Tag: The Thing About Today

The Thing About Today – June 4

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

June 4, 2020
Day 156 of 366

 

June 4th is the 156th day of the year. It is the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, a United Nations observance that was established on August 19, 1982. Originally focused on victims of the 1982 Lebanon War, its purpose expanded to “acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse.” The day affirms the UN’s commitment to protect the rights of children.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Clean Beauty Day, National Old Maids Day, National Cheese Day, and National Cognac Day. IT is also recognized as National SAFE Day, which is an event that brings awareness to gun safety and responsible storage of firearms.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrated their montgolfière. It is better known as the hot air balloon.
  • In 1784, Élisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covered four kilometers in 45 minutes, reaching 1,500 meters altitude.
  • In 1855, Major Henry C. Wayne departed New York aboard the USS Supply to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps.
  • In 1876, the Transcontinental Express arrived in San Francisco after traveling 83 hours and 39 minutes from New York City via the First Transcontinental Railroad.
  • In 1907, actress Rosalind Russell was born.
  • In 1912, Massachusetts became the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage.
  • In 1917, the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded. Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall received the first Pulitzer for biography (for Julia Ward Howe), Jean Jules Jusserand received the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days, and Herbert B. Swope received the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World.
  • In 1919, the United States Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sent it to the states for ratification.
  • In 1928, German-American therapist and author Ruth Westheimer was born.
  • In 1939, the Motorschiff St. Louis was denied permission to land in Florida. Carrying 963 Jewish refugees, the ship had previously been turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later died in Nazi concentration camps.
  • In 1940, British forces completed the evacuation of 338,000 troops from Dunkirk in France. To rally the morale of the country, Winston Churchill delivered his famous “We shall fight on the beaches” speech to the House of Commons.
  • In 1944, Rome became the first Axis capital to fall to Allied forces in World War II.
  • In 1960, author Kristine Kathryn Rusch was born.
  • Also in 1960, English television presenter, comedian, singer, former footballer, and Doctor Who companion Bradley Walsh was born.
  • In 1961, singer-songwriter and producer El DeBarge was born.
  • In 1964, actor Sean Pertwee was born.
  • In 1970, Polish-Swedish actress, model, and Bond Girl Izabella Scorupco was born.
  • In 1971, actor and producer Noah Wyle was born.
  • Also in 1971, actor James Callis was born.
  • In 1975, actress, filmmaker, humanitarian, and activist Angelina Jolie was born.
  • In 1982, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released.
  • In 1986, Jonathan Pollard pled guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
  • In 2010, the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, named Falcon 9 Flight 1, launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.

 

In 1989, the Tiananmen Square protests were suppressed in Beijing by the People’s Liberation Army.

The Tiananmen Square protests, also known as the Tiananmen Square Incident and the June Fourth Incident – 六四事件, literally the six-four incident – were student-led demonstrations that started on April 15th and were forcibly suppressed almost two months later when the government declared martial law.

This led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in which troops with assault rifles and tanks fired at the demonstrators and those trying to block the military’s advance into the square. Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded.

The protests were sparked by the death of pro-reform Communist general secretary Hu Yaobang. Amid the backdrop of rapid economic development and social changes in post-Mao China, these protests reflected social anxieties about the country’s future, both among the populace and the political elite. The economic reforms of the 1980s developed a nascent market economy that helped some but not all, and the legitimacy of the single-party political system was challenged.

The country faced inflation, corruption, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy, and restrictions on political participation. Students raised their voices, calling for greater accountability and due process. They wanted democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech.

At the height of the protests, nearly 1 million people assembled in the Square.

Authorities responded with both conciliatory and hardline approaches, revealing deep divisions in the party. A student-led hunger strike galvanized support for the demonstrators around the country, spreading the protests to 400 cities, and forcing party leadership to use stronger measures. The State Council declared martial law on May 20th and mobilized approximately 300,000 troops to Beijing. In the early morning hours of June 4th, they advanced into the city and began killing both demonstrators and bystanders.

The international community, human rights organizations, and political analysts condemned the action and the government. The Chinese government responded with widespread arrests of protesters and their supporters, suppression of other protests around China, expulsion of foreign journalists, and strict control of information by stifling the media, demoting and purging officials, and authoritarian strengthening of security forces.

