Awww Monday: A fun touch of whimsey.

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to participate just post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!" and that's it.

We could all use some cute to start the work week.

While in Disney World, the housekeeping staff does a great job, and they even add little personal touches.  Each day, we were greeting with either towels rolled into the "mouse ears" that is the trademark of the place, or this:

Towels and washcloths, folded into a rabbit!

Yesterday, at the small group Lenten study, we went around the circle and said our names, and our favorite places.  As i told them, there's lots of places i love to visit, but if i had to pick one, it would have to be Disney World, where i can let my inner child run and play a lot!




Today is:

Armored Warships Day -- the first battle between armored warships, the Monitor and the Merrimac, was this day in 1862

Australia Celebrations:
     Adelaide Cup Day -- SA
     Labour Day -- VIC
     Canberra Day -- ACT
     Eight Hours Day -- Tas (a/k/a Labour Day)

Baron Bliss Day -- Belize

Commonwealth Day -- Commonwealth of Nations (the 54 Countries which today celebrate their ties to one another; Her Majesty the Queen will issue a special message to all Commonwealth Nations citizens through their respective Presidents and Prime Ministers)

Day to Mourn Slavery -- commemorates the day it was outlawed worldwide in 1927, and to mourn that it still exists

Eid Al Moalim -- Lebanon (Teacher's Day)

Get Over It Day™ -- halfway between Valentines and April Fools, a day to just get over something or someone that is bugging you 

Global Marathon For, By, and About Women in Engineering and Technology -- three days of Global "Town Meetings" to connect girls and women and support them in the fields of engineering and technology

National Crabmeat Day

National Heroes and Benefactors Day -- Belize

National Meatball Day

National Wildlife Week -- US (go learn how to safely observe wildlife this week)

Panic Day -- a day in which to run around in a panic and tell everyone you can't take it any more, to get it all out of your system, i guess; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Saitousai -- Kashima-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan (festival to pray for good harvest that dates back to the Nara period of 710-794, and still includes traditional dress)

Second Day of No Interest to Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

St. Catherine of Bologna's Day (Patron of art, artists, Bologna Academy of Art, liberal arts, painters; against temptation)

St. Dominic Savio's Day (Patron of boys, children's choirs, choir boys, choirs, falsely accused people, juvenile delinquents, and Pueri Cantores)

St. Frances of Rome's Day (Patron of automobile drivers/motorists, cabbies/taxi drivers, lay people, people ridiculed for their piety, Roman housewives, widows)

Strinennia -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (festival to call birds and spring to come back)

Takaosan Hiwatari Matsuri -- Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan  (fire walking festival, usually on this date but can vary)

Taranaki Provincial Anniversary Day -- Taranaki, New Zealand

Workplace Napping Day -- on this, the Monday after DST begins, show your boss the studies that highlight the benefit of power naps
    some sites call it National Napping Day; either way, lie down and be counted!


Anniversaries Today:

Napoléon Bonaparte marries his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, 1796
Gustav Mahler marries Alma Schindler, 1902


Birthdays Today:

Emmanuel Lewis, 1971
Juliette Binoche, 1964
Terence John "Terry" Mulholland, 1963
Linda Fiorentino, 1960
Jeffrey Osborne, 1948
David Hume Kennerly, 1947
Bobby Fischer, 1943
Trish Van Devere, 1943
Raul Julia, 1940
Marty Ingels, 1936
Mickey Gilley, 1936
Joyce Van Patten, 1934
Yuri Gagarin, 1934
Keely Smith, 1932
Ornette Coleman, 1930
Wally Bronner, 1927
Irene Papas, 1926
Mickey Spillane, 1918
Samuel Barber, 1910
Will Greer, 1902
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, 1890
Amerigo Vespucci, 1454


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Family"(TV), 1976
"Rising of the Moon"(Play), 1907
"Hamlet"(Opera), 1868
"Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor/The Merry Wives of Windsor"(Opera), 1849 
"Ernani"(Opera), 1844
"Nabucco"(Opera), 1842
"Horace"(Play), 1640


