Yes, i had this scheduled to post. Yes, i am ticked that Blogger erased it while they were down.
Meanwhile, i'll try to recreate it as best i can.
If you want the news, you get what you get, so this is it.
Gabriel lost his battle on Tuesday morning.
Maximus and Cinderheart went to an adoption event, and are now at another foster home.
Sweetie has another bad ear infection, and we're having to pay more than we can afford to have the house inspected and tested to see if something here is causing it, as it is a fungus.
The air conditioner is out again, and it will take a couple of days for them to get here to fix it.
And so it goes.
Today is
Day of Purification of All Things -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar
Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
International Nurses Day
Limerick Day
National Hospital Day
National Nutty Fudge Day
Nonsense Day
Olde May Day (Julian Calendar)
Rooster Days Festival -- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, US (through the 15th)
Snellman Day -- Finland
St. Francis Patrizi's Day (patron of reconciliations)
St. Nereus and Achilleus' Day
St. Pancras' Day (2nd Ice Saint; patron of children, oaths, treaties)
St. Tammany's Day (patron of democracy)
Thrissur Pooram -- Thrissur, Kerala, India (through the 13th, Kerala's biggest festival, lots of traditional sights)
Anniversaries Today:
Richard I (Lionheart) of England marries Berengaria of Navarre, 1191
Jagiellonian University is founded in Krakow, Poland (oldest in Poland), 1364
National University of San Marcos is founded in Lima, Peru (oldest in the Americas), 1551
Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned Queen of Bohemia, 1743
Coronation of George VI, 1937
Birthdays Today:
Jason Biggs, 1978
Kim Fields, 1969
Tony Hawk, 1968
Stephen Baldwin, 1966
Emilio Estevez, 1962
Ving Rhames, 1961
Steve Winwood, 1948
George Carlin, 1937
Tom Snyder, 1936
Burt Bacharach, 1929
Yogi Berra, 1925
Mary Kay Ash, 1918
Katharine Hepburn, 1907
Florence Nightingale, 1820
Today in History:
Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome, 1328
Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan, founds Jodhpur, India, 1459
Philip Lenzi places the first ice cream advertisement, in the NY Gazette, 1777
Society of St Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers; it later becomes an infamous group of NYC political bosses, 1789
The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15, 1870
Tunisia becomes a French protectorate, 1881
In the North-West Rebellion, the four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat, 1885
Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey, 1932
Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin, 1941
A formal North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement is signed between the United States and Canada, 1958
West Germany and Israel establish diplomatic relations, 1965
Little Girl now knows a little bit of what it is like to be a guinea pig.
There is a research center associated with the nearby university, and they are always looking for people willing to participate in studies. Now, they have begun doing studies on children 5-18. She heard me talking about it, and decided she wanted to do it, as they do get compensated.
So we showed up at 7am, and she was measured, weighed, got a body fat analysis, blood drawn, and she even had to take a pregnancy test, as she had a DEXA scan and an MRI.
The whole point is that they are trying to pinpoint early markers for chronic diseases, to see if they can find heart disease, pre-diabetes, etc., decades before it actually occurs and take steps to prevent these things.
We filled out what seemed like as much paperwork as when we got the mortgage on the house, and the questionnaire about lifestyle was over 7 pages alone.
It really only took just over 2 hours, though, and she got $50, which is pretty cool for two hours at her age.
They have her number on file, and will be calling if she qualifies for any studies in the future.
Today is
Cannes Film Festival -- through the 22nd
Cormorant Fishing Festival -- Nagara River, Gifu, Japan (traditional fishing with trained cormorants is celebrated)
Donate a Days Wages to Charity Day
Eat What You Want Day
Holiday of the City of Miskolc -- Miskolc, Hungary
Lokadagur -- Iceland (Final Day, festival to mark the end of the fishing season in the south-west of the country)
National Mocha Torte Day
National Night Shift/Third Shift Workers Day
National School Nurse Day
National Receptionists Day
National Technology Day -- India
Nisga'a Day -- Nisga'a (one of the First Nations of Canada)
Royal Windsor Horse Show -- Home Park, Private Windsor, Berkshire, England (through the 15th)
St. Gengulf's Day (patron against unhappy marriages)
St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints)
St. Philip's Day
Twilight Zone Day -- no, it didn't premier on this day, nor was Rod Serling born nor did he die on this day; it's today for no particular reason, which seems fitting
Anniversaries Today:
Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state, 1858
Birthdays Today:
Corey Monteith, 1982
Natasha Richardson, 1963
Mort Sahl, 1927
Foster Brooks, 1912
Phil Silvers, 1911
Salvador Dali, 1904
Martha Graham, 1894
Irving Berlin, 1888
Today in History:
Constantinople becomes the capital of the Roman Empire and is also called Nova Roma and Byzantium, 330
Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam, 1647
Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented European to sail into the Columbia River, 1792
The waltz is introduced into English ballrooms, and becomes popular in spite of being called "riotous and indecent," 1812
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney, opening the interior of Australia for settlement, 1813
Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British, 1857
Luxembourg gains its independence, 1867
U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana, 1910
Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies, 1924
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927
Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time, 1949
Israel joins the United Nations, 1949
In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place, 1987
In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995
IBM Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format, 1997
When our friends brought me Gabriel, we weren't sure how the little guy was still alive. The young lady who is going to take him back had spent all night with him, giving him fluids by mouth, and somehow he survived.
