Today is May 16 2015

National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day: More
A baked scallop dish.

• National Love a Tree Day: More
  During Gardening for Wildlife Month
• National Piercing Day: More
• National Sea Monkey Day: More
  Brine shrimp.
• National Biographer’s Day: More
  A anniversary of the meeting in London, England, on May 16, 1763, when Samuel Johnson and James Boswell (famous biographer) met.
• National Armed Forces Day: More
  From Wikipedia: ' In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May.
  First observed on 20 May 1950, the day was created on 31 August 1949, to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense. It was intended to replace the separate Army-, Navy-, Air Force-, Marine Corps- and Coast Guard Days, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services'.
• National Learn to Swim Day: More
  Third Saturday in May
• Doo Dah Days: More
  On Stephen Foster birthday.
• Wear Purple for Peace Day: More
  Wear purple to let any space aliens know that you are not hostel to them.

• National Safe Boating Week: More
  May 16-22 event. U.S. and Canada

• In 1843, The first 'major' wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
  From Wikipedia: " ".In what was dubbed "The Great Migration of 1843" or the "Wagon Train of 1843", an estimated 700 to 1,000 emigrants left for Oregon. They were led initially by John Gantt, a former U.S. Army Captain and fur trader who was contracted to guide the train to Fort Hall for $1 per person. The winter before, Marcus Whitman had made a brutal mid-winter trip from Oregon to St. Louis to appeal a decision by his Mission backers to abandon several of the Oregon missions. He joined the wagon train at the Platte River for the return trip. When the pioneers were told at Fort Hall by agents from the Hudson's Bay Company that they should abandon their wagons there and use pack animals the rest of the way, Whitman disagreed and volunteered to lead the wagons to Oregon. He believed the wagon trains were large enough that they could build whatever road improvements they needed to make the trip with their wagons. The biggest obstacle they faced was in the Blue Mountains of Oregon where they had to cut and clear a trail through heavy timber. The wagons were stopped at The Dalles, Oregon by the lack of a road around Mount Hood. The wagons had to be disassembled and floated down the treacherous Columbia River and the animals herded arrived in the Willamette Valley by early October. A passable wagon trail now existed from the Missouri River to The Dalles. In 1846, the Barlow Road was completed around Mount Hood, providing a rough but completely passable wagon trail from the Missouri River to the Willamette Valley: about 2,000 miles (3,200 km)'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1866, The U.S. Congress eliminates the half-dime coin and authorizes the minting of a 5-cent coin, the nickel.
  From Wikipedia: 'The half dime, or half disme, was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States.
  
  Some numismatists consider the denomination to be the first coin minted by the United States Mint under the Coinage Act of 1792, with production beginning on or about July 1792. However, others consider the 1792 half dime to be nothing more than a pattern coin, or 'test piece', and this matter continues to be subject to debate.
  
  These coins were much smaller than dimes in diameter and thickness, appearing to be "half dimes". In the 1860s, powerful nickel interests successfully lobbied for the creation of new coins, which would be made of a copper-nickel alloy; production of such coins began in 1865, and were struck in two denominations — three and five cents (the latter introduced in 1866). The introduction of the copper-nickel five-cent pieces made the silver coins of the same denomination redundant, and they were discontinued in 1873.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1888, Nikola Tesla delivers a lecture describing the equipment which will allow efficient generation and use of alternating currents to transmit electric power over long distances.
  From Wikipedia: 'In 1888, Electrical World magazine editor Thomas Commerford Martin (a friend and publicist) arranged for Tesla to demonstrate his alternating current system, including his induction motor, at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (now IEEE). Engineers working for the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company reported to George Westinghouse that Tesla had a viable AC motor and related power system — something for which Westinghouse had been trying to secure patents. Westinghouse looked into getting a patent on a similar commutator-less, rotating magnetic field-based induction motor presented in a paper in March 1888 by Italian physicist Galileo Ferraris, but decided that Tesla's patent would probably control the market'.
  
