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.
Publication 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.
Death 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.
Alabama 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.
Former 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.
1941 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.
“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:
(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.)
“There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” is a 1954 song commonly associated with the Christmas and holiday season. The lyrics detail the joys of being in your home community during the holidays and give examples of how some people will travel long distances to be with their loved ones. The music was composed by Robert Allen, with the lyrics written by Al Stillman.
Home for the Holidays
Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
For no matter how far away you roam –
When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home!
I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin’ for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie;
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore;
From Atlantic to Pacific –
Gee, the traffic is terrific!
Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam –
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home
I met a man who lives in Tennessee and he was headin’ for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie;
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore;
From Atlantic to Pacific –
Gee, the traffic is terrific!
Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam –
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home!
For the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home!
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.
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.
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 
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:
(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.)
Per Wikipedia: Joy to the World” is an English hymn and Christmas carol. Written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts, the hymn is usually sung to an 1848 arrangement by the American composer Lowell Mason of a tune attributed to George Frideric Handel. The hymn’s lyrics are a Christian interpretation of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3.
Since the 20th century, “Joy to the World” has been the most-published Christmas carol in North America. As of December 2009, it was published in 1,387 hymnals in North America, according to the Dictionary of North American Hymnology.
Historical note:
Issac Watts (born in Southampton) (1674-1748) was evidently short and not very handsome. A young lady (Elizabeth Singer) who had fallen in love with him from his writings, asked him to marry her, but when she saw him in person she took back the offer. She wrote later that Issac Watts was “only five feet tall, with a shallow face, hooked nose, prominant cheek bones, small eyes, and deathlike color…..I admired the jewel but not the casket” that contained the jewel. Maybe, he wasn’t a looker, but Issac Watts could certainly write. Wanting to write songs based on the Psalms from a New Testament background, Issac Watts wrote Joy To The World from Psalm 98. (Ps 98:4 Make a joyful noice unto the Lord all the earth; make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise….). Watts was not immediately appreciated. “How dare he take the pslams and try to improve them,” was the outcry. (The music was added by an American, Lowell Mason, in 1822.)
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And Heaven and Nature sing
And Heaven and Nature sing
And Heaven and Heaven and Nature sing
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let Saints their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy
Joy to the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders and wonders of His love
No more will sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He’ll come and make the blessings flow
Far as the curse was found,
Far as the curse was found,
Far as, far as the curse was found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And gives to nations proof
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love;
And wonders, wonders of His love.
Rejoice! Rejoice in the Most High,
While Israel spreads abroad
Like stars that glitter in the sky,
And ever worship God,
And ever worship God,
And ever, and ever worship God.
Tidbits of History, December 12
December 12 is:
National Ambrosia Day Ambrosia is a fruit salad made with a variety of fruit, marshmallows, coconut, nuts, and whipped topping.
Foodimentary.com
Ambrosia is a good type of apple for kids and older people to digest because of its low acid content.
Ambrosia need to be stored in the refrigerator to retain its crisp texture.
Ambrosia is known as “The food of the gods” in classical Greek mythology.
In the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, “Ambrosia is a dessert made from fruits, sugar and grated coconut, most popular in the South.”
National Popcorn String Day
National Ding-a-Ling Day
Poinsettia Day
Birthday of John Jay, New York (December 12, 1745), American statesman, 1st US Chief Justice, co-author of the Federalist Papers.
Publication of Federalist Paper #21: Other Defects of the Present Confederation written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton further discusses the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, particularly in the areas of enforcement of laws and protection of the states. The federal government had no authority to enforce laws or regulate contributions or revenues from the States. The national debt was increasing. Also, if a state were overrun by a faction, by another state, or by a foreign power, the federal government had no authority to send in soldiers to help fight for that state.
Pennsylvania Admission day (1787), second state to ratify the U. S. Constitution
- Capital: Harrisburg
- Nickname: Keystone State
- Bird: Ruffled grouse
- Flower: Mountain laurel
- Tree: Hemlock
- Motto: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
See our page Pennsylvania for more interesting facts and trivia about Pennsylvania.
“The Katzenjammer Kids,” (Hans and Fritz) the pioneering comic strip by Rudolph Dirks, debuted in the New York Journal on 1897. Dirks was the first cartoonist to express dialogue in comic characters through the use of speech balloons.
Birthday of Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915), American singer and actor. Francis Albert Sinatra was an American singer, actor and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founded Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys in 1917. It began with five boys. Boys Town has grown over the years, providing care to children and families across the country. There are nine sites across the United States, in Central Florida, North Florida, South Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, New England, Nevada, and Washington, D.C.