Today in History:

Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han Dynasty of China, BC141
First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg, 1009
Jews are expelled from Carintha Austria, 1496
Nicolaus Copernicus makes his first recorded astronomical observation, 1497
Marten Luther preaches his first Invocavit sermon, 1522
Kissing in public is banned in Naples, punishable by death, 1562
Publication of the economics book The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, 1776
Prussian government limits work week for children to 51 hours, 1839
The Amistad Ruling:  The US Supreme Court rules that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally, and were to be set free, 1841
The first documented discovery of gold in California occurred at Rancho San Francisco, six years before the California Gold Rush, 1842
Albert Potts of Philadelphia patents the street mailbox, 1858
The Westmoreland County Coal Strike, involving 15,000 coal miners 
represented by the United Mine Workers, begins, 1910
Pancho Villa leads nearly 500 Mexican raiders in an attack against Columbus, New Mexico, 1916
Pink's War: The first Royal Air Force operation conducted independently of the British Army or Royal Navy begins, 1925
President Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to the Congress, the first of his New Deal policies, 1932
CBS television broadcasts the See It Now episode, "A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy", produced by Fred Friendly, in which Edward R. Murrow criticizes the senator, 1954
The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York, 1959
Dr. Antonia Novello is sworn in as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming the first female and Hispanic American to serve in that position, 1990
Observers in China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia are treated to a rare double feature as an eclipse permits Comet Hale-Bopp to be seen during the day, 1997
Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing after 39 flights, 2011
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft transmits images that for the very first time, allow scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of ancient water channels below the surface of Mars, 2013

Silly Sunday: Heard Around Here

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's a great place to come for weekly laughs, and to meet new bloggers.  It's easy to participate, just Laugh and Link Up!

From Bigger Girl:  

"Good morning world, and all who inhabit it!"

Good morning, i answered back.

"It's funnier when I say that to an empty room."

Okay, so pretend i'm not here!

"Oh, hush!  By the way, please pray for my friend Jo, you know, the one who is a combination of Neil DeGrass Tyson, Larry the Cable Guy, and Lady Gaga.  She's looking for a better job, because the rent is going up where she's living.  She's in danger of becoming homeless.

Mom, what do I do if she becomes homeless?  What do you do with a homeless transsexual?  Why do I always make friends within the demographics that are most likely to become homeless, commit suicide, or be murdered?"

You're a good friend, you care about "the least of these", i told her.

"Yeah, all of my friends say I'm the kind of friend who would help you hide a body, but then they have to remember that I know how to hide a body!

But really, what do we do with a homeless trannie?"

"Trannie haven?" #1 Son said, as he popped into the room.

From Young Jacob, as he pulled a very thick wallet out of his back pocket:

"I need to go to the bank.  It's starting to hurt to sit down!"

From Little Girl, when we were in the car and a big speeding pickup truck with a loud engine rumbled past:

"Yeah, yeah, we hear you, you think you have a big manhood, we're not impressed."

Today is:

Daylight Saving Time -- if your area is observing this, it switched over at two o'clock this morning; if you are just finding this out, you are already late!
     Check Your Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monixide Detectors Day -- make sure the batteries are fresh and that they are in good working order

Day of No Interest to Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

Floral City Strawberry Festival -- Floral City, FL, US (fun for all, through tomorrow)

Girl Scout Sunday -- US (encouraging Girl Scouts to wear their uniforms to church services and represent their troop to their congregations; the first day of Girl Scout Week in the US)

Girls Write Now Day -- on International Women's Day, encouraging girls as the makers of future history to put pen to paper and make their voices heard

International Women's Day -- also celebrated as:
     Day for Women's Rights and International Peace -- UN
     Mother's Day -- Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Laos; Macedonia; Montenegro; Republic of Moldova; Russia; Serbia; Slovenia; Tajikistan; Vietnam

