Today is October 10 2014

National Angel Food Cake Day: More

• World Egg Day: More
  
• National Cake Decorating Day: More
• World Homeless Day: More
• World Porridge Day: More
• World Day Against the Death Penalty: Mental Health: More
• National Handbag Day: More
• Bonza Bottler Day: More
  Numeric month and day are the same (10/10)

• In 1845, Founding of the U.S. Naval Academy.
  - From Wikipedia (United States Naval Academy):'The United States Naval Academy (also known as USNA, Annapolis, or simply Navy) is a four-year coeducational federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. Established in 1845 under Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, it is the second oldest of the United States' five service academies, and educates officers for commissioning primarily into the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The 338-acre (137 ha) campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County, 33 miles (53 km) east of Washington, D.C. and 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Baltimore. The entire campus is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum, in Philadelphia, that served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis.
  
  The institution was founded as the Naval School in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft. The campus was established at Annapolis on the grounds of the former U.S. Army post Fort Severn. The school opened on 10 October with 50 midshipman students and seven professors. The decision to establish an academy on land may have been in part a result of the Somers Affair, an alleged mutiny involving the Secretary of War's son that resulted in his execution at sea. Commodore Matthew Perry had a considerable interest in naval education, supporting an apprentice system to train new seamen, and helped establish the curriculum for the United States Naval Academy. He was also a vocal proponent of modernization of the navy.
  
  Originally a course of study for five years was prescribed. Only the first and last were spent at the school with the other three being passed at sea. The present name was adopted when the school was reorganized in 1850 and placed under the supervision of the chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography. Under the immediate charge of the superintendent, the course of study was extended to seven years with the first two and the last two to be spent at the school and the intervening three years at sea. The four years of study were made consecutive in 1851 and practice cruises were substituted for the three consecutive years at sea. The first class of naval academy students graduated on 10 June 1854.
  
  In 1860, the Tripoli Monument was moved to the academy grounds. Later that year in August, the model of the USS Somers experiment was resurrected when the USS Constitution, then 60 years old, was recommissioned as a school ship for the fourth-class midshipmen after a conversion and refitting begun in 1857. She was anchored at the yard, and the plebes lived on board the ship to immediately introduce them to shipboard life and experiences'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1865, John Hyatts patents the billiard ball, made of celluloid (nitrocellulose, guncotton). From Wikipedia: 'Because of its explosive nature, not all applications of nitrocellulose were successful. In 1869, with elephants having been poached to near extinction, the billiards industry offered a $10,000 prize to whomever came up with the best replacement for ivory billiard balls. John Wesley Hyatt created the winning replacement, which he created with a new material he discovered called camphored nitrocellulose—the first thermoplastic, better known as celluloid. The invention enjoyed a brief popularity, but the Hyatt balls were extremely flammable, and sometimes portions of the outer shell would explode upon impac'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - Plastic timeline: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1871, The Great Chicago Fire ends. The fire lasts from October 8 to October 10. From Wikipedia: 'The fire killed up to 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles ( 9 km2) of Chicago, Illinois, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871. The fire killed up to 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2) of Chicago, Illinois, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1897, German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of 'synthesizing' acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). In 1763, Edward Stone, at Oxford, isolated the chemical. A French chemist, Charles Frederic Gerhardt, was the first to prepare acetylsalicylic acid in 1853, but at that time it was too hard/expensive to isolate.
  From Wikipedia: 'Felix Hoffmann (January 21, 1868 – February 8, 1946) was a German chemist notable for re-synthesizing diamorphine (independently from C.R. Alder Wright who synthesized it 23 years earlier), which was popularized under the Bayer trade name of "heroin". He is also credited with synthesizing aspirin, though whether he did this under his own initiative or under the instruction of Arthur Eichengrün is highly contested'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1913, United States President Woodrow Wilson triggers the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal.
  From Wikipedia: 'On October 10, 1913, the dike at Gamboa which had kept the Culebra Cut isolated from Gatun Lake was demolished; the detonation was made telegraphically by President Woodrow Wilson in Washington. On January 7, 1914, the Alexandre La Valley, an old French crane boat, became the first ship to make a complete transit of the Panama Canal under its own steam after working its way across during the final stages of construction.
  
  As construction wound down, the canal team began to disperse. Thousands of workers were laid off, and entire towns were disassembled or demolished. Chief sanitary officer William C. Gorgas, who left to fight pneumonia in the South African gold mines, became surgeon general of the Army. On April 1, 1914 the Isthmian Canal Commission disbanded, and the zone was governed by a Canal Zone Governor; the first governor was George Washington Goethals.
  