The first motel, the Motel Inn, opened, in San Luis Obispo, California in 1925.
December 12, 2000, the United States Supreme Court released its decision in Bush v. Gore. The decision allowed Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris’s previous certification of George W. Bush as the winner of Florida’s 25 electoral votes to stand. Florida’s votes gave Bush, the Republican candidate, 271 electoral votes, one more than the required 270 electoral votes to win the Electoral College and defeat Democratic candidate Al Gore, who received 266 electoral votes (a District of Columbia elector abstained). Media organizations subsequently analyzed the ballots, and under the strategy that Al Gore pursued at the beginning of the Florida recount — filing suit to force hand recounts in four predominantly Democratic counties — Bush would have kept his lead, according to the ballot review conducted by the consortium.
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’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
(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.)
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jingle belling,
And everyone telling you,
“Be of good cheer,”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
There’ll be parties for hosting,
Marshmallows for toasting and
Caroling out in the snow.
There’ll be scary ghost stories and
Tales of the glories of Christmases
Long, long ago.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
There’ll be much mistletoeing
And hearts will be glowing,
When loved ones are near.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Tidbits of History, December 10
December 10 is:
Nobel Prize Day
Human Rights Day
Thailand Constitution Day:
National Lager Day
Per Foodimentary.com:
Lager is a type of beer that is fermented at low temperatures and generally takes longer to ferment out than ales.
Most lager has a light color and crispy tasting.
The first US lager was brewed in 1840 by John Wagner in Philadelphia.
Lager beer is the most popular beer style throughout the world except in UK, where ale is dominant.
Besides pale lager, there are also dark lagers, such as Dunkel and Schwarzbier.
Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict demanding that he recant or face excommunication on December 10, 1520.
Thomas Culpepper and Francis Dereham were executed on this date in 1541 for having affairs with Catherine Howard, Queen of England and wife of Henry VIII.
Mississippi admission day (1817), 20th state
- Capital: Jackson
- Nickname: Magnolia State
- Bird: Mockingbird
- Flower: Magnolia
- Tree: Magnolia
- Motto: By valor and arms
See our page Mississippi for more interesting facts and trivia about Mississippi.
Birthday of Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830), American poet. One of her best-known poems was
Because I could not stop for Death.
Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.
The first traffic lights were installed, outside the Palace of Westminster in London in 1868. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and were illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1884. This book is in the public domain and can be read at our site “nextdoorestore.com”
December 10, 1898, Spanish-American War ended; US acquired Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role in the mediation of the Russo-Japanese War, becoming the first American to win a Nobel Prize.
Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication in 1936. Edward was the eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary. He became king following his father’s death on 20 January 1936. He was succeeded by his younger brother Albert, who chose the regnal name George VI. Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was pursuing the divorce of her second. Her divorce became final on May 3, 1937 and Edward and Wallis Simpson married on June 3, 1937.
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:
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) (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.
According to Wikipedia:
“Up on the Housetop” is a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864. It has been recorded by a multitude of singers, most notably Gene Autry in 1953.
According to William Studwell in “The Christmas Carol Reader”, Up on the Housetop was the second-oldest secular Christmas song, outdone only by “Jingle Bells”, which was written in 1857. It is also considered the first Yuletide song to focus primarily on Santa Claus. It was originally published in the magazine “Our Song Birds” by Root & Cady. According to “Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Song Book”, Hanby probably owes the idea that Santa and his sleigh land on the roofs of homes to Clement C. Moore’s 1822 poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas”).
Up on the housetop
Reindeer paws,
Out jumps good old Santa Claus.
Down thru’ the chimney
With lots of toys,
All for the little ones,
Christmas joys.
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Up on the housetop,
Click, click, click,
Down thru’ the chimney
With good Saint Nick.
First comes the stocking
Of little Nell,
Oh, dear Santa
Fill it well;
Give her a dolly
That laughs and cries
One that will open
And shut her eyes.
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Up on the housetop,
Click, click, click,
Down thru’ the chimney
with good Saint Nick.
Next comes the stocking
Of little Will,
Oh just see
What a glorious fill
Here is a hammer
And lots of tacks,
Also a ball
And a whip that cracks.
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn’t go!
Up on the housetop,
Click, click, click,
Down thru’ the chimney
With good Saint Nick.
Tidbits of History, December 9
December 9 is:
Christmas Card Day
Weary Willie Day from the birthday of Emmett Kelly, American clown who created “Weary Willie”
National Pastry Day
Birthday of John Milton, (December 9, 1608) poet, author of Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained.
