Tomorrow's food holiday is 'National Cherry Cheesecake Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese (typically cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, and sugar; if there is a bottom lay=er it often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake. It may be baked or unbaked (usually refrigerated). Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with fruit, whipped
cream, nuts, cookies, fruit sauce, and/or chocolate syrup. Cheesecake can be prepared in many flavors, such as strawberry, pumpkin, key lime, chocolate, Oreo, chestnut, or toffee.'
An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. The earliest extant cheesecake recipes are found in Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura, which includes recipes for two cakes for religious uses: libum and placenta. Of the two, placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a
crustthat is separately prepared and baked.
A more modern version is found in Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390. On this basis, chef Heston Blumenthal has argued that cheesecake is an English invention.
Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently.
Modern cheesecake comes in two different types. Along with the baked cheesecake, some cheesecakes are made with uncooked cream-cheese on a crumbled-biscuit base. This type of cheesecake was invented in America'.
[The Hankster says] With that long explanation, all that is need is to decide on the topping. Cherries, strawberries, or blueberries are my favorite. Don't tell the epicures out there, I even like the Jello Icebox version. And, of course, a gram cracker crust.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
- 'National Talk Like Shakespeare Day'. On the traditionally accepted day of Shakespeare's birth in 1564. Started in 2009 by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
From Wikipedia: 'William Shakespeare 26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616, was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every
major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.'
'Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.'
'William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford- upon-Avon and baptised there on 26 April 1564. His actual date of birth remains unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced back to an 18th-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing to biographers, since Shakespeare died on 23 April
1616. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son'.
[The Hankster says] I can't help but wonder, a what prestigious level the Hankster's posts, will be held. Alas we won't know for another 400 years. I may have to make that cheesecake last a long time. Maybe I should choose fruitcake. have already posted a link to a Shakespeare translator today.
- 'National Take a Chance Day'.
[The Hankster says] Take it or maybe loose it. Not too many opportunities seek you.
Awareness / Observance Days on: April 23
o Health
- 'Show Your Mettle Day'. Awareness and support day by the Amputee Coalition .
- 'National Immunization Awareness Week'. April 23-30 in Canada.
- 'Vaccination Week in the Americas'. By the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization.
o Animal and Pets
- 'National Lost Dog Awareness Day (NLDAD)'. By Susan Taney and Kathy Pobloskie – directors of Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs of Wisconsin,
o Other
- 'UN English Language Day'. One of the six working languages of the U.N.
From Wikipedia: 'UN English Language Day is observed annually on April 23. The event was established by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2010 to seeking "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization". April 23 was chosen as the date for the English language because it is the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth.'
'The official languages of the United Nations are the six languages that are used in UN meetings, and in which all official UN documents are written. In alphabetical order, they are:
Arabic (Literary Arabic)
Chinese (Standard Chinese, Simplified Chinese characters)
English (British spelling)
French
kRussian
Spanish
- 'World Book and Copyright Day'. UNESCO day to promote reading, publishing and copyright.
From Wikipedia: 'World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day (also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days) is a yearly event on April 23rd, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In the United Kingdom, the day is recognized on the first Thursday in March. World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on 23 April 1995'.
- 'World Book Night'. By the The Reading Agency. Celebrates books and reading. Free books are made available by volunteers.
- 'International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day'. Encourages writers to put more of their works for free on the Internet.
- 'Canada Book Day'. Celebrated on the same day as UNESCO's World Book and Copyright Day..
Historical events in the past on: April 23
- In 1635, The United States' first public school, a high school called Boston Latin School founded in Massachusetts, is also the current oldest school in the US.
From Wikipedia: 'The Boston Latin School is a public "magnet"/"exam school" in Boston, Massachusetts. Established on April 23, 1635, it is considered both the first public school and oldest existing public school in the United States, along with the oldest public high school in America (which it shares with the later The English High School of Boston of 1821, followed by the Central High School in Philadelphia, 1838, and Baltimore City College, 1839 ) The Public Latin School was a bastion for educating
thesons of the Boston "Brahmin" elite, resulting in the School claiming many prominent Bostonians, Massachusetts citizens and New Englanders as alumni. Its curriculum follows that of the 18th century Latin-school movement, which holds the "classics" to be the basis of an educated mind. Four years of Latin are mandatory for all pupils who enter the School in the 7th grade, three years for those who enter in the 9th. In 2007, the School was named one of the top twenty high schools in the United States by
U.S. News and World Report magazine.
- In 1896, The Vitascope system for projecting movies onto a screen was demonstrated in New York City.
