Celebrate January

[Remington555]

Thursday January 31

    National Backward Day
    National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day

Remmy

[msslave]

WTF Remey...No February Eve on the schedule tonight.  Don't they celebrate the end of January anymore?  Why back in my day...........

***Sorry, we've had to take the old codger away again for a while.***
From the men in white coats with the nets.

[Pornhubby]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today, the 1st DAY OF 2024 is the 8th DAY of CHRISTMAS (8 MAIDS A-MILKING) FN1, the 7th and LAST DAY of KWANZA (IMANI = FAITH) FN2, and THE FEAST OF FOOLS aka FESTUM FATUORUM FN3 (Lat: festum fatuorum) FN3,  and Cuz Dominic says it’s NATIONAL BLOODY MARY DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE del BLOODY MARY. And, my Cousin Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is the SNOW DROP  (Korean: 스노드롭) symbolizing great patience.

*1788: Auld Land Syne: Robert Burns sent his poem "Auld Lang Syne" to Scots Musical Museum saying it was an ancient song, but he is recognized as the 1st to record it on paper;

*1801: 1st NYD Reception: President John Adams held the 1st public New Year's Day reception at the White House, now a popular tradition;

*1901: 1st Philly Mummers: the 1st official Philadelphia Mummers Parade was held;

*1908: 1st Ball Drop: for the 1st time, a ball is dropped in NYC's Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight;

*1954: 1st Coast-Coast Color: NBC broadcast 1st coast-to-coast color TV program: live coverage of Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA;

*1962: US Navy SEALs: the United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, aka Navy SEALs, were established;

*1972: 1st “Rockin’ Eve”: Dick Clark hosted the 1st New Year's Eve Special from NYC Times Square on ABC (he continued hosting it until 2004);

*2000: Y2K: arrival of 2000 saw no terrorist attacks, mass murders, Y2K meltdowns/mass suicides among doomsday cults, but instead saw the 7continents stepping joyously and peacefully into the New Year . . . .  hopefully that is the zero-violence quota for this new year.

       

FN1: WHO WROTE THIS? FRED AUSTIN: Though some scholars believe the song is French in origin, the first printed appearance of the song was in the English children's book Mirth With-out Mischief. If you haven't heard of it, that's probably because it was published in 1780. In the original lyrics, the "four calling birds" were actually “four colly birds." The term "colly" is old English slang for blackbirds. In other old versions of the song, the partridge we all know and love is replaced with a "very pretty peacock upon a pear tree." It wasn't until 1909 that British composer Frederic Austin penned the version of the lyrics that we are all familiar with today.

FN2: KWANZA CANDLES: During Kwanzaa a special candle holder called a kinara is used. A kinara holds 7 candles, 3 red ones on Left, 3 green on Right, with a black candle in center. Each night during Kwanzaa a candle is lit. The black, center, candle is lit first. then it alternates between red & green candles stating with the outside and moving inwards. This is quite similar to the lighting of the menorah in the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. 7 days & candles in Kwanzaa represent the 7 principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba): (1) Umoja: Unity - Unity of the family, community, nation and race; (2) Kujichagulia: Self-Determination - Being responsible for your own conduct and behavior; (3) Ujima: Collective work and responsibility - Working to Help each other and in the community; (4) Ujamaa: Cooperative economies - Working to build shops and businesses; (5) Nia: Purpose - Remembering & restoring African & Afro-Am cultures, customs and history; (6) Kuumba: Creativity - Using creating and your imagination to make communities better; (7) Imani: Faith - Believing in people, families, leaders, teachers and the righteousness of the African American struggle.

FN3: “FAKE POPES/FOOLS”: The Feast of Fools or Festival of Fools was a feast day on January 1 celebrated by the clergy in Europe during the Middle Ages, initially in Southern France, but later more widely. During the Feast, participants would elect either a false Bishop, false Archbishop, or false Pope.

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Today is EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS and CHRISTMAS IN RUSSIA (Russian: Рождество Христово, Rozhdestvo Khristovo), aka Е́же по пло́ти Рождество Господа Бога и Спа́са нашего Иисуса Христа (Yezhe po ploti Rozhdestvo Gospoda Boga i Spasa nashego Yisusa Khrista) FN1, and DISTAFF DAY aka ROCK DAY FN2,  HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS DAY, and NATIONAL I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE DAY FN3, and Cuz Dom says today is  NATIONAL TEMPURA DAY FN4 or GIORNATA NAZIONALE dello FRITO MISTO.  My Cugina Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is the TULIP 튤립 – symbolizing the broken heart.

