Today is April 27 2015

National Prime Rib Day: More

• Babe Ruth Day: More
  Since 1947, honoring baseball player, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr.
• National Tell a Story Day: More
• Morse Code Day: More
  Celebrates the birthday of Samuel Morse in 1791.
• Mantanzas Mule Day: More
  During one of the first US Navy actions of the Spanish American War, the Cuban town of Mantanzas was bombarded. The only casualty was a mule.
• Air Quality Awareness Week: More
  First day of Apr. 27-May1 event.
• MS Awareness Week: More
  In Great Britain, the first day of Apr. 27-May 3 event. From the Multiple Sclerosis Trust web site: 'This MS Awareness Week we want to highlight the importance of MS specialist services and make sure everyone affected by MS can access the best possible care.'
• Rail Safety Week: More
  In Canada, the first day of an April 27 - May 3 event by the Canadian National Railway Company, promoting their 'CN All Aboard for Safety' program.
• Active School Week: More
  In Ireland, the first day of an April. 27 - May 1 event, emphasizing physical activity. By The Department of Education and Skills and Healthy Ireland.
• King's Day in the Netherlands: More
  Birthday of the reigning monarch.
• Freedom Day in South Africa: More
  Marks the 1994 elections that ended apartheid. On this day a 'UnFreedom day is also held to highlight what some consider the lack of true freedom for all.
• National Veterans' Day in Finland: More
  End of WW II for Finland in 1945.

• In 1865, The steamboat Sultana, carrying 2,400 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River, killing 1,800, most of whom are Union survivors of the Andersonville and Cahaba Prisons.
  From Wikipedia: 'Sultana was a Mississippi River side-wheel steamboat. On April 27, 1865, the boat exploded in the greatest maritime disaster in United States history. An estimated 1,800 of her 2,427 passengers died when three of the boat's four boilers exploded and she burned to the waterline and sank near Memphis, Tennessee. This disaster has long been overshadowed in the press by other contemporary events; John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, was killed the day before.
  
  The wooden steamboat was constructed in 1863 by the John Litherbury Boatyard in Cincinnati, and intended for the lower Mississippi cotton trade. Registering 1,719 tons, the steamer normally carried a crew of 85. For two years, she ran a regular route between St. Louis and New Orleans, frequently commissioned to carry troops.'
  
  'On April 21, 1865, the Sultana left New Orleans with 75 to 100 cabin passengers, deck passengers, and a small amount of livestock. About an hour south of Vicksburg, one of the Sultana's four boilers sprang a leak. Under reduced pressure, the steamboat limped into Vicksburg to get the boiler repaired and to pick up her promised load of prisoners.
  
  While the paroled prisoners, primarily from the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, were brought from the parole camp to the Sultana, a mechanic was brought down to work on the leaky boiler. Although the mechanic wanted to cut out and replace a ruptured seam, Mason knew that such a job would take a few days and cost him his precious load of prisoners. By the time the repairs would be completed, the prisoners would have been sent home on other boats. Instead, Mason and his chief engineer, Nathan Wintringer, convinced the mechanic to make temporary repairs, hammering back the bulged boiler plate and riveting a patch of lesser thickness over the seam. Instead of taking two or three days, the temporary repair took only one. During her time in port, and while the repair was being made, the Sultana took on the paroled prisoners.
  
  Although Hatch had suggested that Mason might get as many as 1,400 released Union prisoners, a mix-up with the parole camp books and suspicion of bribery from other steamboat captains, caused the Union officer in charge of the loading, Captain George Williams, to place every man at the parole camp on board the Sultana. Although the Sultana had a legal capacity of only 376, by the time she backed away from Vicksburg on the night of April 24, 1865, she was severely overcrowded with more than 2,100 paroled prisoners. Many of the men had been weakened by their incarceration in the Confederate prison camps and associated illnesses. The men were packed into every available space, and the overflow was so severe that in some places, the decks began to creak and sag and had to be supported with heavy wooden beams.
  
