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Today is June 29 2015

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

National Almond Buttercrunch Day: More
A toffee, covered with chocolate made popular during WW II.

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Waffle Iron Day: More
  • National Camera Day: More
  • Please Take My Children to Work Day: More
  • International Mud Day: More
    Since 2009, as a way to help all of the children of the Earth feel closer to each other.
  • Hug Holiday: More
    Created by the The Hugs for Health Foundation.
Awareness / Observance Days on: June 29
  • Health
    • World Scleroderma Day: More
      From the (UK) Raynaud's & Scleroderma Association web site: 'Raynaud's is a common condition in which blood is prevented from reaching the extremities of the body, mainly the fingers and toes, on exposure to the cold or any slight change in temperature. A small number of people who have Raynaud's also develop scleroderma, a disease which affects the connective tissue.'
Events in the past on: June 29
  • In 1888, The first (known) recording of classical music is made in London (on Edison wax cylinders) of Handel's 'Israel in Egypt'.
    From Wikipedia: 'For a long time, the earliest known recording of music known to still exist was an excerpt from this oratorio conducted by August Manns. The recording was of several thousand singers singing "Moses and the Children of Israel" in the Crystal Palace Handel Festival of June 29, 1888, recorded by Col. George Gouraud on Edison's yellow paraffin cylinder. The limitations of recording technology at that time, together with the number of voices, the distance of the recording device from the singers and the acoustics of the Crystal Palace, mean that the recorded sound was dim to begin with, and it has since then become badly degraded. What survives is barely audible but still identifiable by ear, and gives some insight into performance practices at the height of the Handel Festival phenomenon
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1927, The first West Coast of the U.S. to Hawaii flight was made.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Bird of Paradise was a military airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps in 1927 to experiment with the application of radio beacon aids in air navigation. On June 28–29, 1927, the Bird of Paradise, crewed by 1st Lt. Lester J. Maitland and 1st Lt. Albert F. Hegenberger, completed the first flight over the Pacific Ocean, from California to Hawaii, a feat for which the crew received the Mackay Troph

    The Bird of Paradise was one of three Atlantic-Fokker C-2 trimotor transport planes developed for the Air Corps from the civilian Fokker F.VIIa/3m airliner design. Its two-ton carrying capacity gave it the ability to carry sufficient fuel for the 2,500 miles (4,000 km) flight and its three motors provided an acceptable safety factor in the event one engine failed. Moreover, although modified for the long distance flight, the C-2 was a widely used standard design, demonstrating the practicality of flying long distances.

    Although the recognition accorded Maitland and Hegenberger was less in comparison with the extensive adulation given to Charles Lindbergh for his transatlantic flight only five weeks earlier, their feat was arguably more significant from a navigational standpoint.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1929, The first high-speed jet wind tunnel was completed at Langley Field, VA.
    From Wikipedia: Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It directly borders Poquoson, Virginia and Langley Field. LaRC focuses primarily on aeronautical research, though the Apollo lunar lander was flight-tested at the facility and a number of high-profile space missions have been planned and designed on-site.

    Langley Field and NACA began parallel growth as air power proved its utility during World War I. The center was originally established to explore the field of aerodynamic research involving airframe and propulsion engine design and performance. In 1934 the world's largest wind tunnel at that time was constructed at Langley Field with a 30 × 60 foot test section, which was large enough to test full scale aircraft, one of the first wind tunnels able to do this. (The 40 × 80 foot tunnel built at NASA Ames in California in the following decade stole away the "World's Largest" title).
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1932, 'Vic and Sade' (situation comedy) debuted on NBC radio.
    From Wikipedia: 'Vic and Sade was an American radio program created and written by Paul Rhymer. It was regularly broadcast on radio from 1932 to 1944, then intermittently until 1946, and was briefly adapted to television in 1949 and again in 1957.

    During its 14-year run on radio, Vic and Sade became one of the most popular series of its kind, earning critical and popular success: according to Time, Vic and Sade had 7,000,000 devoted listeners in 1943. For the majority of its span on the air, Vic and Sade was heard in 15-minute episodes without a continuing storyline. The central characters, known as "radio's home folks", were accountant Victor Rodney Gook (Art Van Harvey ), his wife Sade (Bernardine Flynn) and their adopted son Rush (Bill Idelson). The three lived on Virginia Avenue in "the small house halfway up in the next block."'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1956, The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 is signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.
    From Wikipedia: 'e Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (Public Law 84-627), was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of US$25 billion for the construction of 41,000 miles (66,000 km) of the Interstate Highway System supposedly over a 10-year period, it was the largest public works project in American history through that time.

