Today is April 18 2015

National Animal Crackers Day: More

• National Lineman Appreciation Day: More
  113th Congress 1st Session S. RES. 95 'Recognizing linemen, the profession of linemen, the contributions of these brave men and women who protect public safety, and expressing support for the designation of April 18, 2013, as National Lineman Appreciation Day.
• National Columnists Day: More
  By The National Society of Newspaper Columnists. On the day the famous WW II columnists Ernie Pyle died in 1945.
• National Auctioneers Day: More
  Third Saturday in April
• International Juggler's Day: More
  Not the June World Juggling Day.
• Husband Appreciation Day: More
  Third Saturday of April
• Record Store Day: More
  Third Saturday of April
• World Amateur Radio Day: More
  The International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris, in 1925.
• Adult Autism Day: More
• International Day for Monuments and Sites: More
  By UNESCO in 1983. 'raise public awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world’s built monuments and heritage sites and the efforts required to protect and conserve them.'

• In 1775, Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
  From Wikipedia: 'Paul Revere December 21, 1734 O.S. – May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, and a Patriot in the American Revolution. He is best known for alerting the Colonial militia to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride" (1861).
  
  'When British Army activity on April 7, 1775 suggested the possibility of troop movements, Joseph Warren sent Revere to warn the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, then sitting in Concord, the site of one of the larger caches of Patriot military supplies. After receiving the warning, Concord residents began moving the military supplies away from the town.
  
  One week later, on April 14, General Gage received instructions from Secretary of State William Legge, Earl of Dartmouth (dispatched on January 27), to disarm the rebels, who were known to have hidden weapons in Concord, among other locations, and to imprison the rebellion's leaders, especially Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Dartmouth gave Gage considerable discretion in his commands. ge Gage issued orders to Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith to proceed from Boston "with utmost expedition and secrecy to Concord, where you will seize and destroy... all Military stores.... But you will take care that the soldiers do not plunder the inhabitants or hurt private property." Gage did not issue written orders for the arrest of rebel leaders, as he feared doing so might spark an uprising.
  
  Between 9 and 10 p.m. on the night of April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren told Revere and William Dawes that the king's troops were about to embark in boats from Boston bound for Cambridge and the road to Lexington and Concord. Warren's intelligence suggested that the most likely objectives of the regulars' movements later that night would be the capture of Adams and Hancock. They did not worry about the possibility of regulars marching to Concord, since the supplies at Concord were safe, but they did think their leaders in Lexington were unaware of the potential danger that night. Revere and Dawes were sent out to warn them and to alert colonial militias in nearby towns.
  
  In the days before April 18, Revere had instructed Robert Newman, the sexton of the North Church, to send a signal by lantern to alert colonists in Charlestown as to the movements of the troops when the information became known. In what is well known today by the phrase "one if by land, two if by sea", one lantern in the steeple would signal the army's choice of the land route while two lanterns would signal the route "by water" across the Charles River (the movements would ultimately take the water route, and therefore two lanterns were placed in the steeple). Revere first gave instructions to send the signal to Charlestown. He then crossed the Charles River by rowboat, slipping past the British warship HMS Somerset at anchor. Crossings were banned at that hour, but Revere safely landed in Charlestown and rode to Lexington, avoiding a British patrol and later warning almost every house along the route. The Charlestown colonists dispatched additional riders to the north.
  