Texas Revolution: The Texian Army captured San Antonio, Texas in 1835. The Battle of the Alamo took place the following year (February 23 – March 6, 1836).
Ten years later, on December 9, 1845, President James K Polk sent a special message:
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I communicate herewith a letter received from the President of the existing Government of the State of Texas, transmitting duplicate copies of the constitution formed by the deputies of the people of Texas in convention assembled, accompanied by official information that the said constitution had been ratified, confirmed, and adopted by the people of Texas themselves, in accordance with the joint resolution for annexing Texas to the United States, and in order that Texas might be admitted as one of the States of that Union.
From: James K. Polk: “Special Message,” December 9, 1845. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
The poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was published in England in 1854 about the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Includes:
“Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.”
Statistician Herman Hollerith installed his computing device at the United States War Department in 1888.
From Free Dictionary.com
Tanzania Independence Day
Tanzania Independence Day is a celebration of independence from the British in 1961 of Tanganyika, which merged with Zanzibar in 1964 to become Tanzania. The day is a national holiday celebrated with parades, youth leagues marching before the president at the stadium in Dar es Salaam, school games, cultural dances, and aerobatics by the air force.
The Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona in 1962. Petrified Forest National Park is known for its fossils, especially of fallen trees that lived in the Late Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 225 million years ago. During this period, the region that is now the park was near the equator on the southwestern edge of the supercontinent Pangaea, and its climate was humid and sub-tropical. What later became northeastern Arizona was a low plain flanked by mountains to the south and southeast and a sea to the west. Streams flowing across the plain from the highlands deposited inorganic sediment and organic matter, including trees as well as other plants and animals that had entered or fallen into the water. Although most organic matter decays rapidly or is eaten by other organisms, some is buried so quickly that it remains intact and may become fossilized.
A Charlie Brown Christmas, first in a series of Peanuts television specials, debuted on CBS in 1965.
Phoenix Arizona, got 3 inches of snow in 1985.
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:
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
Per Wikipedia:
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, also known as simply “Let It Snow”, is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945 in Hollywood, California, during a heatwave as Cahn and Styne imagined cooler conditions. The song was first recorded that fall by Vaughn Monroe, was released just after Thanksgiving, and became a hit by Christmas.
“Despite the lyrics making no mention of any holiday, the song has come to be regarded as a Christmas song worldwide due to its winter theme, and is often played on radio stations during the Christmas and holiday season, and having often been covered by various artists on Christmas-themed albums.”
Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
It doesn’t show signs of stopping,
And I brought some corn for popping;
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
When we finally say good night,
How I’ll hate going out in the storm;
But if you really hold me tight,
All the way home I’ll be warm.
The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we’re still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Tidbits of History, December 8
December 8 is:
National Chocolate Brownie Day
Bodhi Day is a holiday celebrated by Buddhists. It commemorates the day that Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) achieved enlightenment. Traditionally the day is celebrated with meditation, chanting, or performing acts of kindness to others. See How to Celebrate Bodhi Day for suggestions such as “colored lights are strung about the home to recognize the day of enlightenment.”
Beach Day or Blessing of the Water Day in Uruguay.
Sometimes called “Beach Day,” this Uruguayan holiday involves a contest: Religious leaders send a cross into the ocean, and whoever gets to it first is guaranteed a year’s worth of good fortune. Read the full text here: Offbeat Holidays
Take it in the Ear Day A day to listen to others.
Feast day of Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, was the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her mother’s womb, free from original sin.
Birthday of Eli Whitney (December 8, 1765), born in Westboro, MA. Whitney invented the cotton gin and developed the concept of mass-production of interchangeable parts.
Publication of Federalist Paper #19: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union written by Alexander Hamilton and/or James Madison in 1787. In Paper #18 Madison spoke of the failure of ancient Greek confederacies. In this Paper #19 he considers several existing confederacies – German, Polish, and Swiss. He speaks of conflicts between the members or from foreign powers. He is using these examples to demonstrate the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation.
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South in 1863.
Even before the war ended, President Lincoln began the task of restoration. Motivated by a desire to build a strong Republican party in the South and to end the bitterness engendered by war, he issued (Dec. 8, 1863) a proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction for those areas of the Confederacy occupied by Union armies. It offered pardon, with certain exceptions, to any Confederate who would swear to support the Constitution and the Union. Once a group in any conquered state equal in number to one tenth of that state’s total vote in the presidential election of 1860 took the prescribed oath and organized a government that abolished slavery, he would grant that government executive recognition.