National Peanut Cluster Day

National Proofreading Day -- to promote accuracy in written messages

Revolution Day -- Syria

St. John of God's Day (Patron of alcoholics, bookbinders, booksellers, dying people, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, hospital workers, nurses, publishers, printers, sick people; Tultepec, Mexico; against alcoholism, bodily ills and sickness)

World Glaucoma Week begins -- to expand global awareness of the Silent Thief of Sight 


Anniversary Today:

Harry Hamlin marries Nicollette Sheridan, 1991


Birthdays Today:

Marcia Newby, 23, 1988
Bob, Clint, and Dave Moffatt, 1984
Kat Von D, 1982
James Van der Beek, 1977
Freddie Prinze, Jr., 1976
Kathy Ireland, 1963
Camryn Manheim, 1961
Aidan Quinn, 1959
James Edward "Jim" Rice, 1953
Carole Bayer Sager, 1947
Micky Dolenz, 1945
Lynn Redgrave, 1943
Susan Clark, 1940
Raynoma Gordy Singleton, 1937
Cyd Charisse, 1923
Alan Hale, Jr., 1921
Claire Trevor, 1909
Louise Beavers, 1902
Kenneth Grahame, 1859
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 1841
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, 1714


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Mary, Mary"(Play), 1961
Symphony No. 2 in D major(Sibelius Op. 43), 1901
"Don Quixote"(Straus Op. 35), 1898
"Emilia Galotti"(Play), 1772


Today in History:

William Claxton completes his translation from French into English of Mirror of the World; as England's first printer, he will soon turn this into England's first illustrated print book, 1481
John Casor becomes the first legally-recognized slave in what will be the United States, 1655
Anne Stuart, sister of Mary II, becomes Queen regnant of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1702
Thomas Paine's "African Slavery in America," the first article in the U.S. calling for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery is published, 1775
Gnadenhütten massacre: Ninety-six Native Americans in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, who had converted to Christianity are killed by Pennsylvania militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indians, 1782
The New York Stock Exchange is founded, 1817
The first train crosses the first US railway suspension bridge at Niagara Falls, 1855
Everett Horton of Connecticut patents a fishing rod of telescoping steel tubes, 1887
International Women's Day is launched in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women's Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, 1911
Mahatma Gandhi starts civil disobedience in India, 1930
Daytona Beach Road Course holds their first oval stock car race, 1936
Phyllis M Daley is the first black nurse sworn-in as US Navy ensign, 1945
Ghana joins the United Nations, 1957
The first radio episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, is transmitted on BBC Radio 4, 1978
Philips demonstrates the Compact Disc publicly for the first time, 1979
Martina Navratilova becomes the 1st tennis player to earn $10 million, 1986
The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the murder convictions of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City bombing, 1999
The first comprehensive map of the debris field of the RMS Titanic is revealed, 2012

Superheroes having a ball.

rEcess is the best night of the month.  Parents of kids with special needs leave those precious children with us, so they can have a much needed respite.

It was superhero night!

Some of the kids made superhero capes.  Cut a t-shirt, leaving the neck on or using elastic to hold it on, and decorate it, and you are your own superhero.

One style of cape, with elastic holding it on.

The other style, with the neck of the shirt intact.

Petey didn't decorate one, he came as Captain America!  He had fun, and his superpower was eating his whole dinner.

Petey has Down's Syndrome, and makes a great Captain America!

Gracie was in her school uniform (yes, Gracie is in preschool for delayed kids and loving it!), and didn't make a cape.  She preferred dropping balls in the pockets of the pool table in the playroom and watching them roll out at the bottom.  One of the other girls taught her how to use the cue to knock the ball straight into the hole, and they spend a good half hour shrieking with delight as they took turns doing that.

C'mon, billiard ball!  Roll down here!

We had 8 special kids and 14 siblings, and a very good time.

