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Today is March 15 2016

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   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday
  • National Pears Helene Day: More
    From Wikipedia: 'Poire belle Hélène (German: Birne Helene) is a dessert made from pears poached in sugar syrup and served with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and crystallized violets. It was created around 1864 by Auguste Escoffier and named after the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. Simpler versions replace poached pears with canned pears and crystallized violets with sliced almonds'.
Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Everything You Think is Wrong Day: More
    Don't bother making any decisions on this day. They will all be wrong.
  • Ides of March: More
    From Wikipedia: 'The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martiae, Late Latin: Idus Martii) is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The death of Caesar made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history, as one of the events that marked the transition from the historical period known as the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.

    Although March (Martius) was the third month of the Julian calendar, in the oldest Roman calendar it was the first month of the year. The holidays observed by the Romans from the first through the Ides often reflect their origin as new year celebrations'.
  • Brutus Day: More
    On the Ides of March. Sort of a don't trust anyone day.
  • Buzzards Day: More
    When the Buzzards fly back to Hinckley, Ohio, which is taken as a sign of spring.
    From Wikipedia: 'Hinckley Township is one of the seventeen townships of Medina County, Ohio, United States, located in the northeast corner of the county. The 2010 census found 7,646 people in the township.'

    'The township became known across Ohio and the United States as the home of the buzzards. On March 15 of every year, buzzards arrive in large flocks at the town, as if on a very exact biological clock. The town began celebrating the arrival of the birds in 1957, and today as many as 50,000 visitors visit the Hinckley Reservation in the town annually on "Buzzard Day" to witness the return of the avian residents. The event is used to mark the beginning of spring for Hinckley and the surrounding towns'.
    Hinckley Township: More
  • Dumbstruck Day: More
    On this day it is OK to be amazed and show it.
  • National Ag Day: More
    This year on March 15. By The Agriculture Council of America (ACA)
  • World Contact Day: More
    Since 1953 by International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB). A day to get together and send a telepathic message into space.
Awareness / Observance Days on: March 15
  • Animal and Pets
    • International Day of Action for the Seals: More
      Anti Canadian seal hunting observance.
  • Other
    • National Shoe the World Day: More
      Since 2014 by the United Indigenous People in Fontana, California. A focus on the needs of children around the world, without such a basic thing as shoes.
    • World Consumer Rights Day: More
      Since 1983. Focus on basic consumer rights.
Events in the past on: March 15
  • In 1820, Maine is accepted into the U.S. as the 23rd state.
    From Wikipedia: 'Maine is a state in New England, in the United States. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 42nd most populous of the 50 U.S. states. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the east and north, respectively. Maine is the northernmost state in the contiguous United States east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways; and also its seafood cuisine, especially clams and lobster. In spite of its maritime position, it has a continental climate even in coastal areas such as its largest city, Portland. The state capital is Augusta with a population of 19,136 (2010), making it the third least-populous state capital (after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota) in the nation'.

    'As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise'.
    - At FamousDaily.com: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1892, The first escalator was patented by inventor Jesse W Reno.
    From Wikipedia: 'An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.

    'On March 15, 1892, Jesse W. Reno patented the "Endless Conveyor or Elevator." A few months after Reno's patent was approved, George A. Wheeler patented his ideas for a more recognizable moving staircase, though it was never built. Wheeler’s patents were bought by Charles Seeberger; some features of Wheeler’s designs were incorporated in Seeberger’s prototype built by the Otis Elevator Company in 1899'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1945, At the 17th Academy Awards:
    From Wikipedia: More
    Best Motion Picture is, Going My Way
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Actor is Bing Crosby for 'Going My Way'
    Best Actress is Ingrid Bergman for 'Gaslight'
    -- At Wikipedia: More
    -- At Internet Movie Database IMDb: More
    -- On YouTube: More
    Best Supporting Actor is Barry Fitzgerald for 'Going My Way'
    Best Supporting Actress is Ethel Barrymore for 'None But the Lonely Heart'
    Best Song is Swinging on a Star from 'Going My Way'
    -- at Wikipedia: More
    -- On YouTube: More
  • In 1959, Frankie Avalon's 'Venus' hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
    From Wikipedia: '"Venus" is a song written by Ed Marshall and Peter DeAngelis. The most successful and best-known recording of the track was done by Frankie Avalon and released in 1959 (see 1959 in music).'