The next day, he was at death's door again, when i took him to the vet. Fluids, an antibiotic/steroid/B12 shot, a heating pad, and lots of sugar water, and he pulled through. In fact, for almost 5 days he lived on little more than fluids and sugar water. He seemed to be out of the woods, although still scrawny and easily dehydrated, needing fluids only about once a day.
Then, Mother's Day morning, i woke up to him laid out and dying. He was spasming when touched, which usually means they are not long for this world. He got more subcue fluids than a kitten his size should have, went back on the heating pad, and lots of sugar water, in tiny sips every 5 minutes for a couple of hours. My plan was to do this until we had to leave for Mother's Day dinner, and hope for the best while we had to be gone.
When he seemed a bit more alert, i put him down on the floor on the pad, next to the other kittens. I started feeding them, and felt something pawing my foot. He was standing there crying for food, and he cleared a bottle. How he manages to go from death's door to eating like a champ in such a short time not just once but 3 times i do not understand.
The second day after he arrived here, #1 Son asked me how Gabriel was still alive. At the time i told him i had no idea except for the mercy of the Lord, and that is still my answer.
Please, just don't let him go back downhill like that again, Lord. It's very fraying to the nerves.
Today is
Blessed Father Damien of Moloka'i's Day (patron of lepers)
Clean up Your Room Day -- one of those holidays that no one knows how it got started, but it's a good idea, especially if your house is decorated by teens in "Recently Ransacked" style!
Constitution Day -- Federated States of Micronesia
Golden Spike Day
Human Kindness Day
Lupus Awareness Day -- International
Mother's Day -- El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico
National Shrimp Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
St. Cathal's Day (patron against drought, storms, and hernias)
St. Isidore's Day
St. Job's Day (patron against depression and ulcers)
Sunning of the Buddha -- Tibet (many temples take their Buddha statues out for a day in the sun)
Trust Your Intuition Day -- practice, and you'll get better at it
Vesak -- Buddhist (birthday of Lord Buddha)
Birthdays Today:
Kenan Thompson, 1978
Amanda Borden, 1977
Paul "Bono" Hewson, 1960
Phil and Steve Mahre, 1957
Donovan, 1946
Judith Jamison, 1943
Gary Owens, 1936
Pat Summerall, 1930
Nancy Walker, 1922
David O. Selznick, 1902
Fred Astaire, 1899
Max Steiner, 1888
Emperor Fushimi of Japan, 1265
Emperor Claudius, 213
Today in History:
The Roman armies under Titus open a full scale assault on Jerusalem, 70
Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear a distinctive garb, 1267
Scottish nobles recognize authority of English king Edward I, 1291
Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves on a voyage to the New World, 1497
Christopher Columbus "discovers" the Cayman Islands, 1503
Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland, 1534
Scottish Protestants under John Knox rise up against queen-mother Mary, 1559
England forcefully annexes Jamaica from Spain, 1655
Benjamin Franklin first tests the lightning rod, 1752
Louis XVI becomes King of France, 1774
The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America, 1801
New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels, 1837
In India, the first war of Independence begins, 1857
The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike, 1869
Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, 1877
The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883, 1893
The first Mother's Day is observed, 1908
J. Edgar Hoover is appointed Director of the FBI, 1924
First successful launch of a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, 1946
Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts, 1954
The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth, 1960
The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing, 1979
François Mitterrand becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic, 1981
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, 1994
Deadliest day on the mountain: a rogue storm on Everest claims 8 lives, including experienced climbers, 1996
Every year, for Mother's Day, we drive to the city my parents live in to take Grandma to one of her favorite restaurants.
