Little Girl's Saga,

or Why i'm tempted to declare war on the school board. 

Back in November, Little Girl came to us and said she wanted to join the Louisiana Army National Guard.  She would be going for basic military training and EMT training and would have her college paid for by the military.  In exchange, she promises them one weekend a month and two weeks every summer, and to be ready to be called up in emergencies, which in Louisiana usually means during hurricanes.

We agreed and had to give her permission to sign up, because she was still only 17.   

Because of the way the dates worked out, in order to secure her the training she wanted as a medic (since she wants to get her nursing degree when she does go to college, already being a medic would serve her well) and get her sign-up bonus, she had to agree to leave for basic on May 17, the day before her high school graduation.

She worked hard in school, trained hard on her training weekends and was so close to being able to pass her PTs that she's certain of passing by the end of boot.

The big day finally came this past Tuesday, and i kissed her good-bye and Sweetie drove her out to the local recruiting and training base to ship out.

A couple of hours later, she called him to come pick her up.

It turned out that, even though she had passed all of her classes with a higher than 4.0  GPA because of her honors and AP classes, had her final report card, and her transcript was printed, the school board hadn't printed her graduation date on the transcript, so she couldn't ship out.

She went to the school to beg them to get someone to reprint the transcript with the graduation date on it.  They can't.  There's only one person in the district who is allowed to push the button to print that on a transcript, and that person couldn't be contacted.

On Wednesday, Sweetie again took her to ship out, because her sergeants were certain they would be able to get it all straight.  Once again, he had to go pick her up.

That's when Sweetie got mad enough about the situation to call someone he used to work with.  She happens to be the daughter of the school board superintendent.

Once he told her what the problem was, and that a military envoy was coming to the school board office to try to get help, she put in a call to her father.  The superintendent himself went out to meet with the military envoy and make absolutely certain all the paperwork was straightened out.

Wednesday was also the day of her graduation.  Because she hadn't shipped out on Tuesday, she was actually able to go and walk in the ceremony.  Because we had expected her to be gone and not to be at the ceremony, she had given away all of her tickets and all of us had to work, so no member of the family was able to attend.  It was very upsetting to me.  If she hadn't been able to be at the ceremony, that would have been one thing.  Since they messed her up and she was in town and could go, i really wanted to be there.  Having to work that night was agonizing.

Thursday morning, i drove Little Girl to the base, kissed her, and asked her to send me a one word text when she knew for certain if she were "going" or "not".  About an hour later, i received the word, "Going."

Late Thursday night, she texted that her flights went well and she'd arrived at the Military Welcome Center in Oklahoma, and that she would transfer to Ft. Sill early Friday morning.  She said she'd send us her address as soon as she was able.

Two days late and a bit worn from bureaucratic inefficiency, Little Girl is officially at boot camp.

Today is:

All Wright Housewalk -- Oak Park, IL, US (formerly called Wright Plus, The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust’s annual house walk features rare interior tours of privately owned homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries in the historic community of Oak Park)

American Red Cross Founder's Day -- established by Clara Barton on this

Anastenarides Feast -- Greece (feast to St. Constantine and St. Helen)

Armed Forces Day -- US (honoring those currently serving in the US military)

Bark in the Park -- Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, US (a fundraiser sponsored by The Anti-Cruelty Society, it's Chicago's Biggest Dog Party)
 
Battle of Las Piedras Day -- Uruguay

Celebrate Your Elected Officials Day 2015 -- unless you don't like them, then get to work electing better ones; if you know of a good one, take time today to thank her/him

Circassian Day of Mourning -- Circassians

Día de la Afrocolombianidad -- Columbia (Afro-Colombian Day; commemorates Columbia's abolition of slavery on this date in 1851)

Dia De Las Glorias Navales -- Chile (Navy Day)

Festival for Vevodus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of the dead, swamps, and volcanic movements, and sometimes regarded as the king of the Di Manes)

Full Flower Moon / Corn Planting Moon / Milk Moon
     Buddha Day/Vesak/Waisak  -- Bhuddist's Buddha Day; date varies with many celebrating tomorrow, and some areas already started the celebrations yesterday; sometimes called "Buddha's Birthday"
     Kasone Full Moon -- Myanmar
     Vesak Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
     Waisak/Vesak Festival -- Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia (on the day of the full moon, a stunning and spiritual celebration of Buddha's birthday)

Heavenly Sage Bao Sheng’s Birthday -- Taoism

Honvédelem Napja -- Hungary (Day of Patriots and Military)

Independence Day -- Montenegro

"I Need A Patch For That" Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, which notes that since everything else has a patch, why shouldn't you?

Iris Festival -- Greeneville, Tennessee, US (the community's major festival of the year, featuring artists, craftsmen, merchants, food vendors and entertainers from across the country; through tomorrow)

Lailat al-Bara'ah (Shab Barat) -- Islam (Night of Forgiveness, or sometimes Night of Records, a preparation for Ramadan; began at sunset yesterday, local custom dates may vary)

Lilies and Roses Day -- London, England (memorial of the death of Henry VI on this day in 1471; held at the Tower of London with representatives of Eton College and King's College, which he founded.)

Lord Buddha's Parinirvana -- Bhutan

National Learn To Swim Day -- US (with summer just around the corner, remember that drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages one to 14, so please, learn to swim and teach your kids!)