  Near 2:00 a.m. on April 27, 1865, when the Sultana was just seven miles north of Memphis, her boilers suddenly exploded. First one boiler exploded, followed a split second later by two more. The cause of the explosion was too much pressure and low water in the boilers. There was reason to believe allowable working steam pressure was exceeded in an attempt to overcome the spring river current. The enormous explosion flung some of the passengers on deck into the water, and destroyed a large section of the boat. The forward part of the upper decks collapsed into the exposed furnace boxes which soon caught fire and turned the remaining superstructure into an inferno. Survivors of the explosion panicked and raced for the safety of the water but in their weakened condition soon ran out of strength and began to cling to each other. Whole groups went down together.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1880 - Francis D. Clarke and M. G. Foster patent the first hearing aid in U.S.
  From Wikipedia: 'The first hearing aid was created in the 17th century. The movement toward modern hearing aids began with the creation of the telephone, and the first electric hearing aid was created in 1898. By the late 20th century, the digital hearing aid was distributed to the public commercially. Some of the first hearing aids were external hearing aids. External hearing aids directed sounds in front of the ear and blocked all other noises. The apparatus would fit behind or in the ear.
  
  The invention of the carbon microphone, transmitters, digital signal processing chip or DSP, and the development of computer technology helped transform the hearing aid to its present form.
  
  The use of ear trumpets for the partially deaf, dates back to the 17th century. By the late 18th century, their use was becoming increasingly common. Collapsible conical ear trumpets were made by instrument makers on a one-off basis for specific clients. Well known models of the period included the Townsend Trumpet (made by the deaf educator John Townshend), the Reynolds Trumpet (specially built for painter Joshua Reynolds) and the Daubeney Trumpet.
  
  The first electronic hearing aids were constructed after the invention of the telephone and microphone in the 1870s and 1880s. The technology within the telephone increased how acoustic signal could be altered. Telephones were able to control the loudness, frequency, and distortion of sounds. These abilities were used in the creation of the hearing aid'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1897, Grant's Tomb was dedicated. Now General Grant National Memorial,.
  From Wikipedia: 'Grant's Tomb, now formally known as General Grant National Memorial, is the final resting place of Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), the 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant (1826–1902). Completed in 1897, the tomb is located in Riverside Park in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, across the street from the monumental Riverside Church. It was placed under the management of the National Park Service in 1958.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1957, Ricky Nelson's first record, "Teenager's Romance" was released.
  From Wikipedia: '"A Teenager's Romance" is a song written by David Gillam and performed by Ricky Nelson. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1957.
  
  The song was ranked #25 on Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1957.
  
  The song's A-side, "I'm Walkin'", reached #4 on the Billboard chart and #10 on the R&B chart'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1981, Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse.
  From Wikipedia: 'PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated), formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems.'
  
  'A computer mouse is a pointing device (hand control) that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows a smooth control of the graphical user interface.
  
  Physically, a mouse consists of an object held in one's hand, with one or more buttons. Mice often also feature other elements, such as touch surfaces and "wheels", which enable additional control and dimensional input.
  
  The German company Telefunken published on their early ball mouse on October 2, 1968. Telefunken's mouse was sold as optional equipment for their computer systems. Bill English, builder of Engelbart's original mouse, created a ball mouse in 1972 while working for Xerox PARC.
  
  The ball mouse replaced the external wheels with a single ball that could rotate in any direction. It came as part of the hardware package of the Xerox Alto computer. Perpendicular chopper wheels housed inside the mouse's body chopped beams of light on the way to light sensors, thus detecting in their turn the motion of the ball. This variant of the mouse resembled an inverted trackball and became the predominant form used with personal computers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Xerox PARC group also settled on the modern technique of using both hands to type on a full-size keyboard and grabbing the mouse when required'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1983, Nolan Ryan strikes out 3,509th batter passes Walter Johnson on strikeouts list.
  From Wikipedia: 'Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and a previous chief executive officer (CEO) of the Texas Rangers. He is currently an executive adviser to the owner of the Houston Astros'.
  
  'By the end of the 1982 season, both Ryan and Steve Carlton were approaching Walter Johnson's all-time strikeout record, sometimes passing one another's career totals in successive starts. On April 27, 1983, Ryan won the race with his 3,509th whiff, against Brad Mills of the Montreal Expos (Steve Carlton would reach the same mark two weeks after Ryan).'
  
  One of the most celebrated and dominating players in baseball history, Johnson established several pitching records, some of which remain unbroken. He remains by far the all-time career leader in shutouts with 110, second in wins with 417, and fourth in complete games with 531. He once held the career record in strikeouts with 3,508 and was the only player in the 3,000 strikeout club for over 50 years until Bob Gibson recorded his 3,000th strikeout in 1974. Johnson led the league in strikeouts a Major League record 12 times—one more than current strikeout leader Nolan Ryan—including a record eight consecutive seasons'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 2006, Construction begins on the Freedom Tower for the new World Trade Center in New York City. It opened Nov. 3 2014.
  From Wikipedia: 'One World Trade Center (also known as 1 World Trade Center, One WTC and 1 WTC; the current building was dubbed the "Freedom Tower" during initial basework) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was completely destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of of the original 6 World Trade Center. The building is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Prime Rib Day'.

