<> Tomorrow's food holidays(s):
* 'Eat a Red Apple Day'. . Choose from over 7,000 varieties.
- From Wikipedia (Apple):
'The apple tree (Malus pumila, commonly and erroneously called Malus
domestica) is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet,
pomaceous fruit, the apple. It is cultivated worldwide as a fruit tree, and
is the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in
Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found
today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe,
and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have
religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse,
Greek and European Christian traditions.
Apple trees are large if grown from seed. Generally apple varieties are
propagated by grafting onto rootstocks, which control the size of the
resulting tree. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples,
resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are
bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw and cider
production. Trees and fruit are prone to a number of fungal, bacterial and
pest problems, which can be controlled by a number of organic and
non-organic means. In 2010, the fruit's genome was sequenced as part of
research on disease control and selective breeding in apple production.
Worldwide production of apples in 2013 was 80.8 million tonnes, with China
accounting for 49% of the total.
A typical apple serving weighs 242 grams and provides 126 calories with a
moderate content of dietary fiber. Otherwise, there is generally low
content of essential nutrients.
Energy 218 kJ (52 kcal), Carbohydrates 13.81 g, Sugars 10.39, Dietary
fiber 2.4 g, Fat 0.17 g, Protein 0.26 g, Vitamins: Vitamin A equiv. 3 µg
(0%) , beta-carotene 27 µg (0%), lutein zeaxanthin 29 µg, Thiamine (B1)
(1%) 0.017 mg, Riboflavin (B2) (2%) 0.026 mg, Niacin (B3) (1%) 0.091 mg,
Pantothenic acid (B5) 1%) 0.061 mg, Vitamin B6 (3%) 0.041 mg, Folate (B9)
1%) 3 µg, Vitamin C (6%) 4.6 mg, Vitamin E (1%) 0.18 mg, Vitamin K (2%)
2.2 µg, Minerals: Calcium (1%) 6 mgm Iron (1%) 0.12 mg, Magnesium (1%) 5
mg, Manganese (2%) 0.035 mg, Phosphorus (2%)11 mg, Potassium (2%) ,107 mg
Sodium (0%) 1 mg, Zinc (0%) 0.04 mg, Other constituents: Water 85.56 gm
Fluoride 3.3 µg'.
[The Hankster says] I eat an apple a day as a start to my daily combo walk and jog. I can say that the old adage is true. I have never seen the doctor at my door, ... hang on a minute ... they did? when did they stop?. ... I've just been informed that doctored don't make house calls any more. That could explain why my lolly pop stash is way down.
<> Other holidays / celebrations
* 'Antarctica Day'.
On the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. See more in the history
section for 1959.
[The Hankster says] Cool. Come on. You knew that was coming. You could have stopped reading at any time. Chill out a little. Take and apple and see me in the morning.
* 'National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony '.
- From Wikipedia (National Christmas Tree (United States)):
'The National Christmas Tree is a large evergreen tree located in the
northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C.
Each year since 1923, the tree has been decorated as a Christmas tree. The
grand illumination of the Christmas lights on the tree by the President of
the United States early in December is an annual event. Every president
since Franklin D. Roosevelt has made formal remarks and lights the tree
during the tree lighting ceremony. Since 1954, the event has marked the
start of month-long festivities known as the Pageant of Peace. Smaller
trees representing the U.S. states, District of Columbia, and the five
territories around the National Christmas Tree are referred to as the
Pathway to Peace.
The idea of a decorated, outdoor national Christmas tree originated with
Frederick Morris Feiker. Feiker was a highly educated engineer who had been
a technical journalist for General Electric from 1906-1907 and editor of
Electrical World and Electrical Merchandising from 1915 to 1921. In 1921,
Feiker joined the personal staff of United States Secretary of Commerce
Herbert Hoover as a press aide. The Society for Electrical Development (an
electrical industry trade group) was looking for a way to encourage people
to purchase more electric Christmas lights and use electricity, and Feiker
suggested that President Calvin Coolidge personally light the tree as a way
of giving Christmas lights prominence and social cachet. Vermont Republican
Senator Frank L. Greene accompanied Feiker to the White House, where they
successfully convinced Coolidge to light the tree.
Feiker arranged for Paul Moody, president of Middlebury College in Vermont
to donate a 48-foot (15 m) tall balsam fir as the first National Christmas
Tree. Middlebury College alumni paid to have it shipped via express to
Washington. The branches on the lower 10 feet (3.0 m) of the tree were
damaged in transit, so cut branches from a local evergreen were tied to the
tree to restore its appearance.
Feiker put together a group of local civic organizations to erect the tree
in the center of the Ellipse and decorate it, and the U.S. electrical
industry donated $5,000 worth of electrical cables (which were buried under
the Ellipse and provided the tree with electricity). The site for the tree
was personally approved by Grace Coolidge. Arrangements were also made to
have 3,000 city school children present to sing Christmas carols and the
United States Marine Band to play music. The National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) agreed to broadcast the event on radio. The tree was decorated with
more than 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white, and green donated by the
Electric League of Washington.
