Today is July 23 2014

National Hot Dog Day : More

• Vanilla Ice Cream Day: More
  
• Hot Enough For Ya Day: More
• Gorgeous Grandma Day: More
• First Ford Motor Company Car is delivered.: More
  July 23 1903.
• First communications satellite public live trans-Atlantic television program.: More
  July 23 1962. The Telstar, launched earlier in the month, relays it's first public TV transmission. The first non-public transmission was on July 12 1962.
  On YouTube: More

• In 1829, In the United States, William Austin Burt patents the typographer, a precursor to the typewriter.
  From Wikipedia: 'The typographer, America's first typewriter, was invented and made by William Austin Burt.
  
  It was patented on July 23, 1829, as U.S. patent No. 5581X. United States Patent Office documents describe Burt's American machine as "the actual construction of a type writing machine for the first time in any country". It was the first practical typewriting machine ever made in America, although Pellegrino Turri had made one in Italy in 1808. The patent gave Burt the full exclusive rights to his new typewriter machine for 14 years, including vending or selling to others any or all of these rights as he saw fit, signed by President Andrew Jackson.
  
  All "type writing" machines, those that used letters of typeface, were generally given the name "typographer" from Burt's 1829 patent until 1874 by subsequent inventors who improved on Burt's machine. The concept ultimately came to be called "The Type-Writer" in 1874. The word stayed hyphenated until the 1880s. William Ozmun Wyckoff, president of the New York State Shorthand Reporters' Association in 1886, and founder of the Remington Typewriter Company, publicized the unhyphenated name "typewriter". It became very well known, and the public finally accepted this as one word by 1919. Eventually, Burt's typographer was called a typewriter.
  
  Christopher Latham Sholes is given credit for inventing the first "practical" typewriter. He was in fact the fifty-second person or possibly the 112th to reinvent a "type-writing" machine - which he called a type-writer. Some of the "type-writing" machines invented between Burt's 1829 patented machine and Sholes' 1867 type-writer are "The Projean Machine" (1833), "The Thurber Machine" (1843), "The Foucault Machine" (1843), "O. T. Eddy's machine" (1850), "The Fairbanks machine" (1850), "J. M. Jones' machine" (1850), "William Hughes' machine" (1851), John M. Jones "mechanical Typographer" (1852), "Thomas' typograph" (1854), "The Beach typewriter" (1856), "The Francis Typewriter" (1857), "The Hansen Machine" (1865), "The Livermore Printing Device" (1863), "Peeler Writing Machine" (1866), and "The Sholes and Glidden Typewriter" (1867) invented by three men (C. Latham Sholes, Samuel W. Soule, Carlos Glidden). Thomas Edison is even given credit for an electrified version in 1872'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1880, The 1st commercial hydroelectric power plant (DC) begins, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  From Wikipedia: 'The earliest hydroelectric power generation in the U.S. was utilized for lighting and employed the better understood direct current (DC) system to provide the electrical flow. It did not flow far however, with ten miles being the system's limit; solving electricity's transmission problems would come later and be the greatest incentive to the new hydroelectric water-power developments.
  
  The first DC powerhouse was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the water turbine at the Wolverine Chair factory was attached to a dynamo using a mechanical belt drive to illuminate sixteen street lights. This occurred in 1880, the same year Thomas Edison produced the long-lasting incandescent filament light bulb, which was a safety and convenience improvement over existing candles, whale oil lamps and kerosene lamps inside buildings. In 1881, also using DC for lighting at Niagara Falls, Jacob F. Schoellkopf diverted part of the output from his waterwheel-powered flour mills to drive one of Charles Brush's improved generators to provide nighttime illumination for the tourists. Previously the attraction had been illuminated by burning bright calcium flares but arc-lights proved a better and cheaper alternative. In 1882, the world's first commercial central DC hydroelectric power plant provided power for a paper mill in Appleton, Wisconsin; just months later the first investor-owned electric utility, Edison Illuminating Company, completed the first fossil fueled electrical power plant in New York City, to compete with hydroelectric power close to an area of high demand. By 1886, between 40 to 50 hydroelectric stations were operating in the United States and in Canada, and by 1888 about 200 electric companies relied on hydropower for at least part of their generation'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (power plants): More
• In 1950, 'The Gene Autry Show' premiered on CBS-TV.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.
  
