April 8, 2020
Day 99 of 366

 

April 8th is the ninety-ninth day of the year. It is International Romani Day, which is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National All is Ours Day, National Empanada Day, and National Zoo Lovers Day.

The Jewish holiday of Passover (or Pesach) begins tonight and runs until the evening of April 16th.

 

Historical items of note:

• In 1730, Shearith Israel was dedicated. It was the first synagogue in New York City.
• In 1820, the Venus de Milo was discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
• In 1904, Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan was renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
• In 1906, Auguste Deter died. She was the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
• In 1913, The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution became law. It requires the direct election of Senators rather than relying on the states to nominate their own.
• In 1955, actor and stuntman Kane Hodder was born. He’s probably best known for his five-time portrayal of Jason Vorhees in the Friday the 13th film franchise.
• In 1959, a team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper met to discuss the creation of a new programming language. It would come to be called COBOL.
• In 1960, actor and singer John Schneider was born.
• In 1966, actor, producer, and director Robin Wright was born.
• In 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run (at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium) to surpass Babe Ruth’s 39-year-old record.
• In 1980, actress Katee Sackhoff was born.
• In 1992, retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announced that he has AIDS, which he acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
• In 2008, the construction of the world’s first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines was completed in Bahrain.

 

April 8th is celebrated as National All Is Ours Day.

The day takes observers along three views to appreciation.

The first approach can be looked at as a time to reflect on all of the beauty of nature and all the wonderful things in life. It can be as simple as observing the variety of birds that inhabit your local ecosystem or discovering what a local park or trail system has to offer. Basically, taking in your surroundings is the gift.

The second way to celebrate is by appreciating everything we have. This approach encourages thought about what we do have and avoiding thinking about the things we do not have.

The third approach is sharing all that we have. Many of the things that we have gain value by sharing the experiences and the memories associated with them. The greatest times and the greatest things in life are those that are shared.

The origins and creator of this holiday are unknown, but the sentiment is one that I appreciate and enjoy. Despite our current world crisis, we can still find creative ways to celebrate it.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.