Tidbits of History, October 3

October 3 is:

National Soft Taco Day (as opposed to just regular Taco Day, October 4th)

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.
A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety.
A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, minced meat, onions and lettuce.

St. Francis of Assisi died on this day in 1226. St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history. He founded the Franciscan orders, including the Poor Clares and the lay Third Order. He and St. Catherine of Siena are the patron saints of Italy, and he is also the patron saint of ecology and of animals.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is dispair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Myles Standish, died October 3, 1656Anniversary of the death of Myles Standish in 1656. The Pilgrims needed a man to coordinate any military campaigns and to organize the defense of their new colony. Captain Standish agreed to accompany the group on the Mayflower in 1620. The Pilgrims had several conflicts with the natives from 1621-1635 and Standish proved himself to be a decisive, sometimes brutal military leader.

His memory has been perpetuated by Longfellow’s “The Courtship of Miles Standish”. In that legend, John Alden won the hand of Priscilla after first wooing her for his friend, Miles Standish when she asked: “Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?” Longfellow was a descendant of John and Priscilla Alden
and depicts Standish as a shy and timid romantic.

On October 3rd of 1789, General George Washington issued a proclamation designating a “day of thanksgiving” to be held on Thursday, the 26th of November, 1789 to celebrate victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga.

Edgar Allen Poe On October 3, 1849, American author Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he is seen in public. He died on October 7.

Birthday of William Crawford Gorgas (October 3, 1854), American sanitarian, surgeon-general of the United States Army, famous for his success in controlling yellow fever, an achievement that permitted completion of the Panama Canal.

Federal Income Tax signed into law in 1913 (at 1%).

1916 Birthday ofJames Herriot James Herriot, (born as James Alfred Wight) veterinarian, author of much-loved books including:

All Creatures Great and Small (1972),
All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974),
All Things Wise and Wonderful (1977),
and The Lord God Made Them All.
He died in 1995.

1960: The Andy Griffith Show debuted on American television and was an immediate success. The show starred Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, the widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina, a fictional community of roughly 2,000–5,000 people. Other major characters included Andy’s cousin, the well-meaning and enthusiastic deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts); Andy’s aunt and housekeeper, Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier); and Andy’s young son, Opie (Ron Howard). It ran until 1968.

1961: The Dick Van Dyke Show, a pioneer of the sitcom genre, began airing on CBS. The show starred Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, and Larry Mathews. It ran until 1966.

1990 – German Reunification. The German Democratic Republic ceased to exist and its territory became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. East German citizens became part of the European Community, which later became the European Union. Now celebrated as German Unity Day.

Tidbits of History, October 2

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 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.

Come and Take It Flag 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.

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

Abbott and CostelloBirthday 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.

Wilson, born December 28In 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.

Rock Hudson1985: 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.

Tidbits of History, October 1

October 1 is:

International Day of Older Persons
World Vegetarian Day

pumpkinNational 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.

James LawrenceBirthday 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.

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

Caroline Harrison, Oct 1, 1832Birthday 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.

Ford Model T discontinued in 1927Henry 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.

Seagull monument1913 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.

Jimmy Carter, October 1, 1924Birthday 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.

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

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

Tidbits of History, The Month of October

The month of October, the tenth month in the Gregorian calendar, received its name from the Latin numeral octo, meaning “eight” because in the days of the old Roman calendar, it was the eighth month.

One of the notable days in October is Columbus Day, October 9, honoring the discovery of America by the Italian map-maker and explorer, Christopher Columbus. It is celebrated as Discovery Day in Central and South America and was set aside as a holiday in the United States in 1892 by President Harrison.

Hawaii has a special October event called “the Aloha Festival,” sometimes described as the “Mardi Gras of the Pacific.” It is observed with pageantry, street dancing, hula festivals, luaus, parades, and fancy balls.