From Wikipedia: 'Vitascope was an early film projector first demonstrated in 1895 by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. They had made modifications to Jenkins patented Phantoscope, which cast images via film and electric light onto a wall or screen. The Vitascope is a large electrically-powered projector that uses light to cast images. The images being cast are originally taken by akinetoscope mechanism onto gelatin film. Using an intermittent mechanism, the film negatives were produced up to
fifty frames per second. The shutter opens and closes to reveal new images, this device can produce up to 3,000 negatives per minute. With the original Phantoscope and before he partnered with Armat, Jenkins displayed the earliest documented projection of a filmed motion picture in June 1894 in Richmond, Indiana.
'The Vitascope's first theatrical exhibition was on April 23, 1896, at Koster and Bial's Music Hall in New York City. Other competitors soon displayed their own projection systems in American theaters, including the re-engineered Eidoloscope, which copied Vitascope innovations; the Lumière Cinématographe, which had already debuted in Europe in 1895; Birt Acres' Kineopticon; and the Biograph which was marketed by the American Mutoscope Company. The premiere of the Vitascope was a quick response to
threat of
losing an incredible amount of money to the Lumiere Cinematographe which vaudeville managers were about to invest in. Even though the Lumiere Cinematographe existed since 1895, it had not gained popularity in the US yet, as it had already in the UK. People were going crazy for the Lumiere Cinematographe especially in London. Raff and Gammon recognized that they would get more money and positive exposure by releasing their technology ahead of the Lumiere Cinematographe in the United States. After
the Vitascope made its infamous debut in Manhattan, the device was distributed across the nation including exhibitions in; Boston, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Portland, Scranton, New Haven, New Orleans, New London , Cleveland, Buffalo, San Francisco, Asbury Park, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and more'.
- In 1900, The first known occurrence of the word 'hillbillie' (NY Journal). The paper define a hillbille as: 'a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.'
From Wikipedia: 'Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in Appalachia and the Ozarks, Uwharrie Mountains and Caraway Mountains. Due to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term can be offensive to those Americans of Appalachian or Ozark heritage. "Hillbilly" first appeared in print in a 1900 New York Journal article, with the definition: "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives
in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him." The stereotype is two-fold in that it incorporates both positive and negative traits: “Hillbillies” are often considered independent and self-reliant individuals who resist the modernization of society, but at the same time they are also defined as backward and violent. Scholars argue this duality is reflective of the split ethnic identities
in “whiteAmerica"'.
- In 1908 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt signed an act creating the U.S. Army Reserve.
From Wikipedia: 'On 23 April 1908 Congress created the Medical Reserve Corps, the official predecessor of the Army Reserve. After the First World War, under the National Defense Act on 4 June 1920, Congress reorganized the U.S. land forces by authorizing a Regular Army, a National Guard, and an Organized Reserve (Officers Reserve Corps and Enlisted Reserve Corps) of unrestricted size, which later became the Army Reserve. This organization provided a peacetime pool of trained Reserve officers and enlisted
men for use in war. The ORC included the Officers’ Reserve Corps, Enlisted Reserve Corps and Reserve Officers' Training Corps. The Organized Reserves were redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps. Recognizing the importance of the Organized Reserve to the World War II effort, Congress authorized retirement and drill pay for the first time in 1948'.
- In 1962, Ranger 4, the first US rocket to reach the Moon, was launched from Cape Canaveral.
From Wikipedia: 'Ranger 4 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface to Earth stations during a period of 10 minutes of flight prior to crashing upon the Moon, to rough-land a seismometer capsule on the Moon, to collect gamma-ray data in flight, to study radar reflectivity of the lunar surface, and to continue testing of the Ranger program for development of lunar and interplanetary spacecraft. An onboard computer failure caused failure of the deployment of
the solar panels and navigation systems as a result the spacecraft crashed on the far side of the Moon without returning any scientific data. It was the first U.S. spacecraft to reach another celestial body'.
- In 1967, Soyuz 1 launched. Vladimir Komarov becomes the first (in-flight) space flight casualty, when his descent module parachute does not open.
From Wikipedia: 'Soyuz 1, Union 1, was a manned spaceflight of the Soviet space program. Launched into orbit on 23 April 1967 carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, Soyuz 1 was the first crewed flight of the Soyuz spacecraft. The mission plan was complex, involving a rendezvous with Soyuz 2 and an exchange of crew members before returning to Earth. However, the launch of Soyuz 2 was called off due to thunderstorms.
The flight was plagued with technical issues, and Komarov was killed when the descent module crashed into the ground due to a parachute failure. This was the first in-flight fatality in the history of spaceflight'.