    'Venus became Avalon's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it spent five weeks atop the survey. The song also reached number ten on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics detail a man's plea to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, to send him a girl to love and one who will love him as well. Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1959'.
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1966, At the 8th Grammy Awards,
    -- Record of the Year is 'A Taste of Honey' performed by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.
      - A Taste of Honey on YouTube: More
    -- Album of the Year is 'September of My Years' by Frank Sinatra.
    -- Song of the Year is 'The Shadow of Your Smile' performed by Tony Bennett.
      - The Shadow of Your Smile on YouTube: More
    -- Best New Artist is Tom Jones.
    -- Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male is Roger Miller for 'King of the Road'.
    -- Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female is Jody Miller for 'Queen of the House''.
    -- Best Folk Recording is 'An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba
    - At Wikipedia: More
  • In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' film premieres.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Godfather is a 1972 American crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy from a screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola. Starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of the fictional Corleone New York crime family, the story spans the years 1945–55, concentrating on the transformation of Michael Corleone from reluctant family outsider to ruthless Mafia boss while chronicling the family under the patriarch Vito'.
    - At FamousDaily.com: More
    - At Wikipedia: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1977, The first episode of "Eight is Enough" was aired on ABC-TV.
    From Wikipedia: 'Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title'.
    - At Wikipedia; More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1984, At the 10th People's Choice Awards:
    -- Motion Picture is 'Return of the Jedi'.
    -- Motion Picture Actor is Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds.
    -- Motion Picture Actress is Meryl Streep.
    -- Theme/Song from a Motion Picture is 'Flashdance'.
    -- All-Around Male Entertainer is Michael Jackson.
    -- All-Around Female Entertainer is Barbara Mandrell, Barbra Streisand.
    -- Overall New TV Program is 'A-Team'.
    -- Male TV Performer is Tom Selleck.
    -- Female TV Performer is Linda Evans.
    -- TV Comedy Program is 'Three's Company'.
    -- TV Dramatic Program is 'Hill Street Blues', 'Dynasty'.
    -- New TV Comedy Program is 'Webster'.
    -- New TV Dramatic Program is 'Hotel'.
    -- Male Performer in a New TV Program is Mr. T
    -- Female Performer in a New TV Program is Madeline Kahn.
    -- Country Music Performer is Kenny Rogers.
    - At PeoplesChoice.com: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow's food holiday is 'National Pears Helene Day'. From Wikipedia: 'Poire belle Hélène (German: Birne Helene) is a dessert made from pears poached in sugar syrup and served with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and crystallized violets. It was created around 1864 by Auguste Escoffier and named after the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. Simpler versions replace poached pears with canned pears and crystallized violets with sliced almonds'.
[The Hankster says] Sugared fruit, ice cream and flowers, hmm, not exactly from the basic food groups. OK, that is only true, now that I am an adult. As a kid it was right on, well, I'm still not sure about the flowers, thing.


Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:

- 'National Everything You Think is Wrong Day'. Don't bother making any decisions on this day. They will all be wrong.
[The Hankster says] As for me, I still haven't recovered from that lost hour due to DST.

- 'Ides of March'. From Wikipedia: 'The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martiae, Late Latin: Idus Martii) is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The death of Caesar made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history, as one of the events that marked the transition from the historical period known as the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.

Although March (Martius) was the third month of the Julian calendar, in the oldest Roman calendar it was the first month of the year. The holidays observed by the Romans from the first through the Ides often reflect their origin as new year celebrations'.
[The Hankster says] Well, I guess Julius had more than a lost hour to worry about.

- 'Brutus Day'. On the Ides of March. Sort of a don't trust anyone day.
[The Hankster says] I've always been wary of men waring togas.

- 'Buzzards Day'. When the Buzzards fly back to Hinckley, Ohio, which is taken as a sign of spring. From Wikipedia: 'Hinckley Township is one of the seventeen townships of Medina County, Ohio, United States, located in the northeast corner of the county. The 2010 census found 7,646 people in the township.'