  Although a large celebration was planned for the canal's opening, the outbreak of World War I forced the cancellation of the main festivities and it became a modest local affair. The Panama Railway steamship SS Ancon, piloted by Captain John A. Constantine (the canal's first pilot), made the first official transit on August 15, 1914. With no international dignitaries in attendance, Goethals followed the Ancon's progress by railroad'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (silent movie footage): More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1932, The radio soap opera 'Betty and Bob' premieres. It starred Elizabeth Reller, Don Ameche, Edith Davis. It ran for 6 series on three networks from October 10, 1932 to March 15, 1940.
  From Wikipedia: 'Betty and Bob was one of the earliest examples of the radio soap opera. The soap opera followed the lives of Betty and Bob Drake. Betty was a secretary who falls madly in love with her boss, bachelor Bob Drake. The two wed and each day, the subject matter dealt with everything from love to hate, jealousy to divorce, murder to betrayal, and collusion to insanity.
  
  The program was the first radio program produced by future daytime radio monarchs Frank and Anne Hummert. The program also began a long partnership between the Hummerts and scriptwriter Robert Hardy Andrews.
  
  The program originally starred Elizabeth Reller and Don Ameche in the title roles of Betty and Bob Drake. The role of Bob Drake is credited as the role that made Ameche the "first radio sex symbol". But during the program's eight year run, four other actresses, including Arlene Francis, portrayed Betty and seven other actors, including Les Tremayne, portrayed Bob.
  
  According to author John Dunning, ratings for the soap opera plummeted after the addition of the Drake's son Little Bobby. "Raymond William Stedman speculates that listeners refused to accept bickering and jealousy when a child was involved." Little Bobby died of pneumonia and the Drake's divorced. But ratings never did pick up again. The last few years of the program centered on how Betty and Bob grieve over the loss of their son, Bob's relationship with his new girlfriend Pamela Talmadge (portrayed by Ethel Kuhn), and Bob's time in and out of a mental institution.
  
  The program premiered on the Blue Network on October 10, 1932. The program moved to CBS then to NBC's Red Network where the series finished on March 15, 1940. The program was sponsored by both the Wheaties and Bisquick divisions of the General Mills company'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1933, The first synthetic detergent, 'Dreft' by Procter and Gamble, goes on sale.
  From Wikipedia: 'Dreft is a laundry detergent in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other markets. First produced by Procter and Gamble in 1933, it was the first synthetic detergent made. Dreft does not leave a lime scum deposit and it does not contain harsh chemicals such as bleach. It is suitable for fine washables such as silk or wool as well as flame-resistant fabrics. The Fairy brand of washing-up liquid and Cascade brand of dishwashing detergent are also sold under the name "Dreft" in some countries, including the Netherlands. In Canada, it is called Ivory Snow'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1935, 'Porgy and Bess', the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway.
  From Wikipedia: 'Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera composed in 1934 by George Gershwin, with a libretto written by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin from Heyward's novel Porgy and later play of the same title. Porgy and Bess was first performed in Boston on September 30, 1935, and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring artistic choice at the time. After suffering from an initially unpopular public reception due in part to its racially charged theme, the Houston Grand Opera production of the opera in 1976 gained it new popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed operas.
  
  Gershwin read Porgy in 1926 and proposed that he should collaborate with Heyward on Porgy and Bess. In 1934, Gershwin and Heyward began work on the project by visiting the author's native Charleston. Gershwin explained why he called Porgy and Bess a folk opera in a 1935 New York Times article: "Porgy and Bess is a folk tale. Its people naturally would sing folk music. When I first began work in the music I decided against the use of original folk material because I wanted the music to be all of one piece. Therefore I wrote my own spirituals and folksongs. But they are still folk music – and therefore, being in operatic form, Porgy and Bess becomes a folk opera." The libretto of Porgy and Bess tells the story of Porgy, a disabled street-beggar living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina. It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin' Life, her drug dealer. Where the earlier novel and stage-play differ, the opera generally follows the stage-play.
  