At 3:00 P.M. on December 24, 1923, a 100-voice choir from the First
Congregational Church assembled on the South Portico of the White House and
began a two-hour concert of Christmas carols. At 5:00 P.M. (dusk) on
Christmas Eve, President Coolidge touched a button at the foot of the tree
which lit the ornaments, but he did not speak. A searchlight from the
nearby Washington Monument was trained on the tree to help illuminate it as
well. The Coolidge family invited citizens of the city to sing Christmas
carols on the Ellipse after dark. Between 5,000 and 6,000 people thronged
the park, joined by 3,000 more people by 9:00 P.M. The crowds were joined
by the Epiphany Church and First Congregational Church choirs, which sang
carols, and the Marine Band played Christmas-themed music. The singing
ended shortly before midnight. After the white residents of the city had
dispersed, African American residents of the city were permitted on the
park grounds to see the National Christmas Tree. An outdoor Christian
worship service was held, and a mass choir composed of signing groups from
area community centers sang more Christmas carols. An illuminated Christian
cross was flashed on the Washington Monument, and men dressed as shepherds
walked from the National Christmas Tree to the monument.
The National Christmas Tree is a living evergreen tree planted in the
Ellipse in the President's Park, close to the Zero Milestone but just east
of the central north-south axis. In early 1974, a low stone wall was
constructed around the National Christmas Tree to provide partial
protection for its roots, and currently serves as the limit of the planting
bed below the tree. In 2001, a cast iron fence was built around the tree
about 30 feet (9.1 m) from the low stone wall to protect the soil from
compaction by the thousands of people who visit the tree annually.
Cut evergreen trees were used in 1923, and from 1954 to 1972. Living trees
were used from 1924 to 1953, and again from 1973 to the present (2012). The
species, height, and sources of these trees has varied widely over time.
As of 2010, 56 smaller cut evergreen trees representing the states,
District of Columbia, and unincorporated territories of the United States
are arranged in a large oval around the National Christmas Tree each
December. A sign in front of each tree identifies which geographic area the
small tree represents. A temporary black plastic walkway is laid down to
provide pedestrian access (the actual Pathway of Peace), and the trees
guarded by a white vinyl picket fence. The National Park Service lays
boardwalks, plastic paths, and artificial turf walkways on The Ellipse
beginning in October.
A stage and a blue plywood amphitheater are erected southeast of the
National Christmas Tree, and the placement of heavy plastic mats and metal
folding chairs in front of the stage (with seating for only 200 people at
most) creates an audience area for performances. A plywood nativity scene,
15-by-10-foot (4.6 by 3.0 m) Yule log fire pit, and barn for donkeys,
reinder, and sheep are built south of the Pathway of Peace. Speakers on
high stands throughout the area broadcast the live performances, or provide
recorded music for viewers' enjoyment. Since the Pageant of Peace and
Pathway of Peace are traditions extending back only to 1954, they are not
considered historic elements by the National Park Service'.
* 'Civil Air Patrol Day'.
Created December 1 1941. See more in the history section foR 1941.
* 'Ware A Dress Day'.
For the ladies on June 1st and December 1st.
[The Hankster says] No, only once as a kid. Then only with a hat, high heels and an apron over my jeans.
<> Awareness / Observances:
o Health
* 'Day With(out) Art Day'.
- From Wikipedia (Day Without Art):
'Day Without Art (DWA) is an annual event where art museums and other
organizations organize programs to raise awareness of AIDS, remember people
who have died, and inspire positive action.
Day Without Art began on December 1, 1989 as the national day of action and
mourning in response to the AIDS crisis. To make the public aware that AIDS
can touch everyone, and inspire positive action, some 800 U.S. art and AIDS
groups participated in the first Day Without Art, shutting down museums,
sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services, or sponsoring special
exhibitions of work about AIDS. Since then, Day With(out) Art has grown
into a collaborative project in which an estimated 8,000 national and
international museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS service organizations,
libraries, high schools and colleges take part.
In the past, Visual AIDS initiated public actions and programs, published
an annual poster and copyright-free broadsides, and acted as press
coordinator and clearing house for projects for Day Without Art/World AIDS
Day. In 1997, it was suggested Day Without Art become a Day With Art, to
recognize and promote increased programming of cultural events that draw
attention to the continuing pandemic. Though the name was retained as a
metaphor for the chilling possibility of a future day without art or
artists, we added parentheses to the program title, Day With(out) Art, to
highlight the proactive programming of art projects by artists living with
HIV/AIDS, and art about AIDS, that were taking place around the world. It
had become clear that active interventions within the annual program were
far more effective than actions to negate or reduce the programs of
cultural centers. In 2014, the Los Angeles art collective, My Barbarian,
staged a video performance in remembrance of Pedro Zamora, inspired by the
queer theorist, José Esteban Muñoz's theory of counterpublicity'.
* 'World AIDS Day'. A U.N. effort since 1996.
- From Wikipedia (World AIDS Day):
'World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is
dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of
HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government
and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around
the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and
control.
World AIDS Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns
marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day,
World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day,
World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World Hepatitis Day. Since
1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation
on World AIDS Day.
As of 2013, AIDS has killed more than 36 million people worldwide
(1981-2012), and an estimated 35.3 million people are living with HIV,
making it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded
history. Despite recent improved access to antiretroviral treatment in many
regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claims an estimated 2 million lives
each year, of which about 270,000 are children'.
<> Historical events on December 1
* 'In 1824, In the United States presidential election, 1824, since no
candidate received a majority of the total electoral college votes in the
election, the United States House of Representatives is given the task of
deciding the winner in accordance with the Twelfth Amendment to the United
States Constitution. John Quincy Adams was chosen over Andrew Jackson
(Jackson became president in 1829.). .