- In 1963, Jan and Dean recorded 'Surf City'.
From Wikipedia: '"Surf City" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry about a fictitious surf spot where there are "two girls for every boy." It was first recorded and made popular by the American duo Jan and Dean in 1963, and their single became the first surf song to become a national number-one hit.
- In 1984, Scientists find AIDS virus.
From Wikipedia: 'Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).'
'April 23, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler announces at a press conference that an American scientist, Robert Gallo, has discovered the probable cause of AIDS: the retrovirus is subsequently named human immunodeficiency virus or HIV in 1986. She also declares that a vaccine will be available within two years'.
- In 1985, 'New Coke' is released by Coca-Cola - negative reviews led to the return of the original recipe 3 months later.
From Wikipedia: 'New Coke was the unofficial popular name for the reformulation of Coca-Cola introduced in the spring of 1985 by The Coca-Cola Company to replace the original formula of its flagship soft drink, Coca-Cola (also called Coke). New Coke originally had no separate name of its own, but was simply known as "the new taste of Coca-Cola" until 1992 when it was renamed Coca-Cola II.
Coca-Cola's market share had been steadily losing ground to diet soft drinks and non-cola beverages for many years; meanwhile the consumers who were purchasing regular colas seemed to prefer the sweeter taste of Pepsi, as Coca-Cola soon learned in conducting blind taste tests. However, the American public's reaction to the change was negative, even hostile, and the new cola was a major marketing failure. The subsequent reintroduction less than three months later of Coke's original formula, re-branded as
"Coca-Cola Classic", resulted in a significant gain in sales. This led to speculation that the introduction of the New Coke formula was just a marketing ploy; however, the company has always claimed it was actually an attempt to replace the original product'.
- In 1985, The 'We Are the World' album was released.
From Wikipedia: 'We Are the World is a 1985 album that contains USA for Africa's "We Are the World", a superstar charity recording for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. In addition to the title track, the album includes nine previously unreleased songs by donating artists, including Prince, Chicago, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (a rendition of Jimmy Cliff's obscure "Trapped" recorded live at Meadowlands Arena on their Born in the U.S.A. Tour, which achieved considerable album-oriented rock
radio airplay and topped the Mainstream Rock chart), Tina Turner and others. In addition, "Grace", by Quincy Jones, is not included in this album but appeared as the B-side of the title track when it was released a month earlier.
The album also includes another famine relief fundraising song, "Tears Are Not Enough," which was performed by Canadian supergroup Northern Lights.
Prince and The Revolution recorded "4 the Tears in Your Eyes" for the album. A rare live version of the song was included on Prince's The Hits/The B-Sides'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in April
Food
Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month
National Licorice Month
National Pecan Month
Soy Foods Month
Health
Alcohol Awareness Month
Autism Awareness Month
Cancer Control Month
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Cesarean Awareness Month
Defeat Diabetes Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Cancer Control Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Multiple Birth Awareness Month
National Parkinson's Awareness Month
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month Note: Sarcoidosis Day is August 29
Nationally Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Month
Stress Awareness Month
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
Women's Eye Health and Safety Month
Women Helping Women Heal Month
Animal / Pet
Adopt A Greyhound Month
ASPCA Month
Frog Month
National Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet Month
Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Prevent Lyme in Dogs Month
Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
Other
Arab American Heritage Month
Amateur Radio Month
Car Care Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Community Spirit Days (1-30)
Couple Appreciation Month
Fair Housing Month
Financial Literacy Month
Global Astronomy Month
Informed Women Month
International Customer Loyalty Month
International Guitar Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful
Math Awareness Month
National African American Women's Fitness Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Kite Month
National Landscape Architecture Month
National Poetry Month
National Safe Digging Month
National Youth Sports Safety Month
World Habitat Awareness Month
April is:
April origin (from Wikipedia):
'The Romans gave this month the Latin name Aprilis but the derivation of
this name is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb aperire,
'to open', in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin
to 'open', which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of
(anoixis) (opening) for spring. Since some of the Roman months were named
in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, her
Veneralia being held on the first day, it has been suggested that
April was the second month of the earliest Roman calendar, before
Ianuarius and Februarius were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC.
It became the fourth month of the calendar year (the year when twelve
months are displayed in order) during the time of the decemvirs about
450 BC, when it also was given 29 days. The 30th day was added during
the reform of the calendar undertaken by Julius Caesar in the mid-40s BC,
which produced the Julian calendar.'
April
'is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the
Northern Hemisphere and autumn in parts of the Southern Hemisphere,
where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the
Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.'
April 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 1966 More
Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More