Read more: Reconstruction: Lincoln’s Plan | Infoplease.com
1886-12-08 – American Federation of Labor (AFL) formed by 26 craft unions Samuel Gompers elected AFL president.
1940 – According to History.com, Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in an NFL Championship Game, the largest margin of defeat in NFL history.
The Bears, coached by George Halas, brought a 6-2 record to their regular-season meeting with the Redskins in Washington on November 17, 1940. After Chicago lost 3-7, the Redskins coach, George Preston Marshall, told reporters that Halas and his team were “quitters” and “cry babies.” Halas used Marshall’s words to galvanize his players, and the Bears scored 78 points in their next two games to set up a showdown with the Redskins in the league’s championship game on December 8, also in Washington.
Less than a minute into the game, the Bears’ running back Bill Osmanski ran 68 yards to score the first touchdown. After the Redskins narrowly missed an opportunity to tie the game, the Bears clamped down and began to dominate, leaving the field at halftime with a 28-0 lead. Things only got worse for the Redskins, and by the end of the second half officials were asking Halas not to let his team kick for extra points, as they were running out of footballs after too many had been kicked into the stands.
On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota Apartments in New York City in 1980.
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:
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
Frosty the snowman
Was a jolly happy soul,
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman
Is a fairy tale, they say,
He was made of snow
But the children know
How he came to life one day.
There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around.
O Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be,
And the children say
He could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me.
Frosty the snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day,
So he said, “Let’s run
And we’ll have some fun
Now before I melt away.”
Down to the village,
With a broomstick in his hand,
Running here and there
All around the square
Saying, “Catch me if you can!”
He led them down
The streets of town
Right to the traffic cop.
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler “Stop!”
For Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way,
But he waved goodbye
Saying,”Don’t you cry,
I’ll be back again some day.”
Thumpetty thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Look at Frosty go.
Thumpetty thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Over the hills of snow.
Tidbits of History, December 7
December 7 is:
International Civil Aviation Day
Letter Writing Day
National Cotton Candy Day
Pearl Harbor Day – 1941 – World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor – The Imperial Japanese Navy carried out a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet and its defending Army and Marine Air Forces at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. A day that President F.D.Roosevelt called “a date which will live in infamy”.
All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. All but one (Arizona) were later raised, and six of the eight battleships were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded.
Publication of Federalist Paper #18: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union written by James Madison in 1787. Federalist #18 continues the subject of the insufficiencies of the Articles of Confederation. Madison continues the discussion begun by Hamilton in Federalist #15. This paper describes two Greek confederacies of antiquity that were similar to the current confederacy and how they failed. He concludes that political organizations like that formed under the Articles dissolve because of conflict among the States not from conflicts with the national governing body.
Delaware admission day (1787) first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution
- Capital: Dover
- Nickname: Diamond State/First State
- Bird: Blue hen chicken
- Flower: Peach blossom
- Tree: American Holly
- Motto: Liberty and Independence
See our page Delaware for more interesting facts and trivia about Delaware.
American outlaw Jesse James committed his first confirmed bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri in 1869.
Instant replay makes its debut during an American Army–Navy football game on December 7, 1963.
1972 – Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, was launched. The crew took the photograph known as The Blue Marble as they left the Earth.
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:
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
Per Wikipedia:
Sleigh Ride” is a light orchestra standard composed by Leroy Anderson. He formed the idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and finished it in February 1948. Its first performance was by the Boston Pops Orchestra, with Arthur Fiedler conducting, on May 4, 1948. Anderson also made additional parts and arrangements for wind band and piano.
The earliest recordings were made before lyrics were added to Anderson’s instrumental composition: it was first recorded in 1949 by Fiedler and the Boston Pops. As a 45 rpm version issued on red vinyl, “Sleigh Ride” was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal and has become one of the orchestra’s best-known works.
In 1950, publisher Mills Music commissioned Mitchell Parish to write lyrics, describing riding in a sleigh and other wintertime activities.
The Ronettes recorded a cover of “Sleigh Ride” in 1963 for Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift for You, which was commercially successful in the United States and featured in various media. The song has since been associated with the Christmas and holiday season.
Biographer Steve Metcalf said, “‘Sleigh Ride’… has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music.”
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
Ring ting tingling too
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you,
Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling “Yoo hoo,”
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap,
Let’s go, Let’s look at the show,
We’re riding in a wonderland of snow.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap,
It’s grand, Just holding your hand,
We’re gliding along with a song
oOf a wintry fairy land.
