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Today is April 29 2015

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

National Shrimp Scampi Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Zipper Day: More
    Patent date by Gideon Sundback. B.F. Goodrich Company created the name zipper when they used it on a new type rubber boot. It was named after the sound it made.
  • National Peace Rose Day: More
    Celebrates the rose. It has a light yellow to cream-colored large flowers.
  • International Dance Day: More
    Since 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, UNESCO.
  • Denim Day: More
    From the web site: 'n observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month each April, SafePlace asks businesses, organizations and individuals to wear denim in support of sexual assault survivors and to raise awareness about sexual assault misconceptions.'
  • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare: More
    A U.N. day. From the web site: 'The Conference of the States Parties at its Tenth Session PDF (paragraph 23.3 of C-10/5, dated 11 November 2005) decided that a memorial Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 29 April each year — the date in 1997 on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force. '
  • International Guide Dog Day: More
    The 2015 theme is 'Guide Dogs can go anywhere”'
  • World Wish Day: More
    From the web site: 'World Wish Day®, 29 April, is a global celebration of wish granting. It celebrates the day Chris Greicius received his wish to be a police officer for the day, inspiring the creation of Make-A-Wish and the organization’s global wish-granting movement.'
Events in the past on: April 29
  • In 1852, The first edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus was published.
    From Wikipedia: 'In general usage, a thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning (containing synonyms and sometimes antonyms), in contrast to a dictionary, which provides definitions for words, and generally lists them in alphabetical order. The main purpose of such reference works is to help the user "to find the word, or words, by which idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed" – to quote Peter Mark Roget, architect of the best known thesaurus in the English language.

    Although including synonyms, a thesaurus should not be taken as a complete list of all the synonyms for a particular word. The entries are also designed for drawing distinctions between similar words and assisting in choosing exactly the right word. Unlike a dictionary, a thesaurus entry does not give the definition of words

    In antiquity, Philo of Byblos authored the first text that could now be called a thesaurus. In Sanskrit, the Amarakosha is a thesaurus in verse form, written in the 4th century'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1913, Gideon Sundback, an American electrical engineer, patents the first zipper.
    From Wikipedia: 'A zipper, zip, fly or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material, like on a garment or a bag. It is used in clothing (e.g., jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, sporting goods, camping gear (e.g. tents and sleeping bags), and other items. Whitcomb L. Judson was an American inventor from Chicago who invented and constructed a workable zipper. The method, still in use today, is based on interlocking teeth. Initially it was called the “hookless fastener” and was later redesigned to become more reliable.'

    'In 1851, Elias Howe received a patent for an "Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure". He did not try seriously to market it, missing recognition he might otherwise have received. Howe's device was more like an elaborate draw-string than a true slide fastener.

    'Forty-two years later, Whitcomb Judson, who invented a pneumatic street railway, marketed a "Clasp Locker". The device served as a (more complicated) hook-and-eye shoe fastener. With the support of businessman Colonel Lewis Walker, Judson launched the Universal Fastener Company to manufacture the new device. The clasp locker had its public debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and met with little commercial success. Judson is sometimes given credit as the inventor of the zipper, but he never made a practical device.

    The company, reorganized as the "Fastener Manufacturing and Machine Company," moved to Hoboken, N.J. in 1901. Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer, was hired to work for the company in 1906. Good technical skills and a marriage to the plant-manager's daughter Elvira Aronson led Sundbäck to the position of head designer. The company moved to Meadville, PA, where it operated for most of the 20th century under the name "Talon, Inc." After his wife's death in 1911, Sundback devoted himself to improving the fastener, and by December 1913 he had designed the modern zipper. The rights to this invention were owned by the Meadville company (operating as the "Hookless Fastener Co."), but Sundback retained non-U.S. rights and used these to set up in subsequent years the Canadian firm ‘Lightning Fastner Co.’ in St. Catharines, Ont. Sundback's work with this firm has led to the common misperception that he was Canadian and that the zipper originated in that country.