*1789: 1st US Presidential Election: Americans voted for “69 Electors” – each had  1 vote, and ALL 69 voted for George Washington, making his election unanimous, (don’t you wish we had a “Unanimous Choice” this year?) , John Adams won 34 electoral votes and the vice presidency;

*1830: 1st US RR Station: in Baltimore, near present-day Camden Yards, the 1st US Railroad Station – the Mount Clare Station – opened;

*1922: Irish Free State: the Dáil Éireann (Irish Assembly) voted 64-57 to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty creating the Irish Free State or Saorstát Éireann;

*1927: 1st Globetrotters Game: organized as exhibition team in their hometown, Chicago, the “Savoy Big Fiv,” (named for the Savoy Hotel where they played; later renamed Globetrotters) played their 1st game in Hinckley, Illinois – they would not play a “home game” in Harlem, NYC until 1968;

*1934: 1st Flash Gordon: protagonist of a space opera adventure comic strip “Flash Gordon,” created by & originally drawn by Alex Raymond debuted;

*1944: “Flying Rabbi” Obituary: word reached NYC that Capt. Louis (Eliezer) Werfel, 27-yr-old Jewish chaplain serving with 12th Air Force Command was killed in a plane crash Christmas Eve;  in WWII 478 American chaplains became casualties—either dead, wounded, missing, or taken prisoner; 

*1961: 1st "Sh-t Bowl”: in the very 1st NFL Playoff Bowl or Runner-Up Bowl, aka "Shit Bowl" Detroit beat Cleveland Browns 17-16 as Detroit's Dick "Night Train" Lane blocked the extra-PAT kick to save the Lions 17-16 win;

*1991: Saddam’s “Mother of All…” :  Iraq’s Saddam Hussein prepped his troops for what he says will be a long violent war against the US . . . "THE MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES" – this war consisted of 2 Phases: 1st was codenamed Operation Desert Shield (2 Aug 1990-17 Jan 1991) for ops leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia; 2nd was Operation Desert Storm (17 Jan 1991-28 Feb 1991) was the combat phase which lasted 43 days.

As we gather today with our families, let us pray fpr “Peace on Earth and that both current wars end and all civilians be spared further suffering.
         
FN1: CHRISTMAS IN THE EAST: the Eastern Orthodox churches that celebrate Christmas as a public holiday are Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia & Ukraine. Some countries, such as Armenia, observe Christmas Day on January 6.
 
FN2: ROC DAY: Distaff Day aka Roc Day is 7 Jan, the day after Feast of Epiphany; aka St Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday; it is an old tradition that dates back to medieval times and is associated with the resumption of regular work after Christmas holidays. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the 12 days of Christmas. The distaff, or roc, is the instrument used in spinning, and it was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often men and women will play pranks on @other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
 
FN3: TWISTED SISTER: Currently, we’re unsure who or when this “holiday” was invented. It seems like it’s been around quite a few years now, though we’re unable to pinpoint exactly how long. BUT we think the name is taken from the Twisted Sister song “We’re Not Going To Take It,” a song released in 1984. 
 
FN4: PORTUGESE TEMPURA: Tempura in Japan (天ぷら) are pieces of lightly battered, deep fried seafood &  veggies. Tempura was introduced to Japan during the 16th century by Portuguese in Nagasaki; tempura has developed over the centuries into a popular Japanese dish both inside and outside of Japan.

[Pornhubby]

Today is NATIONAL PHARMICIST DAY FN1, FEAST OF THE FABULOUS WILD MEN DAY FN2, and Cuz Dom says it’s NATIONAL CURRIED CHICKEN DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE della POLLO and also NATIONAL GLAZED DOUGHNUT DAY FN3, or GIORNATA NAZIONALE della CIAMBELLA GLASSATA. Cuz Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is SWEET ALYSSUM 향기 알리섬 – symbolizing  outstanding beauty.