Our cheeks are nice and rosy
And comfy cozy are we
We’re snuggled up together
Like two birds of a feather would be
Let’s take that road before us
And sing a chorus or two
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you.
There’s a birthday party
At the home of Farmer Gray
It’ll be the perfect ending a perfect day
We’ll be singing the songs
We love to sing without a single stop,
At the fireplace while we watch
The chestnuts pop. Pop! pop! pop!
There’s a happy feeling
Nothing in the world can buy,
When they pass around the chocolate
And the pumpkin pie
It’ll nearly be like a picture print
By Currier and Ives
These wonderful things are the things
We remember all through our lives!
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
Ring ting tingling too
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you,
Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling “Yoo hoo,”
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you.
Tidbits of History, December 6
December 6 is the 341st day of the year.
St. Nicholas Day Children in families who celebrate St Nicholas’ Day receive treats – including candy, cookies, small toys, or fruit – in stockings, socks, shoes or bags on December 6. The legendary figure of St. Nicholas is derived from Nicholas of Myra who officiated as a bishop in 4th century Greece. During his lifetime he developed a reputation for gift-giving by putting coins into other people’s shoes, which accounts for many of today’s Christmas traditions that involve leaving gifts in shoes or boots. {In my family, St. Nicholas filled up stockings on December 6. We didn’t have stockings on Christmas Day.}
In the 16th Century in Europe, the stories and traditions about St. Nicholas had become very unpopular. But someone had to deliver presents to children at Christmas, so in the UK, he became ‘Father Christmas’, a character from old children’s stories; in France, he was then known as ‘Père Nöel’; in Germany, the ‘Christ Kind’. In the early USA his name was ‘Kris Kringle’. Later, Dutch settlers in the USA took the old stories of St. Nicholas with them and Kris Kringle became ‘Sinterklaas’ or as we now say ‘Santa Claus’! It is from St. Nicholas that Santa Claus is sometimes referred to as “Old St. Nick”.
Mitten Tree Day
National Gazpacho Day
The city of Quito in Ecuador was founded by Spanish settlers led by Sebastián de Belalcázar in 1534. Celebrated on December 6th as Founder’s Day in Ecuador.
The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was published on this date in 1768.
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially abolished slavery in America, and was ratified on December 6, 1865, after the conclusion of the American Civil War. The amendment states: “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.”
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., was completed in 1884.
From History.com
Made of some 36,000 blocks of marble and granite stacked 555 feet in the air, the monument was the tallest structure in the world at the time of its completion in December 1884. In the six months following the dedication ceremony, over 10,000 people climbed the nearly 900 steps to the top of the Washington Monument. Today, an elevator makes the trip far easier, and more than 800,000 people visit the monument each year. A city law passed in 1910 restricted the height of new buildings to ensure that the monument will remain the tallest structure in Washington, D.C.–a fitting tribute to the man known as the “Father of His Country.”
On this date in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt articulated his “Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the U.S. would intervene in the Western Hemisphere should Latin American governments prove incapable or unstable.
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’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is a Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas”. Perry Como was the first to record and release the song in 1951. It has since been recorded by Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole and many others including Michael Buble.
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (Also called “Pine Cones and Holly Berries”)
Popcorn for you, apples for me
Red striped candy, nut cracker handy
Kettle a-bubbleing hot as can be.
Snow clouds hang low and threatening
Maybe in won’t, praying it may
The brightest fireplace glows in every face
Waiting for Christmas day.
There’ll be walk-a-round songs and
Talk-a-round songs
Songs of the inn and stable.
There’ll be morning time songs and
Evening time songs
And grace at every table.
And Jingle bells will jingle all the way all day.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go;
There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel,
One in the park as well
The sturdy kind that doesn’t mind the snow.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.
Tidbits of History, December 5
December 5 is:
Repeal (of Prohibition) Day
National Sacher Torte Day It consists of two layers of dense chocolate cake with apricot preserves between the layers, chocolate icing, and whipped cream. This cake is the pride of Vienna.
Comfort Food Day
Bathtub Party Day
International Ninja Day
London auctioneers Christie’s held their first sale December 5, 1766.
Publication of Federalist Paper #17: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton addresses the issue of possible encroachment by the federal government on the powers of the states. He says that the states have more direct power over the citizens, especially in criminal and civil justice and that the nature of man dictates that citizens will be more attached to their own state governments than to a federal government.
Birthday of Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782), eighth President of the United States.
