<> Tomorrow's food holidays(s):
* 'National Vanilla Pudding Day'.
- From Wikipedia: Pudding is a kind of food that can be either a dessert or a savory
dish. The word pudding is believed to come from the French boudin, originally from the Latin botellus, meaning "small sausage", referring to encased meats used in Medieval European puddings.
'The modern usage of the word pudding to denote primarily desserts has evolved over time from the almost exclusive use of the term to describe savoury dishes, specifically those created using a process similar to sausages where meat and other ingredients in a mostly liquid form are encased and then steamed or boiled to set the contents.
'The second and newer type of pudding consists of sugar, milk, and a thickening agent such as cornstarch, gelatin, eggs, rice or tapioca to create a sweet, creamy dessert'.
- From Wikipedia: Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia). The word vanilla, derived from the diminutive of the Spanish word vaina (vaina itself meaning sheath or pod), is translated simply as "little pod". Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people cultivated the vine of the vanilla orchid, called tlilxochitl by the Aztecs. Spanish conquistador
Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both vanilla and chocolate to Europe in t
Initial attempts to cultivate vanilla outside Mexico and Central America proved futile because of the symbiotic relationship between the vanilla orchid and its natural pollinator, the local species of Melipona bee. Pollination is required to set the fruit from which the flavoring is derived.
In 1841, Edmond Albius, a slave who lived on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered at the age of 12 that the plant could be hand-pollinated. nd-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant.
Three major species of vanilla currently are grown globally, all of which derive from a species originally found in Mesoamerica, including parts of modern-day Mexico. They are V. planifolia (syn. V. fragrans), grown on Madagascar, Réunion, and other tropical areas along the Indian Ocean V. tahitensis, grown in the South Pacific and V. pompona, found in the West Indies, and Central and South America.
Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron, because growing the vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive.
[The Hankster says] What's all the fuss. You open a plastic container of vanilla pudding and down it. If you are still hungry, you do it again.
<> Other holidays / celebrations
* 'Buy a Musical Instrument Day '.
[The Hankster says] You better try renting one first, or it may end up with the tread mill and the last thing you bought off the TV, when you waited a minute.
<> Awareness / Observances:
o Health
* 'Kidney Health Week'. May 22-28 in Australia. A focus on prevention, detection and support of kidney health, by Kidney Health Australia.
* 'Macular Degeneration Awareness Week'. May 22-28 in Australia, Macular Disease .
- From Wikipedia:
'Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. Early on there are often no symptoms. Over time, however, some people experience a gradual worsening f vision that may affect one or both eyes. While it does not result in complete blindness, loss of central vision can make it hard to recognize
faces, drive, read, or perform other activities of daily life. Visual hallucinations may also occur but these do not represent a mental illness.
Prevention includes not smoking, exercising, and eating well. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals do not appear to be useful for prevention. There is no cure or treatment that returns vision already lost. In the wet form, anti-VEGF medication injected into the eye or less commonly laser coagulation or photodynamic therapy may slow worsening. Supplements in those who already have the disease may slow progression.
In 2010 it affected 23.5 million people globally. In 2013 moderate to severe disease affected 13.4 million and it is the fourth most common cause of blindness after cataracts, preterm birth, and glaucoma. It most commonly occurs in people over the age of fifty and in the United States is the most common cause of vision loss in this age group. About 0.4% of people between 50 and 60 have the disease, while it occurs in 0.7% of people 60 to 70, 2.3% of those 70 to 80, and nearly 12% of people over 80 years old
'.
* 'National Palliative Care Week'. May 22-28 in Australia, by Palliative Care Australia.
Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis.
The goal of such therapy is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by a team of physicians, nurses, and other health rofessionals who work together with the primary care physician and referred specialists (or, for patients who don't have those, hospital or hospice staff) to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided as the main goal of care or along with curative treatment.
Palliative care can be provided across multiple settings including in hospitals, in the patient's home, as part of community palliative care programs, and in skilled nursing facilities.
o Other
* 'National Maritime Day in the USA'.
- From Wikipedia: National Maritime Day is a United States holiday created to recognize
the maritime industry. It is observed on May 22, the date in 1819 that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power. The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933'.
* 'International Day for Biological Diversity'.
- From Wikipedia: The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22.
The International Day for Biological Diversity falls within the scope of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals. In this larger initiative of international cooperation, the topic of biodiversity concerns stakeholders in sustainable agriculture desertification, land degradation and drought water and sanitation health and sustainable development energy science, technology and innovation, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building urban resilience and adaptation sustainable transport
climate change and disaster risk reduction oceans and seas forests vulnerable groups including
indigenous peoples and food security. The critical role of biodiversity in sustainable development was recognized in a Rio+20 outcome document, "The World We Want: A Future for All".