'The township became known across Ohio and the United States as the home of the buzzards. On March 15 of every year, buzzards arrive in large flocks at the town, as if on a very exact biological clock. The town began celebrating the arrival of the birds in 1957, and today as many as 50,000 visitors visit the Hinckley Reservation in the town annually on "Buzzard Day" to witness the return of the avian residents. The event is used to mark the beginning of spring for Hinckley and the surrounding towns'.
[The Hankster says] You can find good in just about anything, now, can't you. I don't mind spotting the Buzzards, it's the reverse I'm cautious about.

- 'Dumbstruck Day'. On this day it is OK to be amazed and show it.
[The Hankster says] This might be a play on Caesar's date with destiny.

- 'National Ag Day'. this year on March 15. By The Agriculture Council of America (ACA)

- 'World Contact Day'. Since 1953 by International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB). A day to get together and send a telepathic message into space.
[The Hankster says] If E.T. can hear me, please remit $217,000 for that long distance call home. This, 'The check is in the mail, and only light years away.' thing, just won't satisfied the phone company any longer.


Awareness / Observance Days on: March 15
o Animal and Pets
- 'International Day of Action for the Seals'. Anti Canadian seal hunting observance.

o Other
- 'National Shoe the World Day'. Since 2014 by the United Indigenous People in Fontana, California. A focus on the needs of children around the world, without such a basic thing as shoes.
- 'World Consumer Rights Day'. Since 1983. Focus on basic consumer rights.


Historical events in the past on: March 15

- In 1820, Maine is accepted into the U.S. as the 23rd state. From Wikipedia: 'Maine is a state in New England, in the United States. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 42nd most populous of the 50 U.S. states. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the east and north, respectively. Maine is the northernmost state in the contiguous United States east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways; and also its seafood cuisine, especially clams and lobster. In spite of its maritime position, it has a continental climate even in coastal areas such as its largest city, Portland. The state capital is Augusta with a population of 19,136 (2010), making it the third least-populous state capital (after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota) in the nation'.

'As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise'.

- In 1892, The first escalator was patented by inventor Jesse W Reno. From Wikipedia: 'An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.

'On March 15, 1892, Jesse W. Reno patented the "Endless Conveyor or Elevator." A few months after Reno's patent was approved, George A. Wheeler patented his ideas for a more recognizable moving staircase, though it was never built. Wheeler’s patents were bought by Charles Seeberger; some features of Wheeler’s designs were incorporated in Seeberger’s prototype built by the Otis Elevator Company in 1899'.

- In 1945, At the 17th Academy Awards: From Wikipedia'.
-/* *- Best Motion Picture is Going My Way
-- Best Actor is Bing Crosby for 'Going My Way'
-- Best Actress is Ingrid Bergman for 'Gaslight'
-- Best Supporting Actor is Barry Fitzgerald for 'Going My Way'
-- Best Supporting Actress is Ethel Barrymore for 'None But the Lonely Heart'
-- Best Song is Swinging on a Star from 'Going My Way' - In 1959, Frankie Avalon's 'Venus' hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. From Wikipedia: '"Venus" is a song written by Ed Marshall and Peter DeAngelis. The most successful and best-known recording of the track was done by Frankie Avalon and released in 1959 (see 1959 in music).'

'Venus became Avalon's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it spent five weeks atop the survey. The song also reached number ten on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics detail a man's plea to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, to send him a girl to love and one who will love him as well. Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1959'.

- In 1966, At the 8th Grammy Awards,
-- Record of the Year is 'A Taste of Honey' performed by Herb Alpert &the Tijuana Brass.
-- Album of the Year is 'September of My Years' by Frank Sinatra.
-- Song of the Year is 'The Shadow of Your Smile' performed by Tony Bennett.
-- Best New Artist is Tom Jones.
-- Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Male is Roger Miller for 'King of the Road'.
-- Best Country &Western Vocal Performance - Female is Jody Miller for 'Queen of the House''.
-- Best Folk Recording is 'An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba - In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' film premieres. From Wikipedia: 'The Godfather is a 1972 American crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy from a screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola. Starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of the fictional Corleone New York crime family, the story spans the years 1945–55, concentrating on the transformation of Michael Corleone from reluctant family outsider to ruthless Mafia boss while chronicling the family under the patriarch Vito'.

