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

John JayBirthday of John Jay, New York (December 12, 1745), American statesman, 1st US Chief Justice, co-author of the Federalist Papers.

author of Federalist PaperPublication 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.

Header PennsylvaniaPennsylvania 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.

KatzenjammerKids“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.

Frank SinatraBirthday 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 TimeIt’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.)

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