fighting for our freedom. The deep commitment of those wearing the uniform must be commemorated.

 

Holidays  November 10

 

Marine Corps Birthday

 

November 10th is the official Marine Corps Birthday because that is when the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines in 1775. The Continental Congress decreed that two battalions of Marines be raised to serve during the war between Great Britain and the Colonies.

They also decreed that these two battalions consist of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels and two majors and that all recruits be good seamen or well acquainted with maritime affairs. When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, Congress disestablished the Continental Marines as well as the Continental Navy.

 

Area Code Day

 

An area code is a part of a telephone number that denotes the broad area in which a phone call is based.

For example, the area code for Los Angeles, California is 310, and the area code for Las Vegas, Nevada is 702.

Of course, all of this talk about area codes today is only relevant right now because we’re talking about Area Code Day — a holiday that’s observed annually on the 10th of November. This is a holiday that pays homage to a system that was devised to prevent areas from running out of phone numbers that could be used.

The History Of Area Code Day

In 1940, the first area codes were invented in the United States by The Bell System, a system of companies that was led by Bell Telephone Company. They created these codes originally to help automate telephone calls from any two locations in the U.S without having to have a human operator make the connection. They would later become useful in solving the problem of running out of the available pool of telephone numbers.

Amazing Facts About Telephone Numbers & Area Codes

Okay, perhaps we’re overhyping the fact that we found some pretty cool facts about telephone numbers and area codes during our research. We just got a little bit excited. We would like to list some of the facts that we’ve found, however. We’ve listed these facts below and hope that everyone finds them as interesting as we did.

• The first outdoor telephone cables in the U.S were built in 1877 and they only stretched about 3 miles.
• In 1876, there were just two telephone sets. In 1915, there were 11 million phones.
• In the U.S, the code for emergency service is 911. In France, it’s 112, and in India, it’s 102.
• The emergency service number in Ireland is 112, and in Russia, it’s also 112

Edited by Bob Riebe, 09 November 2023 - 00:46.

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Holidays November 19

• Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day 

• National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day is on November 19 every year, and we are preparing to celebrate with eagerness and excitement. Did you know that caffeine was added into carbonated drinks to entice burgeoning consumers? Caffeine is considered an integral part of human lives because of beverages like coffee and tea. These drinks are so popular worldwide that even the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has specific questions about tea and coffee in their speaking modules test.

   

• Rocky and Bullwinkle Day
• Happy birthday to The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!
   
  The adventures of a moose and a flying squirrel shouldn't be THIS funny! This animated series also includes some bad guys (Russian-esque spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, plus Snidely Whiplash of “Curses! Foiled again!” fame), a rather feeble-minded Canadian Mountie named Dudley Do-Right, a dog and his pet boy, and everyone's favorite: Fractured Fairy Tales!
   
  On this date in 1959, Rocky & His Friends debuted; the show lasted almost five years.
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  Rocky & Bullwinkle - The Kirwood Derby
• https://youtu.be/ZXOxFUk67E4

 

• WORLD TOILET DAY
• Frostbite Falls is a fictional town in Minnesota based on the real town International Falls, Minnesota from the cartoon TV series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.World Toilet DayNovember 19 was designated as World Toilet Day by the United Nations General Assembly, and is coordinated every year by a partnership between UN-Water and governments around the world. Today, we talk about the one invention that’s kept hidden behind closed doors, but is undeniably important. So if you’d like an “ode to the commode” read ahead.
• History of World Toilet Day

  Jack Sim, a philanthropist from Singapore, founded the World Toilet Organization on November 19, 2001, subsequently declaring the day World Toilet Day. The WTO chose “World Toilet Day” as opposed to “World Sanitation Day” for ease of public messaging, though toilets are only the first stage of sanitation apparatuses.

  World Toilet Day was made to spread and increase public awareness of broader sanitations systems such as wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and hand washing. Goal 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals calls for adequate sanitation, which includes the system assuring that waste is safely processed. Their efforts to call attention to the sanitation crises were strengthened in 2010 when the right to water and sanitation was officially declared a human right by the UN.

  In 2013, a joint effort between the Government of Singapore and the World Toilet Organization led to Singapore’s first UN resolution called “Sanitation for All.” This resolution called for the collective action to end the world sanitation crises. As a result, World Toilet Day was declared an official UN day and the resolution was adopted by 122 countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. During World Toilet Day 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon advocated action to renew efforts to provide access to satisfactory sanitation for all, reminding everyone of the “Call to Action on Sanitation” which was launched in 2013 and aimed to end open defecation by 2025.