It is considered a watershed event in world history, but the limits established on the Chinese people have kept the Tiananmen Square event one of the most sensitive and most widely censored topics in China.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – June 3

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

June 3, 2020
Day 155 of 366

 

June 3rd is the 155th day of the year. It is Mabo Day in Australia, a celebration of Eddie Koiki Mabo. An indigenous Torres Strait Islander, his campaign for Indigenous land rights led to a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that overturned the legal fiction of terra nullius on 3 June 3, 1992. The previous legal standing had directed the course of Australian law with regards to land and title since the voyage of James Cook in 1770.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Egg Day, National Repeat Day, National Chocolate Macaroons Day, and National Running Day. That last one is typically observed on the first Wednesday in June.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1539, Hernando de Soto claimed Florida for Spain. Does that make him the first Florida Man?
  • In 1885, Cree leader Big Bear escaped the North-West Mounted Police. It was the last military engagement fought on Canadian soil.
  • In 1889, the first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States was completed. It spanned 14 miles between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, Oregon.
  • In 1926, poet Allen Ginsberg was born.
  • In 1930, author and poet Marion Zimmer Bradley was born.
  • In 1947, special effects artist and producer John Dykstra was born.
  • In 1950, screenwriter Melissa Mathison was born.
  • In 1961, lawyer, academic, author, and founder of the Creative Commons Lawrence Lessig was born.
  • In 1965, Gemini 4 was launched. It was the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew, and astronaut Ed White performed the first American spacewalk.
  • In 1967, reporter Anderson Cooper was born.
  • In 1988, the movie Big premiered.
  • In 1989, the government of China sent troops to force protesters out of Tiananmen Square after seven weeks of occupation.
  • In 2012, the pageant for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II took place on the River Thames.

 

June 3rd is Bicycle Day.

The United Nations General Assembly declared the international celebration, recognizing “the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the Bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.”

The idea came from American sociology professor Leszek Sibilski, eventually gaining the support of fifty-seven other countries. The main message is that the bicycle belongs to and serves all of humanity. The bicycle serves as a symbol of human progress and advancement, and promotes “tolerance, mutual understanding, and respect.” It also facilitates social inclusion and a culture of peace.

The event also recognizes the ecological impact of bicycles, emphasizing them as a “symbol of sustainable transport” that conveys a positive message of sustainable consumption and production.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – June 2

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

June 2, 2020
Day 154 of 366

 

June 2nd is the 154th day of the year. It is International Sex Workers Day, which honors sex workers and recognizes their often exploited working conditions. The event commemorates the occupation of Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon by more than a hundred sex workers on June 2, 1975, an event that drew attention to their inhumane working conditions. It has been celebrated annually since 1976.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Rotisserie Chicken Day, National Rocky Road Day, National Bubba Day, and National Leave The Office Early Day. That last one is typically observed on June 2nd unless the date falls on a weekend, in which case it is observed on the closest working day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 455, vandals entered Rome and plundered the city for two weeks.
  • In 1740, French philosopher and politician Marquis de Sade was born.
  • In 1774, the Quartering Act was enacted. It allowed a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided.
  • In 1840, English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was born.
  • In 1857, English composer and educator Edward Elgar was born.
  • In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi applied for a patent for his wireless telegraph.
  • In 1907, journalist and author Dorothy West was born.
  • In 1910, Charles Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce Limited, became the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane.
  • In 1924, United States President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act into law. It granted citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
  • In 1930, astronaut Pete Conrad was born.
  • In 1936, actress Sally Kellerman was born.
  • In 1944, composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch was born.
  • In 1951, artist, gay rights activist, and designer of the rainbow flag Gilbert Baker was born.
  • In 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II occurred. She was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Her Other Realms and Territories & Head of the Commonwealth, and the coronation was the first major international event to be televised.
  • In 1954, actor and producer Dennis Haysbert was born.
  • In 1966, Surveyor 1 landed in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first United States spacecraft to soft-land on another world.
  • In 1977, actor and producer Zachary Quinto was born.
  • In 1978, actress Nikki Cox was born.
  • In 1979, actress Morena Baccarin was born.
  • In 1982, actress Jewel Staite was born.
  • In 2003, Europe launched its first voyage to another planet. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express probe launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

 

June 2nd is Decoration Day in Canada.