National Memo Day -- an internet holiday with no known origin, just take a memo

National Strawberries and Cream Day

National Waitstaff Day 

Passion Play Day -- the first Oberammergau, Germany, Passion Play was staged this date in 1634

Peddler's Village Strawberry Festival -- Lahaska, PA, US (strawberries in every form imaginable; through tomorrow)

Preakness Stakes-- Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD, US (140th annual; the second jewel in horseracing's Triple Crown)

Procession of the Golden Chariot and the Battle of Lumecon -- Mons, Belgium (a horse-drawn coach carrying the relics of St. Waudry circles the town to commemorate the delivery of Mons from plague in 1349, and in the afternoon, the Fraternity of St. George reenact the Battle, with St. George defeating the dragon)

Sister Maria Hummel Day -- birth anniversary of the Franciscan nun and artist

Skerpla Month begins -- Traditional Icelandic Calendar (Sharpness)

St. Constantine's Day (Greek Orthodox Church; Patron of Greece)

St. Eugene de Mazenod's Day (Patron of disfunctional families)

St. Helen's Day (Greek Orthodox Church; Patron of Greece)
     St. Helena Day -- St. Helena 

Wisconsin Dells Automotion -- Noah's Ark Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells, WI, US (showcase of more than 1,000 classic cars, music, food, and family fun; through tomorrow)

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development -- UN


Anniversary Today:

Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall, 1945


Birthdays Today:

Sarah Ramos, 1991
Ashlie Brillault, 1987
Lisa Edelstein, 1966
Judge Reinhold, 1957
Mr. T, 1952
Ian McEwan, 1948
Leo Sayer, 1948
Janet Dailey, 1944
Bobby Cox, 1941
Heinz Hollinger, 1939
Peggy Cass, 1924
Andrey Dmitriyevich Sakharov, 1921
Raymond Burr, 1917
Dennis Day, 1917
Harold Robbins, 1916
Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, 1909
Fats Waller, 1904
Armand Hammer, 1898
Glenn Hammond Curtiss, 1878
Elizabeth Gurney Fry, 1780
Alexander Pope, 1688
Albrecht Dürer, 1471


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Empire Strikes Back(Film), 1980
"Gypsy"(Musical), 1959
"Le Fils prodigue / The Prodigal Son(Prokofiev ballet, Op. 46), 1929
"Pagliacci"(Opera), 1892


Today in History:

Syracuse, Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily, 878
The island of Saint Helena is discovered by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova, 1502
The nobility elect John Sobieski King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1674
The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky is instituted in Russia by the empress Catherine I; it would later be discontinued and then reinstated by the Soviet government in 1942 as the Order of Alexander Nevsky, 1725
Mary Campbell is abducted from her home in Pennsylvania by Lenape during the French and Indian War, 1758
Slavery  is abolished in Colombia, South America, 1851
Russia declares an end to the Russian-Circassian War and many Circassians are forced into exile, 1864
French troops invade the Paris Commune and engage its residents in street fighting, 1871
The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton, 1881
The Manchester Ship Canal in England is officially opened by Queen Victoria, 1894
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is founded in Paris, 1904
Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, 1927
Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, 1932
Oskaloosa, Iowa, becomes the first municipality in the United States to fingerprint all of its citizens, 1934
A Soviet station becomes the first scientific research settlement to operate on the drift ice of the Arctic Ocean, 1937
The National War Memorial in Canada is unveiled by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa, 1939
Physicist Louis Slotin is fatally irradiated in a criticality incident during an experiment with the Demon core at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1946
The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition – a gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping-out of the post war New York avant-garde, collectively know as the New York School, 1951
Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is damaged by a vandal, 1972
Democratic Republic of Yemen and North Yemen agree to a unity, merging into Republic of Yemen, 1990
The Ethiopian Civil War ends, 1991
Suharto, Indonesian president of 32 years, resigns, 1998
The clipper Cutty Sark is badly damaged by fire in London, England, 2007
JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launches the solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS aboard an H-IIA rocket, 2010
The most active volcano in Iceland, Grimsvotn, erupts and triggers 50 small earthquakes, 2011

School Adjustments

"Mom, are you still home?" Little Girl asked.  She was calling me about 20 minutes after having left to walk the five houses down and around the corner to catch the bus to school.

Yes, i told her, aren't you on the bus yet?

"The bus doesn't seem to be coming, and I'm going to be late, so I wanted you to know I'm coming back so you can take me."

That worked out just fine yesterday morning, but on days when i've already left for work, it's going to be a problem.

It turned out that her regular bus driver had become ill, and the substitute was given directions from the assistant principal that did not include our neighborhood at all.  He's new, as are most of the student counselors, so we are cutting him some slack.  They are all a bit overwhelmed.

Last year, that would have meant passing by 4 young people who needed a ride to school from our neighborhood.  This year, the other three have graduated and Little Girl is the only one.  So it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

(Yes, there are other high school students in our neighborhood.  Most of them attend private schools or go to one of the other public schools that specialize in art or technology or something.  They have different buses.)

She went in to the office and spoke to them, and they called the sub driver, who now knows to come through our subdivision.

As long as it's so hot, though, i'm going to try to pick her up after school each day, and not make her get on the bus.  Mornings aren't so bad, she's the last one picked up and it only takes seven to ten minutes to get there, depending on the traffic lights, and it's not too hot yet.  Afternoons are a totally different matter, as she's the last one dropped off and the temperatures are sweltering.  Sweetie is off work by the time she gets out, so even if i'm working, he can get her.  This way, also, we can drop her friend Alli off at her workplace on the days she has a shift after school.  It's on our way, and no one should have to walk in 100+ temps like we've been having.

Ah, the first weeks of school can be an adjustment, can't they?

Today is:

Alcatraz Day -- the first prisoners arrived this day in 1934

Carnival Tuesday -- Granada

Day of Honor for Oddudua -- Santeria religion (cognate of the Roman Catholic St. Clare of Assisi; credited with the creation of humans)

Defense Forces Day -- Zimbabwe

Dog Days end -- yes, supposedly, in this heat

Feast of St. Attracta -- Irish Catholic Saint (founded a hospice and convents, and supposedly slayed a dragon; Patron of Achonry, Ireland; Men of Lugna)

Fox Hill Day -- Nassau, Bahamas (final day of their Emancipation celebrations)

Independence Day -- Chad(1960)

Ingersoll Day

International Sundance -- Manitoba, Canada (an extraordinary gathering of Elders from many Native traditions around the world, to perform the sacred Sundance of the Lakota people and sacred ceremonies of the other traditions represented; through Saturday)

Machias Wild Blueberry Festival -- Machias, ME, US (blueberries and fun, in the place that has lobster, too; through Saturday)

