Tidbits of History

October 2 is:

National Custodial Worker Day
International Day of Non-Violence, birthday of Mahatma Gandhi

World Farm Animals Day
      Pig insulin is used to control diabetes.
      Goats and sheep don’t have teeth on their upper jaw. They have a hard palate that helps them grind their food.
      The chicken is the closest living relative to the T-Rex.
      Geese are faithful, mate for life, and mourn when their partner dies.
      Cows have a memory of about three years.

Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas” after the Iroquois names for the two big settlements he saw at Stadacona (Quebec City) and at Hochelaga (Montreal Island).

1789 – George Washington sent the proposed Constitutional amendments (The United States Bill of Rights) to the States for ratification.

The Texas Revolution began in 1835 with the Battle of Gonzales: Mexican soldiers attempted to disarm the people of Gonzales, Texas, but encountered stiff resistance from a hastily assembled militia.

Birthday of Paul von Hindenburg (October 2, 1847), Polish-German field marshal and politician, second President of Germany (d. 1934)

Birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869- Jan 30, 1948), Hindu statesman and spiritual leader. He was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule, and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

1889 – In Colorado, Nicholas Creede struck it rich in silver during the last great silver boom of the American Old West. He was an American prospector famous for discovering the Holy Moses Amethyst vein and other mining properties near Creede, Colorado in the late 1880s and early 1890s.

Birthday of Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890), American comedian, actor, and singer (d. 1977)

Birthday of Bud Abbott (October 2, 1895), American actor and singer (d. 1974) Partnered with Lou Costello, their patter routine “Who’s on First?” is one of the best-known comedy routines of all time.

In 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson suffered a massive stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.

Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz was first published in 1950.

1957: The British-American war classic The Bridge on the River Kwai had its world premiere, and it later won the Academy Award for best picture.

1959: The science-fiction anthology TV series The Twilight Zone debuted and became hugely popular, known for its unexpected plot twists and moral lessons; the show was created by Rod Serling.

Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of United States Supreme Court in 1967.

1985: American actor Rock Hudson died, becoming one of the first Hollywood celebrities known to succumb to AIDS-related complications; the extensive publicity surrounding his death drew attention to the disease.

October 1 is:

International Day of Older Persons
World Vegetarian Day

National Pumpkin Spice Day

• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
• The chemicals in the pumpkin seed cause an increase in urination (diuretic effect), which helps relieve bladder and prostate discomfort. Some chemicals might also reduce inflammation in the prostate.

Birthday of James Lawrence (October 1, 1781), naval hero during the War of 1812; he commanded USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words or “dying command” “Don’t give up the ship!”, which is still a popular naval battle cry.

Spain ceded Louisiana to France in a secret treaty, the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800.

Birthday of Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison (October 1, 1832), first wife of Benjamin Harrison, first lady 1889-1892. She secured $35,000 in appropriations from Congress to renovate the White House; and she oversaw an extensive project making up-to-date improvements. In 1891 she had electricity installed but was too frightened to handle the switches. She left the lights on all night and a building engineer turned them off each morning. Harrison was nominated for a second term in 1892. A few days prior to the election, First Lady Caroline Harrison died of tuberculosis.

Karl Marx‘ “Das Kapital, Volume I”, also called “Capital. A Critique of Political Economy” published in 1867. Volumes II and III were completed by Engels from the notes of Marx. Marx is also well-known for writing the 1848 pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto. Marx died in 1883.

1903 – First baseball World Series, Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League vs Boston Americans of the American League. Pittsburgh pitcher, Sam Leever, injured his shoulder while trap-shooting, so his teammate, Deacon Phillippe, pitched five complete games, winning three of them. In Game 1, Phillippe set a World Series record by striking out ten Boston batters.

In Game 2, Boston pitcher Bill Dinneen broke that record, striking out eleven batters.
He and pitcher Cy Young led Boston to victory, coming back from a 3 game to 1 deficit, winning the final four games to win the World Series.