  In July 1888, Brown and Peck negotiated a licensing deal with George Westinghouse for Tesla's polyphase induction motor and transformer designs for $60,000 in cash and stock and a royalty of $2.50 per AC horsepower produced by each motor. Westinghouse also hired Tesla for one year for the large fee of $2,000 ($52,700 in today's dollars) per month to be a consultant at the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company's Pittsburgh labs'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1891, The International Electrotechnical Exhibition opens in Frankfurt, Germany, and will feature the world's first long distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electrical current (the most common form today).
  From Wikipedia: 'The 1891 International Electrotechnical Exhibition was held between 16 May and 19 October on the disused site of the three former “Westbahnhöfe” (Western Railway Stations) in Frankfurt am Main. The exhibition featured the first long distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electric current, which was generated 175 km away at Lauffen am Neckar. As a result of this successful field trial, three-phase current became established for electrical transmission networks throughout the world'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1929, The first Academy Awards show was held as a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
  From Wikipedia: 'The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks hosted the show. Tickets cost $5 (which would be $69 in 2016 considering inflation), 270 people attended the event and the presentation ceremony lasted fifteen minutes. Awards were created by Louis B. Mayer, founder of Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation (at present merged into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). It is the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television.
  
  During the ceremony, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards (now commonly referred to as Oscars) in twelve categories. Winners were announced three months before the live event. Some nominations were announced without reference to a specific film, such as for Ralph Hammeras and Nugent Slaughter, who received nominations in the now defunct category of Engineering Effects. Unlike later ceremonies, an actor or director could be awarded for multiple works within a calendar year. Emil Jannings, for example, was given the Best Actor award for his work in both The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command. Moreover, Charlie Chaplin and Warner Brothers each received an Honorary Award.
  
  Major winners at the ceremony included 7th Heaven and Sunrise, which each received three awards, and Wings, receiving two awards. Among its honors, Sunrise won the award for Unique and Artistic Picture and Wings won the award for Outstanding Picture (now known as Best Picture). These two categories at the time were seen as equally the top award of the night intended to honor different and equally important aspects of superior film making. The next year, the Academy dropped the Unique and Artistic Picture award, and decided retroactively that the award won by Wings was the highest honor that could be awarded'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1929, At the 1st Academy Awards (covering 1927 and 1928).
  - At Wikipedia (1st Academy Awards): More
  - Outstanding Picture was 'Wings' (1927)
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
  - Unique and Artistic Production was 'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans' (1927)
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
  - Best Actor in a Leading Role was Emil Jannings for 'The Last Command' (1928) and 'The Way of All Flesh' (1927)
    -- At Wikipedia (The Way of All Flesh): More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb (The Way of All Flesh): More
    -- On YouTube (The Way of All Flesh): More
    -- At Wikipedia (The Last Command): More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb (The Last Command): More
    -- On YouTube (The Last Command): More
  - Best Actress in a Leading Role was anet Gaynor for 'Seventh Heaven'(1927), 'Street Angel' (1928) and 'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'
    -- At Wikipedia (Seventh Heaven): More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb (Seventh Heaven): More
    -- On YouTube (Seventh Heaven): More
    -- At Wikipedia (Street Angel): More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb (Street Angel): More
    -- On YouTube (Street Angel): More
• In 1960, Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
  From Wikipedia: 'Theodore Harold "Ted" Maiman (July 11, 1927 – May 5, 2007) was an American engineer and physicist credited with the invention of the first working laser. Maiman’s laser led to the subsequent development of many other types of lasers. The laser was successfully fired on May 16, 1960. In a July 7, 1960 press conference in Manhattan, Maiman and his employer, Hughes Aircraft Company, announced the laser to the world. Maiman was granted a patent for his invention, and he received many awards and honors for his work. Maiman's experiences in developing the first laser and subsequent related events are described in his book, The Laser Odyssey'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1965, Campbell Soup Company introduces Spaghetti-O's, under their Franco-American Brand..
  From Wikipedia: 'SpaghettiOs is an American brand of canned circular pasta shapes in a cheese and tomato sauce — and marketed to parents as "less messy" than spaghetti. More than 150 million cans of SpaghettiOs are sold each year.
  
  In addition to the original variety, variations have included SpaghettiOs Meatballs (with miniature meatballs), SpaghettiOs Sliced Franks (with pieces of processed meat resembling hot dog slices), SpaghettiOs RavioliOs (with round, beef-filled ravioli), SpaghettiOs with Calcium, and other theme-shaped varieties.
  
  Similar products are sold in the United Kingdom under names like "Spaghetti Rings", loops, hoops, etc.
  
