Random Tuesday is a Fun Tuesday

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)  

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Vacation can be both random and  fun, so i’m linking up with Stacy’s Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Tuesday Fun with Sandee of Comedy Plus.

We’ve been having a great time at the beach.  As usual, i take a walk each day at sunrise.  Also as usual, i take along a bag and pick up trash on my walk.  It saddens me that i have to do it, but people will be people.  It’s mostly the usual stuff — bottle caps, plastic bottles, cans, pieces of children’s beach toys, plastic wrappers, cups, etc.

This year, i have found something new — Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.  Now, i have no clue why i am finding Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, entire ones, soaking wet but otherwise obviously unused, on the beach.  Anyway, i’m not so sure i want to know what’s behind that.

Some of my time has been spent under the waterfall, checking the insides of my eyelids for cracks.

In a lounge chair under the waterfall, the best place for eyelid checking.

Sunday was church day at the Flora-Bama Lounge.  They do their best to cover up some of the signs in the area where they meet:

After church, the covers come off.

Still, it is impossible not to know where you are.

“Screw the Cracker, Polly Wants a Cocktail”

The people who run the place have a snese of humor (they must to allow a church to meet there every Sunday morning), and i’m sure the signs in the parking lot confuse some of the patrons who have imbibed a bit more than they should:

Entrance sign pointing, more or less, into the parking lot.

And the exit sign, also pointing into the parking lot!

We spent some time shopping, and one of the funniest things happened to me that i never would have imagined.  At the Hanes store, i decided to try on a sports bra, and i must have really chosen the wrong size.  Once i got into it, i couldn’t get out of it.  Really, i thought i was wrestling an octopus, i got so tangled up.  Sitting down to catch my breath (thank heaven the dressing room had a seat), i was afraid i was going to have to call for assistance and get someone to haul the thing off of me, or cut me out of it.  In my imagination, i could hear the staff spending the next several weeks retelling the story of the crazy lady who couldn’t get herself out of a bra!  

Of course, i didn’t buy that one.

Sweetie has been having trouble with his glasses ever since a screw fell out almost two weeks ago and it was replaced by a not quite right one.  We passed an optical shop where the lady said she didn’t do such repairs, but she recommended one that might.   Sure enough, they had just the right screw to fix it, and only charged $1.10.  

At another store, i found this fun item:

Yes, these flip flops are $57.

Yep, no need to bring a bottle opener with you to the beach, just make sure you have your shoes!

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Today is:

Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 17)

Crowded Nest Awareness Day -- for those whose problem is the opposite of the Empty Nest, a day to remind you to keep your sense of humor and get support when you need it

Festival of Mut -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Ghost in the Machine Day -- the internet holiday that explains everything!

Helsinki Day -- Finland

Independence Day -- Philippines

International Cachaca Day -- the once illegal cocktail now has its own day of celebration 

Loving Day -- US (commemoration of Loving vs. Virginia decision by the Supreme Court which struct down all anti-miscegenation laws) 

Magic Circles Day and Magic History Gathering -- marking the founding of The Magic Circle, a society of amateur and professional magicians   

National Jerky Day -- begun a couple of years ago, possibly by one of the jerky manufacturers (no one can track it down, sounds suspicious to me)

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Petit Jean Antique Auto Show and Swap Meet -- Morrilton, AR, US (sponsored by the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, and the place to be if you love old cars; through Saturday)

Red Rose Day -- found all over the internet, with June 12 as the most common date cited; may have begun with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Australia, which has Rose Days as fundraisers

Russia Day -- Russia

St. Anthony's Eve -- Brazil; Portugal

    Dia dos Namorados -- Brazil (Lover's Day, celebrated on St. Anthony's Eve)

St. Onuphrius' Day (Patron of weavers; Centrache, Catanzaro, Italy)

World Day Against Child Labour -- The UN, Education International and the International Labour Organization; this year, the spotlight is on extending social protection     

World Pet Memorial Day -- some sites say this is always on June 10, others that it's always on the second Tuesday in June, but none can tell us where it came from or who started it that i can find