*1773: 1st US Museum: the 1st public museum in America was established in Charlestown, SC;

*1848: Palermo Rising: Sicily’s Revolution of Independence started with The Palermo Rising vs Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

*1906: Forward Passes: Football Rules Committee legalized the forward pass;

*1959: MoTown: Berry Gordy, Jr. founded Motown Records aka "Hittsville" at 2648 West Grand Blvd, Detroit; 

*1962: Operation Chopper: the 1st US combat mission in the Vietnam War took place;

*1966: Batman: TV series "Batman" inspired by the comic book and starring Adam West & Burt Ward as "The Dynamic Duo" premiered on ABC airing twice a week on consecutive nights;

*1971: Archie & Family: the groundbreaking sitcom "All in the Family" premiered on CBS TV;

*2013: "Mile High Miracle": trailing Denver Broncos 35-28 with 1:09 remaining in AFC Divisional Playoff Game, Baltimore Ravens' QB Joe Flacco heaved a 70 yd TD pass to receiver Jacoby Jones to tie the game, which Ravens won in OT, and then went on to win Super Bowl XLVII.

         
 
FN1: “DRUGGISTS”: while the origin/creator of the “holiday” is/are unknown National Pharmacist Day honors pharmacists & recognizes their important role in medical care. A pharmacist must be knowledgeable of the chemistry of all meds. They can tell you a drugs' side effects & all aspects of prescription medicine. Very importantly, they understand & recognize the inter-action of drugs together – because many people take numerous meds. Remember when there were “Drug Stores”?
 
FN2: “FEAST YOUR EYES?” Another unknown holiday of origin, the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day just could be your day......... if you're a fabulous wild guy. The fact that this is referred to as a "Feast" is intriguing. We can only speculate this means to feast your eyes on some fabulous wild men – although Geraldo Baker does have “wild hair” he may never be listed in the Top 10 Wild & Sexy Men. 
 
FN3: WHO PUT HOLES IN DONUTS?  American seafarer Hanson Gregory is credited with creation of the donut and inventing the donut's hole in 1847 while aboard a lime-trading ship. He was just 16 years old at the time. As the story goes, Gregory wasn't happy with the doughy consistency of the fried cakes served on the ship.

[Pornhubby]

Dear Family, Friends, Florists, Eastern Orthodox, Clarinetists, Norwegians, Swedes, NY Giants Fans, Vikings Fans & All Veterans
Today is EASTERN “OLD STYLE” NEW YEARS DAY FN1, and BURN THE CLAVIE DAY FN2,  and THE FEAST OF THE ASS FN3, and RATIFICATION DAY FN4, and DRESS UP YOUR PET DAY, and Cuz Dom says today is NATIONAL HOT PASTRAMI SANDWICH DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE dello  PANINO CALDO de ARNE di MANZO AROMATIZZATA e AFFUMICATI  (by the time you say this the panino is cold!) or simply PANINO al PASTRAMI. My Cousin Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is Cyclamen 시클라멘  (part of the primrose family of flowers) – symbolizing an introverted personality.

*1514: Papal Emancipation: Pope Leo X issued a Papal Bull "Praecelsae Devotionis” against slavery;

*1601: Papal Censorship: the Catholic Church burned Hebrew books & manuscripts in Rome. These book burnings destroyed priceless parts of the Jewish heritage – a puzzling question is why Christians seem to have this pathological fear of certain books;

*1690: “The Licorice Stick”: The clarinet (aka “Licorice stick”) was invented by the Nuremberg instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner;

*1794: Ratification: the US Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain, officially ending the American Revoolution;

*1814: Kieltraktaten: King of Denmark ceded Norway to King of Sweden in Treaty of Kiel, Kieltraktaten, Peace of Kiel, Kielfreden or freden i Kiel;

*1914: 1st Assembly Line: Henry Ford introduced an assembly line for the Model T automobile;

*1943: 1st Casablanca Confab: President FDR, Brit PM Winston Churchill & French Gen. Charles de Gaulle began the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war – which was the Allied invasion of Western Europe (later named D-Day);

*1952: 1st Today Show: NBC's long-running morning news program Today debuted, with host Dave Garroway as the "communicator";

*1967: Summer of Love:  the 1st “Human Be-In” began a prelude to “The Summer of Love” at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Polo Fields;

*1973: “Garo’s Gaff”: Miami Dolphins' Cyprus-born kicker, Garo Yepremian, made team's bid for a 17-0 season scary - trying to give Miami  17-0 lead with less than 3 mins to go, his 42-yd FG attempt got blocked, he unwisely tried to pass the ball after he caught the rebound, but he threw it into the hands of Mike Bass, who took it 49 yds for a “pick-6,” and Redskin's only score.

