Tidbits of History, December 29

December 29 is:

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.
For the Catholic interpretation of the significance of each day of Christmas, see: crosswalk.com

National “Get on the Scales” Day

Pepper Pot Day

Johnson born December 29 1808Birthday of Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808) 17th President of the United States.  He became President upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Texas headerTexas was admitted as the 28th U.S. state in 1845.

  • Capitol: Austin
  • Nickname: Lone Star State
  • Bird: Mockingbird
  • Flower: Bluebonnet
  • Tree: Pecan
  • Motto: Friendship

See our page Texas for more interesting facts and trivia about Texas.

President James K. Polk, born Nov 2, 1795 U.S. President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House in 1848.

Bowling ball was invented in 1862.

Birthday of Henry P. DeForest (December 29, 1864),
According to Today in Science: Henry Pelouze deForest was an American gynecologist and surgeon who in 1902 established the first fingerprint file in the U.S., and invented the dactyloscope, a measuring device to analyze finger print patterns. Shortly after becoming its chief medical examiner, he was requested by the New York Civil Service Commission, to devise a system of personal identification to combat fraud at civil service examinations for police and fire department jobs. Hired stand-ins had been taking the test on behalf of candidates. A scandal resulted when a particular stand-in revealed he had taken the test for a dozen different candidates. DeForest first thought of utilizing the Bertillon anthropometric method, but instead adopted the simpler fingerprinting procedure used by Scotland Yard. This fingerprint file thus began for bureaucratic rather than criminal purposes. The first record was created on 19 Dec 1902.

December 29, 1890 – Wounded Knee Massacre on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota killed by the US Army.

In 1896, “Lava” soap was trademarked by William Waltke & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:


It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 28

December 28 is:

“On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.”
For the Catholic interpretation of the significance of each day of Christmas, see: crosswalk.com

Card Playing Day

National Chocolate Day
From Foodimentary.com
The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word, “Xocolatl”, which ironically means “bitter water”.
The biggest bar of chocolate ever made was created in 2000 and weighed 5,000 pounds. Turin is the city in Italy that can be proud of this accomplishment.
While the US produces the most chocolate and consume the most pounds every year, the Swiss consume the most per capita, followed closely by the English.
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40% of the world’s almonds and 20% of the world’s peanuts.
Every Russian and American space voyage has included chocolate bars.

Feast day of the Holy Innocents – The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical narrative of infanticide by Herod the Great, the Roman-appointed King of the Jews. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. Historians can find no evidence that the massacre occurred. According to historian Raymond Brown, based on Bethlehem’s estimated population of 1,000 at the time, the largest number of infants that could have been killed would have been about twenty.

Westminster Abbey was consecrated in 1065 as St. Edward’s Church. In 1245 Henry III pulled down the whole of Edward’s church (except the nave) and replaced it with the present abbey church in the pointed Gothic style of the period.

Galileo observed Neptune December 28 Galilei in 1612 became the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly cataloged it as a fixed star.

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #30: Concerning the General Power of Taxation written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton says that the federal government needs revenue to pay for the raising of troops, the building and equipping of fleets, and other expenses connected with the defense of the country. He says there are other obligations of the federal government such as payment of national debts. Therefore, the government must have a power of taxation.

Construction of Yonge Street, formerly recognized as the longest street in the world, begins in York, Upper Canada (present-day Toronto, Ontario, Canada) in 1795.

John C Calhoun resigned December 28John C. Calhoun became the first Vice President of the United States to resign, stepping down in 1832 over differences with President Andrew Jackson.

Iowa headerIowa Day, admission of Iowa (1846) as the twenty-ninth state

  • Capital: Des Moines
  • Nickname: Hawkeye State
  • Bird: Eastern goldfinch
  • Flower: Wild Rose
  • Tree: Oak
  • Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain

See our page Iowa for more interesting facts and trivia about Iowa.

Wilson, born December 28Birthday of Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856), American historian and politician, 28th President of the United States.

1945 Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance in 1945.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by Francis Bellamy. It read:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

In 1923, the National Flag Conference called for the words “my Flag” to be changed to “the Flag of the United States”, so that new immigrants would not confuse loyalties between their birth countries and the United States. The words “of America” were added a year later. The United States Congress officially recognized the Pledge for the first time, in the following form, on June 22, 1942:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

In 1954, at President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s urging, the Congress legislated that “under God” be added.

Former First Lady Edith Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson, died of congestive heart failure at age 89, on December 28, 1961.

