Stupid Toy Day: More Celebrate the simple fad toys (stupid) of past
and present.
Awareness / Observance Days on: December 16
Events in the past on: December 16
In 1497, Vasco da Gama travels around the Cape of Good Hope.
He discovered the sea route to India that many, including Columbus
sought, by going in the opposite direction. From Wikipedia:
'Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (Portuguese pronunciation: ; c. 1460s
– 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach
India by sea. His initial voyage to India (1497–1499) was the first to link
Europe and Asia by an ocean route, connecting the Atlantic and the Indian
oceans and, in this way, the West and the Orient.
Da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India was significant and opened the
way for an age of global imperialism and for the Portuguese to establish a
long-lasting colonial empire in Asia. Traveling the ocean route allowed the
Portuguese to avoid sailing across the highly disputed Mediterranean and
traversing the dangerous Arabian Peninsula. The sum of the distances covered
in the outward and return voyages made this expedition the longest ocean
voyage ever made until then, far longer than a full voyage around the world by
way of the Equator.
After decades of sailors trying to reach the Indies, with thousands of lives
and dozens of vessels lost in shipwrecks and attacks, da Gama landed in
Calicut on 20 May 1498. Unopposed access to the Indian spice routes boosted
the economy of the Portuguese Empire, which was previously based along
northern and coastal West Africa. The spices obtained from Southeast Asia were
primarily pepper and cinnamon at first, but soon included other products, all
new to Europe. Portugal maintained a commercial monopoly of these commodities
for several decades. It would be a century later before other European powers
such as the Netherlands and England, followed by France and Denmark, were able
to challenge Portugal's monopoly and naval supremacy in the Cape Route.
Da Gama led two of the Portuguese armadas destined for India, the first and
the fourth. The latter was the largest and departed for India four years after
his return from the first one. For his contributions, Da Gama was appointed
the Governor of India in 1524, under the title of Viceroy, and given the newly
created County of Vidigueira in 1519. Vasco da Gama remains a leading figure
in the history of exploration. Numerous homages have been made worldwide to
celebrate his explorations and accomplishments. The Portuguese national epic,
Os Lusíadas, was written in his honour. His first trip to India is widely
considered a milestone in world history, as it marked the beginning of a
sea-based phase of global multiculturalism.
In March 2016, researchers announced that thousands of artifacts and vessel
remains had been recovered from the ship Esmeralda, one of Da Gama's armada,
found off the coast of Oman'.
- At FamousDaily: More - At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1707, Mount Fuji's last recorded volcanic eruption occurs
in Japan. From Wikipedia:
'Mount Fuji, located on Honshu Island, is the highest mountain in Japan at
3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08,
Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, and can be
seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone,
which is snow-capped several months a year, is a well-known symbol of Japan
and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by
sightseers and climbers.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" along
with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. It is also a Special Place of Scenic Beauty
and one of Japan's Historic Sites. It was added to the World Heritage List as
a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. Per UNESCO, Mount Fuji has "inspired artists
and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries". UNESCO recognizes
25 sites of cultural interest within the Mt. Fuji locality. These 25 locations
include the mountain itself, Fujisan.
In Shinto mythology, Kuninotokotachi,
Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto, in Nihon Shoki) is one of the two
gods born from "something like a reed that arose from the soil" when the earth
was chaotic. In the Nihon Shoki, he is the first of the first three divinities
born after heaven and earth were born out of chaos, and is born from something
looking like a reed-shoot growing between heaven and earth. He is known by
mythology to reside on top of Mount Fuji.
Kuninotokotachi is described as a hitorigami and genderless in Kojiki, while
as a male god in Nihon Shoki.
Yoshida Kanetomo, the founder of the Yoshida Shinto sect, identified
Kuninotokotachi with Amenominakanushi and regarded him as the primordial god
of the Universe.
The volcano is currently classified as active with a low risk of eruption. The
last recorded eruption was the Hoei eruption which started on December 16,
1707 (Hoei 4, 23rd day of the 11th month), and ended about January 1, 1708
(Hoei 4, 9th day of the 12th month), during the Edo period. The eruption
formed a new crater and a second peak, named Mount Hoei (after the Hoei era),
halfway down its southeastern side. Fuji spewed cinders and ash which fell
like rain in Izu, Kai, Sagami, and Musashi. Since then, there have been no
signs of an eruption. In the evening of March 15, 2011, there was a magnitude
6.2 earthquake at shallow depth a few kilometres from Mount Fuji on its
southern side. But according to the Japanese Meteorological Service there was
no sign of any eruption'.
- At FamousDaily: More - At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1773, At what became known as 'The Boston Tea Party',
disguised members of the Sons of Liberty dump crates of tea into
Boston harbor to protest the Tea Act, that favored the
East India Company if the new import rates were accepted and the British
Government's right to tax tea if the Colonies got there tea elsewhere. From Wikipedia:
'The Boston Tea Party (initially referred to by John Adams as "the Destruction
of the Tea in Boston") was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in
Boston, on December 16, 1773. The demonstrators, some disguised as Native
Americans, in defiance of the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, destroyed an entire
shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. They boarded the ships and
threw the chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The British government responded
harshly and the episode escalated into the American Revolution. The Tea Party
became an iconic event of American history, and other political protests such
as the Tea Party movement after 2010 explicitly refer to it.