October gave its name to one of the best-known German fall festivals. Oktoberfest, started on October 17, 1810, the wedding day of King Ludwig I. It still retains the name,, even though the festivities may start in September, with October having only a partial share of the time schedule. Octoberfest was cancelled in 2020 due to Coronavirus. The 187th Oktoberfest in 2022 will take place from September 16 until October 3.

An important October day for the entire world is Oct 24, United Nations Day, which commemorates the founding of the United Nations on October 24, 1945. It is a holiday for many of the member nations and is generally observed by all nations as a way of publicizing the aims and achievements of the world organization.

The month ends with Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve. It is a religious festival in some countries but a trick-or-treat night in the United States – a time for small children in costume to roam through their neighborhoods to solicit candy or cookies.

October candulaThe flowers for October are the calendula

and the cosmos. October Cosmos

The birthstones are the opal and the tourmaline.

October OpalOctober tourmaline

…from Gregory, Ruth W. Anniversaries and Holidays, Third Edition;. Chicago: American Library Association, 1975.

The month  is:

  • Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
  • American Pharmacist Month
  • Awareness Month
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Clergy Appreciation Month
  • Computer Learning Month
  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • Eat Country Ham Month
  • International Drum Month
  • Lupus Awareness Month
  • National Apple Month
  • National Applejack Month
  • National Caramel Month
  • National Cookbook Month
  • National Cookie Month
  • National Dessert Month
  • National Diabetes Month
  • National Pasta Month
  • National Pickled Peppers Month
  • National Pizza Month
  • National Popcorn Popping Month
  • National Pork Month
  • National Pretzel Month
  • National Vegetarian Month
  • Sarcastic Month
  • National Seafood Month

Weekly Celebrations during the month:

  • Week 1 Get Organized Week
  • Week 1 Customer Service Week
  • Week 2 Fire Prevention Week
  • Week 2 Pet Peeve Week
  • Week 3 Pastoral Care Week

October 31 is Nevada State Day. In 1864 Nevada became the 36th state in the Union.

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Tidbits of History, September 30

September 30 is:

National Mud Pack Day Mud packs are mixtures of therapeutic clays which, when applied to the skin, increase circulation, ease muscle tension, release toxins and boost immunity. They work well on oily and some combination skin types.
While commonly used as a facial, mud packs treat the entire skin’s surface.

National Chewing Gum Day Birthday of William Wrigley, Jr. in 1861.

National Hot Mulled Cider Day
The cider industry uses 45% of all apples grown in the UK.
There are more than 300 varieties of cider apple grown in the UK – all with the sole purpose of making cider.

According to Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked in 1659. The first edition of the book credited the work’s protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents.

1659 – Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherlands forbid tennis playing during religious services (first mention of tennis in US).

Anesthetic ether was used for first time in 1846 by American dentist Dr William Morton who extracted a tooth.

Elie_WieselBirthday of Elie Wiesel (September 30, 1928-July 2, 2016), Romanian-born, Jewish-American professor and political activist. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps; winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.

From Today in Science
In 1935, the Boulder Dam, Boulder City, Nevada was dedicated. The concrete-arch dam, subsequently named Hoover Dam (1947), supplied the first U.S. hydroelectric plant to produce a million kilowatts. This production peak occurred in June 1943, though the first of its four generators was placed into operation on 26 Oct 1936… The power serves the Los Angeles area.

Bridge over Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona.

September 30, 1955September 30, 1955: American film star James Dean died at aged 24 in a car crash. He starred in Rebel Without a Cause, Giant, and East of Eden.

Tidbits of History, September 29

September 29 is:

World Heart Day established to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.

Michaelmas Day, the Feast of Saint Michael, the Archangel, honoring Michael as representative of all the angels. In Christianity, the Archangel Michael is the greatest of all the Archangels and is honored for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven.

“Old Michaelmas Day” fell on 11 October. It is said that the Devil fell out of Heaven on this date, and fell into a blackberry bush, cursing the fruit as he fell. According to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date. In Yorkshire, it is said that the devil had spat on them. According to Morrell (1977), this old legend is well known in all parts of the United Kingdom, even as far north as the Orkney Islands. In Cornwall, a similar legend prevails; however, the saying goes that the devil urinated on them.