U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announced on December 28, 2000 that it was going out of business after 128 years.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Christmas may be over but there are still seasonal songs that I particularly like:

White Christmas
White Christmas

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 26

December 26 is:

Boxing Day A holiday traditionally celebrated the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradespeople would receive gifts, known as a “Christmas box”, from their bosses or employers. Also, a day when you pack up your Christmas gifts in a box for returning to the merchants for refunds.

“On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.”
For the Catholic interpretation of the significance of each day of Christmas, see: crosswalk.com

National Candy Cane Day

Alms for the Poor

Day of the Wren or Wren’s Day in the Republic of Ireland. See The Irish Used to Celebrate The Day After Christmas by Killing Wrens

George Washington defeated Hessians at Battle of Trenton in American Revolutionary War in 1776.

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #28: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. This paper continues the discussion of standing armies in peace time with the admission that there may be times when a national government will be required to use force to suppress seditions and insurrections. The safeguard against the use of force against the people is the legislature being representative of the citizens. Hamilton could not foresee a time when the federal government would maintain a military big enough to endanger the liberty of the entire population.

Four thousand people attended George Washington’s funeral in 1799 where Henry Lee III declares him as:

“First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Trapped in snow in the Sierra Nevadas and without food, members of the Donner Party resorted to cannibalism in 1846.

James H. Mason of Massachusetts patented first US coffee percolator in 1865.

Birthday of Mao Zedong, (December 26, 1893), Communist leader of the Republic of China, founder of the People’s Republic of China which he governed from 1949 to 1976. Often referred to as “Chairman Mao”, he is credited with bringing China into the modern world, from an agrarian to an industrial society. He is also considered the person most guilty of democide (murder through government action) in human history, being responsible for the deaths of 40-70 million people through starvation, forced labor, and executions.

BabyFrances Gumm/Judy Garland, debuted December 26Judy Garland, 2½, billed as Baby Frances, made her show business debut on December 26, 1924.

Johnny Weissmuller retired December 26Johnny Weissmuller announces his retirement from amateur swimming in 1928, goes on to be a particularly memorable movie star, especially as Tarzan.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, born Jan 30, 1882, died April 12, 1945On December 26, 1941, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

The Beatles song released December 26The Beatles“I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level in 1963.

Harry S. Truman, died December 261972 – Death of Harry S. Truman, thirty-third President of the United States. He became president upon the death of Franklin D Roosevelt. Truman died in Kansas City, Missouri at age 88. He had pneumonia and multiple organ failure.

1982 – Time’s “Man of the Year” is for the first time a non-human, the personal computer.

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union met and formally dissolved the USSR in 1991.

Ford, died December 262006-Death of Gerald Ford (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.), thirty-eighth President of the United States. He became president upon the resignation of Richard Nixon. Ford died at age 93 in Rancho Mirage, California of arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Christmas may be over but there are still seasonal songs that I particularly like: Below are links to You Tube Videos.

Their midi files can be found at the bottom of:
Christmas Music

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 25

December 25 is:

Merry Christmas to all!

“On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: A partridge in a pear tree.”
Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed silly to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.

Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.

For the Catholic interpretation of the significance of each day of Christmas, see: crosswalk.com

National Pumpkin Pie Day

The American colonists used pumpkin in pie crusts, but not in the filling.
The type of pumpkin pie we know today was not made until the 1700s.
Every year, 50 million pumpkin pies are made using Libby’s canned product.
The world’s largest pumpkin pie weighed over 350 pounds and was made with 80 pounds of pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, and 144 eggs.

National “Kiss the Cook” Day

Coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome in the year 800.

The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary was established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary in the year 1000.

1621 Governor William Bradford of Plymouth forbid game playing on Christmas.

1651 Massachusetts General Court ordered a five shilling fine for “observing any such day as Christmas”.

Anders Celsius introduced scale December 25, 17411741 – Astronomer Anders Celsius introduced Centigrade temperature scale based on two easily reproducible natural standards, the freezing and boiling points of water.

1776 –Washington crossing the Delaware, December 25, 1776 George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River to attack Great Britain’s Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey.

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #27: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton addresses the fear that the federal government requires the aid of a military to enforce its laws. He argues that because the national Senate will consist of men chosen by State Legislatures, the representatives will be men of high morals and good judgement who will not pass laws which require military enforcement. He also says that the more interaction between the federal government and the citizens, the more respect and loyalty will be felt by the citizens.