National Raspberry Bombe Day or Raspberry Tart Day -- whichever one you like best, or both, if that's the way you roll

Play in the Sand Day -- as per many internet sites; yeah, like at the beach, nothing like sand in your shorts, i get enough of that on vacation, thank you

Presidential Joke Day**

Son and Daughter Day -- the day to give your son(s) or daughter(s) the gift of time

St. Clare of Assisi's Day -- (Foundress of the Order of Poor Ladies [Poor Clares] Franciscan nuns; Patron of embroiderers, eyes, gilders/gold workers/goldsmiths, good weather, laundry workers, needle workers, telegraphs, telephones, and television writers; Assisi, Italy; Santa Clara Indian Pueblo; against eye disease)***; related observance
    Fiesta de Santa Clara -- Santa Clara Pueblo, NM, US (Native American celebration of St. Clare of Assisi, their Patron saint, with a corn dance and prayers for rain)

St. Philomela's Day (Patron of babies, children, desperate causes, forgotten causes, impossible causes, lost causes, orphans, poor people, priests, prisoners, sick people, students, test takers, toddlers, young people; against barrenness, bodily ills, infertility, mental illness, sickness, sterility)

World's Fair of Money -- Chicago, IL, US (the greatest money show on Earth, including dealers, exhibits from around the world, family activities and educational programs; through Saturday)


Birthdays Today:

Will Friedle, 1976
Ashley Jensen, 1969
Viola Davis, 1965
Joe Jackson, 1955
Hulk Hogan, 1953
Stephen Wozniak, 1950
Marilyn vos Savant, 1946
Joanna Coles, 1944
Anna Massey, 1937
Arlene Dahl, 1928
Mike Douglas, 1925 (Note: he also died on this date in 2006)
Alex Haley, 1921
Carrie Minetta Jacobs-Bond, 1862
David Rice Atchison, 1807
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, 1667 (Last of the Medicis)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child(Film), 1989
"Die Harmonie der Welt /The Harmony of the World"(Opera), 1957


Today in History:

First day of the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, used my the Maya and other pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, BC3114
Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation, BC2492
Battle of Artemisium, naval battle of the Greco-Persian War, fought at the same time as the Battle of Thermopylae of the same war; Leonidas, King of Sparta, dies in the land battle, BC480*
Papandayan Java volcanic eruption kills 3,000, 1772
Charles Lawrence gives expulsion orders to remove the Acadians from Nova Scotia beginning the Great Upheaval, 1755
The world's first roller rink opens in Newport, RI, 1866
The first civilian prisoners arrive at Alcatraz, 1934
Actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil receive a patent for a frequency hopping, spread spectrum communication system that later became the basis for modern technologies in wireless telephones and Wi-Fi, 1942
A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830, en route from Tokyo to Honolulu, killing one teenager and injuring 15 passengers, 1984
NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history, 2003
A new species of a giant carnivorous plant, Nepethes attenboroughii, is discovered in the central Phillipines highlands, 2009
Jamaican runner Usain Bolt wins his third gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012


*some historians give different dates

**because presidents have a sense of humor, too, as shown this day in 1984 when Reagan thought the microphone was off and joked about Russia being outlawed

***why tv? because when she became too ill to attend mass at the end of her life, a miraculous image of the service would display on the wall of her room

Real Life is Good and Bad

And i have had good and bad the last couple of days.

Because of Cicero's breakdown last week, i didn't get to work.  The lady for whom i clean has 4 kids, so skipping a week means i come in to a disaster.

Indeed, it was, when i got there yesterday.  It took me an hour just to gather and sort the laundry, and i still didn't get to the boys' bed linens.   So i'm going back today to finish up.  She really needs someone there like my parents had when we were growing up.  My mom's housekeeper, who also cooked and yes, did windows, came for 4-5 hours a day, four days a week.  Maybe someday they will want me to do that.

Meanwhile, one of the good things that happen in life, a comment from a child, came my way yesterday.  The youngest boy in the family, who just turned 7, told me, "I like it when you come, cause then I can find stuff!"

Now that, friends, is a compliment!

Then i came home to a washing machine that is giving me trouble, not wanting to fill correctly, and to some bad news from Little Girl.

"Mom," she said as soon as she saw me come in from work, "you might want to be praying for our school.  One of the kids died last night!"

Well, i pray for your school anyway, i said, but what happened?

"Drive by shooting," she answered.  "I knew him, but not well, he was a cool kid.  And he wasn't the target."

Will they bring in grief counselors? i asked.

"Yeah, I think they will," she answered.  "A lot of the kids were very upset, and one girl in my class broke down."

Oh, sweetheart, i'm so sorry that happened! i told her as i gave her a hug.

Real life is good and bad, and it can all happen in the same day.




Today is:

Cayenne Festival -- French Guiana (celebration of the capital city)

Circleville Pumpkin Show -- Circleville, OH, US (celebrating with over 100,000lbs of pumpkins, squash, and gourds; through Saturday)

Day of Homage for the late King Father -- Cambodia (Norodom Sihanouk)

Dine with TV Dinners on the Floor Night -- probably started by someone who wanted to see how many websites would be crazy enough to even list this

East Texas Yamboree -- Gilmer, TX, US (yam it up with the family at the carnival, watch them crown the Yamboree Queen, enjoy the livestock show, and more; through Saturday)

Election Day -- Mozambique

Feast of the Three Noble Ladies -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (female pharoahs; date approximate)

Fete Nationale de l'Evacuation -- Tunisia (Evacuation Day, celebrates the day all foreign military finally and fully left)

Global Handwashing Day -- International (scrub up! prevent the spread of germs)

Guangzhou Autumn Trade Fair -- Guangzhou, China (through Nov. 15)

Hagfish Day -- a day to celebrate the uniqueness and necessity of even the ugliest of sea creatures, like the hagfish

Ides of October -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also on this date
     Harvest Festival of Mars
     Ludi Capitolini (games in honor of Jupiter)
     Winter's Day

Mahakiki -- Hawai'ian New Year Season (a four month season where warfare is forbidden and many ceremonies take place; begins around the time of the first sighting of the Pleiades in the Northern Hemisphere)

Mertz of All Possible Mertzes -- internet generated and on the day "I Love Lucy" premiered; i guess Fred and Ethel were the definition of what a Mertz should be!