The term “O.K.” was popularized because Van Buren was from Kinderhook, New York, sometimes referred to as “Old Kinderhook” in speeches and print. O.K. Clubs formed to support Van Buren’s campaign. “O.K.” later came to mean all right.
- Van Buren was the first president born a citizen of the United States.
- Van Buren was the only president who spoke English as a second language.
- His autobiography does not mention his wife once. A gentleman of that day would not shame a lady by public references
- Van Buren took $100,000, the sum of his salary as president over four years, in a lump sum at the end of his term.
- Martin Van Buren said that the two happiest days of his life were his entrance into the office of President and his surrender of the office.
- Van Buren made three unsuccessful bids for reelection.
- It has been reported that Van Buren enjoyed the night life and was known to imbibe, often staying up until the wee hours of the morning. As a result, he was not easy to rouse out of bed. This presented a problem when Van Buren was Vice President. He once lay in bed so late that he could not reach the Senate by noon in order to call that body to order.
- Van Buren was only about five foot six inches tall and very fussy about his appearance.
California Gold Rush of 1849: In a message to the U.S. Congress in 1848, U.S. President James K. Polk confirmed that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California, leading to the Gold Rush of 1849.
1872 – The crewless American ship Mary Celeste was found by the British brig Dei Gratia. The ship had been abandoned for nine days but was only slightly damaged. None of those on board were ever seen or heard from again.
Birthday of Walt Disney, (Dec. 5, 1901), the pioneer of animated cartoon films and founder of the Disney theme parks.
Prohibition in the United States ended in 1933: Utah becomes the 36th U.S. state to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, thus establishing the required 75% of states needed to enact the amendment. (This overturned the 18th Amendment which had made the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol illegal in the United States.)
TV series “Dragnet” premiered in 1951. Starred Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday and Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon.
On December 5, 2008, human remains previously found in 1991 were finally identified by Russian and American scientists as those of Tsar Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov) who had been executed along with his entire family on 17 July 1918. Pictured (left to right): Olga, Maria, Nicholas II, Alexandra Fyodorovna, Anastasia, Alexei, and Tatiana.
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:
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
Brenda Lee made this song popular in 1958 when she was 13 years old. In 2019, Lee’s recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2024 it was declared the first Official Holiday Song of Tennessee. You can listen to it at You Tube
Rocking Around The Christmas Tree
Rocking around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie
And we’ll do some caroling.
You will get a sentimental
Feeling when you hear
Voices singing let’s be jolly,
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancing merrily
In the new old-fashioned way.
Tidbits of History, December 4
December 4 is:
National Cookie Day
Cookies were invented during the seventh century in Persia. Right around the time that sugar became a common resource in that region.
Santas’ List Day – “He’s making a list and checking it twice!”
Wear Brown Shoes Day
In 1674, Father Jacques Marquette founded a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek. (The mission would later grow into the city of Chicago, Illinois.)
Publication of Federalist Paper #16: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. Hamilton continues to push for a strong central government. In this article Hamilton speaks of states or groups of states resisting general authority and how that would lead to civil war and the disbanding of the Union. He makes a distinction between noncompliance and active resistance to federal mandates. He says the laws set forth by the federal government should not require the intervention of the state legislatures but directly apply to the people.
Peter Gaillard patented the power mower in 1812.
North Carolina ratified the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
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.
William Magear Tweed , the “Boss” of New York City’s Tammany Hall political organization, escaped from jail and fled to Spain from the U.S. in 1875. He was returned to custody in 1876. He died of pneumonia in the Ludlow Street Jail in 1878. Tweed was convicted for stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen’s committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, although later estimates ranged as high as $200 million.
1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sailed for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
1945 – By a vote of 65 to 7, the United States Senate approved United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.)
1954 – The first Burger King opened in Miami, Florida. At the end of fiscal year 2013, Burger King reported it had over 13,000 outlets in 79 countries; of these, 66 percent are in the United States.
Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco’s first woman mayor when she was named to replace George Moscone, who had been assassinated in 1978.
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:
Lyrics can be printed by using the File->Print Preview Commands. They will print in black ink with no images.) No music has been embedded.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” is a Christmas song written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and first recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra. When it was covered by Eddie Cantor on his radio show in November 1934, it became a hit; within 24 hours, 500,000 copies of sheet music and more than 30,000 records were sold. Since then it has been recorded by over 200 performers.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
You’d better watch out
You’d better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out
Who’s naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry.
Better not pout, I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa Claus is coming to town.