Today is May 23 2015

National Taffy Day: More

• National Lucky Penny Day: More
  
• Near Miss Day: More
  Commemorates the 1989 asteroid that was undetected until it had passed Earth at about twice the distance of the moon.

• Health
  • International Day to End Obstetric Fistula: More
    From the web site: 'Fistula is a childbirth injury caused by prolonged obstructed labor.
    Without treatment, fistula often leads to social, physical, emotional and economic decline. Although some women with fistula display amazing courage and resilience, many others succumb to illness and despair'.
  • World Crohn's and Colitis Day: More
    These are digestive and inflammatory bowel disease. From Wikipedia: 'The first annual World Crohn's and Colitis Day (WCCD) was celebrated on May 23, 2007. The event was created by Josh Golder and recognized by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, as well as by people from around the world'.
• Animal and Pets
  • World Turtle Day: More
    From Wikipedia: 'The purpose of World Turtle Day®, May 23, sponsored yearly since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive'.
  • National Heritage Breeds Day: More
    From the web site: 'The first annual National Heritage Breeds Week sponsored by The Livestock Conservancy will be held May 17-23, 2015 across the United States to raise awareness about nearly 200 endangered heritage breeds of livestock and poultry'.

• In 1788, South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.
  From Wikipedia: 'South Carolina is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia across the Savannah River, and to the east by the Atlantic Oc
  
  The Province of South Carolina became a slave society after rice and indigo became established as commodity crops. From 1708, a majority of the population were slaves, many born in Africa.
  
  South Carolina was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation and the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788. South Carolina became the first state to vote to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. After the American Civil War, it was readmitted into the United States on June 25, 1868.
  
  South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 23rd most populous U.S. state. Its GDP as of 2013 was $183.6 billion, with an annual growth rate of 3.13%. South Carolina comprises 46 counties. The capital and largest city is Columbia with a 2013 population of 133,358; the Greenville- Anderson-Mauldin metropolitan area had a 2013 population of 850,965'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1785, Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals.
  From Wikipedia: 'Bifocals are eyeglasses with two distinct optical powers. Bifocals are commonly prescribed to people with presbyopia who also require a correction for myopia, hyperopia, and/or astigmatism.'
  
  'Benjamin Franklin is generally credited with the invention of bifocals. Historians have produced some evidence to suggest that others may have come before him in the invention; however, a correspondence between George Whatley and John Fenno, editor of The Gazette of the United States, suggested that Franklin had indeed invented bifocals, and perhaps 50 years earlier than had been originally thought. Since many inventions are developed independently by more than one person, it is possible that the invention of bifocals may have been such a case. Nonetheless, Benjamin Franklin was among the first to wear bifocal lenses, and Franklin's letters of correspondence suggest that he invented them independently, regardless of whether he was the first to invent them.
  
  John Isaac Hawkins, the inventor of trifocal lenses, coined the term bifocals in 1824 and credited Dr. Franklin.
  
  In 1955, Irving Rips of Younger Optics created the first seamless or"invisible" bifocal, a precursor to all progressive lenses.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1829, Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
  From Wikipedia: 'Cyrill Demian (1772–1849) of Armenian origin, made his living as an organ and piano maker, with his two sons Karl and Guido, in Mariahilfer Straße No. 43 in Vienna, Austria. On May 6, 1829, Cyrill and his two sons presented a new instrument to the authorities for patent - the accordion. The patent was officially granted on May 23 1829.
  
  Demian's Accordion Description:
  
  Its appearance essentially consists of a little box with feathers of metal plates and bellows fixed to it, in such a way that it can easily be carried, and therefore traveling visitors to the country will appreciate the instrument.
  
  It is possible to perform marches, arias, melodies, even by an amateur of music with little practice, and to play the loveliest and most pleasant chords of 3, 4, 5 etc. voices after instruction.
  
  The advent of the accordion is the subject of debate among researchers. Many credit Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann, as the inventor of the accordion, while others give the distinction to Cyrill Demian an Armenian from the Romanian city of Gherla (ancient Armenopolis) living in Vienna, who patented his Accordion in 1829, thus coining the name. A modification of the Handäoline, Demian’s invention comprised a small manual bellows and five keys, although, as Demian noted in a description of the instrument, extra keys could be incorporated into the design. Numerous variations of the device soon followed.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (start at about 10 min in): More
• In 1873, The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
  From Wikipedia: 'The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian police force. It was established in 1873, and in 1904 the name was changed to Royal Northwest Mounted Police. In 1920 it merged with the Dominion Police to become the current Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
  
  Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald first began planning a permanent force to patrol the Northwest Territories after the Dominion of Canada purchased the territory from the Hudson's Bay Company. Reports from Army officers surveying the territory led to the recommendation that a force of 100 to 150 mounted riflemen could maintain law and order. The Prime Minister first announced the force as the North West Mounted Rifles but concern from the United States of America fearing a military buildup led the Prime Minister to rename the force the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) when formed in 1873.
  