*2001: “Big Blue” Win: led by QB Kerry Collins' 5 TD passes NY Giants reach their 1st Super Bowl in a decade with a 41-0 romp past the hapless Minnesota Vikings - the biggest rout in NFC championship history;

2018: Minnesota’s Miracle: Vikings beat New Orleans Saints on game’s FINAL PLAY: with 10 seconds to go, QB Case Keenum threw a 26 yd pass down sidelines, Stefon Diggs jumped to catch, while DB Marcus Williams rolled awkwardly underneath, Diggs holds his ground, keeps his feet in bounds and races untouched down sideline into end zone for TD and 29-24 win.

З Новим Роком і Миру Всім!!! (Happy New Year and Peace to All) Let us pray for “Peace in this New Year”
       

FN1: ORTHODOX NEW YEAR: “Old New Year” or Orthodox New Year, is celebrated on the nights of Jan 13 or 14 (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, Republic of Macedonia; See "The Burning o' the Clavie" (See below)

FN2: SAVE YOUR CLAVIE CHARCOAL: Burning the clavie is an ancient Scottish custom still observed at Burghead, a fishing village on the Moray Firth in NE Scotland. The clavie is a collection of wood casks split in two, lit as a bonfire in the New Year’s Eve (Scotland, Hogmanay) by the Julian Calendar. One of the casks is joined together again by a huge nail (Latin clavis; hence the term; it may also be from Scottish Gaelic cliabh, a basket used for holding combustibles). It is then filled with tar, lit and carried flaming round the village and finally up to a headland on which stands the ruins of an altar, locally called the "Doorie." It here forms the nucleus of the bonfire, which is built up of split casks. When the burning tar-barrel falls in pieces, the people scramble to get a lighted piece to kindle New Year fires on their cottage hearth. The clavie charcoal is collected and put in pieces up the cottage chimneys, to keep spirits and witches from coming down.

FN3: ASINARIA FESTA:  Feast of the Ass (Lat: Festum Asinorum or Asinaria festa, Fr: Fête de l'âne) is a medieval, Christian feast on Jan 14, to remember the “Flight into Egypt.” It was celebrated primarily in France, as by-product of the Feast of Fools celebrating donkey-related stories in the Bible, esp. the donkey bearing the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary & Jesus) into Egypt after Jesus' birth.

FN4: 1784 TREATY: Ratification Day in US is anniversary of the ratification of the Treaty of Paris on Jan 14, 1784 at the Maryland St House in Annapolis by the Confederation Congress. This act officially ended our American Revolutionary War.

[Pornhubby]

Today is EDGAR ALLEN POE BIRTHDAY (especially in Baltimore) FN1, and TIN CAN DAY, FN2, and my Cuz Dom says it’s NATIONAL POPCORN DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE dei POPCORN. And, Cuz Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is PINE  소나무  –  symbolizing the “Center of qi” and longevity. FN3.

*570AD: Mohammad Born:  مُحَمَّد, Mohammad, aka Allāh (Messenger of God) was born in Mecca in desert valley in Western Saudi Arabia;

*1419: Guerre de Cent Ans: Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) between England & France as Rouen surrendered to Henry V of England;

*1787: Mother Mary: founder of Irish Sisters of Charity & St. Vincent’s Hospital, Mother Mary Frances Aikenhead was born in Cork, Ireland;

*1865: Western Canada: Lord Monck opened the Confederation Parliament of Canada which set in motion a process of state formation that expanded Canada westward, from 4 Eastern Provinces in 1865 to 10 cross-continental Provinces + 3 Territories today;

*1903: The Yellow Jersey (Fr: maillot jaune): a new bicycle race "Tour de France" was announced by the French newspaper L'Auto;

*1935:1st Jockey Shorts: Coopers Inc., sold the world's 1st “briefs,” aka Jockey Shorts; Jockey International, Inc. is a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of underwear, sleepwear for men, women, and children based in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

*1946: IMTFE: Gen Douglas MacArthur established International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo to try Japanese war criminals;