  Riding through present-day Somerville, Medford, and Arlington, Revere warned patriots along his route, many of whom set out on horseback to deliver warnings of their own. By the end of the night there were probably as many as 40 riders throughout Middlesex County carrying the news of the army's advance. Revere did not shout the phrase later attributed to him ("The British are coming!"): His mission depended on secrecy, the countryside was filled with British army patrols, and most of the Massachusetts c (who were predominantly English in ethnic origin) still considered themselves British. Revere's warning, according to eyewitness accounts of the ride and Revere's own descriptions, was "The Regulars are coming out." Revere arrived in Lexington around midnight, with Dawes arriving about a half hour later. They met with Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were spending the night with Hancock's relatives (in what is now called the Hancock-Clarke House), and they spent a great deal of time discussing plans of action upon receiving the news. They believed that the forces leaving the city were too large for the sole task of arresting two men and that Concord was the main target. The Lexington men dispatched riders to the surrounding towns, and Revere and Dawes continued along the road to Concord accompanied by Samuel Prescott, a doctor who happened to be in Lexington "returning from a lady friend's house at the awkward hour of 1 a.m."'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
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  - On YouTube (poem): More
• In 1906, The San Francisco earthquake struck.
  From Wikipedia: 'The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on April 18 with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). Severe shaking was felt from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region to the south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Devastating fires soon broke out in the city and lasted for several days. As a result, about 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city of San Francisco was destroyed. The events are remembered as one of the worst and deadliest natural disasters in the history of the United States. The death toll remains the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history and high in the lists of American urban disasters'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1924, The first crossword puzzle book is published by Simon and Schuster.
  From Wikipedia: 'The first book of crossword puzzles appeared in 1924, published by Simon and Schuster. "This odd-looking book with a pencil attached to it" was an instant hit and crossword puzzles became the craze of 1924.
  - At FamousDaily: More
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• In 1938, Superman made his debut when he appeared in the first issue of Action Comics. (Cover date June 1938).
  From Wikipedia: 'Published on April 18, 1938 (cover-dated June), by Detective Comics, Inc., a corporate predecessor of DC Comics, it is considered the first true superhero comic; and though today Action Comics is a monthly title devoted to Superman, it began, like many early comics, as an anthology'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (comic book): More
  - On YouTube (radio show): More
  - On YouTube (TV show): More
  - On YouTube (cartoon): More
• In 1939, Gene Autry recorded 'Back in the Saddle Again'.
  From Wikipedia: '"Back in the Saddle Again" was the signature song of American cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. It was co-written by Autry with Ray Whitley and first released in 1939. The song was associated with Autry throughout his career and was used as the name of Autry's autobiography in 1976. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1942, WW II: Doolittle Raid on Tokyo occurs.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, on Saturday, April 18, 1942, was an air raid by the United States of America on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on the island of Honshu during World War II, the first air raid to strike the Japanese Home Islands. It demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, served as retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle, United States Army Air Forces.
  
  Sixteen U.S. Army Air Forces B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched beyond fighter escort range from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep in the Western Pacific Ocean, each with a crew of five men. The plan called for them to bomb military targets in Japan, and to continue westward to land in China— landing a medium bomber on Hornet was impossible. Fifteen aircraft reached China, but all crashed, while the 16th landed at Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. All but three of the 80 crew members initially survived the mission. Eight soldiers were captured by the Japanese Army in China; three of those were later executed. The B-25 that landed in the Soviet Union was confiscated and its crew interned for more than a year. Fourteen complete crews, except for one crewman who was killed in action, returned either to the United States or to American forces'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
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• In 1945, American war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by Japanese gunfire on the Pacific island of Ie Shima, off Okinawa. He was 44 years old.
  From Wikipedia: 'Ernest Taylor Pyle (August 3, 1900 – April 18, 1945) was a Pulitzer Prize–winning American journalist. As a roving correspondent for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, he earned wide acclaim for his accounts of ordinary people in rural America, and later, of ordinary American soldiers during World War II. His syndicated column ran in more than 300 newspapers nationwide'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1981, The longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League, played the longest game in professional baseball history. It lasted for 33 innings, with eight hours and 25 minutes of playing time. 32 innings were played April 18/19, 1981 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and the final 33rd inning was played June 23, 1981. Pawtucket won the game, 3–2'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1995, Houston Post folds after 116 years.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Houston Post was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper shut down, and its assets were purchased by the Houston Chronicle.'
  
  The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson. Though that original publication ceased in October 1884, the Houston Post was re-established with the merger of the Houston Morning Chronicle and the Houston Evening Journal on April 5, 1885. J. L. Watson was the business manager and Rienzi M. Johnston was the editor.
  
  For many years, the Post was owned by the Hobby family, who also began Houston's first radio station, KPRC (AM) in 1925. Amid declining sales, the Post was sold in 1983 to the Toronto Sun. Four years later, MediaNews Group, led by William Dean Singleton, bought the paper'.
  - At Wikipedia: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Animal Crackers Day'.
[The Hankster says] In 1902 they were first packaged in the Barnum and Bailey Circus box.

Tomorrow is 'International Juggler's Day'. Not the June World Juggling Day.
[The Hankster says] How many animal crackers can you juggle at one time?

Wives, think abut his favorite meal. Tomorrow is 'Husband Appreciation Day'. Third Saturday of April
[The Hankster says] No he doesn't want to go to a romantic movie, just bring on the grub and a sports game.

