October 17 is:
Wear Something Gaudy Day
National Pasta Day
Per Foodimentary.com
The average American consumes 20 lbs. of pasta annually. This makes it the 6th highest food per capita in the country.
As of March 2012, the average price an American pays for pasta is $1.45 per pound! This makes it one of the most affordable meals.
24% of the global consumption of pasta is by Americans – the largest of any country in the world. Americans consume 6 billion pounds of pasta each year.
The United States produces 4.4 billion pounds of pasta annually, making it the second largest pasta-producing nation.
Pasta made its way to the New World through the English, who discovered it while touring Italy. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese.
The event shown in this painting is the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York on October 17, 1777. Burgoyne’s surrender followed battles with American General Horatio Gates near Saratoga in September and October 1777. With the British losing men and defenses during both engagements, Burgoyne retreated with a weakened army to Saratoga, where he surrendered to General Gates. This turning point in the American Revolution prevented the British from dividing New England from the rest of the colonies, and it was the deciding factor in bringing active French support to the American cause. The painting is one of four revolutionary period scenes done by John Trunbull that hang in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
From Today in Science
London beer flood
In 1814, at night, a deadly flood of beer was caused from the Horseshoe brewery, London. The metal bands of an immense beer brewing vat snapped releasing a tidal wave of 3,555 barrel of Porter beer, which swept away the brewery walls, flooded nearby basements, collapsed several tenements and resulted in eight deaths. The huge vessel had been poorly constructed, with little understanding of how to contain the forces involved. The deaths were reported as “by drowning, injury, poisoning by the porter fumes or drunkenness.”
Also from Today in Science
In 1855, a steel-making process was patented by Sir Henry Bessemer, a British inventor and metallurgist (British patent 2,321). His patent was for a method of making steel by blasting compressed air through molten iron to remove impurities and excess carbon. The “Bessemer Process,” made it possible to mass-produce steel inexpensively. In the course of his life, Bessemer earned more than 100 patents, knighthood, and great wealth.
Birthday of Rita Hayworth, American actress whose portrayal of seductresses helped earn her the nickname “The Love Goddess” .
1920 Birthday of Montgomery Clift, American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of “moody, sensitive young men”.
1938 Birthday of Evel Knievel. Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Over the course of his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
1939: The American classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart , had its world premiere; although it angered the political establishment, the drama won wide acclaim from the public and film industry.
Al Capone was the most infamous gangster in American history. In 1920 during the height of Prohibition, Capone’s multi-million dollar Chicago operation in bootlegging, prostitution and gambling dominated the organized crime scene. On October 17, 1931, Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
After serving six-and-a-half years, Capone was released in 1939 to a mental hospital in Baltimore, where he remained for three years. Capone had contracted syphilis as a young man, and he now suffered from neurosyphilis, causing dementia. His health rapidly declining, Capone lived out his last days in Miami with his wife. He died on January 25, 1947.
1968: The American action film Bullitt was released; it features Steve McQueen in what many consider his definitive role and is also known for its iconic car-chase sequence.