Today is June 17 2015

National Eat Your Vegetables Day: More
National Apple Strudel Day: More

• International Violin Day: More
  Celebrates the birthday of Igor Stravinsky in 1882. National Violin Day is Dec 13.
• Bunker Hill Day: More
  Celebrates the Battle of Bunker Hill (Battle of Breed's Hill) during the American Revolutionary War.

• Other
  • World Day to Combat Desertification: More
    From the UNCCD, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification web site:
    'Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.'
  • Father's Day in El Salvador and Guatemala : More

• In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Taj Mahal (Persian for Crown of Palaces) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.
  
  Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
  
  The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear-drop on the cheek of time", it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1775, Colonists inflict heavy casualties on British forces while losing the Battle of Bunker Hill.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Battle of Bunker Hill was a battle fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, which was peripherally involved in the battle, and was the original objective of both the colonial and British troops, though the vast majority of combat took place on the adjacent Breed's Hill.
  
  On June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, giving them control of Boston Harbor. In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. The colonists constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.
  
  When the British were alerted to the presence of colonial forces on the Peninsula, they mounted an attack against them. After two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties, the third and final attack carried the redoubt after the defenders ran out of ammunition. The colonists retreated to Cambridge over Bunker Hill, leaving the British in control of the Peninsula.
  
  While the result was a victory for the British, the massive losses they encountered discouraged them from any further sorties against the siege lines; 226 men were killed with over 800 wounded, including a large number of officers. The battle at the time was considered to be a colonial defeat; however, the losses suffered by the British troops gave encouragement to the colonies, demonstrating that inexperienced militia were able to stand up to regular army troops in battle.
  
  Though the battle was a tactical victory for the British, it was a sobering experience for them, involving many more casualties than the Americans had incurred, resulting in more cautious planning and maneuver execution in future engagements, especially in the subsequent New York and New Jersey campaign, which arguably helped, rather than hindered the American forces, by allowing them to slip away when they could have been decisively defeated. The costly engagement also convinced the British of the need to hire substantial numbers of foreign mercenaries to bolster their strength in America'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1885, The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, was built by Gustave Eiffel and dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States, and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.
  
  Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865 that any monument raised to American independence would properly be a joint project of the French and American peoples. He may have been minded to honor the Union victory in the American Civil War and the end of slavery. Due to the post-war instability in France, work on the statue did not commence until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the Americans provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions.
  
  The torch-bearing arm was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, and in Madison Square Park in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened due to lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World started a drive for donations to complete the project that attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.
  
  On June 17, 1885, the French steamer Isère, laden with the Statue of Liberty, reached the New York port safely. New Yorkers displayed their new-found enthusiasm for the statue, as the French vessel arrived with the crates holding the disassembled statue on board. Two hundred thousand people lined the docks and hundreds of boats put to sea to welcome the Isère. After five months of daily calls to donate to the statue fund, on August 11, 1885, the World announced that $102,000 had been raised from 120,000 donors, and that 80 percent of the total had been received in sums of less than one dollar.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1898, The United States Navy Hospital Corps (Hospital Corpsman) is established.
  From Wikipedia: 'A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy who may also serve with the United States Marine Corps.
  
  The hospital corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships, and as the primary medical caregivers for sailors while underway. Hospital corpsmen are frequently the only medical care-giver available in many fleet or Marine units on extended deployment. In addition, hospital corpsmen perform duties as assistants in the prevention and treatment of disease and injury and assist health care professionals in providing medical care to sailors and their families.
  
