Big Ideas

Crabby McSlacker at Cranky Fitness pointed out a study at Science Daily that says the gender gap between the math skills of boys and girls is cultural, not genetic.

When i mentioned that to Bigger Girl, she said, "Math is an inspiration for me. It's so boring, it makes me think of other stuff!"

Please don't tell the researchers.


Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Iraq

Befana -- Italy (Befana is the fairy who resides in chimneys, flies on a broom, and leaves toys and candy in stockings on Epiphany, their traditional day to exchange gifts.)

Bean Day (Bake a bean or penny into a cake, whoever gets the slice with the bean is king for a day. A tradition continued in New Orleans and vicinity, especially, all the way through Mardi Gras Day, only now a plastic baby toy, representative of Jesus, is put in the traditional cakes.)

Blessing of the Sea -- Margate, UK (ceremony with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateria and Great Britain)

Blessing of the Waters -- Piraeus, Greece; Turkey; among Greek Orthodox worshippers worldwide (on the traditional date of the Baptism of Jesus)

Carnival Season begins -- Christian, through Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

Children's Day -- Uruguay

Cuddle Up Day -- internet generated, an excuse to get close to your special someone

Day of Sirona -- Gallic Calendar (healing goddess; date approximate)

Dezome-shiki -- Tokyo, Japan (fire fighters perform acrobatic feats from the tops of ladders to show agility)

Dia de los Reys (Three Kings Day) -- Hispanic Christians

Epiphany -- Western Christian

Epiphany of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) -- Ancient Greek Calendar and Ancient Roman Calendar

Feast of Ptah and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Feast of the Theophany -- Orthodox Christian

Four Freedoms Day -- US (commemorates the FDR speech about the four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.)

Greek Cross Day -- Tarpon Springs, Florida (as part of the Greek Orthodox Church celebration of Epiphany/Little Christmas)

Little Christmas -- Ireland

Maroon Festival -- Jamaica

National Shortbread Day

Nativity of Christ -- Armenian Christian

Orthodox Christmas Eve -- Orthodox Christians who use the old calendar

Perch Tenlauf -- Austria (A festival with scary masks and music to frighten away winter.)

Shorinzan Daruma-Ichi -- Japan (Good luck dolls are purchased, with no eyes. One eye is painted on when you make a wish, the other when the wish comes true. Largest and oldest Daruma doll festival in Japan; through tomorrow.)

Sts. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir's Day (Patrons of travelers)

St. Peter Baptist's Day (Patron of Japan)

Take a Poet to Lunch Day -- listed on a few sites, and who doesn't want an excuse to go out to eat?

Turisi -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (holiday of the bull, Jar-tur; a fertility rite)



Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, 1540 (his 4th wife)
New Mexico becomes the 47th US State, 1912
George Bush marries Barbara Pierce, 1945


Birthdays Today:

Susan Perabo, 1969
Nancy Lopez, 1957
Rowan Atkinson, 1955
Bonnie Franklin, 1944
Vic Tayback, 1929
Sun Myung Moon, 1920
Loretta Young, 1913
Danny Thomas, 1912
Kahlil Gibran, 1883
Tom Mix, 1880
Carl Sandburg, 1878
Sherlock Holmes, 1854 (As celebrated by the Baker Street Irregulars.)
Joan of Arc, 1412


Today in History:

The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the "New World," at La Isabela, Hispaniola, 1494
All Jews are expelled from Syria, 1497
The city of Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, 1535
The first recorded boxing match of the style now called English Boxing is held -- the Duke of Albemarle's butler versus his butcher, 1681
Massachusetts slaves petition the legislature for freedom, 1773
Samuel Morse makes his first public demonstration of the telegraph, 1838
The most damaging storm in 300 years sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin, 1839
A patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill of Pennsylvania, 1857
The Washington National Cathedral is chartered bu the US Congress and signed by President Benjamin Harrison, 1893
The first telephone call is made from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake, 1898
Maria Montessori opens her first school and day care for working class families in Rome, 1907
The Great White Fleet passes through the Suez Canal, the largest group of ships to pass through up to that time, 1909
Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work among the poor of India, 1929
The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City, 1930
Thomas Edison submits his last patent application, for a "Holder for Article to be Electroplated," 1931
Barbara Hanley becomes Canada's first woman mayor, of the city of Webbwood, Ontario, 1936
The Pacific Clipper lands at Pan American's LaGuardia Field, completing the first around the world flight, 1942
The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II, 1978
The Ady Gil, a ship owned by Sea Shepherd, is sunk during a skirmish with the Japanese Whaling Fleet's Shonan Maru, 2010