  The police was established by an act of legislation from the Temporary North-West Council the first territorial government of the Northwest Territories. The Act was approved by the Government of Canada and established on May 23, 1873, by Queen Victoria, on the advice of her Canadian Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, with the intent of bringing law and order to, and asserting sovereignty over, the Northwest Territories. The need was particularly urgent given reports of American whiskey traders, in particular those of Fort Whoop-Up, causing trouble in the region, culminating in the Cypress Hills Massacre. The new force was initially to be called the North West Mounted Rifles, but this proposal was rejected as sounding too militaristic in nature, which Macdonald feared would antagonize both aboriginals and Americans;
  
  however, the force was organized along the lines of a cavalry regiment in the British Army, and was to wear red uniforms.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1940, Frank Sinatra records, I'll Never Smile Again' with Tommy Dorsey.
  From Wikipedia: '"I'll Never Smile Again" is a 1940 song written by Ruth Lowe.
  
  The most successful and best-known version of the song was recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with vocals provided by Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers. This recording was released as a Victor 78, 26628A, in 1940. This version stayed at number one for 12 weeks on Billboard, from July 27 to October 12, 1940, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982. The song was also released by Tommy Dorsey on V-Disc, V-Disc 582A, with Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers on vocals, in February, 1946. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra also recorded a version of the song in 1940 on RCA Bluebird'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1960, The Everly Brothers recorded, Cathy's Clown.
  From Wikipedia: '"Cathy's Clown" is a popular song, written and recorded by The Everly Brothers, in which the singer informs Cathy that he "don't want your love anymore."
  
  The musicians included the Everlys on guitars, Floyd Cramer on piano, Floyd Chance on bass and Buddy Harman on drums. The distinctive drum sound was achieved by recording the drums with a tape loop, making it sound as if there were two drummers.
  
  "Cathy's Clown" was The Everly Brothers' first single for Warner Bros., after spending three years on Archie Bleyer's Cadence label. It sold eight million copies worldwide, spending five weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and one week on the R&B charts. It spent seven weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart in May and June 1960. It would become the Everly Brothers' biggest hit single and their third and final US Number One. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song of the year for 1960.
  
  In 2004, the song was ranked 149th on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1995, Java releases the first version of its programming language.
  From Wikipedia: 'Java is a general-purpose computer programming language that is concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, and specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is intended to let application developers "write once, run anywhere" (WORA), meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for recompilation
  
  Java was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (which has since been acquired by Oracle Corporation) and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++, but it has fewer low-level facilities than either of them'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Taffy Day'.
[The Hankster says] It's that day again. The one all of you seem to get confused. It is not, I repeat, it is not a day on which you can target me. It is not Daffy Day!

Tomorrow is 'National Lucky Penny Day'.
[The Hankster says] See a penny pick it up. All day, you can look for 99 more with which to do anything practical, if the dollar store is open.

This may be the day on which Chicken Little panicked. Tomorrow is 'Near Miss Day'. Commemorates the 1989 asteroid that was undetected until it had passed Earth at about twice the distance of the moon.


Awareness / Observance Days on: May 23

o Health
- 'International Day to End Obstetric Fistula'. From the web site: 'Fistula is a childbirth injury caused by prolonged obstructed labor. Without treatment, fistula often leads to social, physical, emotional and economic decline. Although some women with fistula display amazing courage and resilience, many others succumb to illness and despair'.

- 'World Crohn's and Colitis Day'. These are digestive and inflammatory bowel disease. From Wikipedia: 'The first annual World Crohn's and Colitis Day (WCCD) was celebrated on May 23, 2007. The event was created by Josh Golder and recognized by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, as well as by people from around the world'.

o Animal and Pets
- 'World Turtle Day'. From Wikipedia: 'The purpose of World Turtle Day®, May 23, sponsored yearly since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive'.

- 'National Heritage Breeds Day'. From the web site: 'The first annual National Heritage Breeds Week sponsored by The Livestock Conservancy will be held May 17-23, 2015 across the United States to raise awareness about nearly 200 endangered heritage breeds of livestock and poultry'.


Historical events in the past on: May 23

William Feather once said 'One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute.'
[The Hankster says] Is it true? Have we been fooling ourselves through history? Pick a day, say May 23 in the past, and let us see if some of the people were fooled all of the time or all of the people some of the time.

In 1788, South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.

In 1785, Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals.

In 1829, Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.

In 1873, The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In 1940, Frank Sinatra records, I'll Never Smile Again' with Tommy Dorsey.

In 1960, The Everly Brothers recorded, Cathy's Clown.

In 1995, Java releases the first version of its programming language.

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 23 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: May 23 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 23rd May More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 23rd May More
• On-This-day.com history 23rd May More
• On-This-day.com music history 23rd May More
• Wikipedia.com: History May 23 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