Tomorrow's awareness days:
- 'National Lineman Appreciation Day'. A U.S. Senate Resolution' 113th Congress 1st Session S. RES. 95 'Recognizing linemen, the profession of linemen, the contributions of these brave men and women who protect public safety, and expressing support for the designation of April 18, 2013, as National Lineman Appreciation Day.
- 'National Columnists Day'. By The National Society of Newspaper Columnists. on this day the famous WW II columnists Ernie Pyle died in 1945
- 'National Auctioneers Day'. Third Saturday in April
- 'World Amateur Radio Day'. The International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris, in 1925.
- 'Adult Autism Day'.
- 'International Day for Monuments and Sites'. By UNESCO in 1983. 'raise public awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world’s built monuments and heritage sites and the efforts required to protect and conserve them.'

Art Buchwald once said 'Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.'
[The Hankster says ] The past is full of good and bad times and our, now, good or bad, may be based on one of those events in the past. Let's see if this April 18 was influenced by some April 18th, in the past.

In 1775, The midnight Ride of Paul Revere occurred.

In 1906, The San Francisco earthquake, magnitude 7.8, struck. There were over 3,000 casualties and almost 75 percent of the city is destroyed.

In 1924, The first crossword puzzle book is published by Simon and Schuster.

In 1938 - Superman made his debut when he appeared in the first issue of Action Comics. (Cover date June 1938).

In 1939, Gene Autry recorded 'Back in the Saddle Again'.

In 1942, WW II: Doolittle Raid on Tokyo occurs.

In 1945, American war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by Japanese gunfire on the Pacific island of Ie Shima, off Okinawa. He was 44 years old.

In 1981, The longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23.

In 1995, The Houston Post folds after 116 years.

No. 1 song

• I'm Telling You Now - Freddie & The Dreamers: More
  'Can't You Hear My Heartbeat' has been displaced by 'I'm Telling You Now', which will hold the no. 1 spot until Apr 24 1965, when 'Game of Love - Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders', takes over.

Top movie

• In Harm's Way More
  Having displaced 'Girl Happy', it will be there until the weekend box office of April 25 1965 when, 'The Sound of Music (again)', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: April 18 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: April 18 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 18th April More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 18th April More
• On-This-day.com history 18th April More
• On-This-day.com music history 18th April More
• Wikipedia.com: History April 18 More

Food Holiday:
Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage Month
Cranberries and Gooseberries Month
Fresh Florida Tomato Month
National BLT Sandwich Month
National Florida Tomato Month
National Food Month
National Garlic Month
National Grilled Cheese Month
National Pecan Month
National Soft Pretzel Month
National Soy Foods Month

Other:
Alcohol Awareness Month
Arab American Heritage Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Community Spirit Days
Counseling Awareness Month
Defeat Diabetes Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Fair Housing Month
Genocide and Human Rights Awareness Month
Global Child Nutrition Month
Informed Woman Month
International Amateur Radio Month
International Customer Loyalty Month
International Guitar Month
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
Library Snapshot Month
Listening Awareness Month
Mathematics Education Month
Month of the Military Child
Month of the Young Child
Multicultural Communication Month
National African American Women's Fitness Month
National Anxiety Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Cancer Control Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Decorating Month
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
National Donate Life Month
National Facial Protection Month
National Frog Month
National Garden Month
National Greyhound Adoption Month
National Heartworm Awareness Month
National Humor Month
National Knuckles Down Month
National Landscape Architecture Month
National Minority Health Month
National Multiple Birth Awareness Month
National Occupational Therapy Month
National Parkinson's Awareness Month
National Pest Management Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
National Poetry Month
National Rebuilding Month
National Safe Digging Month
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
National Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)'s Education and Awareness Month
National Sjogren's Syndrome Awareness Month
National Welding Month
National Youth Sports Safety Month
Occupational Therapy Month
Parliamentary Law Month
Pharmacists War on Diabetes Month
Physical Wellness Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Prevention of Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
Rosacea Awareness Month
School Library Media Month
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month of Action
Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
Tomatillo and Asian Pear Month
Women's Eye Health and Safety Month
Workplace Conflict Awareness Month
World Habitat Awareness Month
Worldwide Bereaved Spouses Awareness Month

April is:

April origin (from Wikipedia):
'The Romans gave this month the Latin name Aprilis but the derivation of this name is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb aperire, 'to open', in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to 'open', which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of (anoixis) (opening) for spring. Since some of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, her Veneralia being held on the first day, it has been suggested that April was the second month of the earliest Roman calendar, before Ianuarius and Februarius were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC. It became the fourth month of the calendar year (the year when twelve months are displayed in order) during the time of the decemvirs about 450 BC, when it also was given 29 days. The 30th day was added during the reform of the calendar undertaken by Julius Caesar in the mid-40s BC, which produced the Julian calendar.'

April 'is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.'

April 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 1965 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

• 2015 Postal Holidays More
• 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

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