    The addition of the term "Defense" in the Act's title was for two reasons: First, some of the original cost was diverted from defense funds. Secondly, most US Air Force bases have a direct link to the system. The purpose was to provide access in order to defend them during an attack. All of these links were in the original plans, although some, such as Wright Patterson were not connected up in the 1950s, but only somewhat later.

    The money for the Interstate Highway and Defense Highways was handled in a Highway Trust Fund that paid for 90 percent of highway construction costs with the states required to pay the remaining 10 percent. It was expected that the money would be generated through new taxes on fuel, automobiles, trucks, and tires. As a matter of practice, the federal portion of the cost of the Interstate Highway System has been paid for by taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1995, Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (Atlantis) docks with the Russian space station Mir for the first time.
    From Wikipedia: 'STS-71 was the third mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program and the first Space Shuttle docking to Russian space station Mir. It started on 27 June 1995 with the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle delivered a relief crew of two cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin to the station and recovered Increment astronaut Norman Thagard. Atlantis returned to Earth on 7 July with a crew of eight. It was the first of seven straight missions to Mir flown by Atlantis'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 2007, Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone.
    From Wikipedia: 'iPhone is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. They run Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The first generation iPhone was released on June 29, 2007; the most recent iPhone model is the iPhone SE, which was unveiled at a special event on March 21, 2016'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow is 'National Almond Butter crunch Day'. A crunchy toffee, covered with chocolate. made popular during WW II as gifts to the soldiers.
[The Hankster says] Love it, but I wish it wasn't so noisy. Others, around you will hear the crunch and ask for some.

In a related topic, food that is, tomorrow is 'National Waffle Iron Day'.
[The Hankster says] Great invention. I no longer have to square the sides of pancakes and hit them with the meat tenderizer mallet. No, neither I, nor anyone else seems to know why it is celebrated on the 29th. They have been around in some form since the Middle Ages. The US patent was granted in 1889.

Smile, tomorrow is 'National Camera Day'.
[The Hankster says] Nope, no one seems to know why it is celebrated on the 29th. But, you can still capture some great moments and irritate your friends with all the electronic devices around. Get those selfies taken now. More and more places like museums and even Disney World are starting to ban selfie sticks.

Tomorrow is the day for you stay at home moms and pops. It will be 'Please Take My Children to Work Day'.
[The Hankster says] It is not the punch line to an old vaudeville joke. Kids are wonderful, but sometimes you just need some time to and for yourself.

Tomorrow is a day of child equality. It is 'International Mud Day'. Since 2009, as a way to help all of the children of the Earth feel closer to each other. It works like this. If you could cover all the children of the world in mud, they would all look alike and thus eliminate the first of many prejudices among different peoples.

Another worthy thought is for tomorrow's '(National) Hug Holiday'. Created by the The Hugs for Health Foundation.
[The Hankster says] A lot of emphasis is place on elderly care, but a sincere hug can heal a lot of personal problems or nip them in the bud, before they take root.


We have a health related awareness day tomorrow. It will be 'World Scleroderma Day'. From the (UK) Raynaud's & Scleroderma Association web site: 'Raynaud's is a common condition in which blood is prevented from reaching the extremities of the body, mainly the fingers and toes, on exposure to the cold or any slight change in temperature. A small number of people who have Raynaud's also develop scleroderma, a disease which affects the connective tissue'.


Historical events in the past on: June 29

In 1888, The first (known) recording of classical music is made in London (on Edison wax cylinders) of Handel's 'Israel in Egypt'.

In 1927, The first West Coast of the U.S. to Hawaii flight was made.

In 1929, The first high-speed jet wind tunnel was completed at Langley Field, VA.

In 1932, 'Vic and Sade' (situation comedy) debuted on NBC radio.

In 1956, The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 is signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.
[The Hankster says] As a kid I remember seeing some concrete piers on the North East side of the town in which I grew up (Galena Park TX). I asked my father what they were. He said that they were for an overpass of a new Interstate Highway. It turned out to be part of I-10 from the East to the West Coast.

In 1995, Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (Atlantis) docks with the Russian space station Mir for the first time.

In 2007, Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today (last updated June 19 next Jun 27 2015

No. 1 song

  • I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops : More
    'Help Me, Rhonda' has been displaced by 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)', which will hold the no. 1 spot until July 3 1965, when 'Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds', takes over.

Top movie

  • Von Ryan's Express More
    Having displaced 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines', it will be there until the weekend box office of July 4 1965 when, 'Tickle Me', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): June 29
   V.
This month June 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - June 1 2015)

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

  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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