- From Wikipedia: 'The United States presidential election of 1824 was the
tenth quadrennial presidential election, held from Tuesday, October 26, to
Thursday, December 2, 1824. John Quincy Adams was elected President on
February 9, 1825. The election was the only one in history to be decided by
the House of Representatives under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment
to the United States Constitution after no candidate secured a majority of
the electoral vote. It was also the only presidential election in which the
candidate who received a plurality of electoral votes (Andrew Jackson) did
not become President, a source of great bitterness for Jackson and his
supporters, who proclaimed the election of Adams a corrupt bargain.
Prior to the election, the Democratic-Republican Party had won the last six
consecutive presidential elections. In 1824 the Democratic-Republican Party
failed to agree on a choice of candidate for president, with the result
that the party effectively ceased to exist and split four ways behind four
separate candidates. Later, the faction led by Jackson would evolve into
the modern Democratic Party in the 1828 election, while the factions led by
Adams and Henry Clay would become the National Republican Party (not
related to the current Republican Party) and then the Whig Party'.
* 'In 1835, Hans Christian Andersen publishes his first book of fairy
tales. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Hans Christian Andersen often referred to in Scandinavia
as H. C. Andersen 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author.
Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems,
Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is
not limited to children his stories, called eventyr in Danish, express
themes that transcend age and nationality.
Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125
languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective
consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of
virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well.
Some of his most famous fairy tales include The Emperor's New Clothes, The
Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling,
Thumbelina, and many more.
His stories have inspired ballets, animated and live-action films, and
plays.
His initial attempts at writing fairy tales were revisions of stories that
he heard as a child. Andersen then brought this genre to a new level by
writing a vast number of fairy tales that were both bold and original.
Initially they were not met with recognition, due partly to the difficulty
in translating them and capturing his genius for humor and dark pathos.
It was during 1835 that Andersen published the first two installments of
his immortal Fairy Tales (Danish: Eventyr lit. fantastic tales). More
stories, completing the first volume, were published in 1837. The
collection comprises nine tales, including The Tinderbox, The Princess and
the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes The
quality of these stories was not immediately recognized, and they sold
poorly. At the same time, Andersen enjoyed more success with two novels,
O.T. (1836) and Only a Fiddler (1837) the latter was reviewed by the young
Søren Kierkegaard.
After a visit to Sweden in 1837, Andersen became inspired by Scandinavism
and committed himself to writing a poem that would convey the relatedness
of Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians. It was in July 1839, during a visit to
the island of Funen, that Andersen first wrote the text of his poem, Jeg er
en Skandinav (I am a Scandinavian). Andersen composed the poem to capture
the beauty of the Nordic spirit, the way the three sister nations have
gradually grown together, as part of a Scandinavian national anthem.
Composer Otto Lindblad set the poem to music, and the composition was
published in January 1840. Its popularity peaked in 1845, after which it
was seldom sung. Andersen spent two weeks at the Augustenborg Palace in the
autumn of 1844.
Andersen returned to the fairy tale genre in 1838 with another collection,
Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection. First Booklet (Eventyr,
fortalte for Børn. Ny Samling), which consists of The Daisy, The Steadfast
Tin Soldier, and The Wild Swans
The year 1845 heralded a breakthrough for Andersen with the publication of
four different translations of his fairy tales. The Little Mermaid appeared
in the periodical Bentley's Miscellany. It was followed by a second volume,
Wonderful Stories for Children. Two other volumes enthusiastically received
were A Danish Story Book and Danish Fairy Tales and Legends. A review that
appeared in the London journal The Athenæum (February 1846) said of
Wonderful Stories, This is a book full of life and fancy a book for
grandfathers no less than grandchildren, not a word of which will be
skipped by those who have it once in hand.
Andersen would continue to write fairy tales, and he published them in
installments until 1872'.
* 'In 1885, The first serving of the soft drink, 'Dr Pepper' was at a drug
store in Waco, Texas. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink marketed as having
a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton in
Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally
marketed in the United States in 1904, and is now also sold in Europe,
Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and South America, as well as New Zealand
and South Africa as an imported good. Variants include a version without
high fructose corn syrup, Diet Dr Pepper, as well as a line of additional
flavors, first introduced in the 2000s.
The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time Dr
Pepper was served. It was introduced nationally in the United States at the
1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as a new kind of soda pop, made with 23
flavors. Its introduction in 1885 preceded the introduction of Coca-Cola by
one year.
It was formulated by Brooklyn-born pharmacist Charles Alderton in
Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. To test his new drink, he
first offered it to store owner Wade Morrison, who also found it to his
liking. Patrons at Morrison's soda fountain soon learned of Alderton's new
drink and began ordering a Waco Alderton gave the formula to Morrison, who
named it Dr. Pepper (later stylized as Dr Pepper).
As with Coca-Cola, the formula for Dr Pepper is a trade secret, and
allegedly the recipe is kept as two halves in safe deposit boxes in two
separate Dallas banks. A persistent rumor since the 1930s is that the drink
contains prune juice, but the official Dr Pepper FAQ refutes this with Dr
Pepper is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavors it does not
contain prune juice. The origin of the rumor is unknown some believe it was
started by a deliveryman for a competitor trying to cast aspersions based
on prune juice's laxative effects, but it may simply be because many people
feel that Dr Pepper's unique flavor tastes similar to prune juice'.