Batter up. Tomorrow is 'Babe Ruth Day'. Since 1947, honoring baseball player, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. The Bambino's career ran from 1914 to 1935. He was able to attend this Yankee Stadium honor in 1947, even though he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He died August 16, 1948 at the age of 53. His career stats were: Batting average .342, Hits 2,873, Home runs 714, Runs batted in 2,213.

Think up or find some good ones. tomorrow is 'National Tell a Story Day'.
[The Hankster says] Make 'um clean, interesting and positive. Don't worry about the truth thing. It's a story, after all, and the kids will love you for it.

A birthday boy tomorrow . It will be 'Morse Code Day'. Celebrates the birthday of Samuel Morse in 1791. There is another day that celebrates the invention of the code itself.

There are good days and there are not so good days. Tomorrow is 'Mantanzas Mule Day'. During one of the first US Navy actions of the Spanish American War, the Cuban town of Mantanzas was bombarded. The only casualty was a mule.

Awareness days tomorrow:
- 'Air Quality Awareness Week'. First day of Apr. 27-May1 event.
- 'MS Awareness Week'. In Great Britain, the first day of Apr. 27-May 3 event. From the Multiple Sclerosis Trust web site: 'This MS Awareness Week we want to highlight the importance of MS specialist services and make sure everyone affected by MS can access the best possible care.'
- 'Rail Safety Week'. In Canada, the first day of an April 27 - May 3 event by the Canadian National Railway Company, promoting their 'CN All Aboard for Safety' program.
- 'Active School Week'. In Ireland, the first day of an April. 27 - May 1 event, emphasizing physical activity. By The Department of Education and Skills and Healthy Ireland.
- 'King's Day in the Netherlands'. Birthday of the reigning monarch.
- 'Freedom Day in South Africa'. Marks the 1994 elections that ended apartheid. On this day a 'UnFreedom day is held to highlight what some consider the lack of true freedom for all.
- 'National Veterans' Day in Finland'. End of WW II for Finland in 1945.

Pat Paulsen once said 'We've got to step up our conservation efforts before it's too late. We're not protecting our lands and natural resources. Take the Grand Canyon for example; I'm sure that at one time it was a beautiful piece of land, and just look at the way we've let it go.'
[The Hankster says] The good, the bad the ugly. One man's trash and another man's treasure. The eye of the beholder. All these and more focus our attention on the now and the past. Let us lower our historical bifocals to a comfortable position, about April 27 on any day in the past, and notice if our insight has changed or we still view the world with a frozen myopic gaze.

In 1805, During the First Barbary War, the request for passage and supplies, made on the 26th, by the U.S. to the governor of Derna, Mustafa, was turned down with a 'My Head or Yours', reply. This lead to the 27th, by military activities of the U.S. Marines and Berbers, Who captured the city. This instigation and victory was the start of an effort to free the U.S. and other countries from the actions of the Barbary Pirates.

In 1865, The steamboat Sultana, ()a side wheel steamboat carrying 2,400 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River, killing 1,800, most of whom are Union survivors of the Andersonville and Cahaba Prisons going home. It is the the greatest maritime disaster in United States history.

In 1880 - Francis D. Clarke and M. G. Foster patent the first hearing aid in U.S

In 1897, Grant's Tomb was dedicated. Now General Grant National Memorial,

In 1981, Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse

In 1983, Nolan Ryan strikes out 3,509th batter passes Walter Johnson on strikeouts list

In 2006, Construction begins on the Freedom Tower for the new World Trade Center in New York City. It opened Nov. 3 2014

No. 1 song

• Game of Love - Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders: More
  'I'm Telling You Now' has been displaced by 'Game of Love', which will hold the no. 1 spot until May 11 1965, when 'Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter - Herman's Hermits', takes over.

Top movie

• The Sound of Music (again) More
  Having displaced 'In Harm's Way', it will be there until the weekend box office of May 9 1965 when, 'Brainstorm', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: April 27 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: April 27 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 27th April More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 27th April More
• On-This-day.com history 27th April More
• On-This-day.com music history 27th April More
• Wikipedia.com: History April 27 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