It's an Italian place, and my parents know the owner. He drives a white Corvette which he parks in the middle of the parking lot if there isn't a space for him elsewhere. On Mother's Day the manager lady always tells him to please move, he's going to trip the little old ladies on walkers as they try to get around it. He does so, with mock indignation as they laugh at each other.
The food is very, very good. Fancy, the kind you expect in a four star place. Not quite 5 star, maybe, but close.
The restaurant only has one problem, and that is the service is so slow.
Yes, they are probably trying to match the pace of an earlier time in history, and yes, they want it to be an experience to linger over. Somehow, though, the erratic timing, one appetizer at a time, soups or salads that take 45 minutes after ordering to appear, and the fact that at least one entree for our party is ten minutes behind the rest just makes me frustrated, not relaxed.
We had a lovely Mother's Day meal with my parents, though. That's really all that matters.
Today is
Accounting Day
Europe Day -- European Union
Independence Day -- Romania
Lemuria -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to get rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead)
Liberation Day -- Guernsey; Jersey
Lost Sock Memorial Day -- they go to the hozone layer!
National Butterscotch Brownie Day
St. Beatus of Lungern's Day -- (apostle of Switzerland)
Tear Tags Off of Matresses Day -- yes, you can! If you bought it, you're allowed to.
Victory Day / Victory and Peace Day -- Armenia; Russia and the former SSRs
Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Jewish
Birthdays Today:
Rosario Dawson, 1979
Steve Yzerman, 1965
Tony Gwynn, 1960
Billy Joel, 1949
Candice Bergen, 1946
James L. Brooks, 1940
Albert Finney, 1936
Glenda Jackson, 1936
Mike Wallace, 1918
Howard Carter, 1873
J.M. Barrie, 1860
John Brown, 1800
Today in History:
The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457
Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502
Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671
British inventor Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle, 1785
The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868
The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873
The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874
Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887
The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896
The lawn mower is patented, 1899
Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne, 1901
The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904
The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra, 1927
Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937
Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco, 1949
Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955
The FDA announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill, 1960
The last two days were spent overloaded on the smell of fresh flowers, as i made 49 deliveries to mothers and grandmothers across the city and even a few into the next town. Those i did when i was out that way dropping the kids off for school anyway, and because it is so far, it earns extra pay! First time i've ever earned money getting the kids to school.
The children went to visit their grandparents for the weekend, and Sweetie actually managed to feed the kittens so i could stay out on the road. He is always very nervous about doing it, and did a great job. He found out what kind of days i have, as he sandwiched feedings between getting his car serviced and fixing his own lunch and tidying up a bit.
There were some interesting people to meet, and you get to see how all kinds of people live. Actually, for the first time, i got to deliver to some of my own neighbors, and one even gave me my first tip!
Somehow i think i'm finally getting the hang of doing this sort of thing, even managing a seven delivery run that was a tight circle in 1 1/4 hours. Also, i was blessed that everyone was either home, or had a safe place where i could leave the flowers, with a message on their voice mail and a door hanger tag to make sure they found it.
So, a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, of both human and critter kids, and women who are mentors to others in any way. Hope someone gave you flowers.
Today is
Dog-Prodding Day for Gremlins -- Fairy Calendar
Giro D'Italia -- Italy (through the 30th, one of cycling's 3 Grand Tours)
Iris Day
Liberation Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia
Miguel Hidalgo Day -- Mexico
Mother's Day
National Coconut Cream Pie Day
No Socks Day
Parents' Day -- South Korea
State Flag and State Emblem Day -- Belarus
Stay Up All Night Day
St. Wiro's Day (patron of Holland)
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War -- International
Truman Day -- Missouri, US
V-E Day
White Lotus Day -- Theosophy
World Fair Trade Day
World Red Cross Day / World Red Crescent Day
Yom Ha'zikkaron -- Israel (honors those who have died fighting for Israel's independence, began sundown previous day)
Birthdays Today:
Enrique Iglesias, 1975
Robert M. Hensel, 1969
Melissa Gilbert, 1964
Toni Tennille, 1943
Peter Benchley, 1940
Rick Nelson, 1940
Don Rickles, 1926
Robert Johnson, 1911
Bishop Fulton Sheen, 1895
Harry S Truman, 1884
Today in History:
Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo, 1541
Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is tried and guillotined by the Reign of Terror, 1794
Future US president Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the Mexican-American war, 1846
At Gilmore's Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens, 1877
Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named "Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine, 1886
In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people, 1902
In Rheims, France, German forces agree to an unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, 1945
The rollercoaster Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 1976
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler make the first ascent of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, 1978
The World Health Organization announces the eradication of smallpox, 1980
The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, 2005
So, you have decided, totally independently of the aggressive marketing of the florist industry, of course, to send flowers to your mother, stepmother, mother-in-law, stepmother-in-law, the mother of your children, grandmother, grandmother-in-law, stepgrandmother, great grandmother, or any other female in your extended family whom you feel is worthy of such attention on Mother's Day.