- In 1977, The first episode of "Eight is Enough" was aired on ABC-TV. From Wikipedia: 'Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title'.

- In 1984, At the 10th People's Choice Awards:
-- Motion Picture is 'Return of the Jedi'.
-- Motion Picture Actor is Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds.
-- Motion Picture Actress is Meryl Streep.
-- Theme/Song from a Motion Picture is 'Flashdance'.
-- All-Around Male Entertainer is Michael Jackson.
-- All-Around Female Entertainer is Barbara Mandrell, Barbra Streisand.
-- Overall New TV Program is 'A-Team'.
-- Male TV Performer is Tom Selleck.
-- Female TV Performer is Linda Evans.
-- TV Comedy Program is 'Three's Company'.
-- TV Dramatic Program is 'Hill Street Blues', 'Dynasty'.
-- New TV Comedy Program is 'Webster'.
-- New TV Dramatic Program is 'Hotel'.
-- Male Performer in a New TV Program is Mr. T
-- Female Performer in a New TV Program is Madeline Kahn.
-- Country Music Performer is Kenny Rogers.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today (last updated Mar 13 2016 next Mar 20 2016

No. 1 song

  • Ballad of the Green Beretsr - SSgt. Barry Sadle'
    On YouTube: More
    At Wikipedia: More
    'These Boots Are Made for Walkin' has been displaced by 'Ballad of the Green Beretsr', which will hold the no. 1 spot until Apr 2 1966, when '19th Nervous Breakdown - The Rolling Stones', takes over.
    From Wikipedia: '"The Ballad of the Green Berets" is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the Green Berets, an elite special force in the U.S. Army. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light and in 1966 it became a major hit, reaching No. 1 for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and four weeks on Cashbox. It was also a crossover smash, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart and No. 2 on Billboard's Country survey'.

Top movie

  • Johnny Reno
    At Wikipedia:  More
    On IMDb: More
    On YouTube (trailer): More
    Having displaced 'The Group', it will be there until the weekend box office of Mar 20 1966 when, 'Doctor Zhivago (again)', takes over.
    From Wikipedia:' 'Johnny Reno is a 1966 American western film made by A.C. Lyles Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It starred Dana Andrews and Jane Russell. It was directed by R.G. Springsteen, produced by A.C. Lyles, with a screenplay by Andrew Craddock, Steve Fisher and A.C. Lyles'.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): March 15
   V.
This month March 2016 (updated once a month - last updated - March 1 2016)

Monthly holiday / awareness days in March

Food
National Frozen Food Month
National Noodle Month
National Nutrition Month
National Peanut Month

Health
Alport Syndrome Awareness Month
American Red Cross Month
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Colic Awareness Month
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Month
Endometriosis Month
Malignant Hypertension Awareness and Training Month
National Caffeine Awareness Month
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Essential Tremor Awareness Month
National Eye Donor Month
National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month
National Kidney Month
Poison Prevention Awareness Month
Save Your Vision Month
Vascular Abnormalities Awareness Month
Workplace Eye Wellness Month

Animal / Pet
Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month

Other
Credit Education Month
Employee Spirit Month
Expanding Girls' Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
Honor Society Awareness Month
Humorists Are Artists Month
International Expect Success Month
International Ideas Month
International Mirth Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
Mad for Plaid Month
Music In Our Schools Month
National Cheerleading Safety Month
National Craft Month
National Ethics Awareness Month
National Kite Month (3/28-5/3)
National March Into Literacy Month
National Social Work Month
National Umbrella Month
National Women's History Month
Optimism Month
Play The Recorder Month
Women's History Month
Youth Art Month


March is:

March origin (from Wikipedia):
'The name of March comes from Latin Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named for Mars, the Roman god of war who was also regarded as a guardian of agriculture and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. '

March 'is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of seven months that are 31 days long. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20th or 21st marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March. '

March at Wikipedia: More

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1966 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2016)

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 2016)

Best selling books of 1966 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

  • 2016 Postal Holidays More
  • 2016 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
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