  Still, there existed pressure to reform the enlisted component of the Navy's medical department—medicine as a science was advancing rapidly, foreign navies had begun training medically skilled sailors, and even the U.S. Army had established an enlisted Hospital Corps in 1887. Navy Surgeon General J.R Tyron and subordinate physicians lobbied the Navy administration to take action. With the Spanish–American War looming, Congress passed a bill authorizing establishment of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, signed into law by President William McKinley on 17 June 1898. Three rates were created therein—hospital apprentice, hospital apprentice first class (a petty officer third class), and hospital steward, which was a chief petty officer.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1919, Barney Google cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premieres (later joined by Snuffy Smith)
  From Wikipedia: 'Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, originally Take Barney Google, F'rinstance, is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck. Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a huge international readership, appearing in 900 newspapers in 21 countries. The initial appeal of the strip led to its adaptation to film, animation, popular song and television. It added several terms and phrases to the English language and inspired the 1923 hit tune ŘBarney Google (with the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes)Ř with lyrics by Billy Rose, as well as the 1923 record, ŘCome On, Spark Plug!Ř
  
  Barney Google himself, once the star of the strip and a very popular character in his own right, has been almost entirely phased out of the feature. An increasingly peripheral player in his own strip beginning in the late 1930s, Google was officially Řwritten outŘ in 1954, although he would occasionally return for cameo appearances. These cameos were often years apart—from a period between 1997 and 2012, Barney Google wasn't seen in the strip at all. Google was reintroduced to the strip in 2012, and has been seen very occasionally since, making several week-long appearances
  
  Snuffy Smith, who was initially introduced as a supporting player in 1934, has now been the comic strip's central character for over 60 years. Nevertheless, the feature is still titled Barney Google and Snuffy Smith'
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube (animated cartoon): More
• In 1942 , The radio drama/mystery show 'Suspense' debuted on CBS Radio.
  From Wikipedia: 'Suspense is a radio drama series broadcast on CBS Radio from 1942 through 1962.
  
  One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era. Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during its long run, and more than 900 still exist.
  
  Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and director/producers. Formula plot devices were followed for all but a handful of episodes: the protagonist was usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation; solutions were "withheld until the last possible second"; and evildoers were usually punished in the end.
  
  In its early years, the program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Notable exceptions include adaptations of Curt Siodmak's Donovan's Brain and H. P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror", but by the late 1950s, such material was regularly featured.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1950, The first kidney transplant is performed.
  From Wikipedia: 'One of the earliest mentions about the real possibility of a kidney transplant was by American medical researcher Simon Flexner, who declared in a reading of his paper on “Tendencies in Pathology” in the University of Chicago in 1907 that it would be possible in the then-future for diseased human organs substitution for healthy ones by surgery — including arteries, stomach, kidneys and heart.
  
  In 1933 surgeon Yuriy Voroniy from Kherson in the Soviet Union attempted the first human kidney transplant, using a kidney removed 6 hours earlier from the deceased donor to be reimplanted into the thigh. He measured kidney function using a connection between the kidney and the skin. His first patient died 2 days later as the graft was incompatible with the recipient's blood group and was rejected.
  
  It was not until June 17, 1950, when a successful transplant could be performed on Ruth Tucker, a 44-year-old woman with polycystic kidney disease, at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Although the donated kidney was rejected ten months later because no immunosuppressive therapy was available at the time—the development of effective antirejection drugs was years away—the intervening time gave Tucker's remaining kidney time to recover and she lived another five years.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1957, 'At the Hop' was released by Danny & the Juniors.
  From Wikipedia: '"At the Hop" is a rock and roll/doo-wop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny and the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958. "At the Hop" also hit number one on the R and B Best Sellers list. Somewhat more surprisingly, the record reached #3 on the Music Vendor country charts.
  
  The song became more prominent after it was performed by rock and roll revival act Sha Na Na at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and featured in the 1973 coming-of-age teen drama American Graffiti. Musically, it's notable for combining several of the most popular formulas in 1950s rock'n'roll, the twelve-bar blues, boogie-woogie piano and the 50s progression'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1964, The Supremes' 'Where Did Our Love Go' was released. It became their first #1.
  From Wikipedia: '"Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 song recorded by American music group the Supremes for the Motown label.
  
  Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Where Did Our Love Go" was the first single by the Supremes to go to the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States, a position it held for two weeks, from August 16 to August 29, 1964. It was also the first of five Supremes songs in a row to reach number one (the others being "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love", and "Back in My Arms Again"). The song also reached number one on the Cash Box R and B singles chart.
  