A few suggestions from those who have to deliver them, to make the experience one you, the recipient, and the deliverer will find fulfilling and joyful.
First, get the address right. There is nothing more frustrating, to you or to me, than us not being able to get the flowers there because you told the dispatcher 12237 instead of 12337, and there is no 12237 on that street.
Please tell us if the delivery address is a Street, Drive, Court, Circle, Avenue, Lane, Boulevard, Road, Way, Highway, or whatever such designation it happens to have. If Harrington Avenue, Lane, and Drive are all in your area, make sure we know which one your loved one is on.
This applies to everyone: Please make your address clearly visible from the street! Not just for us, the ambulance can find you more easily, too. This even applies to businesses, as when you call emergency services, and they want your location. Saying "It's the XYZ Bakery on Lee Drive" won't be good enough, they will ask for the actual number.
If the delivery is to a person at work, please give us the name of the business also. Having both helps.
Always leave a contact number. If you can, multiple contact numbers. Make sure they are numbers that will be answered during normal business hours, so we can call you or the recipient to ask for specific directions. Yes, you want it to be a surprise, but without this info it can end up being a surprise to you that it never arrived because we couldn't get proper directions or get into your gated community.
Finally, if you live in an area where it is at all possible, tell them when you call in the order that we can leave it on a back porch or other safe place away from the view of the street, and in the shade. That little note on my paper allowing me to do so has saved many a delivery from coming back to the shop with me.
Enjoy your flowers, and have a blessed and beautiful day.
Today is
Apple Blossom Festival -- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, US
Astronomy Day -- Spring, celebrates the rising of the spring/summer constellations in the Northern Hemisphere.
Bark in the Park -- Chicago, Illinois, US, to wind up Be Kind To Animals Week
Beaufort Wind Force Scale Day
Birth Mother's Day
Cotton Pickin' Fair -- Gay, Georgia (come on down to see how people lived on cotton farms back in the early 1900's)
Experience the Awesome Stomach-Churning Wonder of a Thrill Ride Day
Feast of St. Nicola (Bari, Italy's patron of orphans and pirates)
Free Comic Book Day
Hamburg Harbor Day -- Hamburg, Germany (founding of the city)
Helston Furry Dance a/k/a The Flora -- Helston, Cornwall, England
Homespun History Day
International Migratory Bird Celebration
International Wildlife Film Festival -- Missoula, Montana, US
Join Hands Day -- get together with others in your area and volunteer; when we join hands, together we can accomplish anything!
Kentucky Derby
Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive -- US
Mother Ocean Day -- celebrate the wonders of the ocean, wherever you happen to be
National Babysitter's Day
National Homebrew Day
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
National Scrapbooking Day
National Tourism Day
Punch's Birthday -- St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England (Punch, of Punch and Judy, celebrates his birthday on the Saturday closest to May 9 by preaching at the cathedral to other puppets and their puppeteers, or "professors".)
Radio Day -- Bulgaria; Russia
St. John of Beverly's Day
Randwick Wap Cheese Rolling -- Randwick, Gloucestershire, England (Yes, they roll cheeses that were blessed last Sunday around the church; yes, they've been doing it for 700 years; no, no one is quite certain why, though many stories are told of the origin.)