*1960: Hockey HOF: the Official International Hockey Hall of Fame opened in Toronto;

*1986: Computer Virus: the 1st IBM PC computer virus was released into the wild – a boot sector virus dubbed (c)Brain;

*2003: Déjà vu Eagles: in NFC Championship Game John Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Andy Reid’s Eagles 27-10 in Philly;

*2012: Sir Rupert: Rupert Murdoch's media empire apologized & agreed to pay 37 people who'd been & phone-hacked by its tabloid press;
         
 
FN1: “POE TOASTER”: Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday (1809-1849) is commemorated by “The Poe Toaster” at his grave or cenotaph in Baltimore (N.B. a “cenotaph” is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person/group whose remains are elsewhere). Poe Toaster is the media sobriquet referring to an unidentified person (or more probably two people in succession, possibly a father and son) who, for over nine decades (since 1930’s), paid an annual visit dressed in black with a wide-brimmed hat and white scarf, and poured himself a glass of cognac, raised a toast to Poe's memory, then vanished into the night, leaving 3 roses in a distinctive arrangement and the unfinished bottle of cognac.
 
FN2: PETER’S PATENT: Tin Can Day, Jan 19, is National Tin Can Day, a day that celebrates the storage of perishable foods in tin cans. British merchant Peter Durand received the original tin can patent in 1810. Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett received the U.S. Patent on January 19, 1825. The first practical can opener would not be invented until 50 years after the first tin can was invented.
 
FN3: SEA OF QI: DANTIAN MEDICINE: Dantian is a concept in traditional Chin med loosely translated as "elixir field", "sea of qi", or simply "energy ctr". Dantian are the "qi focus flow centers", important focal points for meditative & exercise techniques like qigong, martial arts like as tai chi, and in traditional Chinese medicine. 

[Pornhubby]

Today is EHT’s BIRTHDAY FN1, and POLISH GRANDMA’S DAY or DRIEN BABCI FN2,  and LINCOLN MacCAULEY ALEXAMDER DAY (in Canada) FN3, and, speaking of our “Northern Cousins,” it’s also QUEBEC FLAG DAYand NATIONAL HUG DAY FN4 , and my Cuz Dom says today is NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER DAY or GIORNATA DELLA ZUPPA di VONGOLE nel NEW ENGLAND (by the time you say this the soup is cold!) or simply GIORNATA di ZUPPA. My Cousin Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is: Ivy 담쟁이덩굴  – symbolizing friendship.

*1710: EHT: by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature Egg Harbor Township was created;

*1789: 1st American Novel: William Hill Brown’s The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth was printed in Boston;

*1839: Queen’s College: Nova Scotia's Baptist Educational Society opened Queen’s College in Wolfville – today it is Acadia University.

*1915: Giiwanizi: Kiwanis International, dedicated to community service is founded in Detroit, Michigan FN5, FN6;

*1919: Irish War of Independence: “Soloheadbeg Ambush” at Soloheadbeg, County Tipperary, was 1st engagement of this Irish War (1919-21;

*1944: Bucharest Bloodbath: 3-day anti-Semitic rampage in Bucharest, Romania “…bestial in its ferocity…butchery and hanging …” left 125 dead;

*1948: Québec’s Fleurdelisé: the Flag of Québec is adopted & flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec.

*1954: USS Nautilus: the 1st  nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, was launched in Groton, CT by Mamie Eisenhower, First Lady of US;

*2018: Eagles’ Saint: Eagle QB "ST NICK" Foles, who took over QB in last month in 2017 when QB Carson Wentz blew out his knee, led Eagles to 38-7 ROUT of Minnesota Vikings in NFC Championship Game @ Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly ... Eagles needed lots of divine intervention this year!

2020: 1st COVID: US reported its 1st known case of new virus from China – a Washington state resident returned from outbreak's epicenter was hospitalized.
 
 
FN1: GREAT EGG HARBOR: In 1710, by an Act of the Legislature, legal boundaries of Gloucester County were set and it covered the area from the Delaware River, along the Burlington County line to the sea and back up the Great Egg Harbor River to the Delaware River. At that time Great Egg Harbor encompassed all we know as Atlantic County today. In 1837 Atlantic County was set apart from Gloucester County and the Atlantic County Townships were: Egg Harbor, Weymouth, Hamilton and Galloway. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EHT!
 