Today is:

Bird Day and Arbor Day -- California, US (on Luther Burbank's birth anniversary)

Celebrate Your Name Week -- Saturday:  Geneology Day, begin or continue the journey to learn about your family

Chinese New Year Parade -- San Francisco, CA, US (North America's largest Chinese community celebrates the Lunar New Year in style)

Daylight Saving Time begins -- Bermuda; Canada (most regions); Cuba; Haiti; Mexico (some areas); Saint Pierre and Miquelon; The Bahamas; Turks and Caicos Islands; US (most areas)(begins 2am tomorrow morning, so "spring forward" one hour before you go to bed tonight)

Finnmarkslopet -- Alta, Finland (the world's northernmost dog sled races, since 1981)

Get Grandma to Write Down Her Meatloaf Recipe -- or spaghetti, or pound cake, or whatever she specialized in, because if you don't, you will someday regret it

Hola Mohalla -- Sikh (3 day grand festival)

Iditarod Sled Dog Race - Last Great Race on Earth® begins -- Anchorage to Nome, AK, US (1,000 miles along the historic Iditarod Trail)

Impeachment of March Goblins -- Fairy Calendar

Klondike Days -- Eagle River, WI, US (recreation of primitive camps used by early pioneers, a Native American cultural presentation, and more; through tomorrow)

Masaryk Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia (birth anniversary of Tomas Masaryk, politician, sociologist, philosopher, and advocate of Czechoslovakian independence)

Natchez Spring Pilgrimage -- Natchez, MS, US (tour of 25 antebellum mansions, some of which are private homes; through Apr. 7)

National Be Heard Day -- originally a day for small businesses to speak up, but the website promoting the materials is no longer working

National Cereal Day

National Crown Roast of Pork Day

Natural Bridge Battle Reenactment -- Tallahassee, FL, US (Civil War reenactment; through tomorrow)

Nones of March -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances
     Festival of Junonalia -- for Juno
     Festival for Vedovus -- god of the dead, swamps, and volcanic movements

Say Hello Day -- Bell recieved a patent for the telephone this day in 1876 (although he always believed it should be answered by saying, "Ahoy!"  Yes, really.)

St. Felicity's and St. Perpetua's Day (Patrons of cattle, martyrs; Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, Spain)

Teacher's Day -- Albania



Birthdays Today:

Jenna Fischer, 1974
Denyce Graves, 1974
Rachel Weisz, 1971
Taylor Dayne, 1962
Ivan Lendl, 1960
Rik Mayall, 1958
Bryan Cranston, 1956
Franco Harris, 1950
John Heard, 1946
Peter Wolf, 1946
Michael Eisner, 1942
Tammy Faye Bakker, 1942
Daniel J. Travanti, 1940
Janet Guthrie, 1938
Willard Herman Scott, 1934
Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, 1930
Maurice Ravel, 1875
Piet Mondriaan, 1875
Luther Burbank, 1849
John Herschel, 1792
Stephen Hopkins, 1707
Rob Roy MacGregor, 1671
Henry Purcell, 1659
Kano Tanju, 1602


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Nashville Network(TV network), 1983
"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"(Musical), 1967
"The Autumn Garden"(Play), 1951
"The Grand Duke; or, The Statutory Duel"(Operetta), 1896


Today in History:

Roman Emperor Constantine I decrees that the dies Solis Invicti (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire, 321
King Henry VIII's divorce request is denied by the Pope; Henry then declares that he, not the Pope, is supreme head of England's church, 1530
Massachusetts enacts the first bicameral legislature in the colonies, 1664
The French army enters Rome: the birth of the Roman Republic, 1798
Shrigley Abduction: Ellen Turner is abducted by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a future politician in colonial New Zealand, 1827
Charles Miller patents the first US sewing machine to stitch buttonholes, 1854
The City of Lábrea in Amazonas, Brazil was founded, 1886
Roald Amundsen announces that, on Dec. 14, 1911, his expedition had reached the South Pole, 1912
An 8.0 earthquake strikes Tango, Japan, 1927
Bloody Sunday:  Alabama state troopers and 600 black protestors clash in Selma, 1965
Divers from the USS Preserver locate the crew cabin of Challenger on the ocean floor, 1986
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that parodies of an original work are generally covered by the doctrine of fair use, 1994
British House of Commons votes to make the upper chamber, the House of Lords, 100% elected, 2007
The largest solar flare in five years, occurring March 6, 2012, nears the Earth, threatening to disrupt airline flights, GPS systems and power grids, 2012

Feline Friday: What is that!

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

It's easy to participate.  Just post a picture of a cat -- your cat, a LOL cat, or even draw a cat -- and link up!

Speaking of cats, our cats want to know, what in the world is that!

Dansig is very concerned about what is going on here.

Enigma is not going to get too close.

SissyCat is not amused.

Friend Chris had a customer who was about to go to the vet to have this sweet guy euthanized because his plans to breed and sell Cocker Spaniels wasn't paying off as he wanted it to.  Now we are puppy-sitting until Little Girl's friend at school, whose parents have approved them adopting this dog, can take him on Saturday.

 Too cute, isn't he?

The poor cats.  First a duck and a chick, and now a puppy.  It's no wonder all of my cats are a bit off.

Today is:

Alamo Day -- Texas, US

Aldo Leopold Weekend -- Wisconsin, US (celebrating Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic; through Sunday)

Celebrate Your Name Week -- Friday:  Middle Name Pride Day, established by Jerry Hall as a day in which to tell at least 3 people who don't know it what your middle name is, and be proud of it

Dress in Blue Day -- US, for colorectal cancer awareness

Employee Appreciation Day

Feast of Excited Insects -- China; Korea (sometimes called Chinese Groundhog Day, the day insects are supposed to awaken for spring; date approximate)

Foundation Day -- Norfolk Island, Commonwealth of Australia

Headache Relief Day -- aspirin was patented today in 1899

Holi -- Hindu (Festival of Color, where everyone gets doused with colored water, or powder, or paint, or all of them; it's been described as an iridescent madhouse)
     officially recognized holiday in Guyana; India; Nepal; Suriname
     Phagu Purnima / Basanta Utsay -- Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Independence Day -- Ghana(1957)

International Festival of Owls -- Houston, MN, US (a great way to celebrate and learn about the wonderful creatures that are owls; through Sunday)

Kaziukas Fair -- Vilnius, Lithuania (traditional craft fair dates back to the 17th century; through Sunday)

Kirishima Jingu Otaue-sai -- Kirishima Jingu Shrine, Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (rice planting festival)

March Goblins' Galumphing Gala and Display -- Fairy Calendar

Midnight at the Oasis -- Yuma, AZ, US (nostalgic festival featuring cars and music of the 50s and 60s; throughy Sunday)

National Day of Unplugging -- sponsored by Reboot, encouraging recharging your spiritual life by unplugging your technology from sunset today to sunset tomorrow
  
National Doodle Day -- UK (fundraiser for Epilepsy Action)

National Frozen Food Day

National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day

National Salesperson Day

Oreo Cookie Day -- no history found on why this day, but if you like Oreos, do you need a reason?