* 'In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle publishes 'A Study in Scarlet' story,
introducing detective Sherlock Holmes. .
- From Wikipedia: 'A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British
author Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1886, the story marks the first
appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become two of the
most famous characters in popular fiction. The book's title derives from a
speech given by Holmes, an amateur detective, to his friend and chronicler
Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder
investigation as his study in scarlet: There's the scarlet thread of murder
running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel
it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.
The story, and its main characters, attracted little public interest when
it first appeared. Only 11 complete copies of the magazine in which the
story first appeared, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, are known to
exist now and they have considerable value. Although Conan Doyle wrote 56
short stories featuring Holmes, A Study in Scarlet is one of only four
full-length novels in the original canon. The novel was followed by The
Sign of the Four, published in 1890. A Study in Scarlet was the first work
of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an
investigative tool'.
* 'In 1891, James Naismith creates the game of basketball. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Basketball is a sport, generally played by two teams of
five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball
through a hoop 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and mounted at a height of 10
feet (3.048 m) to backboards at each end of the court.
A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being
defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores
three points for the shooting team if the player shoots from behind the
three-point line, and two points if shot from in front of the line. A team
can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, after the other
team is assessed with certain fouls. The team with the most points at the
end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) is issued when the
score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the
court by throwing it to a teammate, or by bouncing it while walking or
running (dribbling). It is a violation to lift, or drag, one's pivot foot
without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both
hands then resume dribbling.
There are many techniques for ball-handling—shooting, passing, dribbling,
and rebounding. Basketball teams generally have player positions, the
tallest and strongest members of a team are called a center or power
forward, while slightly shorter and more agile players are called small
forward, and the shortest players or those who possess the best ball
handling skills are called a point guard or shooting guard. The point guard
directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coach's game
plan, and managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player
positioning).
Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports. The
National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most popular and widely
considered to be the highest level of professional basketball in the world
and NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual
salary per player. Outside North America, the top clubs from national
leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague and
FIBA Americas League. The FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top
national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional
competitions for national teams, like EuroBasket and FIBA Americas
Championship.
The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup features the top national women's
basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American
league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by
teams from the Russian Women's Basketball Premier League. In women's
basketball the ball used is smaller than that used in men's basketball. The
circumference of the ball for women is 28 1/2 to 29 inches. The basketball
in the men's game is between 29 1/2 and 30 inches.
In early December 1891, Canadian Dr. James Naismith, a physical education
professor and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian
Association Training School (YMCA) (today, Springfield College) in
Springfield, Massachusetts was trying to keep his gym class active on a
rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied
and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. After
rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in
gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a
10-foot (3.0 m) elevated track. In contrast with modern basketball nets,
this peach basket retained its bottom, and balls had to be retrieved
manually after each basket or point scored this proved inefficient,
however, so the bottom of the basket was removed, allowing the balls to be
poked out with a long dowel each time.
Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball. These round balls from
association football were made, at the time, with a set of laces to close
off the hole needed for inserting the inflatable bladder after the other
sewn-together segments of the ball's cover had been flipped outside-in.
These laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable.
Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this
change to the game was endorsed by Naismith. (Whereas in American football,
the lace construction proved to be advantageous for gripping and remains to
this day.) The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and
it was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that
would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the
orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the
original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was
the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but
limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a
major part of the game around the 1950s, as manufacturing improved the ball
shape.
The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by
metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball
merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, his
team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game.
The baskets were originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing
court, but this proved impractical when spectators in the balcony began to
interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this
interference it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots.
Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early
2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented,
which incorporated rules from a children's game called Duck on a Rock, as
many had failed before it.
Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached
Naismith after the Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he
intended to call his new game. Naismith replied that he hadn't thought of
it because he had been focused on just getting the game started. Mahan
suggested that it be called Naismith ball, at which he laughed, saying that
a name like that would kill any game. Mahan then said, Why not call it
basketball? Naismith replied, We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to
me that would be a good name for it. The first official game was played in
the YMCA gymnasium in Albany, New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine
players. The game ended at 1–0 the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a
court just half the size of a present-day Streetball or National Basketball
Association (NBA) court.
At the time, football was being played with 10 to a team (which was
increased to 11). When winter weather got too icy to play football, teams
were taken indoors, and it was convenient to have them split in half and
play basketball with five on each side. By 1897–1898 teams of five became
standard'.
* 'In 1903, 'The Great Train Robbery', the first Western film, released. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 American silent short
Western film written, produced, and directed by Edwin S. Porter, a former
Edison Studios cameraman. Actors in the movie included Alfred C. Abadie,
Broncho Billy Anderson and Justus D. Barnes, although there were no
credits. Though a Western, it was filmed in Milltown, New Jersey. The film
was inspired by Scott Marble's 1896 stage play.
At twelve minutes long, The Great Train Robbery film is considered a
milestone in film making, expanding on Porter's previous work Life of an
American Fireman. The film used a number of then-unconventional techniques,
including composite editing, on-location shooting, and frequent camera
movement. The film is one of the earliest to use the technique of cross
cutting, in which two scenes are shown to be occurring simultaneously but
in different locations. Some prints were also hand colored in certain
scenes. Techniques used in The Great Train Robbery were inspired by those
used in Frank Mottershaw's British film A Daring Daylight Burglary,
released earlier in the year. Film historians now largely consider The
Great Train Robbery to be the first American action film and the first
Western film with a recognizable form
In 1990, The Great Train Robbery was selected for preservation in the
United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being
culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.