FN2: GRANDMA: In Poland, "Grandma's Day" (Pole: Dzień Babci) was created in 1964 by the Kobieta i Życie magazine, and popularized from 1965 onwards. It is celebrated on January 21. FYI: "Grandpa's Day" (Pole: Dzień Dziadka) is celebrated tomorrow, on January 22.
 
FN3: A MAN OF MANY FIRSTS: Lincoln MacCauley Alexander (1922-2012) was a Canadian lawyer from Toronto, who became the 1st black Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons, the 1st black federal Cabinet Minister (serving as a federal Minister of Labor), the 1st black Chair of the Worker's Compensation Board & 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985-1991. He was the 1st person to serve 5 terms as Chancellor of the University of Guelph in Ontario, from 1991-2007, and he was also a governor of the Canadian Unity Council.
 
FN4: CUDDLE UP! National Hug Day or National Hugging Day is an annual holiday occurring on January 21, officially recognized by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The holiday was founded on Jan 21, 1986 in Caro, Michigan, and has since spread to Canada, England, Australia, Germany, Poland . .  .and New Jersey (at least in South Jersey) and the City of Margate, New Jersey.
 
FN 5: OJIBWE “FOOL AROUND”: Kiwanis International, dedicated to community service is founded in Detroit, Michigan, with the first Kiwanis Club The name “Kiwanis” was coined from the Ojibwe language expression derived from the word giiwanizi meaning to "fool around": ningiiwaniz, which is found in the Baraga Dictionary as "nin Kiwanis", meaning "I make noise; I am foolish and wanton" or "I play with noise". Whatever the original meaning, the organization's founders translated it as "We Build", which became the original motto of Kiwanis. In 2005 the organization chose a new motto, "Serving the Children of the World". Members of the club are called Kiwanians.
 
FN6: WHAT IS DIFF: KIWANIS vs. ROTARY? Kiwanis focuses on serving children; Rotary is a more broad-based organization. Kiwanis motto is, “Serving the children of the world.” The Rotary motto is, “Service above self.” Worldwide, Rotary is about twice as large. There are about 1.2M people worldwide in Rotary and 600,000 in Kiwanis.

[Pornhubby]

Today is SPOUSES DAY FN1, AUSTRALIA ABORIGINE DAY OF MOURNING, FN2, ICD or INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY, FN3 and my Cuz Dom says it’s NATIONAL PEANUT BRITTLE DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE de ARACHIDI CARAMELLE FRAGIL. And, Cuz Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is Mimosa 미모 – symbolizing the sensitive heart.

*1784: Turkey v. Eagle: a letter to his daughter Sally, Ben Franklin expressed his unhappiness over the choice of the eagle as the symbol of America, stating his own preference THE TURKEY as "a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America";

*1863: The 54th Massachusetts. Infantry: Massachusetts Governor John Albion Andrew (a lawyer) received permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia for men of African descent; he was a guiding force behind the creation of the 1st Afro-American units in the US Army, including the 54th  Massachusetts Infantry, nicknamed “The Swamp Angels”;

*1924: Red Ensign: Parliament approved the Red Ensign as Canada's official flag, until the Maple Leaf was adopted;

*1934: The 125th Street Apollo: Apollo Theater reopened in Harlem, NYC; its famous slogan: “Where Stars are Born and Legends are Made”;

*1960: Raiders: after Oakland Tribune’s "naming" contest (“Oakland Señors” won), Oakland (now Las Vegas Raiders) entered AFL;

*2002: Capriati Comeback: Jennifer Capriati produced the greatest comeback in a Grand Slam Final match to overcome Martina Hingis and defend her Australian Open title; Capriati saved 4 match points before clinching a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over Hingis;

*2005: USMC Copter Crash: US Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed in West Iraq, killing 30 Marines + a Navy medic aboard;

*2020: Kobe & Gianna: a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in Calabasas, West of LA, killing all 9 people, including former 5X NBA champion Kobe Bryant (41) "THE BLACK MAMBA" & his daughter Gianna Bryant (13), nicknamed “MAMBACITA.”