1818 – Handel’s “Messiah” made its US premiere in Boston. George Frideric Handel’s Messiah was originally an Easter offering. It burst onto the stage of Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742. The audience swelled to a record 700, as ladies had heeded pleas by management to wear dresses “without Hoops” in order to make “Room for more company.” Handel’s superstar status was not the only draw; many also came to glimpse the contralto, Susannah Cibber, then embroiled in a scandalous divorce.

Read more at: Smithsonian Magazine

Birthday of Clara Barton, (December 35, 1821) the founder of the American Red Cross, born in Oxford, Mass.

President Andrew Johnson, pardon of Confederates December 25, 1868 U.S. President Andrew Johnson granted unconditional pardon to all Civil War Confederate soldiers in 1868.

“Stars & Stripes Forever” was written by John Philip Sousa on December 25, 1896.

Ringo gets drums1959: An apprentice engineer from Liverpool named Richard Starkey, then already eighteen, got his first real set of drums for Christmas (the young Starkey’s family couldn’t afford a proper set when he was a child). Later, he would become known as Ringo Starr.

1969: 16-year-old Robbie Bachman of Winnipeg, Canada received his first drum kit for Christmas and begins to play along with his older brother, guitarist Randy. Just three years later, Randy asks him to join his new band, named Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Gorbachev resigned December 25, 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev formally resigned as President of USSR in a televised speech on December 25, 1991.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:

Little Drummer Boy
Little Drummer Boy

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 23

December 23 is:

Roots Day encourages us to look into our heritage, families, family history and ancestry.

National Pfeffernuesse Day Pfeffernüsse are tiny spice cookies, popular as a holiday treat in Germany, Denmark, and The Netherlands.

National Bake Day

President Washington born February 22, 1732 George Washington returned home to Mount Vernon on December 23, 1783, after the disbanding of his army following the Revolutionary War.

On this date in 1788, Maryland voted to cede a 100-square-mile area for the seat of the national government. About two-thirds of the area became the District of Columbia.

A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore was published in 1823. From our website at BenneyNLinda.com

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen!
On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Christmas_header

Vincent Van Gogh, December 23, 1888Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off part of his own earlobe in 1888.

The transistor was first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories on December 23, 1947.

First successful kidney transplant was performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray in 1954.
The procedure was done between identical twins, Ronald and Richard Herrick, to eliminate any problems of an immune reaction. For this and later work, Dr. Murray received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1990. The recipient, Richard Herrick, died eight years after the transplantation.

World Trade Center, December 23, 1970The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York was topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world. (1970) When completed in 1973, the South Tower became the second tallest building in the world at 1,362 feet. We lost both on September 11, 2001.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:

We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 22

December 22 is:

National Date Nut Bread Day

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #26: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton continues his discussion on the need for a standing military, controlled by the federal government. One of the duties of the federal government is to “provide for the common defense”. According to the new Constitution, the military will be approved for a two-year period by the legislature. Any attempt to increase the size or scope of the military will be noticed and stopped. Hamilton believed strongly that it was good for the citizenry to be suspicious of military power.

The Embargo Act, forbidding trade with all foreign countries, was passed by the U.S. Congress, at the urging of President Thomas Jefferson in 1807.

Beethoven died March 26Ludwig van Beethoven conducted and performed at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, in 1808 with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto (performed by Beethoven himself) and Choral Fantasy (with Beethoven at the piano).

Rachel JacksonDeath of Rachel Jackson, wife of Andrew Jackson, of heart failure. She died between his election and his inauguration. She was buried on the grounds at The Hermitage wearing the white dress and shoes she had bought for the Inaugural Ball.

Savannah, Georgia fell to General William Tecumseh Sherman, concluding his “March to the Sea”. On Dec. 22, 1864, during the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to President Lincoln from Georgia, saying, “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah.”

1st string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas Edison in 1882.

Dreyfus1894 – French officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggered worldwide charges of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated).

Ladybird born December 22, 1912Birthday of former First Lady, Claudia Alta Taylor(Lady Bird) Johnson (December 22, 1912), wife of Lyndon Johnson, first lady 1963-1969. She became the first president’s wife to advocate actively for legislation when she was instrumental in promoting the Highway Beautification Act, which was nicknamed “Lady Bird’s Bill” and sought to beautify the nation’s highway system by limiting billboards and by planting roadside areas.

The Lincoln Tunnel opened to traffic in New York on December 22, 1937.

1944 – World War II: Battle of the Bulge –German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply by General Anthony McAuliffe: “Nuts!”

BrandenburgGate reopened December 22, 1989On December 22 in 1989, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate re-opened after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany.

