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Today is March 4 2014

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   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday

National Pound Cake Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
Events in the past on: March 4
  • In 1794, The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed by the U.S. Congress. It dealt with state's sovereign immunity (a state cannot be sued without it's consent).
    From Wikipedia: 'The Eleventh Amendment (Amendment XI) to the United States Constitution, which was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795, deals with each state's sovereign immunity and was adopted to overrule the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 U.S. 419 - (1793).'

    'Thus, the amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state"'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1789, In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect. The United States Bill of Rights is written and proposed to Congress.
    From Wikipedia: 'The First United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. With the initial meeting of the First Congress, the United States federal government officially began operations under the new (and current) frame of government established by the 1787 Constitution. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the provisions of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority. Twelve articles of amendment to the Constitution were passed by this Congress and sent to the states for ratification the ten ratified as additions to the Constitution on December 15, 1791 are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1791, Vermont is admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state.
    From Wikipedia: 'Vermont, is a state in the United States of America. It is the second least populous of the 50 United States, containing roughly 40,000 more people than Wyoming. Geographically located in the northeastern part of the country, Vermont shares borders with the U.S. states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, international border with the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Lake Champlain forms half of Vermont's western border with the state of New York. The Green Mountains run north-south the length of the state and forests cover approximately 75% of its total land area. Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States.

    'The independent state of Vermont issued its own coinage from 1785 to 1788 and operated a statewide postal service. Thomas Chittenden was the Governor in 1778–89 and in 1790–91. The state was obliged to solve conflicting property ownership disputes with New Yorkers. Vermont petitioned Congress to become a state in the federal union. Congress acted on February 18, 1791 to admit Vermont to the Union as the 14th state as of March 4, 1791, and become the first to enter the Union after theoriginal 13 colonies. Vermont had a unicameral legislature until 1836'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1824 - The 'National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck' was founded in the United Kingdom, later to be renamed The Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1858.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as well as on some inland waterways. There are numerous other lifeboat services operating in the same area.

    Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the RNLI was granted Royal Charter in 1860 and is a charity in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II is Patron. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies and donations with most lifeboat crew members being unpaid volunteers'.
    More
    - On YouTube (1952 RNLI): More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube (1925): More
  • In 1849, The U.S. had no president on this day. Polk's term ended on a Sunday. Taylor wouldn't be sworn-in on a Sunday. Sen. David Atchison (pres pro tem) term began and ended Mar 3rd.
    From Wikipedia: 'David Rice Atchison (August 11, 1807 – January 26, 1886) was a mid-19th century Democratic United States Senator from Missouri. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate for six years. He is best known for the claim that for one day (March 4, 1849) he may have been Acting President of the United States. This belief, however, is dismissed by nearly all historians, scholars, and biographers'

    'Atchison himself never claimed that he was technically President of the United States for one day—Sunday, March 4, 1849. Outgoing President James K. Polk's term ended at noon on March 4, which was a Sunday. His successor, Zachary Taylor, refused to be sworn into office on Sunday. As President pro tempore, and therefore Acting Vice President, under the presidential succession law in place at the time, Atchison was believed by some to be Acting President'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1921, 'Hot Springs National Park' is created in Arkansas.
    From Wikipedia: 'Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Garland County, Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832 to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that a piece of land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1924, The song 'Happy Birthday to You' first appeared in print.
    From Wikipedia: 'ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ, also known more simply as ŎHappy BirthdayŎ, is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth. According to the 1998 Guinness World Records, ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by ŎFor He's a Jolly Good FellowŎ. The song's base lyrics have been translated into at least 18 languages. The melody of ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ comes from the song ŎGood Morning to AllŎ, which has been attributed to American sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill in 1893, although the claim that the sisters composed the tune is disputed.'

    'None of the early appearances of the ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ lyrics included credits or copyright notices. The Summy Company registered a copyright in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R. R. Forman. In 1988, Warner/Chappell Music purchased the company owning the copyright for US$25 million, with the value of ŎHappy BirthdayŎ estimated at US$5 million. Based on the 1935 copyright registration, Warner claimed that the United States copyright will not expire until 2030, and that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to Warner. In one specific instance in February 2010, these royalties were said to amount to US$700. By one estimate, the song is the highest-earning single song in history, with estimated earnings since its creation of US$50 million. In the European Union, the copyright of the song was set to expire no later than December 31, 2016.