<> Historical events on May 22
* In 1819, The SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The ship arrived at Liverpool, England, on June 20.
- From Wikipedia:
'SS Savannah was an American hybrid sailing ship/sidewheel steamer built
in 1818. She is notable for being the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, a feat that was accomplished from May to June 1819, although only a fraction of the distance was covered with the ship under steam power. The rest was sailed by wind power. In spite of her historic voyage, Savannah was not a commercial success as a steamship and was converted back into a sailing ship shortly after returning from Europe.
Savannah was wrecked off Long Island in 1821. No other American-owned
steamship would cross the Atlantic for almost thirty years after Savannah's
pioneering voyage. Two British sidewheel steamships, Brunel's SS Great Western and Menzies' SS Sirius, raced to New York in 1838, both voyages being made under steam power alone." .
* In 1849, Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats over obstacles in a river, making him the only U.S. President to ever hold a patent.
- From Wikipedia:
'Abraham Lincoln's patent is a patented invention to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river. It is the only United States patent ever registered to a President of the United States. Lincoln conceived the idea of inventing a mechanism that would lift a
boat over shoals and obstructions when on two different occasions the boat on which he traveled got hung up on obstructions. Documentation of this patent was discovered in 1997.
* In 1915, Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, and is the only mountain other than Mount St. Helens to erupt in the contiguous US during the 20th century.
- From Wikipedia:
'Lassen Peak, also known as Mount Lassen, is the southernmost active volcano
in the Cascade Range. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern
California, Lassen rises 2,000 ft (600 m) above the surrounding terrain
and has a volume of 0.5 cu mi (2 km3), making it one of the largest lava
domes on Earth. It was created on the destroyed northeastern flank of now-
gone Mount Tehama, a stratovolcano that was at least 1,000 ft (300 m) higher than Lassen Peak. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which stretch
es from southwestern British Columbia to northern California.
On May 22, 1915, a powerful explosive eruption at Lassen Peak devastated nearby areas, and spread volcanic ash as far as 200 mi (300 km) to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a series of eruptions from 1914 through 1917. Lassen Peak and Mount St. Helens were the only two volcanoes in the contiguous United States to erupt during the 20th century. Lassen Volcanic National Park was created in Shasta County, California, to preserve the devastated areas as they were, for future observation and
study, and to preserve the nearby volcanic features'." .
* In 1926, The song 'Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue' (aka: Has Anybody Seen My Gal?) by Gene Austin hits #1.
- From Wikipedia:
'"Has Anybody Seen My Girl? (Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue)" is an American popular song that achieved its greatest popularity in the 1920s. It is sometimes known simply as "Has Anybody Seen My Girl?" and sometimes simply as "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue"; the 1925 Leo Feist, Inc. sheet music gives both of these.
Accounts of who originally composed "Has Anybody Seen My Girl?" vary, particularly since the song, especially its lyrics, was often modified. Some sources state that Percy
Weinrich wrote the music and Jack Mahoney the lyrics, in 1914. Credit for the most popular version of the song, though, is given to Ray Henderson for the music, and Sam M. Lewis and Joseph Widow Young for the lyrics. It was this version that was recorded by The California Ramblers in 1925." .
* In 1942, Mexico enters World War II on the side of the Allies.
- From Wikipedia:
'Mexico declared war on Germany in 1942 after German submarines attacked the Mexican oil tankers Potrero del Llano and Faja de Oro that were transporting crude oil to the United States. These attacks prompted President Manuel Ávila Camacho to declare war on the Axis powers.
Mexico formed Escuadrón 201 fighter squadron as part of the Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana (FAEM—"Mexican Expeditionary Air Force"). The
squadron was attached to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces and carried out tactical air support missions during the liberation of the main Philippine island of Luzon in the summer of
1945.
Some 300,000 Mexican citizens went to the United States to work on farms and factories. Some 15,000 US nationals of Mexican origin and Mexican residents in the US enrolled in the US Armed Forces and fought in various fronts around the world'." .
* In 1945, Operation Paperclip: United States Army Major Robert B. Staver recommends that the U.S. evacuate German scientists and engineers to help in the development of rocket technology.
- From Wikipedia:
'Operation Paperclip (1949–1990) was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) program in which more than 1,500 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were brought to the United States from Nazi Germany and other countries for employment in the aftermath of World War II. It was
conducted by the Joint
Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA) and in the context of the burgeoning Cold War. One purpose of Operation Paperclip was to deny German scientific expertise and knowledge to the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, as well as to inhibit post-war Germany from redeveloping its military research capabilities. The Soviet Union had competing extraction programs known as "trophy brigades" and Operation soaviakhim.