  Introduced in 1965 by the Campbell Soup Company under the Franco-American brand, the pasta was created by Donald Goerke (1926–2010), "the Daddy-O of SpaghettiOs", after a year-long internal study of the appropriate shape for a pasta dish that people could eat without making a mess. Rejected shapes included cowboys, Native Americans, spacemen, stars, and sports shapes. During the development of SpaghettiOs, Goerke was a marketing manager with Franco-American, then a division of Campbell. During his 35 years with Campbell, Goerke created over 100 products including the Chunky line of soups.
  
  SpaghettiOs were introduced nationally without test marketing — with television advertising using the tag line "The neat round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon" and the jingle "Uh-Oh! SpaghettiOs", sung by pop singer Jimmie Rodgers (loosely based on his 1950s song "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again").
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1981, 'Bette Davis Eyes' by Kim Carnes hits #1 for next
  From Wikipedia: '"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, and made popular by American singer Kim Carnes. DeShannon recorded it in 1974; Carnes' 1981 version spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Billboard's biggest hit of the entire year for 1981. The 1981 recording won the 1982 Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year'.9 weeks.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1988, The Surgeon General declares nicotine as addictive as heroin and cocaine.
  From Wikipedia: 'Charles Everett Koop, MD (October 14, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as the 13th Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989. According to the Associated Press, "Koop was the only surgeon general to become a household name."
  
  Coop was known for his work to prevent tobacco use, AIDS, and abortion, and for his support of the rights of disable children.
  
  In his 1988 Report of the Surgeon General, it was reported that nicotine has an addictiveness similar to that of heroin or cocaine. Koop's report was somewhat unexpected, especially by those who expected him to maintain the status quo in regard to his office's position on tobacco products. During his tenure, in 1984, Congress passed legislation providing for new, rotated health warning labels on cigarette packs and required advertising to include the labels. Those labels remain unchanged today. New labels containing graphic depictions of smoking-caused illness and death have been announced by the FDA, but are on hold pending the outcome of tobacco industry legal challenges. Koop issued a challenge to Americans in 1984 to "create a smoke-free society in the United States by the year 2000." As Surgeon General, he released eight reports on the health consequences of tobacco use, including the first report on the health consequences of involuntary tobacco smoke exposure. During Koop's tenure as Surgeon General, smoking rates in the United States declined significantly from 38% to 27%'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day'.
[The Hankster says That would be baked scallops in the shell with butter, cream, mushrooms and cheese.

Tomorrow is 'National Love a Tree Day'. During Gardening for Wildlife Month.
[The Hankster says] If you feel self-conscious abut hugging one, at least give it some water, fertilizer or a spring trim.

Hey ladies, check with your boutique tomorrow. They may have a special on 'National Piercing Day'.
[The Hankster says] You guys can just nurse the hole the boutique pierced in your wallet.

Remember when you were a kid and the back of your comic book had ads for fantastic gifts, Venus Fly Traps, X-Ray Glasses and of course those which we honor tomorrow on 'National Sea Monkey Day'.
[The Hankster says] These were the brine shrimp with the monkey like tails. You got a package of the shrimp, put them in water to see them come alive. Then you went back to your doll or train. Your allowance was gone for another week.

I guess you can call tomorrow, a literary non-selfie day. It will be 'National Biographer’s Day'. A anniversary of the meeting in London, England, on May 16, 1763, when Samuel Johnson and James Boswell (famous biographer) met.

Tomorrow is 'National Armed Forces Day'. From Wikipedia: ' In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May. First observed on 20 May 1950, the day was created on 31 August 1949, to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense. It was intended to replace the separate Army-, Navy-, Air Force-, Marine Corps- and Coast Guard Days, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services'.

The pools will be open soon and just in time for tomorrow's 'National Learn to Swim Day'. Third Saturday in May

Tomorrow will be 'Doo Dah Days'. On Stephen Foster/s birthday.

This one ain't what you think. tomorrow's 'Wear Purple for Peace Day' is a day on which to wear purple to let any space aliens know that you are not hostel to them.
[The Hankster says] Sounds like a good preventive measure to me. I wonder what color the nice aliens will be waring? Ever since that close encounter thing, lights, colors and musical notes upset me.

We have an awareness day tomorrow. It will be 'National Safe Boating Week'. May 16-22 event. U.S. and Canada

Albert Einstein once said 'There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there.'
[The Hankster says] Ah, but since we can look back on history, we can see how we got to where we are. Let us look at May 16 in the past, and you can judge on what level of plane it set us on.