Stoneware Pottery Appreciation Day -- internet generated by those who love stoneware

St. Colette's Day (Patron of Corbie, France; against the death of parents)

St. Rose of Viterbo's Day (Patron of exiles, people rejected by religious orders, tertiaries; Viterbo, Italy)

Words by the Water: a Cumbrian Literature Festival -- Lake District, The Theatre by the Lake at Keswick, Devon, England (a lively literary festival; through the 15th)

World Day of Prayer-- International and Ecumenical; a day for Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action; this year's International Committee is meeting in the Bahamas 



Birthdays Today:

Ryan Nyquist, 1979
Shaquille O'Neal, 1972
Amy Pietz, 1969
Connie Britton, 1968
D.L. Hughley, 1963
Tom Arnold, 1959
David Gilmour, 1946
Rob Reiner, 1945
Kiri Te Kanawa, 1944
Dave Gilmour, 1944
Ben Murphy, 1942
Willie Stargell, 1941
Valentina Tereshkova-Nikolaeva, 1937
Lorin Maazel, 1930
Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, 1928
Alan Greenspan, 1926
Ed McMahon, 1923
Will Eisner, 1917
Lou Costello, 1906
Bob Wills, 1905
Ring Lardner, 1885
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806
Anna Claypoole Peale, 1791
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619
Michelangelo Bounarroti, 1475


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Lend me a Tenor"(Play), 1986
"Deep Blue Sea"(Play), 1952
"Both Your Houses"(Play; Pulitzer Prize for Drama), 1933
"La Traviata"(Opera), 1853
"La Sonnambula"(Opera), 1831


Today in History:

Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Guam, 1521
The First Fleet arrives at Norfolk Island (an external territory of Australia) in order to found a convict settlement, 1788
York, Upper Canada is incorporated as Toronto, 1834
After a thirteen day siege by an army of 3,000 Mexican troops, the 187 Texas volunteers defending the Alamo are defeated and the fort is captured, 1836
Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata receives its premiere performance in Venice, 1853
Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society, 1869
Bayer registers "aspirin" as a trademark, 1899
The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins, 1951
United Kingdom colonies Gold Coast and British Togoland become the independent Republic of Ghana, 1957
After 19 years of presenting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time, 1981
Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers, 1992
A referendum in Moldova results in the electorate voting against possible reunification with Romania, 1994
Picasso's painting Tête de Femme is stolen from a London gallery, and is recovered a week later, 1997
Microsoft is fined €561 million for not providing E.U. residents with an alternative web browser to Internet Explorer, 2013

Temperature charts should not remind you of a yoyo!

C'mon, give us a break, wouldya!

By that, i mean the weather.

As i stand here typing this, the temperature outside is about 82°F, and while there are clouds, the sun is shining.

By the time you read this, the temperature here will be around 40°F, and it will be cloudy and maybe raining again.

By Friday morning, we are supposed to have another freeze, and there is talk of school closing if there is still precipitation then, as no one wants the buses out in that.  We are not equipped to deal with a lot of freezing precipitation of any type.

But really, from open toe shoes weather to another freeze in a day?  Cut us some slack, weather!

The swamp plants don't like this.  Some have bloomed already, and now the tulip trees and dogwoods are going to lose their blooms.  So are the sweet olives, whose perfume must be made in heaven it is so beautiful.

Not the pecan trees, though.  They always know, and don't bloom until after the very last freeze, no matter when that is.  Somehow, the pecan trees know.

Never plant your tomatoes until you see the pecan trees bloom.  This from someone who kills silk houseplants and can't grow anything but crabgrass!  Even i know these few things, though.

Some of the azaleas have bloomed.

Some of them have not, and are still in bud.

Tulip tree in neighbor's yard, that i see from my kitchen window.

Good-bye, blooms!  It's sad that you can't stay longer.  Weather can be cruel.

Today is:

Act Goofy Day -- started by someone who wanted to see how far the internet could spread goofiness

Arivee de l'Evangile -- French Polynesia (Gospel Day)

Babysitter Safety Day

Butter Lantern Festival -- Tibet (the final celebration of the Tibetan New Year)

Celebrate Your Name Week -- Thursday:  Name Tag Day, celebrating those silly tags that say, "Hello, My Name is Illegible"!