  In the years following Gershwin's death, Porgy and Bess was adapted for smaller scale performances and was later adapted into a film in 1959. Some of the songs in the opera, such as "Summertime" became popular and frequently recorded songs. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the trend has been towards reproducing a greater fidelity to Gershwin's original intentions although other smaller-scale productions continued to be mounted. A complete version of the score was released in 1976; since then, it has been recorded several times'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1958, Eddie Cochran recorded 'C'mon Everybody'.
  From Wikipedia: '"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK (where Cochran had major success and where he died in 1960) at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. "C'mon Everybody" is ranked No. 403 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
  
  When Cochran recorded his lead vocal for the song, he also created an alternate version of the song called "Let's Get Together". The only change to the lyrics was exactly that: the phrase "Let's get together" in place of "C'mon everybody". This alternate version was eventually released on a compilation album in the 1970s.
  
  The song was also used by Levi Strauss and Co. to promote their 501 jean range in 1988. The advert, titled "Eddie Cochran" and directed by Syd Macartney, told the story of how the (purported) narrator, songwriter Sharon Sheeley, attracted Eddie Cochran by wearing said jeans. The song was re-released as a promotional single that year'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1967, The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, comes into force.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. The treaty was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, and entered into force on 10 October 1967. As of September 2015, 104 countries are parties to the treaty, while another 24 have signed the treaty but have not completed ratification. In addition, the Republic of China (Taiwan), which is currently only recognized by 21 UN member states, ratified the treaty prior to the United Nations General Assembly's vote to transfer China's seat to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1971'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow we have several food related holidays to consider> Tomorrow is 'National Angel Food Cake Day', 'World Egg Day'' and 'National Cake Decorating Day' I love it when things fit together so nicely. Take some eggs and make an Angel Food Cake and decorate it with some yummy orange or lemon icing, drizzled over the top. Not too much, just a very little.

We have two awareness days tomorrow, dealing with the homeless and food deprived. It will be 'World Homeless Day' and 'World Porridge Day'.

Ladies, it's your day tomorrow. It will be 'National Handbag Day'. As for me, I still carry the wallet I bought back in the middle 90's. I only bought it after loosing the previous one, which I would still be using, otherwise.

Tomorrow has a month and day that have the same numeric value, 10/10, so it is again. a 'Bonza Bottler Day'.

Ben Jonso once said
"It strikes! one, two,
Three, four, five, six. Enough, enough, dear watch,
Thy pulse hath beat enough. Now sleep and rest;
Would thou could'st make the time to do so too;
I'll wind thee up no more."
If we let time rest, I wouldn't have much to report in the future, so let's not freeze the future, but look at the past which is frozen in time, on October 10., an just right for our perusal.

In 1845 - Birth of the U.S. Naval Academy, then called the Navel School.

In 1865, John Hyatts patents the billiard ball, made of celluloid the first industrial plastic. Two early names for celluloid were nitrocellulose and guncotton. It was dangerous to make and there were many manufacturing explosions. There are undocumented rumors that on occasion the billiard balls would explode after a violent hit.

In 1897, German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

In 1933, The first synthetic detergent, 'Dreft' by Procter and Gamble, goes on sale. This is not a product plug. The importance of a synthetic detergent was that it did not leave a line ring deposit, worked better in hard water and did not contain bleach.

In 1935 - 'Porgy and Bess', the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway. It was not as well received as in later years.

In 1967, The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, comes into force. Just think, if the 'Galactic Empire' had signed on, there might not have been a 'Star Wars' movie.

No. 1 song

• Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison: More
  'The House of the Rising Sun' has been displaced by 'Oh, Pretty Woman', which will hold the no. 1 spot until October 17 2014, when 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy', takes over.

Top movie

• Cheyenne Autumn More
  Having displaced 'Mary Poppins', it will be there until the weekend box office of October 11 1964 when, 'Fail-Safe', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: October 10 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: October 10 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 10th October More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 10th October More
• On-This-day.com history 10th October More
• On-This-day.com music history 10th October More
• Wikipedia.com: History October 10 More

Food: Apple Month, Rhubarb Month, Sausage Month, Spinach Lovers Month, National Chili Month, National Popcorn Poppin' Month, National Seafood Month Pear and Pineapple Month, , Vegetarian Month
Other
AIDS Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bullying Prevention Month, Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Class Reunion Month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, National Book Month, National Dental Hygiene Month, National Down Syndrome Month, National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month

October is:

October origin (from Wikipedia): October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old Roman calendar, October retained its name (from the Greek meaning 'eight') after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. "
October is commonly associated with the season of autumn in the Northern hemisphere and spring in the Southern hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.

October 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