National Cake Decorating Day -- again, because every website gives a different date

National Chicken Cacciatore Day

National Fossil Day -- US (National Park Service information)

National Grouch Day -- sponsored by Alan Miller, chairman of the board of NAG (National Association of Grouches)

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day -- AIDS.gov

National Mushroom Day

National Roast Pheasant Day

National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day

National Take Your Parents To Lunch Day -- somebody out there wants you to honor your parents, if you still have them

National Tree Planting Day -- Sri Lanka

Newspaper Week -- Japan

Poetry Day -- birth anniversary of the Roman poet Virgil

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day -- Canada; NSW, Australia; UK; US (information here)

Rectification Day -- Burkina Faso

Rainbow Pickling Day -- Fairy Calendar

Sewing Lovers' Day -- internet generated, as those who love to sew deserve a day to celebrate

Shemini Azteret -- Judaism (Jewish completion of the annual cycle of reading of the Torah; begins at sunset, through sunset tomorrow)

St. Teresa of Avila's Day (Founder of the Reformation of the Discalces[Barefoot] Carmelites; Patron of lace makers/workers, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety, sick people; Amos, Canada; Berzano di Tortona, Italy; Pozega, Croatia; Spain; against bodily ills, headaches, sickness, the death of parents)

Teacher's Day -- Brazil

White Cane Safety Day -- US (celebrating the achievements of the blind/visually impared, and recognizing the white cane as the symbol of their independence)

Wishbones for Pets begins -- US program asking professional pet sitters to gather pet supplies and donations for homeless pets through Thanksgiving

World Rural Women's Day/International Day of Rural Women -- UN; related observance
     Mother's Day -- Malawi




Birthdays Today:

Paige Davis, 1969
Sarah Ferguson, 1959
Emeril Lagasse,1959
Tanya Roberts, 1955
Tito Jackson, 1953
Richard Carpenter, 1946
Victor Banerjee, 1946
Jim Palmer, 1945
Penny Marshall, 1942
Linda Lavin, 1937
Lee Iacocca, 1924
Mario Puzo, 1920
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., 1917
John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908
Marty Mann, 1904
P.G. Wodehouse, 1881
Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, 1872
John L. Sullivan, 1858
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844
Publius Vergilius Maro / Virgil, 70BCE


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Untouchables"(TV), 1959
"I Love Lucy"(TV), 1951
"Abe Lincoln in Illinois"(Play), 1938
To Have and Have Not(Publication date), 1937
"La Mer/The Sea"(Debussy orchestral composition), 1905


Today in History:

Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals, 533
Commissioned by Catherine De Medici, the 1st ballet "Ballet Comique de la Reine," is staged in Paris, 1581
Asser Levy is granted a butcher's license for kosher meat in New Amsterdam, 1660
The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon marks the first human ascent, by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, (tethered balloon), 1783
George Washington takes the first formal presidential tour, of New England, 1789
Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to the Island of St. Helena, 1815
Child labor law takes 12 year olds out of the work force, 1874
Edison Electric Light Company is incorporated, 1878
Koln cathedral is completed, 633 years after it was begun, 1880
The German dirigible "Graf Zeppelin' lands in Lakehurst, NJ, 1928
LaGuardia Airport opens, 1939
Fortran, the first modern computer language, is shared with the coding community for the first time, 1946
The start of the 2500-year celebration of Iran, celebrating the birth of Persia, 1971
The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England, 1987
Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL, 1989
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1990
The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC (United Kingdom), exactly 50 years and 1 day after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the Earth's atmosphere, 1997
The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn, 1997
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io, 2001
China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission, 2003
The final breakthrough occurs on the east bore of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the Swiss Alps, now the world's longest railway tunnel, 2010

At the last minute!

"Um, mom, I need to interview you and write the answers so I can turn this in today," Little Girl informed me on the way to school.  Which school, by the way, is only about a 7 minute drive from our house when the lights are long.

You've waited until the last minute, haven't you? i asked, shaking my head.

"Well, I just have to interview someone about their job, and fill in these blanks.  So, what is your job?"

Janitor! i replied.  Or you could call me a housekeeper, or chief cook and bottle washer.

"What do you do in a typical day?"

Scrub things and make them clean again, i replied.  Also, laundry.  Lots of laundry.  Mostly i just clean whatever my clients want me to clean.  Like today, i'm going to go scrub grout for a client who wants to reseal it in her kitchen, it's all grubby.

"What training did you get to become a janitor, and did you go to college?"

Well, i had chores as a kid, and i worked in Grandpa's office cleaning and sterilizing equipment among other things.  Also, lots of training cleaning up after you rug rats!

"Mom, don't get so personal!  Did you go to college, and what did you study?"

Yes, i went to college, and i majored in English Literature, History, and Religious Studies.  Which qualifies me to either scrub, watch kids, or ask if you want fries with a meal.

"What are three things you like about your job?"

Well, i like putting fresh sheets on beds and making them look pretty, because everyone should have a nicely made bed to come home to after a hard day's work.  Also, i like killing germs, especially in sinks and on TV remotes and such.  Leaving a bathroom smelling fresh and appealing is a good thing, too.

"What are three things you dislike about your job?

Days when i have 8 loads of laundry about kill me.  Also, it's a pain when the kids leave the toys everywhere and you have to clean up before you can clean up, if you know what i mean.  And i've always loathed vacuuming, for some reason.

At that point, we had arrived at the school. 

"Okay, just one more question, and I'll write the answer when I get inside.  Would you recommend this job to someone, and why or why not?"

It's great work to be able to make someone's house nice for them for when they come home and get paid for it, unlike at home where no one thanks you and there's no pay.  Being your own boss can be great, as you can get out and get clients if you need more work, or refuse people if you decide you don't want to work so much, or if the client is crazy!