The JIOA's recruitment of German scientists began after the Allied victory in Europe on May 8, 1945, but U.S. President Harry Truman did not formally order the execution of Operation Paperclip until August 1945. Truman's order expressly excluded anyone found "to have been a member of the Nazi Party, and more than a nominal participant in its
activities, or an active supporter of Nazi militarism." However, those restrictions would have rendered ineligible most of the leading scientists whom the JIOA had identified for recruitment, among them rocket scientists Wernher von Braun, Kurt H. Debus, and Arthur Rudolph, as well as physician Hubertus Strughold, each earlier classified as a
"menace to the security of the Allied Forces."
The JIOA worked independently to circumvent President Truman's anti-Nazi
order and the Allied Potsdam and Yalta agreements, creating false employment and political biographies for the scientists. The JIOA also expunged the scientists' Nazi Party memberships and regime affiliations from the public record. Once "bleached" of their Nazism, the scientists were granted security clearances by the U.S. government to work in the United States. The project's operational name of Paperclip was derived from the paperclips used to attach the scientists' new political personae to their "US Go
vernment Scientist" JIOA personnel files." .
* In 1947,In an effort to fight the spread of Communism, the U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs an act into law that will later be called the Truman Doctrine. The act grants $400 million in military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece, each battling an internal Communist movement.
- From Wikipedia:
'The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy created to counter Soviet geopolitical spread during the Cold War. It was first announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947 and further developed on July 12, 1948 when he pledged to contain Soviet threats to Greece and Turkey. American military force was usually not involved; instead Congress appropriated free gifts of financial aid to support the economies and the military of Greece and Turkey. More generally, the Truman doctrine
implied American support for other nations threatened by Soviet communism. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy, and led, in 1949, to the formation of NATO: a full-fledged military alliance that is in effect to
this day. Historians often use Truman's speech to date the start of the
Cold War
For years Britain had supported Greece, but was now near bankruptcy and
was forced to radically reduce its involvement. In February 1947, Britain formally requested the United States take over its role in supporting the Greeks and their government. The policy won the support of Republicans who controlled Congress and involved sending $400 million in American money, but no military forces, to the region. The effect was to end the Communist threat, and in 1952 both Greece and Turkey joined NATO, a military alliance that guaranteed their protection.
The Doctrine was informally extended to become the basis of American Cold War policy throughout Europe and around the world. It shifted American foreign policy toward the Soviet Union from détente (a relaxation of tension) to a policy of containment of Soviet expansion as advocated by diplomat George Kennan. It avoided the policy of rollback
because it implicitly tolerated the previous Soviet takeovers in Eastern Europe." .
* In 1947, The first US ballistic missile is fired.
- From Wikipedia:
'The MGM-5 Corporal missile was the first guided weapon authorized by the United States to carry a nuclear warhead. A guided tactical ballistic missile, the Corporal could deliver either a nuclear fission or high-explosive warhead up to a range of 75 nautical miles (139 km)'." .
* In 1960, An earthquake measuring 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale,
now known as the Great Chilean Earthquake, hits southern Chile. It is the
most powerful earthquake ever recorded. - From Wikipedia: 'The 1960 Valdivia earthquake (Spanish: Terremoto de Valdivia) or Great Chilean earthquake (Gran terremoto de Chile) of 22 May is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Various studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 15:11 local time), and lasted approximately 10 minutes. The
resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines,
eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia and the Aleutian Islands'.
The death toll and monetary losses arising from this widespread disaster are not certain. Various estimates of the total number of fatalities from the earthquake and tsunamis have been published, ranging between 1,000 and 6,000 killed. Different sources have estimated the monetarycost ranged from US$400 million to 800 million (or $3.2 billion to
$6.4 billion today, adjusted for inflation)'." .
* In 1961, The song 'Mother-In-Law' by Ernie K-Doe hits #1.
- From Wikipedia:
'"Mother-in-Law" is a 1961 song recorded by Ernie K-Doe. It was a number- one hit in the U.S. on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The song was written and produced by Allen Toussaint, who also played the piano solo. It was issued by Minit Records.
After several unsuccessful takes, Toussaint balled up the composition and threw it away as he was leaving the room. One of the back-up singers, Willie Hopper, thought that it was such a good song that he convinced Ernie K-Doe to give it one more try'." .