  Series star Gene Autry had already established his singing cowboy character on radio and the movies. Now he and his horse Champion were featured in a weekly television series of western adventures. Gene's role changed almost weekly from rancher, to ranch hand, to sheriff, to border agent, etc. Gene's usual comic relief and sidekick, Pat, was played by Pat Buttram, better known to later television viewers as "Mr Haney" on "Green Acres". During the first season, Gene's sidekick was played by Chill Wills twice (as Chill) and by Fuzzy Knight four times (as Sagebrush). These two actors even wore Pat's costume. Alan Hale, Jr. (a.k.a. - "The Skipper" from "Gilligan's Island") played a bad guy in several episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, but he also played Gene's sidekick, Tiny, in two episodes of Season 1.
  
  By this time, Autry had established his own production company, Flying 'A' Productions, and acted as executive director for the series.
  
  The series lasted five seasons. The first four were in black and white, and the final season (thirteen episodes) was in color. Color was experimented with in two episodes of the first season. The theme song Back In the Saddle Again was written by Autry and Ray Whitley and sung by Autry.
  
  Among the guest stars, Nan Leslie and Mike Ragan were cast in different roles four times from 1950 to 1955. Both also appeared in many other western series during the 1950s.
  
  Dick Jones was cast in ten episodes of The Gene Autry Show and acted in two other Flying A Productions, The Range Rider and Buffalo Bill, Jr'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (bio): More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1962, Telstar relays the first publicly transmitted, live trans-Atlantic television program, featuring Walter Cronkite.
  From Wikipedia: 'Telstar is the name of various communications satellites. The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962. It successfully relayed through space the first television pictures, telephone calls, and fax images, and provided the first live transatlantic television feed. Telstar 2 launched May 7, 1963. Telstar 1 and 2—though no longer functional—still orbit the Earth.
  
  Telstar 1 relayed its first, and non-public, television pictures—a flag outside Andover Earth Station—to Pleumeur-Bodou on July 11, 1962. Almost two weeks later, on July 23, at 3:00 p.m. EDT, it relayed the first publicly available live transatlantic television signal. The broadcast was made possible in Europe by Eurovision and in North America by NBC, CBS, ABC, and the CBC. The first public broadcast featured CBS's Walter Cronkite and NBC's Chet Huntley in New York, and the BBC's Richard Dimbleby in Brussels. The first pictures were the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The first broadcast was to have been remarks by President John F. Kennedy, but the signal was acquired before the president was ready, so engineers filled the lead-in time with a short segment of a televised game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The batter, Tony Taylor, was seen hitting a ball pitched by Cal Koonce to the right fielder George Altman. From there, the video switched first to Washington, DC; then to Cape Canaveral, Florida; to the Seattle World's Fair; then to Quebec and finally to Stratford, Ontario. The Washington segment included remarks by President Kennedy, talking about the price of the American dollar, which was causing concern in Europe. When Kennedy denied that the United States would devalue the dollar it immediately strengthened on world markets; Cronkite later said that "we all glimpsed something of the true power of the instrument we had wrought.";
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1966, The band 'Napoleon XIV' releases, They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha! Ha!.
  From Wikipedia: '"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is a 1966 novelty record by Jerry Samuels, recorded under the name Napoleon XIV and released on Warner Bros. Records. The song became an instant success in the United States, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 popular music singles chart on 13 August and reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
  
  Jerry Samuels was a recording engineer at Associated Recording Studios in New York at the time when the song was written. He was able to alter the pitch of a recording without changing the tempo, using a device called a variable-frequency oscillator (VFO) - for example, making voices higher or lower. From this came the idea for a song based on the rhythm of the old Scottish tune "The Campbells Are Coming".
  
  The lyrics describe the effect on the mental health of an individual after a break-up. The main character seems to be addressing an ex-girlfriend, and describes his descent into madness after she has left him. However, the last verse of the song alludes to his dog running away.
  
