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Today is July 22 2015

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

National Penuche Fudge Day: More
Made from brown sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and nuts (optional). Also known as Brown Sugar Fudge.

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • Rat Catcher's Day: More
    The day the Pied Piper led the children out of Hamelin. This celebrates the July 22, 1376 date as given in Robert Browning's poem. We also celebrated this back on June 26 which is the date the Brothers Grimm cited (July 26 1284) and the date celebrated in the English town of Hamelin.
  • Pi Approximation Day / Casual Pi Day: More
    In the day/month format, this is 22/7. The fraction 22 sevenths is an approximation of Pi. The other Pi Day for the decimal value 3.14 (month/day) is on March 14 or 3.14 or 3/14.
    There is also a Tau Day, for those who prefer using the radius of a circle instead of the diameter to calculate the circumference of a circle. Tau is celebrated on 6.28 or 6/28 or June 28. That makes tau 2 times the measure of Pi and is supposed to be easier to use.Spooner's (Spoonerism) Day
  • Spooner's (Spoonerism) Day: More
    Birthday of Reverend William Archibald Spooner. His slips of the tongue became known as Spoonerisms. Ex. Instead of 'cozy little nook' he said 'nosey little cook'.
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • National Hammock Day: More
Awareness / Observance Days on: July 22
  • Health
    • Fragile X Awareness Day: More
      An inherited intellectual disability.
    • World Brain Day: More
      The 2015 emphasis is on Epilepsy.
Events in the past on: July 22
  • In 1894, The first ever motorized racing event is held in France between cities of Paris and Rouen.
    From Wikipedia: 'Paris–Rouen, Le Petit Journal Horseless Carriages Contest (Concours du 'Petit Journal' Les Voitures sans Chevaux), was a pioneering city-to-city motoring competition in 1894. Some anglophone sources call it a race, a rally or a trial, and it is sometimes described as the world's first competitive motor race although the initial announcement stated that "it will not be a race".

    The contest was organised by the newspaper Le Petit Journal and run from Paris to Rouen in France on 22 July 1894. It was preceded by four days of vehicle exhibition and qualifying events that created great crowds and excitement. The eight 50 km (31 mi) qualifying events started near the Bois de Boulogne and comprised interwoven routes around Paris to select the entrants for the main event.126 km (78 mi)

    The first driver across the finishing line at Rouen was "le Comte de Dion" but he did not win the main prize because his steam vehicle needed a 'stoker' and was thus ineligible. The fastest petrol powered car was a 3 hp (2.2 kW; 3.0 PS) Peugeot driven by Albert Lemaître. The premier prize, the 5,000 franc Prix du Petit Journal, for 'the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal' was shared equally by manufacturers Panhard et Levassor and Les fils de Peugeot frères ("The sons of Peugeot brothers"), with vehicles that were 'easy to use''.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1933, Wiley Post becomes the first person to fly solo around the world traveling 15,596 miles (25,099 km) in 7 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes.
    From Wikipedia: 'Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was a famed American aviator during the interwar period, the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits and discovered the jet stream. On August 15, 1935, Post and American humorist Will Rogers were killed when Post's aircraft crashed on takeoff from a lagoon near Point Barrow in the Territory of Alaska.

    Post's Lockheed Vega aircraft, the Winnie Mae, was on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center from 2003 to 2011. It is now featured in the "Time and Navigation" gallery on the second floor of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

    In 1930 the record for flying around the world was not held by a fixed-wing aircraft, but by the Graf Zeppelin, piloted by Hugo Eckener in 1929 with a time of 21 days. On June 23, 1931, Post and his navigator, Harold Gatty, left Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York in the Winnie Mae with a flight plan that would take them around the world, stopping at Harbour Grace, Flintshire, Hanover twice, Berlin, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Nome where his propeller had to be repaired, Fairbanks where the propeller was replaced, Edmonton, and Cleveland before returning to Roosevelt Field. They arrived back on July 1, after traveling 15,474 miles (24,903 km) in the record time of 8 days and 15 hours and 51 minutes. The reception they received rivaled Charles Lindbergh's everywhere they went. They had lunch at the White House on July 6, rode in a ticker-tape parade the next day in New York City, and were honored at a banquet given by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America at the Hotel Astor. After the flight, Post acquired the Winnie Mae from F.C. Hall, and he and Gatty published an account of their journey titled, Around the World in Eight Days, with an introduction by Will Rogers'.
    - At FamousDaily: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1937, Hal Kemp and his orchestra recorded 'Got a Date with an Angel'.
    From Wikipedia: 'James Hal Kemp (March 27, 1904 – December 21, 1940) was a jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He was born in Marion, Alabama, and died in Madera, California, following an auto accident. His major recordings were "Got A Date With An Angel", "Heart Of Stone", "Lamplight", "The Music Goes 'Round And Around", "You're The Top", "Bolero", "Gloomy Sunday", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and many others'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    On YoutTube: More
  • In 1963, The Beach Boys released the single 'Surfer Girl'.
    From Wikipedia: '"Surfer Girl" is a song written, produced and sung by Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name, Surfer Girl. The B-side of the single was "Little Deuce Coupe". The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Brian Wilson officially credited as the producer.

    Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is his very first composition. The lyrics were inspired by Judy Bowles, Wilson's first serious girlfriend who he had dated for three and a half years. He explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'."

    The song was based on a Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish upon a Star", which has the same AABA form. As a solo artist, Wilson later covered it for the tribute album In the Key of Disney (2011)'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1972, The Russian Venera 8 makes soft landing on Venus.
    From Wikipedia: 'Venera 8 ' was a probe in the Soviet Venera program for the exploration of Venus.

    Venera 8 was a Venus atmospheric probe and lander. Its instrumentation included temperature, pressure, and light sensors as well as an altimeter, gamma ray spectrometer, gas analyzer, and radio transmitters. The spacecraft took 117 days to reach Venus with one mid-course correction on 6 April 1972, separating from the bus (which contained a cosmic ray detector, solar wind detector, and ultraviolet spectrometer) and entering the atmosphere on 22 July 1972 at 08:37 UT. A refrigeration system attached to the bus was used to pre-chill the descent capsule's interior prior to atmospheric entry in order to prolong its life on the surface. Descent speed was reduced from 41,696 km/h to about 900 km/h by aerobraking. The 2.5 meter diameter parachute opened at an altitude of 60 km'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1983, Dick Smith makes 1st solo helicopter flight around the world.
    From Wikipedia: 'Richard Harold "Dick" Smith, AC (born 18 March 1944) is an Australian entrepreneur, businessman, aviator, and political activist. He is the founder of Dick Smith Electronics, Dick Smith Foods and Australian Geographic, and was selected as the 1986 Australian of the Year. In 2010 he founded the media production company Smith and Nasht with the intention of producing films about global issues. In 2015 he was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, and is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

    At the age of 34 he purchased his first helicopter, a Bell Jetranger II, and, on 23 February 1979 obtained his licence to fly it. In January 1980, with Rick Howell co-piloting the Jetranger, he made a record-setting flight from Sydney to Lord Howe Island and return, 1,185 km.:163 The helicopter opened new opportunities for exploring places otherwise inaccessible.

    In 1982–83 Smith successfully completed the first solo helicopter flight around the world. His flight began in Fort Worth, Texas, on 5 August 1982, in a newly purchased Bell Jetranger 206B. On 19 August, the 50th anniversary of James Mollison's solo crossing of the Atlantic, he arrived at Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom where he met Prince Charles. From there he flew to London, where, later that day, the first stage of his flight ended, after 11,752 km. The second stage of his flight started in London on 13 September, and finished in Sydney, Australia, 3 October 1982, 23,092 km later. On 25 May 1983 the final stage of the flight started. Not being granted permission to land in USSR, he arranged to land on a ship to refuel. His journey ended on 22 July 1983, the 50th anniversary of Wiley Post's solo aeroplane flight around the world on 22 July 1933'.
    - At Powerhouse Museum: 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 Penuche Fudge Day'. Made from brown sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and nuts (optional). Also known as Brown Sugar Fudge.
[The Hankster says] Fudge by any other name would taste as sweet (apologies to Willie S.).


Tomorrow is 'Rat Catcher's Day'. The day the Pied Piper led the children out of Hamelin. This celebrates the July 22, 1376 as given in Robert Browning's poem. We also celebrated this back on June 26 which is the date the Brothers Grimm cited (July 26 1284) and the date celebrated in the English town of Hamelin.