       

FN1: NOT ONLY MARRIAGES: origin of National Spouse Day is unknown, but it’s assumed a married person had the idea. Some say it originated from establishment of Military Spouses Day, created in 1984. While term “spouse” traditionally refers to individuals bound by law through marriage, these days it is used to refer to people in common-law marriage, domestic partnership or civil union.

FN2: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY? v. DAY OF MOURNING? Today is Australia Day, an official National Holiday of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 Jan, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of “The First Fleet” of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales & raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove . . . BUT on January 26, 1938, In contrast to these Australia Day celebrations a group of Aboriginal people decided to protest – they met at the Australian Hall in Sydney and declared 26 January a Day of Mourning to mourn the loss of their country, their freedom and the deaths of Aboriginal people since Europeans began to colonize Australia in 1788. They also argued that Aboriginal people should be given Australian citizenship, equal political rights and better access to education.

FN3: ICD & WCO & CCC: this “holiday” was instituted by the World Customs Organization (WCO), International Customs Day is held Jan 26, which commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium. Today officials and agencies around the world hold e-appreciation events where custom officers are recognized for their exemplary service.

[watcher1]

Glad Ben Franklin didn't get his wish, re: Turkey vs Eagle.

[msslave]

I can just see you avatar had old Ben got his choice.

[Pornhubby]

Today is DATA PRIVACY DAY FN1, and NATIONAL FUN @ WORK DAY FN2,  and NATIONAL KAZOO DAY FN3 , and my Cuz Dom says today is NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKE DAY or GIORNATA NAZIONALE del PANCAKE AI MIRTILLI. Cuz Rose from Brooklyn says today’s flower is: the Black Poplar 검은 포플라 – symbolizing Courage FN4.

*1782: Our 2-Sided GREAT SEAL: Congress resolved that there should be a Great Seal of the US – and it has 2 sides the obverse and reverse;

*1818: Celtic Lit: after Gaelic Society of Dublin “petered out,” the Iberno-Celtic Society was founded to preserve and publish the best ancient Irish literature;

*1904: 1st “Lettermen”: 1st college sports letters went to Seniors on University of Chicago's “Maroons” football team – they got blankets with letter the "C";

*1918: Col. McCrae: while still CO of No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne, Lt Col John McCrae (45) army physician from Guelph, Ontario, died of pneumonia after an illness of 5 days; he was a poet, physician, author, artist and soldier, best remembered as author of the poem "In Flanders Fields."  He is buried at Wimereaux Cemetery, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

*1938: “Nazi Octopus”: Palestine Post published a major study on the “'Octopus of Nazi Propaganda in Syria,” where anti-Semitic incitement was spread by well-trained Nazi agents who spread the false news about "Arab victims of the Jewish aggression in Palestine";

*1942: “Sighted sub sank same: USN pilot Donald Mason, Patrol Squadron 82 (VP-82) at Newfounland sent his famed message "Sighted sub sank same";

*1980: “The Canadian Caper”: Kenneth Taylor, Canada's Ambassador to Iran, engineered the escape of 6 US diplomats taken hostage since Nov. 22, 1979, when US Embassy was overrun in Iranian Revolution, and 66 hostages taken – the Americans left with Canadian passports (See 2012 movie Argo);

*2001: Super Bowl XXXV: the  Baltimore Ravens defensive squad backed up its bragging by beating NY Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl, as Ravens intercepted Kerry Collins 4 times with the final "Pick 6" returned 49 yards for a TD by Duane Starks at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida;

*2014: Witnesses: The Exhibition “When You Listen to a Witness, You Become a Witness,” “documented the experiences of students visiting the former Nazi concentration camps in Poland during WW II, opened at the  Dag Hammarskjöld Libraryin the UN in NYC.


FN1: DATA PROTECTION: Data Privacy Day, aka Data Protection Day in Europe, celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Council of Europe's Convention For The Protection of Individuals Regarding Automatic Processing of Personal Data in 1981. This “Holiday” was 1st celebrated in 2007 and promotes the need for data privacy. It also helps raise awareness about how people can protect their data and their privacy online and offline.

FN2: REDUCE DOWNTIME: Fight work-day doldrums. It’s National Fun At Work Day! Most of us spend a good part of our lives at work; why not enjoy it? Dave Hemseth & Leslie Yerkes co-authors of "301 Ways to Have Fun@Work" say: “Organizations that integrate fun into work have lower levels of absenteeism, increase job satisfaction, increase productivity, and less downtime.”