Birthdays Today:

Frances O'Connor, 1969

Timothy Busfield, 1957

Marv Albert, 1941

Chick Corea, 1941

Jim Nabors, 1932

Anne Frank, 1929

Vic Damone, 1928

George H.W. Bush, 1924

David Rockefeller, 1915

Alexandre Tansman, 1897

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Doctor Doctor"(TV), 1989

Raiders of the Lost Ark(Film), 1981

You Only Live Twice(Film), 1967

Cleopatra(Film), 1963

Today in History:

Joan of Arc leads the French army in their capture of the city and the English commander, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk in the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, 1429

The French begin their colonization of Algeria with the landing of 34,000 troops, 1830

The world's first Fingerprint Bureau opens in Calcutta, India, after the Council of the Governor General approves a committee report that fingerprints should be used for classification of criminal records, 1897

Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor, 1939

Anne Frank gets her diary as a birthday present, 1942

The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional, 1967

The first man powered flight across the English Channel is performed by Bryan Allen in the Gossamer Albatross designed by Paul MacCready, 1979

At the Brandenburg Gate U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, 1987

Russia Day – the parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty, 1990

Queen Elizabeth II reopens the Globe Theatre in London, 1997

A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to widespread protests, 2009

Ending an extensive study on the wooly mammoth, scientists conclude that they were wiped out by multiple things, including climate change, human hunters, and shifting habitats, 2012

On schedule.

If it's Monday and we are in Florida on vacation, we must be going shopping, right on schedule.

Grandma loves the shops at the outlet mall about a half-hour drive up the road, so we pack everyone in two or three cars and head out, getting there just around the time the shops open.

Once there, everyone scatters to his or her favorite places.  Children head toward the stores that have stuff they won't be caught dead in once another 30 years have rolled around, but you can't tell them that now.  Sweetie is mostly along for the ride, wanting to see the knife store and little else.  Grandma goes to the cosmetics store to get a year's supply of her favorite perfumes and pretty stuff, and though my interest is in finding a pair of jeans that fit and maybe a new undergarment or two and i only wear make-up about once a year, i stick with Grandma.

She and i do agree on one thing though:  Sketchers.

Sweetie is the one in our family with the over full closets and huge shoe collection, and i only keep about 5 pair of shoes at any one time.  My Sketcher Go-Walks were worn out, my only pair of sneakers had holes in them, and my other three pair consist of nice ballet flats i can wear to church, one pair of heels for when i have to put them on, and my bedroom slippers.  All of them except the slippers are solid black so they can go with anything.  Can you tell i'm a fashion maven?

Anyway, we were trying on the Sketchers and Grandma noted that she wasn't sure what size she needed, as these seemed to run a bit big.  When i told her that i wear either a 7 wide or a 7.5, she asked me how my feet got so big.

It's simple, i told her, i had 5 pregnancies in 7 1/2 years and my feet are now flat!

Of course, she and the sales people and customers within ear shot had to laugh, but it's true!  When i married, my shoe size was 5.  Anyway.

At one point, Grandma got thirsty and tried to get a water bottle from one of the machines.  It wouldn't take her dollar.  We tried the next machine, and it ate the money and gave her nothing for it.  After getting her the money back we tried another machine, which wouldn't give her a bottle but did give her the dollars back -- as change.  Eventually she settled for a Sprite, which she hates, because she was so thirsty.  It was warm.  Sometimes you just don't win.

We reeled everyone in with the only place of interest to all, which is the food court.  At noon we ended up there and all got lunch, and Grandma tried to get tea.  None of the vendors have unsweetened tea.  She bought a cup to get soda, that particular vendor's soda machine was out.  She put ice in the cup and i took it in the rest room and filled it with water.  Maybe life with declare that a draw.

After lunch i finally found a pair of jeans that fit at a kid's department, and socks were purchased for everyone because i am so tired of never having enough socks in the house and the kids swiping each others and fussing about it.  Grandma was tired and we took her back to the condo.