Decoration Day recognizes veterans of Canada’s military. It began on June 2, 1890, and was originally a form of protest for veterans of the Battle of Ridgeway. They felt that their contributions to the protection of Canada during the Fenian Raids were being overlooked by the government, and they protested by placing decorations at the Canadian Volunteers Monument near Queen’s Park in Toronto on the anniversary of the battle.

It became an annual event and accumulated more participants as the ranks of Canadian veterans grew, including veterans of the Fenian Raids, the North-West Rebellion, the Second Boer War, and the First World War.

This all resulted in Great Britain creating service medals recognizing participants in the pre-First World War Canadian conflicts. Commemoration of Decoration Day became less prominent in the early 1900s, although it returned to some prominence when the First World War began. A Ridgeway monument was created in 1916 and made a National Historic Battlefield in 1921.

In 1931, the Armistice Remembrance Day Act established November 11th, Remembrance Day, as the official day commemorating military service in Canada. Despite that, some recognition of Decoration Day continues each year.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – June 1

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

June 1, 2020
Day 153 of 366

 

June 1st is the 153rd day of the year. It is World Milk Day, an international day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Olive Day, National Heimlich Maneuver Day, National Go Barefoot Day, National Nail Polish Day, National Say Something Nice Day, National Penpal Day, and National Hazelnut Cake Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1495, monk John Cor recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky.
  • In 1779, Benedict Arnold, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, was court-martialed for malfeasance. He would conspire and change allegiances to Great Britain soon thereafter.
  • In 1890, the United States Census Bureau began using Herman Hollerith’s tabulating machine to count census returns.
  • In 1916, Louis Brandeis became the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court.
  • In 1926, actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter Andy Griffith was born.
  • Also in 1926, model and actress Marilyn Monroe was born.
  • In 1937, actor and producer Morgan Freeman was born.
  • In 1940, actor René Auberjonois was born.
  • Also in 1940, physicist, astronomer, and academic Kip Thorne was born.
  • In 1946, actor Brian Cox was born.
  • In 1947, actor Jonathan Pryce was born.
  • In 1969, actress Teri Polo was born.
  • In 1974, the Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims was published in the journal Emergency Medicine.
  • Also in 1974, singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actress Alanis Morissette was born.
  • In 1977, actress Sarah Wayne Callies was born.
  • In 1978, the first international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty were filed.
  • In 1980, Cable News Network (CNN) began broadcasting.
  • In 1988, the European Central Bank was founded in Brussels.
  • In 1996, actor Tom Holland was born.
  • In 2011, Space Shuttle Endeavour made its final landing after 25 flights.

 

June 1st is World Reef Awareness Day.

The event acts as a call to action for consumers, businesses, and organizations to reflect on the delicate ecosystem of our ocean’s coral reefs by bringing together the general public, influencers, and opinion leaders to create active change through education and engagement.

Coral reefs are living communities of individual polyps that excrete a bone-like skeleton. This skeleton forms large rock-like structures that are homes for thousands of other organisms.

In recent years, our most productive reefs have been in decline due to coral bleaching. Death of reefs stems from rising sea temperatures, industrial and plastic pollution, chemical, and unmanaged tourism.

Healthy reefs are essential to plant and fish life, building a lively fishing industry while protecting beaches and coastlines from erosion. Fish and other oceanic animals rely on the protection of the healthy, living reef for spawning season. The reefs also contribute to the viability of the ocean life cycle.

