December 17 is:
National Maple Syrup Day
from Foodimentary.com
Usually a maple tree is at least 30 years old and 12 inches in diameter before it is tapped.
The maple season may last eight to 10 weeks, but sap flow is heaviest for about 10-20 days in the early spring.
It takes 30-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.
It takes one gallon of maple syrup to produce eight pounds of maple candy or sugar.
Maple syrup is boiled even further to produce maple cream, maple sugar, and maple candy.
Underdog Day
Pope Paul III excommunicated Henry VIII of England in 1538.
On this date in 1777, France recognized the independence of British colonies in America.
1791 – A traffic regulation in New York City established the first street to go “One Way.”
First impeachment trial against a US senator, William Blount of Tennessee began. An aggressive land speculator, Blount gradually acquired millions of acres in Tennessee and the trans-Appalachian west. His risky land investments left him in debt, and in the 1790s, he conspired with England to seize the Spanish-controlled Louisiana Territory in hopes of boosting western land prices. When the conspiracy was uncovered in 1797, he was expelled from the Senate, and became the first U.S. public official to face impeachment. Blount nevertheless remained popular in Tennessee, and served in the state senate during the last years of his life.
1862 – Gen U S Grant issued Order #11, expelling Jews from Tennessee; the order was rescinded 21 days later. Grant believed gold and cotton were being smuggled through enemy lines, thus interfering with military operations.
1865 – Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony” premiered.
Anti-Saloon League of America formed, Washington, DC in 1895.
In 1900, a first prize of 100,00 francs offered for communications with extraterrestrials. Martians excluded–considered too easy.
The Wright Brothers made their first powered and heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.
1935 – First flight of the Douglas DC-3 airplane. Over 16,000 were built under various licenses. It was the “C-47” workhorse of WW II and they’re still in service around the world to this day.
Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen & dummy Charlie McCarthy, first appeared on TV in 1936.
On December 17, 1944, US Army announced end of excluding Japanese-Americans from West Coast, detainees released.
The United States successfully launched the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile in Cape Canaveral, Florida on December 17, 1957.
1959 – The film “On the Beach” premiered in New York City and in 17 other cities. It was the first motion picture to debut simultaneously in major cities around the world. See review of the book written by co-author of this website.
Project Blue Book: The USAF closes its study of UFOs in 1969, stating that sightings were generated as a result of “A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification of various conventional objects.”
The United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 54/134 in 1999, designating November 25 as the annual International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women.
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:
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
(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.
Birthday 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.
Theodore 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.
1950 – 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 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:
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 15
December 15 is:
Bill of Rights Day
The United States Bill of Rights became law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly on December 15, 1791. The first ten amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the U.S. Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people.
National Cat Herder’s Day
1890 – Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull was killed on Standing Rock Indian Reservation, leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre.
1891 – James Naismith invented basketball (Canada)
1933 – The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution officially became effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
Gone With The Wind 1939 – premiered at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The questions surrounding “Gone with the Wind” actually predated the film. Debate immediately ensued over the 1936 publication of Mitchell’s novel, with its nostalgia for plantation life, portrayal of happy slaves and threatening freed blacks, and sympathy toward the Confederate cause. Gone with the Wind was immensely popular when first released. It became the highest-earning film made up to that point, and held the record for over a quarter of a century. When adjusted for monetary inflation, it is still the highest-grossing film in history. It was re-released periodically throughout the 20th century and became ingrained in popular culture. Although the film has been criticized as historical revisionism glorifying slavery, it has been credited with triggering changes in the way in which African Americans are depicted cinematically. The film is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time by The American Film Institute. In 1989, the United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
1944 – A single-engine plane carrying U.S. Army Major Glenn Miller disappeared in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris in 1944. American big band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known big bands. Miller’s notable recordings include “In the Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “A String of Pearls”, “At Last”, “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo”, “American Patrol”, “Tuxedo Junction”, “Elmer’s Tune”, and “Little Brown Jug”.
Canada adopted Maple Leaf Flag in 1964.
Walter Elias “Walt” Disney died in Los Angeles in 1966 at the age of 65. He died of circulatory collapse caused by lung cancer
2001 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
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:
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire)
(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.
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 11
December 11 is:
National “Have a Bagel” Day
Foodimentary.com
The bagel originated in Poland and it was designed for Lent.
Its name derives from the Yiddish word ‘bengal’, meaning ‘ring’ or ‘bracelet’.
The hole in the center of the bagel is for multiple bagels to be threaded onto a dowel, which allows bakers to transport the bagel more easily.
National Noodle Ring Day
Scaling Day or L’Escalade:
L’Escalade, or Fête de l’Escalade (from escalade, the act of scaling defensive walls) is an annual festival held in December in Geneva, Switzerland, celebrating the defeat of the surprise attack by troops sent by Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy during the night of 11–12 December 1602. The celebrations and other commemorative activities are usually held on 12 December or the closest weekend.
Publication of Federalist Paper #20: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union written by James Madison in 1787. Federalist Paper #20 is the third written by Madison on the subject of the inadequacy of the Articles of Confederation. In his previous papers he outlined the problems of confederacy which hampered ancient Greece, Germany, Poland, and the Swiss Cantons. In this paper he describes the system in the Netherlands. He concludes that a government under the Articles leads to “imbecility in the government, discord among the States, foreign influence and indignities; a precarious existence in peace and peculiar calamities from war”.
French Revolution : King Louis XVI of France was put on trial for treason by the National Convention in 1792.
Indiana Admission Day (1816) nineteenth state
- Capital: Indianapolis
- Nickname: Hoosier State
- Bird: Cardinal
- Flower: Peony
- Tree: Tulip Tree
- Motto: The crossroads of America
See our page Indiana for more interesting facts and trivia about Indiana.
Marconi sent first transatlantic radio signal, Cornwall to Newfoundland in 1901.
On December 11, 1919, the citizens of Enterprise, Alabama, erected a monument to the Boll Weevil, the pest that devastated their fields but forced residents to end their dependence on cotton and to pursue mixed farming and manufacturing. Measuring an average length of six millimeters (one-quarter inch), the insect entered the United States via Mexico in the 1890s and reached southeastern Alabama in 1915. It remained the most destructive cotton pest in North America for much of the twentieth century.
A congressional report of 2002 found that intelligence agencies before Sept. 11, 2001, were poorly organized, poorly equipped and slow to pursue clues that might have prevented that day’s terrorist attacks.
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.
Per Wikipedia: “Winter Wonderland” is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. A later version of “Winter Wonderland” (which was printed in 1947) included a “new children’s lyric” that transformed it “from a romantic winter interlude to a seasonal song about playing in the snow”. The snowman mentioned in the song’s bridge was changed from Parson Brown to a circus clown, and the promises the couple made in the final verse were replaced with lyrics about frolicking. Singers like Johnny Mathis connected both versions, adding a verse and chorus.
Winter Wonderland
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song,
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say: Are you married?
We’ll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you’re in town.
Later on, we’ll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we’ve made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he’s a circus clown
We’ll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.
When it snows, ain’t it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We’ll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Walking in a winter wonderland,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
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.