Henry Ford introduced the Model T car (costs $825) in 1908.
1908 The Model T Ford was introduced at a price of $825. Due to efficient mass production, by 1925 the price of a 2 door Model T was only $260.

1913 A monument to honor sea gulls was erected in Salt Lake City, Utah. The gulls had eaten the plague of grasshoppers that threatened the Mormon settlers crops in 1848.

The Black Sox Scandal took place during the play of the 1919 World Series. The Chicago White Sox lost the series to the Cincinnati Reds, and eight White Sox players were later accused of intentionally losing games in exchange for money from gamblers. The players were acquitted in court, but nevertheless, they were all banned for life from baseball.

Birthday of Jimmy Carter (October 1, 1924), thirty-ninth President of the United States. Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency is remembered for the events that overwhelmed it—inflation, energy crisis, war in Afghanistan, and hostages in Iran. After one term in office, voters strongly rejected Jimmy Carter’s gloomy outlook in favor of Ronald Reagan’s optimism.

Birthday of William Rehnquist, (October 1, 1924), Supreme Court (1972-86) Chief Justice (1987-2005)

Birthday of Julie Andrews (October 1, 1935), Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, actress/singer (Sound of Music, Mary Poppins)

September 28 is:

Drink Beer Day

National Strawberry Cream Pie Day
This light-as-air pie has sweetened cream cheese, fresh whipped cream, and plenty of strawberries piled high on a graham cracker crust. Strawberries are one of the few fruits with seeds on the outside.

Believed to be the Birthday of Confucius about 551 B.C. Some quotes:

• “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”
• “Silence is the true friend that never betrays.”
• “Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.”
• “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
• “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”

(Good King) Saint Wenceslas was murdered by his brother, Boleslaus I of Bohemia on September 28, 935.

In 1779, American Revolution: Samuel Huntington was elected President of the Continental Congress. While not known for extensive learning or brilliant speech, Huntington’s steady hard work and unfailing calm manner earned him the respect of his fellow delegates. As a result, when John Jay left to become minister to Spain, Huntington was elected to succeed him as President of the Continental Congress on September 28, 1779 which is one reason why he is sometimes considered the first president.

Napoleon Bonaparte (16) graduated from the military academy in Paris in 1785 (42nd in a class of 51).

1850 – The U.S. Navy abolished flogging as a form of punishment.

1850 – U.S. President Millard Fillmore named Brigham Young the first governor of the Utah territory. In 1857, U.S. President James Buchanan removed Young from the position.

1889 – The first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defined the length of a meter as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of platinum with ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice.

King Camp Gillette (Jan 5, 1855-July 9, 1932, and William Emery Nickerson invented the safety razor. Their innovation was the thin, inexpensive, disposable blade of stamped steel. Gillette is widely credited with inventing the so-called razor and blades business model, where razors are sold cheaply to increase the market for blades, but in fact he only adopted this model after his competitors did.
To sell the product, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company on September 28, 1901 (changing the company’s name to Gillette Safety Razor Company in July 1902). Gillette obtained a trademark registration (0056921) for his portrait and signature on the packaging. Production began in 1903, when he sold a total of 51 razors and 168 blades. By 1910, King Gillette was a millionaire. His portrait was printed on every package of blades, which gained him great celebrity. Sadly, Gillette lost most of his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929.

He said “If I had been technically trained, I would have quit.” He spent eight frustrating years striving to invent and introduce his safety razor.

From Asimov, Isaac. Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts. New York, Bell Publishing Company, 1981

In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

1937 – FDR dedicated Bonneville Dam on Columbia River (Oregon). Bonneville Lock & Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was the first federal lock and dam on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The project’s first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve navigation on Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific Northwest.

September 26 is:

Johnny Appleseed Day John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) was born on this date in 1774. He introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia.

National Bunny Rabbit Day Did you know that for good luck you are supposed to say “Rabbit, rabbit” on the first day of each month? Must be the first words you utter and will bring you good luck all month.