Healthy coral reefs are important for the prosperity of the entire planet.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 31

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 31, 2020
Day 152 of 366

 

May 31st is the 152nd day of the year. It is World No Tobacco Day, an event that informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as Autonomous Vehicle Day, National Save Your Hearing Day, National Speak in Sentences Day, National Macaroon Day, National Utah Day, National Smile Day, and Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1790, the United States enacted its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790.
  • In 1819, poet, essayist, and journalist Walt Whitman was born.
  • In 1852, Julius Richard Petri was born. He was the German microbiologist who invented the Petri dish.
  • In 1909, the National Negro Committee, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), convened for the first time.
  • In 1911, the RMS Titanic was launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  • In 1922, actor Denholm Elliott was born.
  • In 1930, actor, director, musician, and producer Clint Eastwood was born. He likes to have televised conversations with empty chairs.
  • In 1943, actress Sharon Gless was born.
  • In 1950, director, producer, and screenwriter Jean Chalopin was born. He was the founder of DIC Entertainment.
  • In 1961, actress, director, and producer Lea Thompson was born.
  • In 1965, model, actress, and producer Brooke Shields was born.
  • In 1971, in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the United States Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurred on the last Monday in May for the first time. This was rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30.
  • In 1976, actor Colin Farrell was born.
  • In 2005, Vanity Fair revealed that Mark Felt was “Deep Throat”.
  • In 2013, the asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon made their closest approach to Earth for the next two centuries.

 

In 1859, the clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, started keeping time.

Big Ben is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower, however, the tower’s original name was the Clock Tower. It was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom.

The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin, and when it was completed in 1859, the clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower measures 315 feet in height, with a climb of 334 steps from ground to belfry. The square base is 39 feet on each side and the dials of the clock are 23 feet in diameter.

Big Ben is the largest of the tower’s five bells, weighing in at 13.5 long tons. It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell’s nickname is up for debate, owning to either Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or to heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt.

Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour, as well as just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism with an electric motor as a backup.

The tower is a British cultural icon that is recognized worldwide, representing the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 30

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 30, 2020
Day 151 of 366

 

May 30th is the 151st day of the year. It is the Day of the Canary Islands, celebrating the anniversary of the first session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, which was held on May 30, 1983.

It is also World Multiple Sclerosis Day, which is used to bring awareness to Multiple Sclerosis and those who suffer from the disease.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Creativity Day, National Water a Flower Day, National Hole In My Bucket Day, National Mint Julep Day, and Loomis Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1431, the 19-year-old Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal in Rouen, France. The Roman Catholic Church remembers this day as the celebration of Saint Joan of Arc.
  • In 1842, John Francis attempted to murder Queen Victoria as she drove down Constitution Hill in London with Prince Albert.
  • In 1868, Decoration Day was observed in the United States for the first time. The predecessor of the modern Memorial Day, it was ordered by “Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic” John A. Logan’s proclamation on May 5th.
  • In 1883, a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge in New York City killed twelve people.
  • In 1908, voice actor Mel Blanc was born.
  • In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
  • In 1936, actor Keir Dullea was born.
  • In 1953, actor Colm Meaney was born.
  • In 1958, the remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, were buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
  • In 1962, author, illustrator, and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman was born.
  • In 1971, Mariner 9 was launched. It mapped 70% of the surface of Mars and studied temporal changes in the atmosphere and on the surface of the planet.
  • Also in 1971, singer-songwriter and actress Idina Menzel was born.
  • In 1975, the European Space Agency was established.

 

May 30th is Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated on various days in the nations of the Caribbean, Fiji, and Mauritius. It commemorates the arrival of people from the Indian subcontinent to their respective nations as indentured labor brought by European authorities and colonizers.

Trinidad and Tobago was the first country to start this holiday. It was first celebrated in Skinner Park as the East Indian Centenary on May 30, 1945, the one hundredth anniversary of the coming of Indians to Trinidad. The Acting Governor representing the Government of the United Kingdom attended, which indicated the significance of the observance, and other local dignitaries addressed the large crowd. Greetings were also read from Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Wavell, and Colonel Stanley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

By the 1970s, the observance began to dwindle, but the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA) revived the memory of the event through their concern about racism directed toward the Indian people.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 29

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 29, 2020
Day 150 of 366

 

May 29th is the 150th day of the year. It is Statehood Day for both Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Rhode Island was the thirteenth state and was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1790. Wisconsin, the thirtieth state, was admitted on May 29, 1848.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Paperclip Day and National Coq Au Vin Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1790, Rhode Island became the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
  • In 1903, actor, singer, and producer Bob Hope was born.
  • In 1905, actor, director, playwright, and first Anakin Skywalker Sebastian Shaw was born.
  • In 1913, Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring premiered in Paris, France. It also provoked a riot.
  • In 1917, naval officer and thirty-fifth President of the United States John F. Kennedy was born.
  • In 1919, Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity was tested (and later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin.
  • In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It happened on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
  • Also in 1953, singer-songwriter, producer, and actor Danny Elfman was born.
  • In 1958, actress Annette Bening was born.
  • In 1973, Tom Bradley was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
  • In 1999, Space Shuttle Discovery completed the first docking with the International Space Station during mission STS-96.
  • In 2004, the National World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.