"Thanks!" she said, and hopped out of the van with her backpack in one hand, the paper and pencil she had been using in the other.

Shaking my head, i remember those last minute dashes to finish things.  Sometimes i'd get stuff done early, sometimes not.  The apple isn't far from the tree.


Today is:

Blessed Father Jacques Leval Day -- Mauritius (physician turned priest who lived among and ministered to the poorest of the poor in Mauritius; people of all faiths make a pilgrimage to his tomb today)

Bonza Bottler Day

Chrysanthemum Day or Kiku no Sekku -- Japan

Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of Racial Violence -- Slovakia

Festivity of Our Lady of Aranzazu -- Oñati, Basque

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day -- spreading the word about the very preventable problem of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Full Harvest Moon a/k/a Full Corn Moon/Indigo Moon/Wise-Crone Moon (with so much food ripe for gathering, harvesting can go on well into the night by the light of the hugely full Harvest Moon)
     Binara Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka (began yesterday evening)
     Chusok -- South Korea (Harvest Moon Festival;  a harvest festival and day to give homage to the ancestors and celebrate family)
     Han'gawi -- North Korea (Harvest Moon Festival; a harvest festival and day to give homage to the ancestors and celebrate family)
     Taw Thalin Full Moon -- Myanmar
     Zhongqiu Jie / Chong Chao -- China; Macau; Taiwan (Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival, the birthday of the earth god T'u-ti Kung, celebrating the harvests, family, and eating moon cakes, matchmaking, sky lanterns, Fire Dragon Dances, and more)

Husker Harvest Days -- Grand Island, NE, US (the largest irrigated working ag show on a permanent site in the US; through Thursday)

Independence Day -- Tajikistan

Karasu-zumo -- Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, Kyoto, Japan (a distinctive local festival where the Shinto priests imitate crows)

Liberation Ceremony -- Petange, Luxembourg

Milk-Bathing Festival -- Fairy Calendar

National Day -- North Korea(1948)

National Sports Day -- Indonesia

National Steak Au Poivre Day

St. Peter Claver's Day (Patron of African missions, inter-racial justice, race relations; Colombia; Lake Charles, LA; Shreveport, LA; Witbank, South Africa; against slavery)

Synaxis of Ss. Joachim and Anna -- Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches

Teddy Bear Day -- internet generated, but since it's so much fun to have one, celebrate your old friend

Wienerschnitzel Day

Wonderful Weirdos Day -- we all have a few in our lives, they remind us to be true to ourselves, so thank them today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays


Anniversaries Today:

California becomes the 31th US State, 1850


Birthdays Today:

Michelle Williams, 1980
Michael Buble, 1975
Goran Visnjic, 1972
Rachel Hunter, 1969
Adam Sandler, 1966
Hugh Grant, 1960
Mario Batall, 1960
Angela Cartwright, 1952
Michael Keaton, 1951
Tom Wopat, 1951
Joe Theisman, 1949
Billy Preston, 1946
Otis Redding, 1941
Sylvia Miles, 1934
Cliff Robertson, 1925
James Hilton, 1900
Colonel Harland Sanders, 1890
Alf Landon, 1887
Leo Tolstoy, 1828
William Bligh, 1754


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Welcome Back, Kotter"(TV), 1975
"Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids"(TV), 1972


Today in History:

William I, The Conqueror, dies in a horseriding accident, 1087
The New England colonies declare war on the Wampanoag Tribe, 1675
The first steam engine arrives in the US colonies, 1753
The first recorded black to graduate from a US college, Alexander Lucius Twilight, receives a BA from Middlebury College, 1817
Charles Durant, the first US aeronaut, flies a balloon from Castle Garden, NYC to Perth Amboy, NJ, 1830
The first plate glass photograph is taken by John Herschel, 1839
California becomes the 31st state and the territories of New Mexico and Utah are created, 1850
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is finalized, 1886
Orville Wright makes the first one hour plane flight, 1908
J. Verdrines becomes the first person to fly at over 100mph, 1912
First actual case of a computer bug being found: a moth lodges in a relay of a Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University, 1947
Hurricane Betsy makes its second landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming the first hurricane to do over $1billion in actual unadjusted damages, 1965
The four-day Attica Prison riot begins, 1971
The Palestine Liberation Organization officially recognizes Israel as a legitimate state, 1993
At exactly 01:46:40 UTC, the Unix billenium is reached, marking the beginning of the use of 10-digit Unix timestamps, 2001
The "Ophel Treasure", about 1,400 years old, is discovered near the foot of Temple Mount in Jerusalem, 2013

Back to School

When the kids go back to school, so do the grown-ups -- for open house.

That was last night, at Little Girl's high school  She's in 11th grade now, and this year, she went to the open house with me.  That turned out to be a good thing.

We start in the gym, where the JROTC, which was started at this particular high school by a friend of mine when she was a student here almost 30 years ago, presents the colors, and we recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  Then the band tootles and tweets and bangs their way through The Star-Spangled Banner, and play another number so the dancers can show one of their routines.

The football coach brings in the team and introduces his senior players, and they get their applause.  They enjoyed it, especially the player who seems to go by the name Gumbo.  He must be a character, by the way he cut up, and got the rest of them going.

The cheerleaders led us in a couple of rousing cheers, and then we were dismissed to meet the teachers.

Last year, we went from classroom to classroom to meet each one.  This year, they had tables set up in the common area, and we simply went from the math tables to the English tables to the social sciences tables, and etc.  It got loud and crazy rather fast, so they may want to work on that next year.

It turned out to be good she was with me, as she could point out which tables i could skip, and tell me which teacher at which table was hers.  Otherwise i would have had no clue.

Anyway, i met all of them.  They all seem like no-nonsense people who are truly dedicated to bringing out the best in their students and giving them the best education they can.  The math teacher informed me that his classes will be doing the MyMathLab program, which is what Bigger Girl does at the community college, so i know they are serious.

The English teacher is going to send me the list of novels and other books they will be reading.  We already bought Little Girl the first book, but he is waiting for approval of his syllabus from the board to finalize the rest.  He says has enough copies in the classroom for the next two he wants to teach, books that are always approved, but i'm going to get onto Amazon and buy the rest for her.  They just don't have the resources to always have all the books they need, which is sad.