* 'In 1913, The Ford Motor Co. starts the first assembly line. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Ford Motor Company (commonly referred to simply as
Ford) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn,
Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford and
incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial
vehicles under the Ford brand and most luxury cars under the Lincoln brand.
Ford also owns Brazilian SUV manufacturer, Troller, and Australian
performance car manufacturer FPV. In the past it has also produced tractors
and automotive components. Ford owns a 2.1% stake in Mazda of Japan, an 8%
stake in Aston Martin of the United Kingdom, and a 49% stake in Jiangling
of China. It also has a number of joint-ventures, one in China (Changan
Ford), one in Taiwan (Ford Lio Ho), one in Thailand (AutoAlliance
Thailand), one in Turkey (Ford Otosan), and one in Russia (Ford Sollers).
It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford
family, although they have minority ownership (but majority of the voting
power).
Henry Ford's first attempt at a car company under his own name was the
Henry Ford Company on November 3, 1901, which became the Cadillac Motor
Company on August 22, 1902, after Ford left with the rights to his name.
The Ford Motor Company was launched in a converted factory in 1903 with
$28,000 in cash from twelve investors, most notably John and Horace Dodge
(who would later found their own car company). During its early years, the
company produced just a few cars a day at its factory on Mack Avenue and
later its factory on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Groups of two or
three men worked on each car, assembling it from parts made mostly by
supplier companies contracting for Ford. Within a decade the company would
lead the world in the expansion and refinement of the assembly line concept
and Ford soon brought much of the part production in-house in a vertical
integration that seemed a better path for the era.
Henry Ford was 39 years old when he founded the Ford Motor Company, which
would go on to become one of the world's largest and most profitable
companies. As one of the largest family-controlled companies in the world,
the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100
years.
After the first gasoline powered automobile was created in the year 1885 by
German inventor Carl Benz (Benz Patent-Motorwagen), more efficient
production methods were needed to make the automobile affordable for the
middle-class which Ford contributed to, for instance by introducing the
first moving assembly line in 1913 at its factory in Highland Park.
Between 1903 and 1908 Ford produced the Models A, B, C, F, K, N, R, and S,
most of which sold in the hundreds or few thousands a year. In 1908 Ford
introduced the mass-produced Model T, which would sell in the millions. In
1927, Ford replaced the T with the Model A, the first car with safety glass
in the windshield. Ford launched the first low priced V8 engine powered car
in 1932.
In an attempt to compete with General Motors' mid-priced Pontiac,
Oldsmobile and Buick, Ford created the Mercury in 1939 as a higher-priced
companion car to Ford. Henry Ford purchased the Lincoln Motor Company in
1922, in order to compete with such brands as Cadillac and Packard for the
luxury segment of the automobile market.
In 1929 Ford was contracted by the government of the Soviet Union to setup
the Gorky Automobile Plant in Russia initially producing Ford Model A and
AAs thereby playing an important role in the industrialisation of that
country.
Ford offered the Lifeguard safety package from 1956, which included such
innovations as a standard deep-dish steering wheel, optional front, and,
for the first time in a car, rear seatbelts, and an optional padded dash.
Ford introduced child-proof door locks into its products in 1957, and in
the same year offered the first retractable hardtop on a mass-produced
six-seater car.
In late 1955, Ford established the Continental division as a separate
luxury car division. This division was responsible for the manufacture and
sale of the famous Continental Mark II. At the same time, the Edsel
division was created to design and market that car starting with the 1958
model year. Due to limited sales of the Continental and the Edsel disaster,
Ford merged Lincoln, Mercury and Edsel into M-E-L, which reverted to
Lincoln-Mercury after Edsel's November 1959 demise.
The Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964. In 1965 Ford introduced the seat
belt reminder light.
With the 1980s, Ford introduced several highly successful vehicles around
the world. During the 1980s, Ford began using the advertising slogan, Have
you driven a Ford, lately? to introduce new customers to their brand and
make their vehicles appear more modern. In 1990 and 1994 respectively, Ford
also acquired Jaguar Cars and Aston Martin. During the mid- to late 1990s,
Ford continued to sell large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American
economy with a soaring stock market and low fuel prices.
With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel
prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining
sales, and diminished profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came
from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company.
21st century'.
* 'In 1929, The game of Bingo invented by Edwin S Lowe. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Bingo is a game of chance played with different randomly
drawn numbers which players match against numbers that have been
pre-printed on 5×5 cards.The cards may be printed on paper or card stock,
or electronically represented. Many versions conclude the game when the
first person achieves a specified pattern from the drawn numbers. The
winner is usually required to call out the word Bingo!, which alerts the
other players and caller of a possible win. All wins are checked to make
sure the person has not made a mistake before the win is officially
confirmed at which time the prize is secured and a new game is begun. In
this version of bingo, players compete against one another for the prize or
jackpot.
Alternative methods of play try to increase participation by creating
excitement. Since its invention in 1929, modern bingo has evolved into
multiple variations, with each jurisdiction's gambling laws regulating how
the game is played. There are also nearly unlimited patterns that may be
specified for play. Some games require only one number to be matched, while
cover-all games award the jackpot for covering an entire card. There are
even games that award prizes to players for matching no numbers or
achieving no pattern. See Variations for more details..