We kinda been here before. Tomorrow is' Pi Approximation Day / Casual Pi Day'. In the day/month format, this is 22/7. The fraction 22 sevenths is an approximation of Pi. The other Pi Day for the decimal value 3.14 (month/day) is on March 14 or 3.14 or 3/14. There is also a Tau Day, for those who prefer using the radius instead of the diameter to calculate the circumference of a circle. Tau is celebrated on 6.28 or 6/28 or June 28. That makes tau 2 times the measure of Pi and is supposed to be easier to use.
[The Hankster says] Since Pi and Pie are homophones (impressed aren't you), I'll celebrate the latter , by starting in the middle of a pie and eating one radi to the edge and then around the circumference.

My kinda day tomorrow It will be 'National Hammock Day'.
[The Hankster says] July has some of my favorite days, like ice cream and now hammocks. I purchased a hammock a while back. I stretched it out in the backyard and planted a tree at each end. Still waiting. Summer may be over before I can use it.

Tomorrow we celebrate a man who spent his life talking in front of others, and maybe shouldn't have done so. Tomorrow is 'Spooner's (Spoonerism) Day'. Birthday of Reverend William Archibald Spooner. His slips of the tongue became known as Spoonerisms. Ex. Instead of 'cozy little nook' he said 'nosey little cook'.
[The Hankster says] Others, not necessarily his: tips of the slun (slips of the tongue), Tease my ears (Ease my tears), A lack of pies (A pack of lies) , It's roaring with pain (It's pouring with rain) , you get the idea.


We have a couple of health related awareness days tomorrow.
- 'Fragile X Awareness Day'. An inherited intellectual disability.

- 'World Brain Day'. The 2015 emphasis is on Epilepsy.

Historical events in the past on: July 22

In 1894, The first ever motorized racing event is held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen.

In 1933, Wiley Post becomes the first person to fly solo around the world traveling 15,596 miles (25,099 km) in 7 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes. He had already made a around the world flight, but at that time he had a second person with him, a navigator.

In 1937, Hal Kemp and his orchestra recorded 'Got a Date with an Angel'.

In 1963, The Beach Boys released the single 'Surfer Girl'.

In 1972, The Russian Venera 8 makes a soft landing on Venus. It returns data for about 50 minutes after landing and on the way down.

In 1983, Dick Smith makes the first solo helicopter flight around the world.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today (last updated July 18 next July 31 2015

No. 1 song

  • Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds: More
    'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' has been displaced by 'Mr. Tambourine Man', which will hold the no. 1 spot until July 31 1965, when '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones', takes over.

Top movie

  • The Sound of Music More
    Having displaced 'Cat Ballou', it will be there until the weekend box office of Aug. 1 1965 when, 'Ship of Fools', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): July 22
   V.
This month July 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - July 1 2015)

Monthly holiday / awareness days in

Food
Eggplant Month
Garlic Month
Lettuce Month
Melon Month
National Baked Bean Month
National Blueberries Month
National Bison Month
National Culinary Arts Month
National Grilling Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
National Horseradish Month
National Hot Dog Month
National July Belongs to Blueberries
Nectarine Month
Sandwich Generation Month
Wheat Month

Health and Well-being
Alopecia Month for WomebnHealth and Well-Being
Bereaved Parents Awareness Month
Eye Injury Prevention Month Link
Fragile X Awareness Month
Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness Month
Herbal / Prescription Interaction Awareness Month
International Group B Strep Awareness Month
International Women with Alopecia Month
Juvenille Arthritis Awareness Month
National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month
National Cord Blood Awareness Month
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
National Outdoor Month
National Picnic Month
National Recreation and Parks Month
National Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month
Social Wellness Month
Worldwide Bereaved Parents Month

Animal and Pets
Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
National 'Doghouse Repairs Month

Other
Air-Conditioning Appreciation
Anti Boredom Month
Bioterrorism/Disaster Education and Awareness Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Dog Days
Family Golf Month
Family Reunion Month
Fireworks Safety Month
Independent Retailer Month
International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month
International Zine Month
National Black Family Month
National Child-Centered Divorce Month
National Make A Difference to Children Month
National Parks and Recreation Month
National Vacation Rental Month
National Wheelchair Beautification Month
Smart Irrigation Month
Tennis Month
Tour de France Month
UV Safety Month
Women's Motorcycle Month


July is:

July origin (from Wikipedia): Named by the Roman Senate in honor of Julius Caesar.
"is the seventh month of the year (between June and August) in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth. Prior to that, it was called Quintilis. It is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer) and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter). The second half of the year commences in July. In the Southern hemisphere, July is the seasonal equivalent of January in the Northern hemisphere."

July 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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