Crispus Attucks Day*

Crufts Dog Show -- Birmingham, England (the World's Greatest Dog Show; Best in Show here is the most prestigious award in the world of dogs; through Sunday)

Custom Chief's Day -- Vanuatu

Diasia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Zeus Meilikhios; date approximate)

Doljatra/Holika Dahan -- regions of India (a festival of colors, similar to Holi

Full Worm Moon -- also called Leaf Moon, Seedling Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Light Snow Moon, or Lenten Moon; considered the last full moon of winter
     Medin Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
     Taubaung Full Moon -- Myanmar

Magha Puja Day -- Buddhist (celebrations of the teachings of Buddha to an assembly of holy men)

National Absinthe Day

National Cheese Doodle Day

Navigium Isis/Ploiaphaesia: The Festival of Navigation -- Ancient Roman Calendar/Ancient Egyptian Calendar (Sailing Festival, honoring Isis as sea goddess and goddess of sailing, on the traditional start of the sailing season)

Purim -- Judaism (began sundown yesterday, through sundown today)

Scouts' Day -- Taiwan (celebration of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Taiwan)

St. Piran's Day (Patron of miners, tin miners, tinners; Cornwall, England; Piran, Slovenia)
     St. Piran's Day Celebrations -- Cornwall, England

Stop the Clocks Day -- another of those with-no-explanation web holidays that sounds like a good idea

Temperance Day -- North America's first Temperance Law was passed in Virginia this day in 1623

Wedding of the March Dryads -- Fairy Calendar

World Book Day -- UK and Ireland (most other countries celebrate this on April 23; www.worldbookday.org for more information)


Anniversary Today:

Channel Islands National Park is established, 1980



Birthdays Today:

Jake Lloyd, 1989
Niki Taylor, 1975
Kevin Connolly, 1974
Eva Mendes, 1974
Andy Gibb, 1958
Penn Jillette, 1955
Marsha Warfield, 1954
Michael Warren, 1946
Paul Sand, 1944
Samantha Eggar, 1939
Fred Williamson, 1938
Dean Stockwell, 1936
James Noble, 1922
Rex Harrison, 1908
Zhou Enlai, 1898
Emmett J. Culligan, 1893
Heitor Villa-Lobos, 1887
Howard Pyle, 1853
James Merrit Ives, 1824
William Blackstone, 1595
Gerhardus Mercator, 1512


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"What the Butler Saw"(Play)1969
"Leningrad"/Symphony No. 7 in C major(Shostakovich Op. 60), 1942
"Mefistofele"(Opera), 1868


Today in History:


Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death, 363
Naser Khosrow begins the seven-year Middle Eastern journey which he will later describe in his book Safarnama, 1046
English king Henry VII hires John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) and his sons to explore unknown lands for England, 1496
Smoking tobacco is introduced in Europe by Francisco Fernandes, 1558
Copernicus' "de Revolutionibus" is placed on Catholic Forbidden index, 1616
Antonio de Ulloa, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, arrives in New Orleans to take possession of the Louisiana territory from the French, 1766
*Boston Massacre: British troops kill 5 in a crowd, including a young boy and Crispus Attackus, the first black to die for American freedom, in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War five years later, 1770
The Dutch city of Leeuwarden forbids Jews to go to synagogues on Sundays, 1820
Samuel Colt makes the first production-model revolver, the .34-caliber, 1836
George Westinghouse Jr patents the triple air brake for trains, 1872
Nikola Tesla, in Electrical World and Engineer, describes the process of the ball lightning formation, 1904
Winston Churchill uses the phrase "Iron Curtain" in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri, 1946
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations, 1970
Soviet probes Venera 11, Venera 12 and the American solar satellite Helios II all are hit by "off the scale" gamma rays leading to the discovery of soft gamma repeaters, 1979
America's Voyager 1 spacecraft has its closest approach to Jupiter, 172,000 miles, 1979
The Soviet probe Venera 14 arrives at the planet Venus, 1982
The graves of Czar Nicholas II and his family are found near St. Petersburg, 1995
President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, dies in office in the nation's capital, Caracas, at age 58, 2013