Richard Reid attempted to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63 in 2001.

The repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning on homosexuals serving openly in the United States military, was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:


Silver Bells

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 18

December 18 is:

Bake Cookies Day

National Roast Suckling Pig Day
A suckling pig is a piglet fed on its mother’s milk. In culinary contexts, a suckling pig is slaughtered between the ages of two and six weeks.

National “I Love Honey” Day
From Foodimentary.com
Greeks and Roman referred to honey as a food fit for the gods.
A honey wine was developed, and largely consumed by many. Its given name was mead.
Honey was so in demand in the eleventh century that it was a stipulation for German peasants to offer their feudal lords payment in honey and beeswax.
Have allergies? Take a teaspoon a day of a honey made from the region where you reside and it will aid in developing resistance to pollen thereby reducing your allergies.
Have chapped lips? Apply honey!

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #23: Other Defects of the Present Confederation written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton discusses the responsibilities of the federal government and what powers are needed to fulfill their objective. He rejects the notion that the government be given authority without the means to exercise it.

Header New JerseyNew Jersey Admission Day (1787), third state

  • Capital: Trenton
  • Nickname: Garden state
  • Bird: Eastern goldfinch
  • Flower: Violet
  • Animal: Horse
  • Fruit: Blueberry
  • Insect: Honeybee
  • Tree: Red Oak
  • Motto: Liberty and prosperity

See our page New Jersey for more interesting facts and trivia about New Jersey.

Thirteenth Amendment ratified, slavery abolished December 18, 1865.

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892.

The Panama Canal Zone was acquired ‘in perpetuity’ by the U.S. for an annual rent in 1903. The Torrijos–Carter Treaties, signed on 7 September 1977 by U. S. President Jimmy Carter and Commander of Panama’s National Guard, General Omar Torrijos. superseded the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903. The treaties guaranteed that Panama would gain control of the Panama Canal after 1999.

Edith Wilson, married December 18, 19151915 President Woodrow Wilson , widowed the year before, married Edith Bolling Galt. Following Wilson’s stroke in 1919, Edith Wilson took over the “stewardship” of the presidency.

1916 – World War I: The Battle of Verdun ended when German forces under Chief of Staff Erich Von Falkenhayn were defeated by the French and British, and suffered 337,000 casualties.

“To Tell the Truth” debuted on CBS-TV in 1956.

The Grinch1966 – Dr Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” aired for first time on CBS. Directed by Chuck Jones, of Warner Bros cartoon fame, it became an immediate classic.

Capitol Reef National Park was established in Utah in 1971.

HTML 4.0 was published by the World Wide Web Consortium on December 18, 1997.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:

I'll be Home for Christmas
I’ll Be Home for Christmas

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 16

December 16 is:

National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

The first day of Las Posadas (Mexico, Latin America), a nine-day celebration of Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay where Jesus could be born.

Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1653.

Beethoven died March 26Birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven (December 16, 1770), German composer and pianist.

The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773 as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes.

Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate in 1809.

In an act that foreshadowed the Texan rebellion, Benjamin Edwards rode into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas in 1826 and proclaimed himself the ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

“Variety” covering all phases of show business, first published in 1905.

Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen in 1916.

Escape from Alcatraz, December 16, 1937Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempt to escape from the American federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on this date in 1937; neither was ever seen again.

The Battle of the Bulge during World War II began as German forces launched a surprise counterattack against Allied forces in Belgium in 1944.

President Harry S. Truman, born May 8, 1884, died December 26, 19721950 – Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman declared a state of emergency, after Chinese troops enter the fight in support of communist North Korea.

President William Jefferson Clinton, born August 19, 1946 President Bill Clinton ordered a sustained series of airstrikes against Iraq by American and British forces in response to Saddam Hussein’s continued defiance of U.N. weapons inspectors in 1998.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:

O Christmas Tree
Oh, Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 14

December 14 is:

National Bouillabaisse Day Bouillabaisse is a fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. “What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provençal herbs and spices in the broth; the use of bony local Mediterranean fish; the way the fish are added one at a time, and brought to a boil; and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a soup plate with slices of bread and rouille (a sauce that consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper); then the fish is served separately on a large platter; or, more simply, as Julia Child suggests, the fish and broth are brought to the table separately and served together in large soup plates.”

Monkey Day

National Biscuits and Gravy Day

Physician, astrologer and clairvoyant Nostradamus was born at St. Remy, Provence, France (December 14, 1503).

Princess Mary Stuart became Mary, Queen of Scots in 1542, succeeding her father, James V. She was 6 days old.