 

[Bob Riebe]

2023 Daily Holidays that fall on November 23, include:

 

• Dr. Who Day

• Time travel and zany adventures, with opportunities to reach into science fiction as well as history, Doctor Who is a storyline that has gained a cult following over its six decades of existence. Featuring the Doctor, who is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, and his various companions make their way through the world in random times and places where they take on alien villains, rescue victims of kidnapping and perform other heroic deeds.

  Becoming one of the top dramas on the BBC in the network’s history, Doctor Who certainly deserves a day of celebration that is all its own!

   
  History of Doctor Who Days

  In November 1963, the Radio Times revealed that a new Saturday afternoon show of adventure and time travel would be appearing on the BBC. Still filmed in black and white, this first show starred William Hartnell as a mysterious, cantankerous Time Lord who traveled with his granddaughter, Susan. Daleks quickly make their appearance into the story and the stage is set for decades of action and fun.

  Sadly, just a couple of years into the show, Hartnell became ill and could no longer work. Yet, because of the sci-fi nature of the story, the idea of a character regeneration was written into the plot and the Doctor found himself taking on a new body and a changed character. This concept of regeneration is part of what has allowed the show to continue its presence throughout its sixty years of life!

  With the series ending in 1989 and then finding various opportunities for comebacks in the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, Doctor Who has seen a regeneration not only of the doctor himself (or herself!) but also of the fan base that now spans generations. With fan favorite actors like David Tenant, Peter Capaldi and Matt Smith, as well as many others, there are plenty of Doctors to choose from, all with their different quirks and personalities.

  Doctor Who Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the first episode that aired in 1963, and it offers an annual opportunity to take a peek into the past, the future, and anywhere that TARDIS will take you!

  Fans of the show may also want to engage a bit later in the year with International Dalek Remembrance Day.

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        Fibonacci Day – November 23, 2023

Also known as Leonardo of Pisa and Leonardo Fibonacci, Leonardo Bonacci invented a pattern of counting that continues to influence math and technology today. The pattern is made up of numbers that sum the previous two numbers before them — 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 — and so on. The sequence is used in computing, stock trading, and architecture and design.

Once we discovered the sequence, it started showing up everywhere. Nature is full of Fibonacci patterns, from DNA to hurricanes, leading some to dub the Fibonacci sequence “nature’s secret code.”

          

National Espresso Day

• What’s the difference between espresso and just plain coffee? According to professional baristas, it doesn’t really matter what kind of bean you use, or how it’s roasted — it’s all in the way the beans are brewed. Forcing pressurized water through finely-ground coffee beans produces a concentrated brew with its signature delicate foam. This foam, or crema, to use its proper name, contains concentrated sugars and oils from the beans, adding a light sweetness that helps balance out the bitterness. Grab an espresso on November 23 to taste the difference for yourself!

 

• Thanksgiving - November 23, 2023 (Fourth Thursday of November)
• History of Thanksgiving

  Native Americans in North America celebrated harvest festivals for centuries before Thanksgiving was formally established in the United States. Colonial services for these festivals date back to the late 16th century. The autumnal feasts celebrated the harvest of crops after a season of bountiful growth.

  In the 1600s, settlers in Massachusetts and Virginia had feasts to thank for surviving, fertile fields, and their faith. The Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, had their infamous Thanksgiving feast in 1621 with the Wampanoag Native Americans.

  This three-day feast is considered the ”first” Thanksgiving celebration in the colonies. However, there were other recorded ceremonies of thanks on these lands. In 1565, Spanish explorers and the local Timucua people of St. Augustine, Florida, celebrated a mass of thanksgiving. In 1619, British settlers proclaimed a day of thanksgiving when they reached a site known as Berkeley Hundred on the banks of Virginia’s James River.

  Of course, the idea of “thanksgiving” for the harvest is as old as time, with records from the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Native American cultures, too, have a rich tradition of giving thanks at harvesttime feasts, which began long before Europeans appeared on their soil. And well after the Pilgrims, for more than two centuries, individual colonies and states celebrated days of thanksgiving.

  

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Edited by Bob Riebe, 22 November 2023 - 01:54.