In 1843, The first 'major' wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.

In 1866, The U S Congress eliminates the half-dime coin and authorizes the minting of a 5-cent coin, the nickel. The half dime was also silver and the precious metals were needed during the Civil War.

In 1888, Nikola Tesla delivers a lecture describing the equipment which will allow efficient generation and use of alternating currents to transmit electric power over long distances.

In 1891, The International Electrotechnical Exhibition opens in Frankfurt, Germany, and will feature the world's first long distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electrical current (the most common form today).

In 1929, At the 1st Academy Awards,
- Outstanding Picture was 'Wings',
- Best Actor in a Leading Role was Emil Jannings for 'The Last Command' and 'The Way of All Flesh',
- Best Actress in a Leading Role was anet Gaynor for 'Seventh Heaven', 'Street Angel' and 'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'.

In 1929, The first Academy Awards show was held as a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

In 1960, Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

In 1965, Campbell Soup Company introduces Spaghetti-O's, under their Franco-American Brand.

In 1981, 'Bette Davis Eyes' by Kim Carnes hits #1 for next 9 weeks.

In 1988, The Surgeon General declares nicotine as addictive as heroin and cocaine.

No. 1 song

• Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter - Herman's Hermits: More
  'Game of Love' has been displaced by 'Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter', which will hold the no. 1 spot until May 29 1965, when 'Ticket to Ride - The Beatles', takes over.

Top movie

• The Sound of Music (reclaims the top again and) More
  Having displaced 'Brainstorm', it will be there until the weekend box office of June 6 1965 when, 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: May 16 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: May 16 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 16th May More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 16th May More
• On-This-day.com history 16th May More
• On-This-day.com music history 16th May More
• Wikipedia.com: History May 16 More

Monthly holiday / awareness days in May

Food
Aramanth May Grain of the Month
Gifts From The Garden Month
International / National Mediterranean Diet Month
National Barbeque Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salsa Month
National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month
National Vinegar Month
National Youth Traffic Safety Month

Health and Well-Being
Descriptions are simple dictionary definitions and are not meant to be a full medical description.
ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asthma Awareness Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month (communication disorders)
Borderline Personality Disorder Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Celiac Awareness Month (gluten sensitivity)
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
EDS Awareness Month ((Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - inherited disorder affecting connective tissues)
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month (musculoskeletal pain, fatigue,)
Global Civility Awareness Month
Global Health and Fitness Month
Heal the Children Month (provides critical medical care to children all around the world)
Healthy Vision Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month (hereditary disease marked by degeneration of the brain cells)
Lupus Awareness Month (chronic, autoimmune disease effecting skin, joints, organs)
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month
National Better Hearing Month
National Hepatitis Awareness Month (inflammation of the liver)
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
Neurofibromatosis / NF Awareness Month (gentic disorder, most concerned with tumors of the nerves)
Lyme Disease Awareness Month (inflammatory disease transmitted by bacteria via ticks)
National Mental Health Month
National Osteoporosis Prevention Month ( brittle and fragile bone disease)
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Stroke Awareness Month
National Toddler Immunization Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Month
National Water Safety Month
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month (genetic condition of Infants, slow growth, weakness)
Preeclampsia Awareness Month (a condition in pregnancy)
Strike Out Strokes Month
Tay-Sachs and Canavan Diseases Month (progressive deterioration of nerve cells )
Tourettes Syndrome Awareness (neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics)
Women's Health Care Month

Environmental
American Wetlands Month
Clean Air Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month

Other
APS Awareness Month (American Physical Society)
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Building Safety Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Drum Month (music)
Get Caught Reading Month
Golf Month
Haitian Heritage Month
International Audit Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
Latino Books Month
Motorcycle Safety Month
National Bike Month
National Foster Care Month
National Good Car Keeping Month
National Inventors Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Photo Month
National Preservation Month (by The National Register of Historic Places)
National Smile Month
Older Americans Month
Personal History Month
Social Security Education Awareness Month
Tennis Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month

Pets
Chip Your Pet Month
Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month
National Pet Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month

May is:

May origin (from Wikipedia):
The month May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet Ovid provides a second etymology, in which he says that the month of May is named for the maiores, Latin for 'elders,' and that the following month (June) is named for the iuniores, or 'young people'

May ' is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.
May is a month of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere (Summer in Europe). Therefore May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. '

May 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