The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifted off on its first test flight in 1782.

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #22: Other Defects of the Present Confederation written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. The defects of the Articles of Confederation covered in this article are the lack of control of commerce between the States, the inability to raise an Army, the problems with equal voting power by large and small States, the ability of a minority to prevent government action, lack of a national supreme court, and the need for more than a single government body.

Washington died December 14, 1799Death of George Washington, First President of the United States; died at age 67 at Mount Vernon, Virginia on December 14, 1799. His last words were “‘Tis well”. He was 67. On December 12, 1799, Washington inspected his farms on horseback in snow and sleet. He returned home late for dinner but refused to change out of his wet clothes, not wanting to keep his guests waiting. He had a sore throat the following day but again went out in freezing, snowy weather to mark trees for cutting. That evening, he complained of chest congestion, but was still cheerful. On Saturday, he awoke to an inflamed throat and difficulty breathing. The diagnosis of Washington’s illness and the immediate cause of his death have been subjects of debate since the day he died.

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” These famous words about George Washington come from a eulogy written by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee. Lee was a major general in the Continental Army, member of the Continental Congress, governor of Virginia, father of the famous Civil War general Robert E. Lee, and close friend of George Washington.

Header AlabamaAlabama Admission day (December 14, 1819), twenty-second state

  • Capital: Montgomery
  • Nickname: Yellowhammer State/Heart of Dixie/Cotton State
  • Bird: Yellowhammer
  • Flower: Camellia
  • Tree: Southern Pine
  • Motto: We Dare Defend Our Rights

See our page Alabama for more interesting facts and trivia about Alabama.

Prince Albert, husband of Britain’s Queen Victoria, died in London in 1861.

born January 26Former First Lady Julia Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S Grant) died of kidney and heart failure on December 14, 1902 at the age of 76. She was the first First Lady to write her memoirs. Julia Grant’s memoirs were not published in her lifetime.They first appeared in print in 1975 under the title The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant.

Churchill, April 9, 19631941 Premier Winston Churchill traveled to U.S. on board HMS Duke of York in 1941. He arrived secretly at the White House just before Christmas in 1941.

From White House History

During his 24-day stay the staff had to adjust to his eccentricities. Chief Usher J.B. West recalled, “We got used to his ‘jumpsuit,’ the extraordinary one-piece uniform he wore every day, but the servants never quite got over seeing him naked in his room when they’d go up to serve brandy. It was the jumpsuit or nothing. In his room, Mr. Churchill wore no clothes at all most of the time during the day.”

On 26 December 1941, Churchill addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

In 1946, U.N. General Assembly voted to establish United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever“Saturday Night Fever,”starring John Travolta, premiered in New York City on December 14, 1977.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s today’s sample:

Home for the Holidays
Home for the Holidays

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)

Tidbits of History, December 13

December 13 is:

National Cocoa Day

Violin Day

Sir Francis Drake set sail from England to go around world in 1577. Five ships left Plymouth, England, to embark on Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe. The journey took almost three years.

1636 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony organized three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard.

First music store in America opened (Philadelphia) on December 13, 1759.

Dartmouth College was founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor John Wentworth in 1769.

Mary Todd Lincoln born December 13, 1818 Birthday of Mary Todd Lincoln (1818), wife of Abraham Lincoln’s First Lady 1861-1865.

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens was published in 1843, 6,000 copies sold. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. Among its legacy are the words “Scrooge” and “Bah! Humbug!”

The border between Ontario and Manitoba was established in 1883. Because of Covid-19 the Province of Manitoba established five check-points at this border at the end of March, 2020. All vehicles are stopped. Travelers receive information about Manitoba’s current state of emergency, public health orders issued under The Public Health Act, and the need to immediately self-isolate for 14 days after travel in Canada or internationally. No one will be denied entry into Manitoba at these locations.

President Woodrow Wilson, born December 28, 1856, died Feb. 3, 1924 U.S. President Wilson arrived in France in 1918, becoming the first chief executive to visit a European country while holding office.

Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn – Former Iraqi President Saddam Saddam Hussein was captured near his home town of Tikrit on December 13, 2003. He was executed on December 30, 2006.

Christmas Music:

Several years ago I worked on a project to celebrate the music in my life. Nothing says Christmas like the carols and songs heard only at this time of year. Here’s a sample:

Joy to the WorldJoy To The World

(by clicking the Windows Media Player icon button, a midi file will play [if it’s installed on your computer]. No music has been embedded.
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.)