Sweetie and i still had a bit of energy, so we decided to check out two of our personal favorite places, the Five and Dime Store, and the Grocery and Tackle Store.  Why?  Because the Five and Dime Store has everything, and the Grocery and Tackle Store has everything else, including the Hula shirts and Top Siders Sweetie wears any time he is not at work. 

Sweetie's newest Hula shirts, thanks to the Five and Dime Store.

Hula shirts Sweetie brought with him.

The young people ended the day by going to the movies, while Sweetie and i went for a beach walk at sunset.  Very relaxing.


Today is

Coronation Day -- United Kingdom

Coronation Day and Social Forestry Day -- Bhutan (anniversary of  the coronation day of the Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, in 1974, and the day children plant trees)

Festa della Republica -- Italy (National Day/Feast of the Republic)

Festival of Light and Dark Spots -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Utter Confusion -- an internet declared holiday, and this is the one for me!

Full Strawberry Moon / Rose Moon*; related observances
     Ancient Celtic month Equos (horse-time) begins
     Nayon Full Moon -- Mayanmar
     Poson Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

Hristo Botev Day -- Bulgaria (poet and national hero who fell fighting the Turks this day in 1876)

"I Love My Dentist" Day -- no one will claim starting this one, so it makes me suspicious

Isabel Province Day -- Isabel Province, Solomon Islands

National Bubba Day -- created by comedian T. Bubba Bechtol for Bubbas everywhere to have their day

National Rocky Road Day

St. Blandina's Day (Patron of girls, people falsely accused, torture victims; Lyon, France)

St. Elmo's Day (a/k/a St. Erasmus; Patron of ammunition workers, boatmen, childbirth and women in labor, explosives workers, mariners, navigators, ordnance workers, sailors, watermen; Gaeta, Italy; against abdominal pains, appendicitis, birth pains, childhood intestinal disease, colic, danger at sea, intestinal disorders, seasickness, stomach diseases, storms)

Stevenson Depot Days -- Stevenson, AL, US (bringing back the days when the Iron Horse of the Rails was king of transportation; through Sunday)

Yell "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day -- at noon, your local time, because according to Wellcat Holidays, cobras hate fudge and will not stay if we mention it


Anniversaries Today:

U.S. President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom, 1886 (only president to wed in the executive mansion)
Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories & Head of the Commonwealth, 1953 (the first major international event to be televised)


Birthdays Today:

Justin Long, 1978
Zachary Quinto, 1977
Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso, Queen consort of Lesotho, 1976
Wayne Brady, 1972
Wentworth Miller, 1972
Joel Tobeck, 1971
Dana Carvey, 1955
Gary Grimes, 1955
Dennis Haysbert, 1954
Diana Canova, 1953
Cornel West, 1953
Jerry Mathers, 1948
Marvin Hamlisch, 1944
Charles Haid, 1943
Stacy Keach, Jr., 1941
Charlie Watts, 1941
Sally Kellerman, 1937
Milo O’Shea, 1926
Johnny Weissmuller, 1904
Hedda Hopper, 1890
Sir Edward Elgar, 1857
Thomas Hardy, 1840
Marquis de Sade, 1740
Martha Dandridge Custiss Washington, 1731


Today in History:

The Vandals enter Rome and begin 2 weeks of plundering, 455
The First Siege of Antioch ends when Crusader forces take the city, 1098
The first Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France, 1615
Bridget Bishop is the first person to go to trial in the Salem witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
The Derby horserace is held for the first time in Epsom, England, 1780
P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States, 1835
The Slavic congress in Prague begins, 1848
Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his early radio device, 1896
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act, making Native American Indians withing US territories and states US citizens, 1924
Lou Gehrig begins his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played, 1925
In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic, and exile their king, Umberto II di Savoia, 1946
The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations, 1955
Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft land on another world, 1966
Pope John Paul II visits his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country, 1979
The Bhutan Broadcasting Service brings television transmissions to the Kingdom for the first time, 1999
Europe launches its first probe to voyage to another planet, Mars, 2003
The World Health Organization announces the E. coli strain responsible for the 2011 E.coli O104:H4 outbreak had never before been isolated from patients, 2011

Shopping Mecca

"Mom, could you take me to the mall?" Little Girl asked while i was preparing supper.