On a similar note, one of her teachers has her for a class about finance and careers and such (they didn't have such a thing when i was a kid, so i'm not sure when this became part of the curriculum).  She will be teaching Dave Ramsey's My Total Money Makeover book, which i love.  When Little Girl told me about that, and i saw that the website was having a special of $6/book for a case of ten, with only $7 shipping, i snatched it up.  The school can use them, and i'm so thrilled about that being taught, i couldn't help myself.

This year i also got to meet the librarian, who goes by Señor.  When i told him Little Girl admires him, he laughed and said she needed better role models, but you can tell this man is also a dedicated educator.

While there have already been a couple of fights at the school this year (it's inevitable, unfortunately),  they've had a mostly smooth start and students have already been assigned projects and homework and i think she's going to enjoy it and learn a lot.  



Today is

Air Guitar World Championships -- Oulu, Finland (through Saturday; "The purpose of the Air Guitar World Championships is to promote world peace.")

Banana Lover's Day

Be Kind to Humankind Week:  Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday

Birthday of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Columbia County Fair -- Chatham, NY, US (be a kid again at the 174th annual fair; through US Labor Day)

Day Sacred to Consus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of graineries, horses, and mules)

Feast Day of Pan -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Feast of Incandescent Rebellion -- on lots of websites, and supposedly something celebrated in China, but no detail as to what it is really celebrating

Just Because Day -- internet generated, enjoy something ordinary you like to do, just because!

La Tomatina -- Buñol, Valencia, Spain (annual citywide food fight festival in which around 30,000 people take to the streets to pelt each other with tomatoes)

National Pots de Creme Day

Nugget Best in the West Rib Cook-Off -- Sparks, NV, US (with rib cookers from across the country competing, this is a rib eater's delight, and even includes a rib-eating contest and free nightly concerts; through Labor Day)

Petroleum Day -- on the anniversary of the opening of the first commercial oil well in Titusvilla, PA, US, in 1859, a day set aside to work on figuring out how to do without petroleum

St. Caesarius' Day (Patron against fire)

St. Monica's Day (Mother of St. Augustine; Patron of abuse victims, alcoholics, difficult marriages, disappointing children, homemakers, married women, mothers, victims of adultery and unfaithfulness, victims of verbal abuse, widows, wives; Bevilacqua, Italy; Mabini, Bohol, Philippines)

"The Duchess" Who Wasn't Day -- birthday of Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, who wrote under the pseudonym "The Duchess" and first said, "Beaty is in the eye of the beholder" in her novel, Molly Bawn

Threethousandth Thnork of the Year -- Fairy Calendar

Tug of War World Championships -- Madison, WI, US (sponsored by the US Tug of War Association, and fun whether you are an enthusiast or just looking to watch the fun; through Sunday)

Volturnalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of water)

Ziua Republicii -- Moldova (Independence Day, 1991)


Birthdays Today

Sarah Chalke, 1976
Chandra Wilson, 1969
Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens, 1952
Barbara Bach, 1947
Tuesday Weld, 1943
Tommy Sands, 1937
Martha Raye, 1916
Mother Teresa, 1910
Lyndon B. Johnson, 1908
C.S. Forester, 1899
Samuel Goldwyn, 1882
Theodore Dreiser, 1871
Charles Gates Dawes, 1865
Hannibal Hamlin, 1809


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Good Sex! with Dr. Ruth Westheimer"(TV), 1984
Mary Poppins(Disney film), 1964
"Prométhée/Prometheus"(Fauré tragédie lyrique), 1900



Today in History

The Persian invasion of Greece is halted with Greek victories in two separate battles, BC479
Koreans battle and prevent Japanese invasion, 663
The first unmanned hydrogen balloom flight reaching 900 m altitude, 1783
Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world's first commercially successful oil well, 1859
The shortest war in world history occurs from 09:00 to 09:45 between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar, 1896
Edgar Rice Burroughs' publishes "Tarzan of the Apes", 1912
First flight of the turbojet-powered Heinkel He 178, the world's first jet aircraft, 1939
The Mariner 2 unmanned space mission is launched to Venus by NASA, 1962
Turkish military diplomat Colonel Atilla Altikat is shot and killed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1982
The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, is completed, 1993
Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, 2003
Curiosity, the Mars rover, broadcasts its first audio recording of a human voice from the surface of another planet, 2012

But I Don't Wanna!

Gone are the days when school started the Tuesday after US Labor Day, meaning the first Tuesday in September.  That's how it was when i was a kid.

Now, for some reason, we start back up in August!  And they still go until the end of May, as we did.  It doesn't make much sense to me, but it is what it is.

Thus yesterday was Little Girl's first day in 11th Grade.  She still needs to do a couple of E2020 classes, as they are called, because they won't give her credit for what she did in the private school, but they did put her in 11th even without those.

When she came in yesterday, i asked how the first day had gone.  (While i drive her to school, because it would be insane to make her catch a bus at 6am when i can drive her up there in about 6 minutes, she enjoys riding the bus home if it's not raining.  She likes the bus driver, and a few of her friends on the bus.)

Her answer was, "Mom, they've moved me up to honors classes and I'm in Advanced Placement English!  That's for some college credit!"

That's what happens, i told her, when you make all A's.

"But it's the same classes, just more work, like Festus said!  I don't wanna do more work!"

You are good at it, honey, so you have to just dig in and do it.  And you can do it, i told her.

She knows she can.  And we are going to see about those E2020 classes, too, so that she can graduate on schedule.



 
Today is:

Aloha Day -- unofficial celebration of the annexation of Hawai'i by the US

Anniversary of Snick-Snacker's Left Foot -- Fairy Calendar

Awa Odori Festival -- Tokushima, Japan (through the 15th; one of Japan's largest dance festivals, Awa-dance is said to be a "fool's dance", and the saying is "It's a fool who dances and a fool who watches, so if both are fools, you may as well dance!")