    'The popular North American term zipper, (UK zip, or occasionally zip-fastener), came from the B. F. Goodrich Company in 1923. The company opted to use Gideon Sundback's fastener on a new type of rubber boots (or galoshes) and referred to it as the zipper, and the name stuck'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
  • In 1961, ABC’s 'Wide World of Sports' premiered.
    From Wikipedia: 'ABC's Wide World of Sports is an American sports anthology television program that aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from April 29, 1961 to January 3, 1998, primarily on Saturday afternoons. Hosted by Jim McKay, with a succession of co-hosts beginning in 1987, the title continued to be used for general sports programs on the network until 2006. In 2007, Wide World of Sports was named by Time Magazine on its list of the 100 best television programs of all-time'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1967, 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin was released.
    From Wikipedia: '"Respect" is a song written and originally released by American recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. The song became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told by the songs have a different flavor. Redding's version is a plea from a desperate man, who will give his woman anything she wants. He won't care if she does him wrong, as long as he gets his due respect, when he comes home ("respect" being a euphemism), However, Franklin's version is a declaration from a strong, confident woman, who knows that she has everything her man wants. She never does him wrong, and demands his "respect". Franklin's version adds the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" chorus and the backup singers' refrain of "Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me..."
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1997, The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories. Six UN states are not party: Angola, Burma, Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control treaty which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. The full name of the treaty is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction and it is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization based in The Hague, Netherlands. The parties' main obligation under the convention is to prohibit the use and production of chemical weapons, as well as the destruction of all current chemical weapons. The destruction activities are verified by the OPCW'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
  • In 2004, Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.
    From Wikipedia: 'Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobiles produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory. When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Daimler, Peugeot and Tatra. Though it was closed in 2004, it still remains an active trademark of the General Motors Corporation. The closing of the Oldsmobile division presaged a larger consolidation of GM brands and discontinuation of models during the company's 2009 bankruptcy reorganization'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Shrimp Scampi Day'.
[The Hankster says] Shrimp cooked in butter, garlic, lemon juice and white wine. The name seems to imply a cooking process, but Scampi is a culinary name for a kind of small lobster. So, let's all have some Shrimp Lobster. Doesn't sound correct, do it. Oh, well, just as long as the chef is not skimpy on the Scampi.

Zip it up. No, really. Tomorrow is 'National Zipper Day'. Patent date by Gideon Sundback. B.F. Goodrich Company created the name zipper when they used it on a new type rubber boot. It was named after the sound it made.

Tomorrow is 'National Peace Rose Day'. Celebrates the rose with a light yellow to cream-colored large flower and a history. From Wikipedia: 'It was developed by French horticulturist Francis Meilland in the years 1935 to 1939. When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France, he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States to protect the new rose. It is said that it was sent to the US on the last plane available before the German invasion where it was safely propagated by the Conard Pyle Co. during the war.' It has other names outside the U.S.

Tomorrow's awareness days:

- 'International Dance Day'. Since 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, UNESCO.
- 'Denim Day'. From the web site: 'n observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month each April, SafePlace asks businesses, organizations and individuals to wear denim in support of sexual assault survivors and to raise awareness about sexual assault misconceptions.'
- 'Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare'. A U.N. day. From the web site: 'The Conference of the States Parties at its Tenth Session PDF (paragraph 23.3 of C-10/5, dated 11 November 2005) decided that a memorial Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 29 April each year — the date in 1997 on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force. '
- 'International Guide Dog Day'. The 2015 theme is 'Guide Dogs can go anywhere”'
- 'World Wish Day'. From the web site: 'World Wish Day®, 29 April, is a global celebration of wish granting. It celebrates the day Chris Greicius received his wish to be a police officer for the day, inspiring the creation of Make-A-Wish and the organization’s global wish-granting movement.'

Diane Kruger once said 'With modeling, you pose. You want to look your best all the time. With acting, you have to be aware of the camera, but the more you show your imperfections, the better you're going to be.'
[The Hankster says] Let us see which of the movers and shakers of the past, hid behind a mask or let it all hang out. Let us try April 29,. You may pick the year from those below.

In 1852, The first edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus was published.

In 1913, Gideon Sundback, an American electrical engineer, patents the first zipper.

In 1958, Broadway musical 'My Fair Lady' opens in London; tickets sell out a month ahead of time.

In 1961, ABC’s 'Wide World of Sports' premiered.

In 1967, 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin was released.

In 1997, The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories. Six UN states are not party: Angola, Burma, Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan. More.

In 2004, Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today (last updated Apr 25 2015 next May 9 2015

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.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): April 29
   V.
This month April 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - April 1 2015)

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

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1965 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

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 2015)

Best selling books of 1965 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

  • 2015 Postal Holidays More
  • 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

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