  His paranoid thinking makes him believe that he is being pursued by "those nice young men in their clean white coats" (i.e., psychiatric attendants) who are coming to transport him to the funny farm/happy home ( i.e., mental hospital), and he welcomes them as an end to his misery'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1972, The United States launches Landsat 1, the first Earth-resources satellite.
  From Wikipedia: 'Landsat 1, originally named "Earth Resources Technology Satellite 1", was the first satellite of the United States' Landsat program. It was a modified version of the Nimbus 4 meteorological satellite and was launched on July 23, 1972 by a Delta 900 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The near-polar orbiting spacecraft served as a stabilized, Earth-oriented platform for obtaining information on agricultural and forestry resources, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water resources, geography, cartography, environmental pollution, oceanography and marine resources, and meteorological phenomena.
  
  The satellite also carried two wide-band video tape recorders (WBVTR) capable of storing up to 30 minutes of scanner or camera data, giving the spacecraft's sensors a near-global coverage capability. In 1976, Landsat 1 discovered a tiny uninhabited island 20 kilometers off the eastern coast of Canada. This island was thereafter designated Landsat Island after the satellite.
  
  The spacecraft was turned off on January 6, 1978, when cumulative precession of the orbital plane caused the spacecraft to become overheated due to near-constant exposure to sunlight'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1985, Commodore unveiled the personal computer Amiga 1000.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Commodore Amiga 1000, also known as the A1000 and originally simply as the Amiga, is the first personal computer released by Commodore International in the Amiga line. It combines the 16/32-bit Motorola 68000 CPU which was powerful by 1985 standards with one of the most advanced graphics and sound systems in its class, and runs a preemptive multitasking operating system that fits into 256 kB of read-only memory and shipped with 256 kB of DRAM. The primary memory can be expanded internally with a manufacturer supplied 256 kB module for a total of 512 kB of DRAM. Using the external slot the primary memory can be expanded up to 8.5 MB'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More

Haven't had enough hot dogs, have you? Good. Tomorrow is 'National Hot Dog Day'. This is July so by now you certainly have eaten your share (30) of the national average 60 per year, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. I'm sure you did your best back on July 4th.

Save room for dessert. You can finish up with another summer treat. It will be specifically, 'Vanilla Ice Cream Day'. You know the rule. You must clean your plate, which in this case is the bun that you must finish, before dessert.

We have been paying a lot of attention about the kids over the last few days. Now let's switch. Tomorrow will be 'Gorgeous Grandma Day'. Let her know that age is only a state of mind and old, a relative term.

Speaking of hot stuff. Tomorrow is 'Hot Enough For Ya Day'.

Remember the Chicago dentist that ordered the first Ford Model A, , earlier this month back in 1903. Well it will be delivered tomorrow, July 23 1903.

Tasking your memory a little further, you might remember that the Telstar communications satellite (the first) was launched earlier this month in '62. Tomorrow, back in 1962, the first live public trans-Atlantic television program was transmitted (the CBS News with Walter Cronkite). With only the one satellite, the transmission time was about 18 minutes, before it would be out of range. A total of twenty five were planned to remedy this gap.

No. 1 song

• Rag Doll - The Four Seasons: More
  'Get Around'has been displaced by 'Rag Doll', which will hold the no. 1 spot until July 25 2014, when 'A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles', takes over.

Top movie

• The Moon-Spinners More
  Having displaced 'The Killers', it will be there until the weekend box office of July 26 1964 when, 'Marnie', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: July 23 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: July 23 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 23rd July More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 23rd July More
• On-This-day.com history 23rd July More
• On-This-day.com music history 23rd July More
• Wikipedia.com: History July 23 More

National Baked Bean Month, National Culinary Arts Month, National Grilling Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Ice Cream Month, National July Belongs to Blueberries Month, National Vacation Rental Month,

July is:

July origin (from Wikipedia): Named by the Roman Senate in honor of Julius Caesar.
"is the seventh month of the year (between June and August) in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth. Prior to that, it was called Quintilis. It is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer) and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter). The second half of the year commences in July. In the Southern hemisphere, July is the seasonal equivalent of January in the Northern hemisphere."

July at Wikipedia: More

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

Best selling books of 1964 More

• 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

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