FN3: JOYFUL KAZOO HISTORY: Alabama Vest, of Macon Georgia made the 1st  Kazoo in 1840′s; commercial production of the Kazoo began in 1912; there is a kazoo production factory museum in Eden, NY. In 1983 Chaplin Willard Rahn of Joyful Noise Kazoo Band, National Kazoo Day created this “holiday” to celebrate the humble kazoo & all infectious joy it brings to people of all ages.

FN4: PROBLEMATIC POPLAR: The Black Poplar, aka Lombardy Poplar, has many landscape problems. While it is fast-growing and has a distinctively narrow form, it is short-lived and therefore best planted as a windbreak away from most landscapes. It is native to Europe, NW Africa, and Western Asia.

[Pornhubby]

Today in History:

*1653: Old NYC: the city of New Amsterdam (later New York) is incorporated under Dutch rule , , , and speaking of NYC . . .

*1790: 1st S.Ct.: US Supreme Court convened for 1st time in NYC (only 3 of 6 justices were present so it recessed til next day);

*1876: 1st Phils: the National League formed with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, NY, St. Louis & Phily;

*1887: 1st Phil: the 1st Groundhog Day is observed on Gobbler's Knob in Borough of Punxatawney, PA, 84 miles NE of Pittsburgh;

*1914: 1st Chaplin Movie: Charlie Chaplin made his movie debut in comedy "Making a Living," released by Keystone Film Co.;

*1925: 1st Iditarod: after 5 ½ days, 674 mi. dog sleds reach Nome with life-saving diphtheria serum, in famed "Alaska Serum Run";

*1940: 1st Frank: Francis Albert Sinatra “Ole Blue Eyes,” debuted with Tommy Dorsey orchestra in Indianapolis;

*1956: Willie’s Debut: the Ontario Town of Wiarton on Georgian Bay started albino chuck Wiarton Willie Groundhog Day Festival;

*2020: KC Chiefs: Super Bowl LIV Kansas City beat San Francisco 49ers, 31-20 – the Chiefs' 1st  Super Bowl win since 1970.

[purpleshoes]

Today in History:
*1876: 1st Phils: the National League formed with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, NY, St. Louis & Phily;

Bet the Boston, NY, Hartford and Philly teams loved those road trips to Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville and St. Louis in the late 1800s. And vice versa.

[Pornhubby]

Bet the Boston, NY, Hartford and Philly teams loved those road trips to Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville and St. Louis in the late 1800s. And vice versa.

I assume they took turns playing on the road for extended periods, followed by defending at home. It was about a two day train trip from Boston to St. Louis. No private jet available for another 100 years.

[Pornhubby]

Today in January history:

1657: 1st “Act of Tolerance”:  Lord Protector of Commonwealth of England, Oliver Cromwell granted right of residence in England to a Jewish immigrant, Antonio Fernandez Carvajal; some say this was the earliest official British “act of tolerance” in favor of the Jews;

*1789: 1st POTUS: George Washington, “America’s Cincinnatus,”  was unanimously elected as first President of US by US Electoral College.

*1847: 1st Telegraph: the Baltimore–Washington Telegraph Co. line was the 1st long-distance telegraph system set up to run overland in US;

*1901: Horse Marines: "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" silent film opened in NYC (“Horse Marines” = mounted US Marines);

*1927: 1st “Talkie”: “The Jazz Singer,” the 1st talking motion picture – a musical starring Al Jolson, was released;

*1939: Sharps’ War: Lawyer Waitstill Sharp and wife Martha set sail for Europe in Step #1 of their “War-plan” to help rescue Jews in Europe;

*1941: USO: in response to President FDR’s request to provide morale & recreation services to uniformed military personnel 6 civilian agencies including inter alia the National Jewish Welfare Board formed the United Service Organization popularly known as the USO;

*1991: Alex’ Record: Alex Trebek became 1st person to host 3 game shows at same time (Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, To Tell the Truth);

*2018: “Philly Special” EAGLES' won Super Bowl LII, beating Tom Brady & New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis with “ST. NICK FOLES’ SUPER BOWL MVP play: 28 of 43 pass attempts for 373 yds & 3 TDs, only 1 INT + he also caught a 1-yd TD pass on a trick play.