St. Nicola's Day
World Fair Trade Day
Anniversaries Today:
Founding of Univerzita Karlova in Prague, the first university in Central Europe, 1348
Birthdays Today:
Owen Hart, 1965
Tim Russert, 1950
Johnny Unitas, 1933
Teresa Brewer, 1931
Darren McGavin, 1922
Eva Peron, 1919
Gary Cooper, 1901
Archibald Macleish, 1892
Gabby Hayes, 1885
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840
Johannes Brahms, 1833
Robert Browning, 1812
Francis Beaufort, 1774
Today in History:
The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses, 558
Joan of Arc leads the final charge in the Battle of Orleans, 1429
Louis XIV of France inaugurates The Palace of Versailles, 1664
The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, 1718
Jews are expelled from Ukraine by Empress Catherine I of Russia, 1727
Chief Pontiac begins the "Conspiracy of Pontiac" by attacking British forces at Fort Detroit, 1763
The world premier of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 1824
The independence of Greece is recognized by the Treaty of London, 1832
Georgen Eastman patents the "Kodak Box Camera," 1888
In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector — a primitive radio receiver, 1895
German submarine SM U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, 1915
England lowers age of women voters from 30 to 21, 1928
Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees, 1946
The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress, 1948
The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey W.A. Dummer, 1952
Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits, 1986
The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, 1992
Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for $40 billion USD and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history, 1998
The tomb of Herod the Great is discovered, 2007
My to do list is going to eat me.
At least, that's how it feels.
The shelter is overrun, five more barely weaned kittens were dumped there on Wednesday. They have been moved to a foster home to be socialized and finish with weaning.
Zeva, Emmie, and Petey have been adopted.
The rest of the names have not changed, and only Angel is sick. They think it is a staph infection.
The kittens are growing, and the mamas are growing tired of being in cages with only their babies for company.
Flower delivery Friday and Saturday will be interspersed with kid stuff, errands, and stopping by the house to feed kittens after every run. Talk about complicating matters!
The church was cleaned a day early, for all the good it did, as there were workers arriving as we were leaving, and someone has locked the janitor closet in the kid building and hidden the key where we can't find it. Not a smart move, hiding the janitor closet key from the janitor, but some people just don't have enough upstairs to realize that, i guess. Naturally, no one knows who did it.
Well, either way, it's time to face the weekend, one day at a time.
Today is
Beverage Day -- an internet holiday that encourages you to try a beverage you've never had before
Canadian Tulip Festival -- Ottawa, Ontario (through the 23rd)
Child Care Provider Appreciation Day
Dandelion May Fest -- Der Marktplatz, Dover, Ohio (through tomorrow)
Electra Goat BBQ Cook Off -- Electra, Texas (through tomorrow)
Eyvind Kelve -- Norse Calendar (pagan martyr)
Hidirellez -- Turkey (arrival of spring and a religious holiday for the Alevi peoples)
International No Diet Day
Joseph Brackett Day
Kansas Barbed Wire Swap/Sell -- La Crosse, Kansas (held by the Barbed Wire Collectors Association, and no, i'm not making that up!)
Lobster Race Day -- Aiken, South Carolina, US
Martyrs' Day -- Lebanon; Syria
Military Spouse Appreciation Day
National Crepe Suzette Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
National Student Nurse Day
No Homework Day (So you can have time off to be with mom, right?)
No Pants Day -- International (really! More and more people are going without pants on the first Friday in May, from students to business leaders to respected community leaders; enjoy running around all day in colorful boxers or bloomers, and make sure your boss is okay with it!)
Shepherd's and Herdsman's Day -- Bulgaria
Space Day
Tuba Day
Anniversaries Today:
Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey (the first televised royal wedding), 1960
Birthdays Today:
George Clooney, 1961
Tom Bergeron, 1955
Tony Blair, 1953
Bob Seger, 1945
Willie Mays, 1931
Orson Welles, 1915
Stewart Granger, 1913
Rudolph Valentino, 1895
Gaston Leroux, 1868
Sigmund Freud, 1856
Robert E. Peary, 1856
Maximilian Robespierre, 1758
Today in History:
Spanish and German Imperial troops sack Rome, which many consider the end of the Renaissance, 1527
Mogol emperor Babur defeats the Afghans and Bengals, 1529
Henry VIII orders that English Bibles be placed in every church, 1536
Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles, 1682
The first African-American Masonic Lodge (African # 459) forms Prince Hall, Boston, 1787
John Deere produces the first steel plow, 1833
James Gordon Bennett, Sr. publishes the first issue of the New York Herald, 1835
The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens, 1844
Dr John Gorrie patents a "refrigeration machine", 1851
Linus Yale patents the Yale lock, 1851
Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux surrenders to United States troops in Nebraska, 1877
The Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris, 1889
George V becomes King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII, 1910
George Herman "Babe" Ruth, of the Boston Red Sox, slams his first home run, against the New York Yankees, 1915
The German zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed, 1937
John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, 1940
Bob Hope performs his first USO show, 1941
Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, 1954
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand officiate at the opening of the Channel Tunnel, 1994
Chaiten Volcano erupts in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people, 2008