National Pancake Day There are two “pancake days” every year. The other is Feb. 25th. In the U.S., a pancake is also called a hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack. In the United Kingdom, flapjacks are oat-filled, sweet granola bars.

National Key Lime Pie Day

The dish is named for the small Key limes that are naturalized throughout the Florida Keys.
Unlike regular lime juice, Key lime juice is a pale yellow color which combined with the egg yokes results in the yellow pie filling.
Many claim that Key lime pie was invented by botantist Jack Simons.
On July 1st, 2006 both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate passed legislation selecting the “Key lime pie” as the official pie of the state of Florida.
It is highly likely that the first Key lime pie was created by “Aunt Sally,” the cook of a ship salvager and Key West’s first millionaire. Many of the men onboard his ships would have had access to the basic and non-perishable ingredients required for the early recipe: canned milk, limes and eggs.

In 1789 – Thomas Jefferson was appointed the first United States Secretary of State;

John Jay was appointed the first Chief Justice of the United States;

Samuel Osgood was appointed the first United States Postmaster General;

and Edmund Randolph was appointed the first United States Attorney General.

Birthday of George Gershwin (September 26, 1898), American composer famed for “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Porgy and Bess”

September 26, 1907: New Zealand and Newfoundland were given Dominion status within the British Empire.

In 1933 – As gangster George Barnes, aka Machine Gun Kelly, surrendered to the FBI, he shouted out, “Don’t shoot, G-Men!”, which became a nickname for FBI agents.

On this date in 1960 – In Chicago, the first televised debate took place between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

1981 – Baseball: Nolan Ryan set a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter. In his career, he threw a total of seven no-hitters, three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for most one-hitters, with 12. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. Despite the seven no-hitters, he never threw a perfect game, nor did he ever win a Cy Young Award. Ryan is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in Major League baseball games in four decades and the only pitcher to have struck out seven pairs of fathers and sons. He struck out 5, 714 players, leading second place Randy Johnson by 839.

September 25 is:

National Comic Book Day

National Quesadilla Day
The word, Quesadilla, in Spanish, literally means “little cheesy thing.”
It is said that one in three Americans make a quesadilla every week. * V&V Supremo®’s Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese is the best choice for making your quesadillas authentic.
In the central and southern regions of Mexico, a quesadilla is a flat circle of cooked corn masa, called a tortilla, warmed to soften it enough to be folded in half, and then filled.
While 66% of people use two tortillas when they make quesadillas, the traditional Mexican method requires folding one tortilla in half.
In culinary terms, a quesadilla, is a tortilla that is filled with cheese, other toppings, then grilled or pan fried.

1237 – England and Scotland signed the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border.

1493 Christopher Columbus set sail from Cadiz, Spain, with a flotilla of 17 ships on his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere. The second voyage brought European livestock (horses, sheep, and cattle) and settlers to America for the first time.

Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached what would become known as the Pacific Ocean in 1513. He crossed the Isthmus of Panama.

1789 – The United States Congress passed twelve amendments to the United States Constitution: the Congressional Apportionment Amendment (which was never ratified), the Congressional Compensation Amendment, and the ten that are known as the Bill of Rights.

On September 25, 1890, the U.S. Congress established Sequoia National Park.. Yosemite National Park was established October 1, 1890.

Birthday of William Faulkner (September 25, 1897), the Nobel Prize-winning author of the American South, was born. Noted for writing “The Sound and the Fury”, “As I Lay Dying”, “Light in August”, “Absalom, Absalom!”, and “A Rose for Emily”.

President Woodrow Wilson was paralyzed by a stroke. On October 2, 1919, he suffered a second stroke, leaving him paralyzed on his left side, and with only partial vision in the right eye. He was confined to bed for weeks and sequestered from everyone except his wife and physician.

On this date in 1974, the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery (Tommy John surgery) was performed, on baseball player Tommy John. Today, nearly one-third of current Major League Baseball pitchers have undergone the surgery.