Category Archives: State History

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

December 3 is:

National Peppermint Latte Day

Make a Gift Day

National Roof over Your Head Day

First Sunday of Advent, the first season of the Christian church year which leads up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin phrase
“Adventus Domini”, meaning arrival of the Lord.
In 2023the four Advent Sundays are December 3, December 10, December 17, and December 24th.
Traditionally Advent is commemorated by means of an Advent calendar or the lighting of the Advent wreath.

Anniversary of the First Text Message
On December 3, 1992, Neil Papworth, a 22 year old Canadian test engineer sent the first text message over the Vodafone GSM network to the cellphone of his colleague Richard Jarvis who was enjoying a staff Christmas party. The message simply read “Merry Christmas”.

Illinois Admission Day, Illinois became the 21st U. S. State in 1818

• Capital: Springfield
• Nickname: Land of Lincoln/Prairie State
• Bird: Cardinal
• Flower: Violet
• Tree: White Oak
• Motto: State sovereignty, national union

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

In a State of the Union message of 1901, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt asked Congress to curb the power of trusts “within reasonable limits”.

Modern neon lighting was first demonstrated by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show in 1910.

December 3, Laurel and Hardy Putting Pants on Philip, the first Laurel and Hardy film, was released in 1927

The musical Camelot debuted at the Majestic Theater on Broadway in 1960. Cast included Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Roddy McDowall and Robert Goulet. Music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner.

1967 – At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carried out the first heart transplant on a human (53-year-old Louis Washkansky). He survived 18 days.

1992 – UN Security Council Resolution 794 was unanimously passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, with the task of establishing peace and ensuring that humanitarian aid was distributed in Somalia.