Carnival Tuesday -- Granada

Defense Forces Day -- Zimbabwe

Festival for Hercules Invictus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (through tomorrow; based on an even older Greek celebration of Heracles at the same time of year)

Festival for Venus Vitrix -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Victorius Venus)

Fox Hill Day -- Nassau, Bahamas (final day of their Emancipation celebrations)

Grouse Day/Glorious Twelfth -- England; Scotland (opening of grouse hunting season; because the 12th is a Sunday in 2012, it will actually be celebrated tomorrow)

Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday and National Mother's Day -- Thailand

International Sundance -- Manitoba, Canada (an extraordinary gathering of Elders from many Native traditions around the world, to perform the sacred Sundance of the Lakota people and sacred ceremonies of the other traditions represented; through Saturday)

International Youth Day -- UN

Julienne Fries Day

Lychnapsia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (celebration of the Birthday of Isis, instituted after the conquest of Egypt)

Machias Wild Blueberry Festival -- Machias, ME, US (blueberries and fun, in the place that has lobster, too; through Saturday)

Middle Children's Day -- on some sites, listed as Aug. 14; either way, Middle Children deserve a special day!

National Toasted Almond Bar Day

Osirian Mysteries; Feast of the Lights of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate, but this is the date the Romans gave it, so who am i to quibble?)

PC Day -- no, not politically correct, personal computer; IBM introduced theirs this day in 1981

Put Peanuts in Your Coca Cola Day -- and no, i can't figure this one out, but they say don't shake it once you do it; if anyone else wants to experiment with why, let me know the results

Solar Alignment with Teotihuacan, City of the Gods -- ancient when the Aztecs found its ruins, this city's ritual cave aligns with the setting sun today and April 29, also the rising and setting dates of the Pleiades

South Mountain Fair -- Arendtsville, PA, US (celebrating agriculture, arts, crafts, and industry; through Saturday)

St. Gracilian's Day (Patron of Bassano Romano, Italy)

St. Murtagh's Day (Patron of Killaria, Ireland)

Vinyl Record Day -- celebrating the tremendous cultural influence of records, on the anniversary of the day in 1877 that Edison invented the phonograph

World Elephant Day -- learn more here

Zaraday a/k/a Zarathud's Day -- Discordianism


Birthdays Today:

Casey Affleck, 1975
Pete Sampras, 1971
Peter Krause, 1964
Ann M. Martin, 1955
Pat Metheny, 1954
Sam J. Jones, 1954
Skip Caray, 1939
George Hamilton, 1939
William Goldman, 1931
George Soros, 1930
Alvis Edgar “Buck” Owens, 1929
John Derek, 1926
Michael Kidd, 1915
Jane Wyatt, 1912
Cantinflas, 1911
Joe Besser, 1907
Alfred Lunt, 1892
Cecil B. DeMille, 1881
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson, 1880
Edith Hamilton, 1867
Katharine Lee Bates, 1859
"Diamond Jim" Brady, 1856
Robert Mills, 1781
Thomas Bewick, 1753


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Wings(Film, only silent film to win the Oscar for Best Picture), 1927


Today in History:

The last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic Dynasty, Cleopatra VII Philopater, allegedly commits suicide by asp bite, BC30
A conjunction of Venus and Jupiter occurs which may have been what the Bible calls the Star of Bethlehem, 3
Crusaders win the Battle of Ascalon, 1099
Juan Ponce de Leon arrives in Puerto Rico, 1508
Praying Indian John Alderman shoots and kills Metacomet, the Wampanoag war chief, ending King Philip's War, 1676
Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine, the first one to be practical for home use, 1851
Asaph Hall discovers Deimos, 1877
The last quagga, a subspecies of zebra once plentiful in South Africa, dies at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam, 1883
Hawai'i is annexed by the US, 1898
William Somerset Maugham published "Of Human Bondage", 1915
Alleged date of the first Philadelphia Experiment test on United States Navy ship USS Eldridge, 1943
The Soviet Union detonates its first thermonuclear weapon, 1953
Echo I, the first communications satellite, is launched, 1960
South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games because of its racist policies, 1964
The first free flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, 1977
The IBM Personal Computer is released, 1981
Canada, Mexico, and the United States announce completion of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 1992
The Oscar class submarine K-141 Kursk of the Russian Navy explodes and sinks in the Barents Sea during a military exercise, 2000
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launches, 2005
Director of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, announces plans to release remaining Afghan War Diary documents from War in Afghanistan, 2010
President Obama's health insurance mandate from his Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is struck down by the U.S. court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2011
The International Olympic Committee announces it will punish athletes who support Russian LGBT rights at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, 2013

Casual

"Oh, hey, mom, Mrs. L said I've completed my work, and when she and her husband get back from visiting Dallas next week, I can go get my diploma."

With this casual nonchalance, #2 Son announced that he has graduated from high school!

Last year, he hoped to simply take his GED and be done.  He had aced the practice tests, and was ready to go take the real thing.  The State has a different idea, though, and makes you take other tests.  They won't just give you the practice or real GED, they make you jump through a bunch of other hoops.  It proved to be easier to send him back to the private school to be tutored in geometry and algebra, and earn a diploma that way.

Thus he came home from school with this announcement.  When i congratulated him and asked him if he would now try to enroll in culinary school again, he said, "Well, I'm not sure if I want to do that right away.  After all, they are talking about moving me into an assistant manager position at work.  Oh, and this morning, I did set ups.  It usually takes two people about forty-five minutes to an hour to set up both sides, and I did both sets ups in half an hour!  So I think I just want to work for a while, have some managing experience when I get to culinary school."

That's fine if he wants to take a breather and wait a bit.  He's got his high school diploma, he can bask in that for a while.