  The Supremes' version is ranked #475 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2016 due to its "cultural, historic, or artistic significance.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow we have two food holidays:
- 'National Eat Your Vegetables Day'.
[The Hankster says] OK, I warned you. Celebrate veggies today and eat them tomorrow. I suggest you put on your best bib. If I know most of you correctly, you won't eat 'um with out a lot of butter and cheese. And there is no need to hide them under your mashed potatoes. Mom caught on to that a long time ago. At least my mom did.

- 'National Apple Strudel Day'.
[The Hankster says] Now that you have downed the healthy stuff, you may have dessert. Toaster pop-up strudel is not allowed.


Tomorrow is 'International Violin Day'. Celebrates the birthday of Igor Stravinsky in 1882. National Violin Day is Dec 13.
[The Hankster says] My favorite instrument and music.

'Bunker Hill Day'' is celebrated tomorrow. The Battle of Bunker Hill (Battle of Breed's Hill) was fought on this day, 1775, during the American Revolutionary War.
[The Hankster says] Bunker Hill was the objective of both sides. However, most of the fighting was done on the adjacent Breeds Hill.


We have two awareness days tomorrow:
- 'World Day to Combat Desertification'. From the UNCCD, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification web site: 'Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.'

- 'Father's Day in El Salvador and Guatemala '.


Historical events in the past on: June 17

In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.

In 1885, The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.

In 1898, The United States Navy Hospital Corps (Hospital Corpsman) is established.

In 1901, The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.

In 1919, Barney Google cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premieres (later joined by Snuffy Smith).

In 1942 , The radio drama/mystery show 'Suspense' debuted on CBS Radio.

In 1950, The first kidney transplant is performed.

In 1957, 'At the Hop' was released by Danny and the Juniors.

In 1964, The Supremes' 'Where Did Our Love Go' was released. It became their first #1.

No. 1 song

• Help Me, Rhonda - The Beach Boys: More
  'Back in My Arms Again' has been displaced by 'Help Me, Rhonda', which will hold the no. 1 spot until June 19 1965, when 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops', takes over.

Top movie

• Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines More
  Having displaced 'The Sound of Music (reclaims the top again and)', it will be there until the weekend box office of June 27 1965 when, 'Von Ryan's Express', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: June 17 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: June 17 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 17th June More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 17th June More
• On-This-day.com history 17th June More
• On-This-day.com music history 17th June More
• Wikipedia.com: History June 17 More

Monthly holiday / awareness days in June

Food
Country Cooking Month
Dairy Alternatives Month
Georgia Blueberry Month
Dairy Month
June is Turkey Lovers Month
National Candy Month
National Ice Tea Month
National Soul Food Month
National Steakhouse Month
Sorghum Month

Health and Well-Being
Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Awareness Month (APS)
Cancer From The Sun Month
Cataract Awareness Month
Child Vision Awareness Month
International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
International Men's Month
National Aphasia Awareness Month
National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month
National Safety Month
National Scoliosis Awareness Month
National Smile Month
Mens Health Education and Awareness Month
Migraine Awareness Month
Pharmacists Declare War on Alcoholism Month
Potty Training Awareness Month
Professional Wellness Month
PTSD Awareness Month
Scleroderma Awareness Month
Sports America Kids Month
Student Safety Month
Vision Research Month
World Infertility Month

Animal and Pets
Adopt-A-Cat Month
National Pet Preparedness Month
National Zoo and Aquarium Month

Other
African-American Music Appreciation Month
Audio Book Appreciation Month
Black Music Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Children's Awareness Month
Effective Communications Month
Entrepreneurs 'Do It Yourself' Marketing Month
Fashion in Colonial Virginia Month
Fireworks Safety Month
Great Outdoors Month
International Surf Music Month
June is Perennial Gardening Month
National Accordion Awareness Month
National Bathroom Reading Month
National Camping Month
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month
National Rivers Month
National Rose Month
Rebuild Your Life Month
Skyscraper Month
World Naked Bike Ride Month
Women's Golf Month

June is:

June origin (from Wikipedia): Perhaps to honor goddess Juno, or from the Latin word iuniores (younger ones).
"is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. June is the month with the longest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. June in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to December in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological summer is 1 June. In the Southern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological winter is 1 June."

June 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