 

May 29th is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, an international day to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The United Nations uses the day to celebrate the peacekeepers for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage, as well as to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

It was designated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/129, on December 11, 2002. The date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the creation of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in 1948, which monitored the ceasefire after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and was the first-ever UN peacekeeping mission.

The day is commemorated at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City with the presentation of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, statements by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General, and a press release regarding the state of UN Peacekeeping missions and the continued necessity of their work.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 28

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 28, 2020
Day 149 of 366

 

May 28th is the 149th day of the year. It is Flag Day in the Philippines and Republic Day in Nepal.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Brisket Day and National Hamburger Day. If you’re feeling frisky, try combining the two.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 585 BC, a solar eclipse occurred. This event was predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, and it happened while Alyattes of Lydia was battling Cyaxares in the Battle of Halys. Not only did it lead to a truce, but it also became one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
  • In 1779, Irish poet and composer Thomas Moore was born.
  • In 1830, United States President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This denied Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocated them.
  • In 1892, John Muir organized the Sierra Club in San Francisco, California.
  • In 1908, English journalist and author Ian Fleming was born. He created James Bond.
  • In 1933, actress and activist Zelda Rubinstein was born.
  • In 1934, the Dionne quintuplets were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne near Callander, Ontario, Canada. They would be the first quintuplets to survive infancy.
  • In 1936, Alan Turing submitted On Computable Numbers for publication.
  • In 1937, the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen was founded.
  • In 1944, actress and singer-songwriter Gladys Knight was born.
  • In 1945, physician and author Patch Adams was born. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute.
  • In 1961, Peter Benenson’s article The Forgotten Prisoners was published in several internationally read newspapers. This would later be seen as the founding moment of the human rights organization Amnesty International.
  • In 1967, actress Kari Wuhrer was born.
  • In 1968, Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress Kylie Minogue was born.
  • In 1985, actress and signer Carey Mulligan was born.
  • In 2002, the last steel girder was removed from the original World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially ended with closing ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan, New York City.

 

And now, a bit of the taboo, but one point of this particular observance is to break those taboos: May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD or MH Day, for short) is an annual awareness day used to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management and break the taboos surrounding it. The observance was started by the German-based non-governmental organization (NGO) WASH United in 2014. The 28th was selected to acknowledge that 28 days is the average length of the menstrual cycle.

In low-income countries, girls’ and women’s choices of menstrual hygiene materials are often limited by the costs, availability, and social norms. Those societal norms often stem back to religious beliefs, which treat menstrual cycles as dirty and unspeakable topics, thus relegating women to second-class citizenship.

Adequate sanitation facilities and access to feminine hygiene products are one part of the solution. Creating a culture that welcomes open discussion and adequate education for women and girls is of equal importance. Research has found that not having access to menstrual hygiene management products can keep girls home from school during their period each month.

Since men have traditionally held decision-making roles in these cultures, and boys are still being raised to replace them, discussion and education must also jump the gender gap.

Menstrual Hygiene Day creates an occasion for public information campaigns, including via social media, which can help to engage decision-makers in policy dialogue. The day offers an opportunity to actively advocate for the integration of menstrual hygiene management into global, national, and local policies and programs, thus breaking the ignorance and taboos to make societies a better and more equal place to live.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 27

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 27, 2020
Day 148 of 366

 

May 27th is the 148th day of the year. It is Slavery Abolition Day in Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Cellophane Tape Day, National Grape Popsicle Day, and National Senior Health & Fitness Day (which is typically observed on the last Wednesday in May).