    The American copyright status of ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ began to draw more attention with the passage of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act in 1998. When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Act in Eldred v. Ashcroft in 2003, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer specifically mentioned ŎHappy Birthday to YouŎ in his dissenting opinion. American law professor Robert Brauneis, who extensively researched the song, concluded in 2010 that ŎIt is almost certainly no longer under copyright.Ŏ In 2013, based in large part on Brauneis's research, Good Morning to You Productions, a company producing a documentary about ŎGood Morning to AllŎ, sued Warner/Chappell for falsely claiming copyright to the song. In September 2015, a federal judge declared that the Warner/Chappell copyright claim was invalid, ruling that the copyright registration applied only to a specific piano arrangement of the song, and not to its lyrics and melody. In February 2016 Warner/Chappell settled for US $14 million and sent the song into the public domain'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1937, At the 9th Academy Awards:
    From Wikipedia: More
    Best Picture is, The Great Ziegfeld
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Actor is Paul Muni for 'The Story of Louis Pasteur'
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Actress is Luise Rainer for 'The Great Ziegfeld'
    Best Supporting Actor is Walter Brennan for 'Come and Get It'
    Best Supporting Actress is Gale Sondergaard for 'Anthony Adverse'
    Best Song is The Way You Look Tonight from 'Swing Time'
    -- at Wikipedia: More
    -- On YouTube: More
  • In 1943, At the 15th Academy Awards:
    From Wikipedia: More
    Outstanding Picture is, Mrs. Miniver
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Actor is James Cagney for 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Actress is Greer Garson for 'Mrs. Miniver'
    Best Supporting Actor is Van Heflin for 'Johnny Eager'
    Best Supporting Actress is Teresa Wright for 'Mrs. Miniver'
    Best Song is White Christmas from 'Holiday Inn'
    -- at Wikipedia: More
    -- On YouTube: More
  • In 1976, At the 2nd People's Choice Awards,
    -- Favorite Motion Picture is 'Jaws'.
    -- Favorite Motion Picture Actress is Katharine Hepburn.
    -- Favorite Motion Picture Actor is John Wayne.
    -- Favorite Television Comedy Program is 'All In The Family'.
    -- Favorite Dramatic Television Program is 'The Waltons'.
    -- Favorite Female Television Performer is Carol Burnett.
    -- Favorite Male Television Performer is Telly Savalas.
    -- Favorite All-Around Female Performer is Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett.
    -- Favorite All-Around Male Performer is Bob Hope and Tony Orlando.
    -- Favorite Song is 'Love Will Keep Us Together' by Captain and Tennille.
    More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Nothing. Looks like I was lazy on this day.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles: More
    The Beatles have there first hit the No. 1 in the US. This will hold the no. 1 spot until March 21st, when another Beatles song, She Loves You, takes over.

Top movie

  • Dead Ringer More
    It will be there until the weekend box office of March 8, 1964 when, Kissin' Cousins, takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): March 4
   V.
This month March 2014 (updated once a month - last updated - )

National Celery Month, National Flour Month, National Nutrition Month, National Noodle Month, National Peanut Month, National Sauce Month


March is:

March origin (from Wikipedia):
'The name of March comes from Latin Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named for Mars, the Roman god of war who was also regarded as a guardian of agriculture and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. '

March 'is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of seven months that are 31 days long. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20th or 21st marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March. '

March at Wikipedia: More

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1964 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2014)

If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago, or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More

 VII.
Best selling books fifty years ago (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2014)

Best selling books of 1964 More

VIII.
Fun (Last link added October 1 2014, but content on each site may change daily)
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: More
  • NOAA: - National Hurricane Center - Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: More
  • Listen to Old Radio Shows: (streaming mp3 with schedule) More
  • NASA TV: (video feed) More
    NASA TV schedule: More
  • Public Domain eBook Links

    Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More

  • Podcast: A Moment of Science. Approximately 1 minute general science facts.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: The Naked Scientists. Current science, medicine, space and other science
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: Quirks & Quarks. Current science news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Articles and videos: Universe Today. Current space and astronomy news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Old Picture of the Day - "Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph."
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  IX.
Other Holiday Sites (Last link added October 1 2014. Link content changes yearly)

Below, are listed several holiday sites that I reference in addition to other holiday researches.


US Government Holidays

  • 2014 Postal Holidays More
  • 2014 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
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