* In 1964, The U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces the
goals of his Great Society social reforms to bring an 'end to
poverty and racial injustice' in America. - From Wikipedia: 'The Great
Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by
Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65. The main goal was the
elimination of poverty and racial injustice. President Johnson first used
the term "Great Society" during a speech at Ohio University, then
unveiled the program in greater detail at an appearance at University of
Michigan. New major spending programs that addressed education, medical
care, urban problems, rural poverty, and transportation were launched
during this period. The program
and its initiatives were subsequently promoted by him and fellow Democrats
in Congress in the 1960s and years following. The Great Society in scope and sweep resembled the New Deal domestic agenda of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Anti-war Democrats complained that spending on the Vietnam War choked off the Great Society. While some of the programs have been eliminated or had their funding reduced, many of them, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act and federal education funding, continue to the present. The Great Society's programs expanded under the administrations of Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford'." .
* In 1965, The Beatles song 'Ticket to Ride' single hits #1.
- From Wikipedia:
'icket to Ride" is a song by the English rock group the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Issued as a single in April 1965, it became the Beatles' eighth consecutive number 1 hit in the United Kingdom and their third in the United States, and similarly topped national charts in Canada, Australia and Ireland. The
song was also included on their 1965 studio album Help! Recorded at EMI Studios in London in February that year, the track marked a progression in the Beatles' work through the incorporation of drone and harder-sounding instrumentation relative to their previous releases. Among music critics, Ian MacDonald describes the song as "psychologically deeper than anything the Beatles had recorded fore" and extraordinary for its time"'." .
* In 1980, Namco releases the highly influential arcade game Pac-Man.
- From Wikipedia:
'Pac-Man is an arcade game developed by Namco and first released in Japan on May 21, 1980. It was created by Japanese video game designer Toru Iwatani. It was licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway and released in October 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of
the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games, and an icon of 1980s popular culture. Upon its release, the game—and, subsequently, Pac-Man derivatives—became a social phenomenon that yielded high sales of merchandise and inspired a legacy in other media, such as the Pac-Man animated television series and the top-ten hit single "Pac-Man Fever". Pac-Man was popular in the 1980s and 1990s and is still
played as of the 2010s'." .
* In 1992, Johnny Carson steps down from his position at The Tonight Show.
- From Wikipedia:
'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from October 1, 1962 through May 22, 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first decade, Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show was based at Thirty Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, with some episodes recorded at NBC-TV's New York City, with some episode recorded at NBC-TV's West Coast studios in Burbank, California; on May 1, 1972, the show was moved
exclusively to Burbank. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
was ranked No. 12 on TV Guide's 50 sGreatest TV Shows of All Time and in
2013, it was ranked No. 22 on their list of 60 Best Series.
Carson had no guests on his final episode of The Tonight Show on May 22, 1992, which was instead a retrospective show taped before an invitation-only studio audience of family, friends, and crew. More than fifty million people tuned in for this finale, which ended with Carson sitting on a stool alone at center stage, similar to Jack Paar's last show'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in May
Food
Aramanth Month - Grain of the month
Gifts From The Garden Month
International Mediterranean Diet Month
National Barbeque Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Mediterranean Diet Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month
National Vinegar Month
Health
ALS Awareness Month - (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease)
APS Awareness Month - Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asthma Awareness Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Celiac Awareness Month
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) Awareness Month
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
Food Allergy Action Month
Global Health and Fitness Month
Heal the Children Month
Healthy Vision Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month
National Better Hearing Month
National Hepatitis Awareness Month
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
National Meditation Month
National Mental Health Month
National Osteoporosis Prevention Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Stroke Awareness Month
National Toddler Immunization Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Month
National Water Safety Month
National Youth Traffic Safety Month
Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
Preeclampsia Awareness Month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Spiritual Literacy Month
Strike Out Strokes Month
Tay-Sachs and Canavan Diseases Month
Tourettes Syndrome Awareness Month
Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Month
Ultra-violet Awareness Month
Women's Health Care Month
World Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Animal / Pet
Chip Your Pet Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month
Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month
National Guide Dog Month
National Pet Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Other
American Wetlands Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Building Safety Month
Clean Air Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Family Reunion Month
Get Caught Reading Month
Global Civility Awareness Month
Golf Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Home Schooling Awareness Month
International Audit Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
International Victorious Woman Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Latino Books Month
Motorcycle Safety Month
Mystery Month
National Bike Month
National Foster Care Month
National Good Car Keeping Month
National Inventors Month
National Photo Month
National Smile Month
Personal History Month
Social Security Education Awareness Month
Tennis Month
Textile Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month
May is:
May origin (from Wikipedia):
The month May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified
with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was
held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet Ovid provides a second etymology,
in which he says that the month of May is named for the maiores, Latin for
'elders,' and that the following month (June) is named for the iuniores, or 'young people'
May
'
is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.
May is a month of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere (Summer in Europe). Therefore May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.
'
May 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