A lottery game called Il Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia was being played in
Italy by about 1530. In eighteenth-century France playing cards, tokens and
the calling out of numbers were added. In the nineteenth century a game
like this was widely played in Germany to teach children spelling, animal
names and multiplication tables.
The French game Le Lotto appeared in 1778, featuring 27 squares in a layout
of three rows and nine columns. Five squares in each row had numbers
ranging from 1 through 90, which led to the modern design.
In the early 1920s Hugh J. Ward standardized the game at carnivals in and
around Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania area. He copyrighted it and
published a rule book in 1933.
The game was further popularized by Edwin Lowe. While at a traveling
carnival near Atlanta in December 1929 the toy merchandiser saw people
eagerly playing a game called Beano following Ward's rules, with dried
beans, a rubber stamp, and cardboard sheets. Lowe took the game to New York
where friends liked playing it. The Lowe-produced Bingo game had two
versions, a 12-card set for $1.00 and a $2.00 set with 24 cards. By the
1940s there were Bingo games throughout the US.
The origin of the name Bingo is unknown but may date to the middle 1920s.
There are claims that one of Lowe's friends was so excited to have won that
she yelled out Bingo instead of Beano, or that the word echoes the sound of
a bell'.
* 'In 1941, During World War II: Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York
City and Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, signs Administrative
Order 9, creating the Civil Air Patrol. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally
chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the
official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a
volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes
people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations. It performs three
congressionally assigned key missions: emergency services, which includes
search and rescue (by air and ground) and disaster relief operations
aerospace education for youth and the general public and cadet programs for
teenage youth. In addition, CAP has recently been tasked with homeland
security and courier service missions. CAP also performs non-auxiliary
missions for various governmental and private agencies, such as local law
enforcement and the American Red Cross. The program is established as an
organization by Title 10 of the United States Code and its purposes defined
by Title 36.
Membership in the organization consists of cadets ranging from 12 to just
under 21 years of age, and senior members 18 years of age and up. These two
groups each have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of
pursuits the cadet program contributes to the development of the former
group with a structured syllabus and an organization based upon United
States Air Force ranks and pay grades, while the older members serve as
instructors, supervisors, and operators. All members wear uniforms while
performing their duties.
Nationwide, CAP is a major operator of single-engine general aviation
aircraft, used in the execution of its various missions, including
orientation flights for cadets and the provision of significant emergency
services capabilities. Because of these extensive flying opportunities,
many CAP members become licensed pilots.
The hierarchical and military auxiliary organization is headed by the
National Headquarters (with authority over the national organization)
followed by eight regional commands and 52 wings (each of the 50 states
plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico). Each wing supervises the individual
groups and squadrons that comprise the basic operational unit of the
organization.
Civil Air Patrol was conceived in the late 1930s by aviation advocate Gill
Robb Wilson, who foresaw general aviation's potential to supplement
America's military operations. With the help of New York Mayor Fiorello H.
LaGuardia, in his capacity as then-Director of the Office of Civilian
Defense, CAP was created with Administrative Order 9, signed by LaGuardia
on 1 December 1941 and published 8 December 1941. The Civil Air Patrol had
90 days to prove themselves to Congress. Major General John F. Curry was
appointed as the first national commander. Texas oilman David Harold Byrd
was a co-founder of CAP.
During World War II, CAP was seen as a way to use America's civilian
aviation resources to aid the war effort instead of grounding them. The
organization assumed many missions including anti-submarine patrol and
warfare, border patrols, and courier services. During World War II CAP's
coastal patrol flew 24 million miles, found 173 enemy U-boats, attacked 57,
hit 10 and sank two, dropping a total of 83 bombs and depth charges
throughout the conflict. By the end of the war, 64 CAP members had lost
their lives in the line of duty. On the Team, Civil Air Patrol poster
(1955) featuring an Air Force airman and a CAP cadet, with a CAP L-16 and
an Air Force F-94 flying overhead. This poster features the signature of
then-Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Gen. Nathan F. Twining.
After the end of World War II, CAP became the civilian auxiliary of the
United States Air Force, and its incorporating charter declared that it
would never again be involved in direct combat activities, but would be of
a benevolent nature. The supervisory USAF organization overseeing CAP has
changed several times. This has included the former Continental Air Command
in 1959, the former Headquarters Command, USAF in 1968, to the Air
University (AU) in 1976. Following Air University's reassignment as a
subordinate command to the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) in
1993, USAF oversight of CAP has flowed from AETC at the 4-star level, to AU
at the 3-star level, to AU's Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions
and Citizen Development at the 1-star level, to a subordinate unit of 1st
Air Force at the 3-star level with Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force as a
stand-alone unit lead at the Colonel (O-6) level. Since its incorporation
charter, CAP has maintained its relationship with the USAF, and has
continued its three congressionally mandated missions.
During the 113th United States Congress, both the United States Senate and
the United States House of Representatives voted to pass S. 309, a bill
that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members
of the Civil Air Patrol. The medal would be presented in recognition of
their military service and exemplary record during World War II.'.
* 'In 1941, Emperor Hirohito of Japan gives the final approval to initiate
war against the United States. .
- From Wikipedia: 'On September 4, 1941, the Japanese Cabinet met to
consider war plans prepared by Imperial General Headquarters, and decided
that:
Our Empire, for the purpose of self-defence and self-preservation, will
complete preparations for war ... ... resolved to go to war with the
United States, Great Britain, and the French if necessary. Our Empire will
concurrently take all possible diplomatic measures vis-à-vis the United
States and Great Britain, and thereby endeavor to obtain our objectives ...