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1837, folk hero Wild Bill Hickok was born.
  • In 1911, actor Vincent Price was born.
  • In 1922, actor Christopher Lee was born.
  • In 1930, the 1,046 foot-tall Chrysler Building opened to the public in New York City. It was the tallest man-made structure at the time.
  • In 1933, the United States Federal Securities Act was signed into law, requiring the registration of securities with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • In 1934, author and screenwriter Harlan Ellison was born.
  • In 1935, actress and model Lee Meriwether was born. Coincidentally, today was the day that I learned that Catwoman was also Miss American in 1955.
  • In 1936, actor and producer Louis Gossett, Jr. was born.
  • In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
  • In 1955, actor, director, and producer Richard Schiff was born.
  • In 1958, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II took its first flight.
  • In 1961, actress Peri Gilpin was born.
  • In 1967, the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was launched by Jacqueline Kennedy and her daughter Caroline. It was the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier built for the fleet.
  • Also in 1967, actor Eddie McClintock was born.
  • In 1969, construction began at Walt Disney World near Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
  • In 1970, actor Joseph Fiennes was born.
  • In 1971, actor Paul Bettany was born.
  • In 2016, Barack Obama became the first president of the United States to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and meet Hibakusha.

 

So, about that National Grape Popsicle Day.

The story goes that, in 1905, eleven-year-old Frank Epperson was trying to make soda and accidentally left a mix of water and powdered flavoring out overnight. The temperatures hit a record low overnight, and when young Frank found his drink the next morning, it was frozen solid to the mixing stick.

In 1922, he introduced his frozen treat, which he called an Epsicle, at a fireman’s ball. That success led to a patent and history after he renamed it as the famous Popsicle. Epperson sold the rights to the invention and the Popsicle brand to the Joe Lowe Company in New York City.

More generically known as ice pops, the confection has been around in one form or another since 1872, but the Popsicle was so popular that the name has stuck for genericized trademark.

The reason for the emphasis on grape popsicles? Apparently, it is one of the most popular flavors, though I tend to pass since it reminds me of the grape-flavored Children’s Dimetapp cough and cold medicine.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 26

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 26, 2020
Day 147 of 366

 

May 26th is the 147th day of the year. It is Independence Day in Guyana as they celebrate the anniversary of their separation from the United Kingdom in 1966.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Blueberry Cheesecake Day, and National Paper Airplane Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1783, a Great Jubilee Day was held at North Stratford, Connecticut to celebrate the end of fighting in the American Revolution.
  • In 1857, Dred Scott was emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners.
  • In 1868, the impeachment trial of United States President Andrew Johnson ended with his acquittal by one vote.
  • In 1896, Charles Dow published the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
  • In 1897, Dracula, the famous novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, was published.
  • In 1907, actor, singer, director, and producer John Wayne was born.
  • In 1913, actor Peter Cushing was born.
  • In 1922, businessman Troy Smith was born. He was the founder of Sonic Drive-In.
  • In 1923, actor James Arness was born.
  • In 1940, Operation Dynamo commenced as Allied forces began a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France.
  • In 1948, the United States Congress passed Public Law 80-557. It permanently established the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
  • In 1951, astronaut and physicist Sally Ride was born. In 1983, she became the first woman in space.
  • In 1966, actress Helena Bonham Carter was born.
  • In 1998, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, was mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.

 

In 1998, the first “National Sorry Day” was held in Australia. Reconciliation events were held nationally and attended by over a million people.

The purpose of the annual event is to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country’s Indigenous peoples, as part of an ongoing process of reconciliation between the Indigenous peoples and the settler population.

During the 20th century, Australian government policies caused children to be separated from their families, with the intention of assimilating them into White Australian culture. This resulted in what became known as the “Stolen Generations”, with the effects of these traumatic removals being felt by succeeding generations even today.

On May 26, 1997, the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. It was the result of a government inquiry into the practice and made many recommendations, including that state and federal governments should issue formal apologies and that funding should be provided to help deal with the consequences of the policies. This date now carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, and is also commemorated by many non-Indigenous Australians.

The incumbent Prime Minister John Howard refused to apologize, but Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology on behalf of the government and people when he was prime minister, on February 13, 2008.

 

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.