The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British
America against the Tea Act, which had been passed by the British Parliament
in 1773. Colonists objected to the Tea Act because they believed that it
violated their rights as Englishmen to "No taxation without representation,"
that is, be taxed only by their own elected representatives and not by a
British parliament in which they were not represented. Protesters had
successfully prevented the unloading of taxed tea in three other colonies, but
in Boston, embattled Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea
to be returned to Britain.
The Boston Tea Party was a significant event in the growth of the American
Revolution. Parliament responded in 1774 with the Coercive Acts, or
Intolerable Acts, which, among other provisions, ended local self-government
in Massachusetts and closed Boston's commerce. Colonists up and down the
Thirteen Colonies in turn responded to the Coercive Acts with additional acts
of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress, which petitioned
the British monarch for repeal of the acts and coordinated colonial resistance
to them. The crisis escalated, and the American Revolutionary War began near
Boston in 1775'.
- At FamousDaily: More - At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1811, The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes
occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. From Wikipedia:
'The 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake
series beginning with an initial earthquake of moment magnitude 7.5-7.9 on
December 16, 1811 followed by a moment magnitude 7.4 aftershock on the same
day. They remain the most powerful earthquakes to hit the contiguous United
States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history. They, as well as the
seismic zone of their occurrence, were named for the Mississippi River town of
New Madrid, then part of the Louisiana Territory, now within Missouri.
There are estimates that these stable continental region earthquakes were felt
strongly over roughly 130,000 square kilometers (50,000 sq mi), and moderately
across nearly 3 million square kilometers (1 million square miles). The 1906
San Francisco earthquake, by comparison, was felt moderately over roughly
16,000 km2 (6,200 sq mi)'.
- At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1826, Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled
Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the
Republic of Fredonia.
From Wikipedia:
'Although the nearby Cherokee tribe initially signed a treaty to
support the new republic, overtures from Mexican authorities and
respected Empresario Stephen F. Austin convinced tribal leaders to
repudiate the rebellion. On January 31, 1827, a force of over
100 Mexican soldiers and 250 militiamen from Austin's colony marched
into Nacogdoches to restore order.'.
'Fearing that through the rebellion the United States hoped to gain
control of Texas, the Mexican government severely curtailed
immigration to the region from the US. This new immigration law
was bitterly opposed by colonists and caused increasing dissatisfaction
with Mexican rule. Some historians consider the Fredonian Rebellion
to be the beginning of the Texas Revolution. In the words of one
historian, the rebellion was, premature, but it sparked the powder
for later success'.
- At Wikipedia: More
In 1907, The American Great White Fleet begins its
circumnavigation of the world. The ships were painted a stark white. The
fleet was intended to show U.S. sea power. From Wikipedia:
'The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy
battle fleet that completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907,
to February 22, 1909, by order of United States President Theodore Roosevelt.
It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various
escorts. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and
blue-water navy capability. Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas
holdings, the United States Congress appropriated funds to build American sea
power. Beginning with just 90 small ships, over one-third of them wooden, the
navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels. The hulls of
these ships were painted a stark white, giving the armada the nickname "Great
White Fleet"'.
- At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1971, Don McLean releases his over 8 minute long rendition
of 'American Pie,' which tops the charts. From Wikipedia:
'"American Pie" is a song by American folk rock singer and songwriter Don
McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single
was a number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972. In the UK, the single reached
No. 2 on its original 1972 release and a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The
song was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century.
The song was covered by Madonna in 2000 and reached No. 1 in several
countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Don McLean began writing the song in upstate Saratoga Springs at Caffe Lena,
according to local lore. He continued to write in Cold Spring, New York and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The song made its debut in Philadelphia at Saint
Joseph's University when he opened for Laura Nyro on March 14, 1971.
Except to acknowledge that he first learned about Buddy Holly's death on
February 3, 1959—McLean was aged 13—when he was folding newspapers for his
paper route on the morning of February 4, 1959 (the line "February made me
shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"), McLean has generally avoided responding
to direct questions about the song lyrics; he has said: "They're beyond
analysis. They're poetry." He also stated in an editorial published in 2009,
on the 50th anniversary of the crash that killed Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.
P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, that writing the first verse of the song
exorcised his long-running grief over Holly's death and that he considers the
song to be "a big song (…) that summed up the world known as America". McLean
dedicated the American Pie album to Holly.
It was also speculated that the song contains numerous references to post
World War II American events (such as the murders of civil rights workers
Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner), and elements of culture, including 1960s
culture (e.g. sock hops, cruising, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Charles Manson, and
much more).
When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I
don't ever have to work again if I don't want to." Later, he stated, "You will
find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me ... Sorry to
leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters
should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence." He
also commented on the popularity of his music, "I didn't write songs that were
just catchy, but with a point of view, or songs about the environment."