In the event that there is no prospect of our demands being met by the
first ten days of October through the diplomatic negotiations mentioned
above, we will immediately decide to commence hostilities against the
United States, Britain and the French.
The objectives to be obtained were clearly defined: a free hand to continue
with the conquest of China and Southeast Asia, no increase in US or British
military forces in the region, and cooperation by the West in the
acquisition of goods needed by our Empire
On September 5, Prime Minister Konoe informally submitted a draft of the
decision to the Emperor, just one day in advance of the Imperial Conference
at which it would be formally implemented. On this evening, the Emperor had
a meeting with the chief of staff of the army, Sugiyama, chief of staff of
the navy, Osami Nagano, and Prime Minister Konoe. The Emperor questioned
Sugiyama about the chances of success of an open war with the Occident.
On November 3, Nagano explained in detail the plan of the attack on Pearl
Harbor to the Emperor. On November 5, Emperor Hirohito approved in imperial
conference the operations plan for a war against the Occident and had many
meetings with the military and Tojo until the end of the month. On November
25 Henry L. Stimson, United States Secretary of War noted in his diary that
he had discussed with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt the severe
likelihood that Japan was about to launch a surprise attack, and that the
question had been how we should maneuver them into the position of firing
the first shot without allowing too much danger to ourselves
On the following day, November 26, 1941, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull
presented the Japanese ambassador with the Hull note, which as one of its
conditions demanded the complete withdrawal of all Japanese troops from
French Indochina and China. Japanese Prime Minister Tojo Hideki said to his
cabinet, this is an ultimatum On December 1, an Imperial Conference
sanctioned the War against the United States, United Kingdom and the
Kingdom of the Netherlands On December 8 (December 7 in Hawaii) 1941, in
simultaneous attacks, Japanese forces struck at the US Fleet in Pearl
Harbor and in the Philippines and began the invasion of Malaya.
* 'In 1955, In Montgomery, Alabama, seamstress Rosa Parks refuses to give
up her bus seat to a white man and is arrested for violating the city's
racial segregation laws, an incident which leads to the Montgomery Bus
Boycott. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Montgomery bus boycott, a seminal event in the Civil
Rights Movement, was a political and social protest campaign against the
policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery,
Alabama. The campaign lasted from December 5, 1955—when Rosa Parks, an
African American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to
a white person—to December 20, 1956, when a federal ruling, Browder v.
Gayle, took effect, and led to a United States Supreme Court decision that
declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be
unconstitutional. Many important figures in the Civil Rights Movement took
part in the boycott, including Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph
Abernathy.
Black activists had begun to build a case to challenge state bus
segregation laws around the arrest of a 15-year-old girl, Claudette Colvin,
a student at Booker T. Washington High School in Montgomery. On March 2,
1955, Colvin was handcuffed, arrested and forcibly removed from a public
bus when she refused to give up her seat to a white man. At the time,
Colvin was an active member in the NAACP Youth Council, a group to which
Rosa Parks served as Advisor. Colvin's legal case formed the core of
Browder v. Gale, which ended the Montgomery bus boycott when the Supreme
Court ruled on it in December 1956.
Under the system of segregation used on Montgomery buses, the ten front
seats were reserved for whites at all times. The ten back seats were
supposed to be reserved for blacks at all times. The middle section of the
bus consisted of sixteen unreserved seats for whites and blacks on a
segregated basis. Whites filled the middle seats from the front to back,
and blacks filled seats from the back to front until the bus was full. If
other black people boarded the bus, they were required to stand. If another
white person boarded the bus, then everyone in the black row nearest the
front had to get up and stand, so that a new row for white people could be
created because it was illegal for whites and blacks to sit by each other.
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white person, she was
sitting in the first line of the middle section.
Often when boarding the buses, black people were required to pay at the
front, get off, and reenter the bus through a separate door at the back.
Occassionally, bus drivers would drive away before black passengers were
able to reboard. National City Lines owned the Montgomery Bus Line at the
time of the Montgomery bus boycott'.
* 'In 1959, Twelve nations sign treaty for scientific peaceful use of
Antarctica. Antarctica is defined as all of the land and ice shelves south
of 60°S latitude. .
- From Wikipedia: 'The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements,
collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate
international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent
without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system,
Antarctica is defined as all of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S
latitude. The treaty, entering into force in 1961 and having 53 parties as
of 2016, sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, establishes
freedom of scientific investigation and bans military activity on that
continent. The treaty was the first arms control agreement established
during the Cold War. The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat headquarters have
been located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since September 2004.
International ownership treaties Antarctic Treaty System Law of the Sea
Outer Space Treaty Moon Treaty International waters v t e The main treaty
was opened for signature on December 1, 1959, and officially entered into
force on June 23, 1961. The original signatories were the 12 countries
active in Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of
1957–58. The twelve countries that had significant interests in Antarctica
at the time were: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New
Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the
United States. These countries had established over 50 Antarctic stations
for the IGY. The treaty was a diplomatic expression of the operational and
scientific cooperation that had been achieved on the icec'.
* 'In 1964, The Houston Colt .45s change name to Astros. .