Today is

Aldersgate Day -- Methodism

Alma Highland Festival and Games -- Alma College, Alma, Michigan (annual celebration of Scottish heritage, with world class entertainment and fun; through tomorrow)

ARMAD: Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day -- US ("Ham it up for the troops!" is the motto of amateur ham radio operators on the Saturday before Memorial Day)

Battle of Pichincha Day -- Ecuador

Bermuda Day -- Bermuda

Brooklyn Bridge Day -- the most often sold bridge in the US (or so i've been told) opened on this day in 1883

Brother's Day -- celebrate all forms of brotherhood, biological, adopted, fraternity brothers, or members of your labor union

Cape May Music Festival -- Cape May, NJ, US (world class music performances of many genres; through June 12)

Day for the Naming of Rocks and Planets -- Fairy Calendar

European Day of Parks -- Europe

Feast of Hermes Trismegistus -- Hellenistic Egyptian Calendar (thrice-blessed Hermes, patron of alchemy, date approximate)

Grubstake Days -- Yucca Valley, CA, US (parade, carnival, rodeo, fun! this year's theme is "Honoring All Who Serve")

Hug Your Cat Day -- created by Apricat, star of books written by Marisa D'Vari, who says no matter how aloof, your cat really does want a hug

Independence Day -- Eritrea(1993)

International Jazz Day -- as originally set by the New Jersey Jazz Society, on the Saturday before US Memorial Day

International Tiara Day -- ladies, celebrate your powers of leadership in your life; tiara wearing is optional, it's the fact that you rule that mattershttp://internationaltiaraday.com/

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy -- Isle of Man (through June 6; two weeks of the finest road racing on earth)

Julia Pierpont Day -- she came up with Decoration Day, the precursor to US Memorial Day; prepare veterans' graves for Memorial Day today

La Fete des Saintes Maries -- Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France (Roma [gypsy] festival, to honor St. Sara, St. Marie Jacobe, and St. Marie Salome, their patrons; through the 25th)

Last Bell -- Russia (tradition of closing schools for the year by having a formal ceremony with the children, and a first grader rings the school bell for dismissal)

Little Lamb Day -- publication anniversary, in 1830, of the original poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Lobster Days -- Mystic Seaport, CT, US (a New England lobster bake on the banks of the Mystic River; through Monday)

Lubiri Memorial Day -- Buganda Region, Uganda

Morse Code Day -- anniversary of Morse's first message in 1844 (Morse Code Day is also celebrated on his birth anniversary, April 27)

National Escargot Day

Sovereign's Day Holiday / Commonwealth Day-- Belizeusually24th

Sara-la-Kali -- St. Sara, or St. Sara the Black's Day -- patron of the Roma (Gypsy) Peoples (pilgrimage)

Skerpla Month begins -- Traditional Icelandic Calendar (Sharpness)

Sts. Cyril and Methodius's Day (Orthodox Church celebration; Patrons of Macedonia) related observances
     Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day -- Bulgaria
     Slavonic Enlighteners' Day -- Republic of Macedonia

St. Susanna's Day (Patron of martyrs)

Taste of Cincinnati -- Cincinnati, OH, US (6 blocks of Downtown Cincinnati is turned into a big food extravaganza; through Monday)

Tivoli Fest -- Elk Horn, IA, US (annual celebration of the area's Danish roots; through tomorrow)

Tohoku Rokkon Matsuri -- Yamagata City, Japan (a special matsuri, bringing together six major festivals from the district that was hard hit by the 2011 earthquake; through tomorrow)

Tour of Somerville -- Somerville, NJ, US (the oldest continuously run major bicycle race in America, always on observed Memorial Day)

Utica Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Festival -- Utica, OH, US (local artisans, pony rides, antique gas engines, car show, motorcycle show, magic show, and more, plus tons of ice cream! through Monday)

War of Jenkin's Ear Living History Demonstrations -- Wormsloe State Historic Site, Savannah, GA, US (a colonial living-history event with musket demonstrations, military drills, tomahawk throwing and more; through Monday)


Birthdays Today:

Billy Gilman, 1988
Alyson Hannigan, 1974
Joe Dumars, 1963
Kristin Scott Thomas, 1960
Rosanne Cash, 1955
Alfred Molina, 1953
Jim Broadbent, 1949
Priscilla Beaulieu  Presley, 1945
Patti LaBelle, 1944
Gary Burghoff, 1943
Bob Dylan, 1941
Tommy Chong, 1938
Lilli Palmer, 1914
"Engineer Bill" Stulla, 1911
Samuel I. Newhouse, 1895
Lillian Moller Gilbreth, 1878
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1819
Emanuel Leutze, 1816
Abraham Geiger, 1810
Gabriel Fahrenheit, 1686


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Spy Hard(Film), 1996
Indiana Jones and Last Crusade(Film), 1989
View to a Kill(film), 1985
"Jumpin' Jack Flash"(Single release), 1968
"Mame"(Musical), 1966
"Le roi l'a Dit / The King Has Spoken"(Opera), 1873


Today in History:

The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt, 1218
Peter Minuit buys Manhattan, 1626
The English  Parliament  passes the Act of Toleration protecting Protestants; Roman Catholics are intentionally excluded, 1689
John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day, 1738
Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito, 1822
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" by Sarah Josepha Hale is published, 1830
The first passenger rail service in US, from Baltimore to Elliots Mill, Maryland, begins, 1830
Samuel FB Morse taps out the first telegraph message, "What hath God wrought", 1844
The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction, 1883
The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State, 1900
Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight), 1930
Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight, 1940
Conclusion of the Sixth Buddhist Council on Vesak Day, marking the 2,500 year anniversary after the Lord Buddha's Parinibbana, 1956
Cyprus enters the Council of Europe, 1961
FLQ separatists bomb the U.S. consulate in Quebec City, 1968
The drilling of the Kola Superdeep Borehole begins in the Soviet Union, 1970
The International Court of Justice calls for the release of United States embassy hostages in Tehran, Iran, 1980
Eritrea  gains its independence from Ethiopia, 1991
Israel conducts Operation Solomon, evacuating Ethiopian Jews to Israel, 1991
15-year-old Sherpa  Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest, 2001
North Korea bans mobile phones, 2004
London's Metropolitan police remove belongings and sleeping bags of homeless people as part of 'a policy of reducing the impact of rough sleepers on the community', 2013