In February 2015, McLean announced he would reveal the meaning of the lyrics
to the song when the original manuscript went for auction in New York City, in
April 2015. The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7, and sold for
$1.2m. In the sale catalogue notes McLean revealed the meaning in the song's
lyrics: "Basically in American Pie things are heading in the wrong direction.
... It is becoming less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong
or right but it is a morality song in a sense." The catalogue did confirm some
of the better known references in the song's lyrics, including mentions of
Elvis Presley (referred to in the lyrics as "the king") and Bob Dylan ("the
jester"), and confirms the song culminates with a near-verbatim description of
the death of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Free Concert, 10 years after the
plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and Richardson'.
- At FamousDaily: More - At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
In 1979, The movie, Love Story, is released. It was based on
the novel by Erich Segal. It starred Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw.is released.br />From Wikipedia:
'A tragedy, the film is considered one of the most romantic by the
American Film Institute (#9 on the list) and one of the highest
grossing films in U.S and Canada of all time. It was followed
by a sequel, Oliver's Story (1978), starring O'Neal with Candice
Bergen.'.
- At Wikipedia: More - On YouTube: More
II.Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)
Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'Chocolate Covered Anything Day'.
[The Hankster says] Except insects.
'Stupid Toy Day'. Celebrate the simple fad toys (stupid) of past and present.
[The Hankster says] In the good old days, we rejoiced in those unusual one of a kind toys that we were certain we had to have. We were certain, since repeated TV commercials told us so. Today the same is true with electronic, have-to-haves.
Couldn't find any Awareness / Observance Days on: December 16
Historical events in the past on: December 16
In 1497, Vasco da Gama travels around the Cape of Good Hope. He discovered the sea route to India that many, including Columbus sought, by going in the opposite direction.
In 1707, Mount Fuji's last recorded volcanic eruption occurs in Japan.
In 1773, At what became known as 'The Boston Tea Party', disguised members of the Sons of Liberty dump crates of tea into Boston harbor to protest the Tea Act, that favored the East India Company if the new import rates were accepted and the British Government's right to tax tea if the Colonies got there tea elsewhere.
In 1811, The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. From Wikipedia: 'The 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake \ series beginning with an initial earthquake of moment magnitude (7.5 -7.9) on December 16, 1811 followed by a moment magnitude 7.4 aftershock on the same day. thquakes to hit the contiguous United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history. They, as well as the seismic zone of
their occurrence, were named for the Mississippi River town of New Madrid, then part of the Louisiana Territory, now within Missouri'.
In 1826, Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia. From Wikipedia: 'Although the nearby Cherokee tribe initially signed a treaty to support the new republic, overtures from Mexican authorities and respected Empresario Stephen F. Austin convinced tribal leaders to repudiate the rebellion. On January 31, 1827, a force of over 100 Mexican soldiers and 250 militiamen from Austin's colony marched into Nacogdoches to
restore order.'. 'Fearing that through the rebellion the United States hoped to gain control of Texas, the Mexican government severely curtailed immigration to the region from the US. This new immigration law was bitterly opposed by colonists and caused increasing dissatisfaction with Mexican rule. Some historians consider the Fredonian Rebellion to be the beginning of the Texas Revolution. In the words of one historian, the rebellion was, premature, but it sparked the powder for later success'.
In 1907, The American Great White Fleet begins its circumnavigation of the world. The ships were painted a stark white. The fleet was intended to show U.S. sea power.
In 1971, Don McLean releases his over 8 minute long rendition of 'American Pie,' which tops the charts.
In 1979, The movie, Love Story, is released. It was based on the novel by Erich Segal. It starred Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw.is From Wikipedia: 'A tragedy, the film is considered one of the most romantic by the American Film Institute (#9 on the list) and one of the highest grossing films in U.S and Canada of all time. It was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story (1978), starring O'Neal with Candice Bergen.'.
III.Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today
(last updated
Dec 12 2015 next
Dec 18 2015
No. 1 song
Let's Hang On! - Four Seasons: More 'Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)' has been displaced by 'Let's Hang On!', which will hold the no. 1 spot until December 18 1965, when 'Taste of Honey - Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass', takes over.
Top movie
A Patch of Blue More Having displaced 'That Darn Cat!', it will be there until the weekend box office of Dec 26 1965 when, 'Thunderball', takes over.
IV.Today in the Past (reference sites): December 16
V.This month December 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - December 1 2015)
Monthly holiday / awareness days in December
Food
Buckwheat Month
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
Health
Aids Awareness Month
Take a New Year's Resolution to Stop Smoking (TANYRSS) (12/17 - 2/7)
Other
Bingo's Birthday Month
National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
National Tie Month
National Write A Business Plan Month
Operation Santa Paws (1-19)
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Universal Human Rights Month
December is:
December origin (from Wikipedia): '
December gets its name from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the Roman calendar, which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.
'
'
December is the first month of meteorological winter in the Northern
Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, December is the seasonal equivalent
to June in the Northern hemisphere, which is the first month of summer. D
ecember is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the
Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the
Southern Hemisphere.
'
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)
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.