Category Archives: State History

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

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

Texas 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.

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.

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.

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

Publication 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 became the first Vice President of the United States to resign, stepping down in 1832 over differences with President Andrew Jackson.

Iowa 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.

Birthday 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.

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:

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.)

“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!

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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.