- From Wikipedia: From 1888 until 1961, Houston's professional baseball
club was the minor league Houston Buffaloes. Although expansion from the
National League eventually brought an MLB team to Texas in 1962, Houston
officials had been making efforts to do so for years prior. There were four
men chiefly responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Houston:
George Kirksey and Craig Cullinan, who had led a futile attempt to purchase
the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952 R.E. Bob Smith, a prominent oilman and real
estate magnate in Houston who was brought in for his financial resources
and Judge Roy Hofheinz, a former Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge
who was recruited for his salesmanship and political style. They formed the
Houston Sports Association as their vehicle for attaining a big league
franchise for the city of Houston.
'The Colt .45s started their inaugural season on April 10, 1962, against
the Chicago Cubs with Harry Craft as the Colt .45s' manager. Bob Aspromonte
scored the first run for the Colt .45s on an Al Spangler triple in the
first inning. They started the season with a three-game sweep of the Cubs
but eventually finished eighth among the National League's ten teams. The
team's best pitcher, Richard Turk Farrell, lost 20 games despite an ERA of
3.02. A starter for the Colt .45s, Farrell was primarily a relief pitcher
prior to playing for Houston. He was selected to both All-Star Games in
1962.
Given MLB's refusal to consider expansion, Kirksey, Cullinan, Smith, and
Hofheinz joined forces with would-be owners from other cities and announced
the formation of a new league to compete with the established National and
American Leagues. They called the new league the Continental League.
Wanting to protect potential new markets, both existing leagues chose to
expand from eight teams to ten. However, plans eventually fell through for
the Houston franchise after the Houston Buffaloes owner, Marty Marion,
could not come to an agreement with the HSA to sell the team. To make
matters worse, the Continental League as a whole folded in August 1960.
However, on October 17, 1960, the National League granted an expansion
franchise to the Houston Sports Association in which their team could begin
play in the 1962 season. According to the Major League Baseball
Constitution, the Houston Sports Association was required to obtain
territorial rights from the Houston Buffaloes in order to play in the
Houston area, and again negotiations began to purchase the team.
Eventually, the Houston Sports Association succeeded in purchasing the
Houston Buffaloes, at this point majority-owned by William Hopkins, on
January 17, 1961. The Buffs played one last minor league season as the top
farm team of the Chicago Cubs in 1961 before being succeeded by the city's
NL club.
The new Houston team was named the Colt .45s after a Name The Team contest
was won by William Irving Neder. The Colt .45 was well known as the gun
that won the west. The colors selected were navy blue and orange. The first
team was formed mostly through an expansion draft after the 1961 season.
The Colt .45s and their expansion cousins, the New York Mets, took turns
choosing players left unprotected by the other National League franchises'.
* 'In 2001, The last flight of TWA. The Trans World Airlines Flight 220, an
MD-83, lands in St. Louis International Airport bringing to an end 76 years
of TWA operations following TWA's purchase by American Airlines. .
- From Wikipedia: 'Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline
from 1925 until 2001. It was originally formed as Transcontinental and
Western Air to operate a transcontinental route from New York City to Los
Angeles via St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as other intermediate stops
with Ford Trimotor aircraft. Along with American, United, and Eastern, it
was one of the Big Four domestic airlines in the United States formed by
the Spoils Conference of 1930.
Tillinghast ignored the trans-Pacific market and the dedicated air cargo
market. He was reported to have said, There's no money in the Pacific and
there's no money in cargo. We're gonna' shrink this airline 'til it's
profitable. These two oversights are said to have been the undoing of TWA,
in addition to Sandro Andretta's resignation in December 1991.
Airline deregulation hit TWA hard in the 1980s. TWA had badly neglected
domestic U.S. expansion at a time when the newly deregulated domestic
market was growing quickly. TWA's holding company, Trans World Corporation,
spun off the airline, which then became starved for capital. The airline
briefly considered selling itself to renowned corporate raider Frank
Lorenzo in the 1980s, but ended up selling to yet another corporate raider,
Carl Icahn, in 1985. Under Icahn's direction, many of its most profitable
assets were sold to competitors, much to the detriment of TWA. Icahn was
eventually ousted in 1993, though not before the airline was forced to file
for bankruptcy on January 31, 1992. Icahn emerged unscathed. TWA moved its
headquarters from Mt. Kisco to the former headquarters building of
McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis soon after Icahn left.
TWA stated that it planned to make Los Angeles a focus city around October
2000, with a partnership with American Eagle Airlines as part of Trans
World Connection.
Financial problems soon resurfaced and Trans World Airlines Inc. assets
were acquired in April 2001 by AMR Corp., the parent company of American
Airlines, which quickly formed a new company called TWA Airlines LLC. As
part of the deal, TWA declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy (for the third time)
the day after it agreed to the purchase. The terms of the deal included a
$745 million payment. The bankruptcy court approved the purchase over a
rival bid by Jet Acquisition Group, an investment group fronted by Ralph
Atkin, founder of SkyWest Airlines. The total value of TWA's assets and
assumed liabilities was estimated to be $2 billion. American did not claim
the naming rights for the Rams' home, which eventually became the Edward
Jones Dome and now The Dome at America's Center'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in December
Food
Buckwheat Month
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
Health
Aids Awareness Month
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Animal and Pet
Operation Santa Paws
Other
National Tie Month
National Write A Business Plan Month
Universal Human Rights Month
Youngsters on The Air 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.
'
December 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