Sure, i said.

"Thanks.  My favorite teacher's birthday is next week and we both love the show Game of Thrones, so I want to get her something."

That's why i found myself, at 6pm, heading to the Jalopy to go to that shopping mecca called a mall.

It's not something i find myself doing often.  In fact, i hadn't been to the mall since my last flower delivery stint -- i almost always have at least one delivery in the mall.

The mall is just up the highway, and for once in my life i actually found a close place to park in the area Little Girl pointed to when i asked where she wanted to go in.

Is it okay if i come in with you, or do you not want to be seen with the mothership? i asked, laughing.

"You can come in -- I wouldn't expect you to wait outside.  And I don't mind being seen with you," she answered.

She knew just what she wanted and where it was, and headed in the door and straight to the escalator, then into the Hot Topic.  Right before she went in she said, "I know you don't like this store, so you don't have to come in with me."

She's right, i really don't like a lot that's in that store.  This gave me the chance to walk through the mall for a short time.  In the immediate vicinity there were 4 jewelry stores, a couple of places selling lotions and potions and bath paraphernalia, shoe stores galore, and even a Game Stop and Best Buy Mobile.

As i walked up and down, watching people and gazing in windows, i wondered what the fascination was.  The only time i really go to a mall is for our once a year trip in Florida when i get any new clothes i might need at an outlet place.  Spending hours and hours wandering a place like this isn't my idea of a good time, but i didn't mind getting a bit of exercise and people watching in.

One family that struck me was a mom and dad who had their two youngest kids wearing surgical masks.  They were decorated with a kid theme, too.  It makes me wonder if the children have some kind of immune problem and they have to be protected from the rest of us, not that we have to be protected from them.

The  place wasn't too crowded as it was a Monday night, and a few teens were there in spite of the threat of having to go to school the next day.  One mom pushed a stroller that had a toddler obviously past his limit because he was crying as loudly as he could with the pacifier held tightly in place by his clamped teeth.  Another young dad walked his toddler son, blond curls bouncing on both of their heads, they were obviously the best of comrades and having a good time.

She thought she took a long time, but really it wasn't more than a quarter hour before Little Girl came out with her purchase clutched tight in her hand.  We went past the food court and i saw that they have choices i'd have never thought to see years ago -- some of them healthy.  Hummus, wraps with lots of veggies, and even smoothies.  It balances out the pretzels and cookies and junk that is still there, and i was glad to see that.

We were back home just before 7pm, as she really didn't take anywhere near as long as she thought she did.  It was a nice outing.

And yes, the A/C is fixed.  Not that we need it much these days, the evenings are so cool that even the warm days don't heat the house up enough to make it uncomfortable.



Today is:

Bring Your Jack-O-Lantern to Work Day -- just check the fire code before you light that candle

Celtic Tree Month Negetal (Reed) begins

Dia do Servidor Publico -- Brazil (Civil Servants' Day)

Flying Baby Day -- celebrating the first baby born on an airplane on this day in 1929

Fyribod (or Forebode) -- Ancient Norse Calendar (announces the beginning of winter; date approximate)

Hari Sumpah Pemuda -- Indonesia (Youth Pledge Day)

Independence Day -- Czechoslovakia (from Austria-Hungary in 1918; still celebrated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

International Animation Day -- ASIFA (to honor the day Emile Reynaud presented the first animation to the public)

Isia -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (dates approximate; first day of the 6 day Isis festival)

Milvian Bridge Day -- Christain (day to reflect on the interrelationship of religion and government)

National Chocolate Day

Okunchi Matsuri -- Karatsu, Japan (with floats that date back to the 1800s; through the 30th)

Oxi Day -- Greece (Sometimes "Ochi" or "Ohi", literally "No Day", celebrating resistance to Mussolini.)

Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day -- internet generated, celebrate at your own risk

Plush Animal Lovers' Day -- internet generated; celebrate your love of stuffed animals today

Runic Half-month Hagal (hailstone) begin

St. Jude Thaddeus' Day (Patron of desperate or hopeless cases -- the reason Danny Thomas chose this saint to invoke as patron of the hospital he helped found.)

St. Paraskevi of Iconium's Day (Patron of fairs and traders; in Russia, patron of marriage; associated in Ukrain with Mokosh, the ancient women's divinity, and celebrated on the final Friday of the month)

*St. Simon the Zealot's Day (Patron of curriers, sawmen, tanners)

Wild Foods Day -- as in, grown or caught in the wild (please be careful if you like mushrooms and want to gather your own!)



Anniversaries Today:

Statue of Liberty dedicated, 1886
Maimonides College is founded, 1867 (first Jewish college in the US)
R.H. Macy & Co. in NYC opens, 1858
Founding of Harvard University, 1636
Universidad Santo Tomas Aquino is established, 1538 (first university in the New World)


Birthdays Today:

Matt Smith, 1982
Joaquin Phoenix, 1974
Brad Paisley, 1972
Jeremy Davies, 1969
Julia Roberts, 1967
Andy Richter, 1966
Jami Gertz, 1965
Daphne Zuniga, 1962
Lauren Holly, 1963
Bill Gates, 1955
Annie Potts, 1952
Bruce Jenner, 1949
Telma Hopkins, 1948
Dennis Franz, 1944
Jane Alexander, 1939
Charlie Daniels, 1936
Cleo Laine, 1927
Jonas Salk, 1914
Francis Bacon, 1909
Edith Head, 1907
Howard Hanson, 1896
Georges Auguste Escoffier, 1846
Desiderius Erasmus, 1467


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Jack Benny Program"(TV), 1950
"Dead End"(Play), 1935
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathetique(Tchaikovsky Op. 74), 1893


Today in History:

Constantine the Great defeats Maxentius, 312
Battle of Yaunis Khan in which Turkish forces under the Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha defeat the Mameluks near Gaza, 1516
Battle of Amba Sel, in which Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi again defeats the army of Lebna Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia; the southern part of Ethiopia falls under Imam Ahmad's control, 1531
Peruvian cities of Lima & Callao are demolished by an earthquake, 18,000 die, 1746
Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin, 1793
The first railroad in Spain, between Barcelona and Mataro, is opened, 1848
The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland, and celebrated by the first ticker tape/confetti parade in NYC, 1886
An earthquake strikes Mino-Owari, Japan, kills 7,300, 1891
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, receives its première performance in St. Petersburg, only nine days before the composer's death, 1893
The St. Louis police try a new investigation method -- fingerprints, 1904
Czechoslovakia gains its independence in the break up of Austria-Hungary, 1918
The Volstead Act, passed by Congress over Wilson's veto, starts Prohibition, 1919
The first coast to coast radio broadcast of a football game, 1922
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary, 1936
The Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) is completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, 1942
Swiss chemist Paul Müller is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT, 1948
The modern Kingdom of the Netherlands is re-founded as a federal monarchy, 1954
Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, 1962
Nostra Aetate, the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions" of the Second Vatican Council, is promulgated by Pope Paul VI; it absolves the Jews of responsibility for the death of Jesus, 1965*
Britain launches its first satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket, 1971
The centenary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty is celebrated in New York Harbor, 1986
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes the first woman elected President of Argentina, 2007
The US celebrates the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, 2011

What kind of Christmas Shopper are you?

What kind of shopper are you?

Early Birdie:  you finished back in November, with everything wrapped and labeled and hidden and cards addressed and just waiting for the holiday stamps to go on sale at the post office.  We envy you, and want your advice for next year!

Mall Crawler:  you are on a first name basis with everyone at most of the stores, and they have to throw you out most nights so they can lock up.

Yo-Yo:  you go to the mall and get your sweetheart a present.  Get home and realize you forgot mom and dad.  Go back to get stuff for them, and forget your sister.  Go get something for sis, and then get home and remember brother-in-law.  Once you finally get everything, you realize you forgot wrapping paper.  Then you have to go back for tape...