International Coffee Day
International Mocha Day

Horatio_NelsonBirthday of Horatio Nelson, (September 29, 1758) English admiral who is remembered for his admonition, “England expects that every man will do his duty”.
He was wounded several times in combat: A musket ball severed an artery and his arm was amputated immediately – without anaesthetic – in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. He lost the sight in one eye in Corsica. Of his several victories, the best known and most notable was the Battle of Trafalgar on the south coast of Spain in 1805. During this battle he called his captains a “band of brothers”. It was a reference to Shakespeare’s Henry V play. At Trafalgar he was shot, the shot puncturing his lung and fracturing his spine. His last words were, “Thank God I have done my duty”.

On Sept. 29, 1957, the New York Giants played their last game at the Polo Grounds, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1. The Giants moved to San Francisco for the next season. in the summer of 1957 both the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California, ending the three-team golden age of baseball in New York City.

September 29, 1966September 29, 1966 – The Chevrolet Camaro, originally named Panther, was introduced. It was built as competition to the Ford Mustang.
Automotive press asked Chevrolet product managers, “What is a Camaro?” and were told it was “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”

2005 – John Roberts was sworn in as the nation’s 17th chief justice.

Tidbits of History, September 28

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.

September 28Believed 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.

Samuel HuntingtonIn 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 graduated September 28, 1785Napoleon 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.

Brigham Young named governor of Utah, Sept 28, 18501850 – 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.

Bonneville Dam, Oregon1937 – 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.

Tidbits of History, September 27

September 27 is:

Crush a Can Day
National Chocolate Milk Day

National Corned Beef Hash Day
The term “hash” is derived from the French word “hacher” which means “to chop”. Hash consists of chopped or diced meat, potatoes, and spices. Corned beef gets its name from the treatment of meat with “corns” of salt, because the salt halts the growth of bacteria by taking out moisture. Corned beef hash became popular because during and immediately after WWII when fresh meat was rationed while corned meat was more available.

Samuel Adams, born September 27, 1722)Birthday of Samuel Adams (September 27, 1722), American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Samuel Adams along with John Hancock founded the secret society the Sons of Liberty in 1765.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania was the capital of the United States, for one day – September 27, 1777 – when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia, which had been captured by the British. After meeting one day, they moved still farther away, to York, Pennsylvania.

September 27, 1821 – Mexico gained independence from Spain.

From Today in Science
In 1892, book matches were patented by Joshua Pusey of Lima, Ohio, No. 483165. He subseqerntly sold the patent rights to the Diamond Match Company of Barberton, Ohio. The Diamond Match Company was formulated as a conglomerate and built by absorbing a number of smaller match manufacturing companies. They were also the first company involved in book match making of any significance. In 1895, production exceeded 150,000 matchbooks a day. Diamond’s objective was to produce a quality matchbook for sale to the public (not given freely as was traditional fifty years later). The first Diamond matchbooks assembled were a dangerous and flimsy novelty, but they were improved. Later, they were sold to companies and carried their advertising.

1905 – The physics journal Annalen der Physik received Albert Einstein’s paper “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?”, introducing the equation E=mc².

1979 – The United States Department of Education received final approval from the U.S. Congress to become the 13th US Cabinet agency when the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. It was given an annual budget of $12 billion. Per the Dept. of Education/ govline.co As of 2018 the Department employed 4000 people and had a budget of $70 billion.

Tidbits of History, September 26

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

Osgood Samuel Osgood was appointed the first United States Postmaster General;

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

George GershwinBirthday 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.

Machine Gun KellyIn 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.

Nixon/Kennedy debate

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

Nolan Ryan strikes out 5000 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.

Tidbits of History, September 25

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.

September 25, 14931493 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”.

Wilson, born December 28 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.