CyberMonday Superstar:  you got everything online, mostly because you cannot stand hearing one more chorus of Rudolf sung by those "elves" at the mall.

Plastic Plus:  the only place you hang out is where they sell all the different store gift cards, and you find one for everybody on your list.   An aisle or so over, you find the gift card holders in the greeting card aisle, and you are done.

Mother Hen:  when you get to the mall, kids in tow, you manage to keep an eye on them and get everyone crossed off your list in one trip, as well as get the kids pictures with Santa, because you are not about to stage a second outing.  This while also having to take several trips to "go potty" and change diapers.

Frugal Fran/Frank:  with your smart phone deal finding skill, no one, but no one, will pay less than you for any item on your list.

Grumpy Gus/Gussie:  if there's one thing you can't stand, it's shopping.  Unless it's parking at the mall, or standing in line, or...well, everything makes you grumpy.  Everyone tells you to go home and drink some egg nog, strong on the nog, and stay there!

Perfect Planner:  you have your lists,  you check them multiple times, and everything is planned out, including what to do if any one of your myriad plans goes awry.

Scatterbrain:  the opposite of the Planner, you haven't a clue where you are going, what you are doing, or why.  It's the reason you come home with one of everything shiny you see, and then have to figure out why you bought each item and for whom.

Last Minute Max/Maxine:  everyone knows you by your glaze-eyed look on Christmas Eve.  Although you promised yourself it wouldn't happen again, it did, and everyone better get out of the way, because you are frantic and desperate.


Today is:

Beetle Banquet and Badger Ball -- Fairy Calendar

Chipmunks Day -- the date, in 1958, when Alvin, Simon, and Theodore hit #1 with "The Chipmunk Song"

Day Sacred to the Lares -- Ancient Roman Calendar (household gods)

Fourth Sunday of Advent -- Christian
     Lighting the Candle of Love

Hari Ibu -- Indonesia (Mother's Day)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Gattapefur -- Sniffer, who uses his big nose on hlakkandi ("looking forward" day, when you begin to look forward to Christmas) to sniff out a cake or two to snatch

Khoiak Ceremony for Raising the Djed Pillar -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (Osiris festival, the pillar represented his spine, and so stability and strength; date approximate)

National Date Nut Bread Day

Santa Claus Flight Clearance Day -- US FAA (they make sure he's cleared to fly, with his de-icing system, Terrain Avoidance Warning System for low-altitude flight, and special seat belt extension in good working order)

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini's Day (Mother Cabrini, the first US citizen canonized; Patron saint of emigrants, hospital administrators, immigrants, orphans; against malaria)

Unity Day -- Zimbabwe


Birthdays Today:

Jordin Sparks, 1989
Ralph Fiennes, 1962
Maurice Gibb, 1949
Robin Gibb, 1949
Steve Garvey, 1948
Diane Sawyer, 1945
Hector Elizondo, 1936
Joe Pyne, 1925
Barbara Billingsley, 1922
Gene Rayburn, 1917
Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, 1912
Dame Edith Margaret Emily "Peggy" Ashcroft, 1907
Edwin Arlington Robinson, 1869
Giacomo Puccini, 1858
James Edward Oglethorpe, 1696


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Graduate"(Film), 1972
"Ding Dong School"(TV), 1952


Today in History:

A serious earthquake strikes Innsbruck, 1689
The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies, 1790
The first freight train is operated in Roorkee, India, 1851
Jules Janssen flies in a balloon in order to study a solar eclipse, 1870
The first string of Christmas tree lights is created by Thomas Edison, 1882
Ito Hirobumi, a samurai, becomes the first Prime Minister of Japan, 1885
French officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggers worldwide charges of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated), 1894
Colo is born, the first gorilla to be bred in captivity, 1956
Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany, 1989
Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63, 2001
An important peer-reviewed study of the spatial memory of bumblebees is published in the Biology Letters journal of the Royal Society by a class of 25 8- to 10-year-old children at Blackawton Primary School, 2010