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Leap Day: March Will Wait Another Day
Today is not March 1st, in case you’re just waking up, It’s still February, at least according to the Gregorian calendar. Every four years, with some exceptions, February has an extra day to help account for the difference between a calendar year and the time it actually takes the Earth to orbit the sun or…
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Levi Strauss: It’s in the Jeans
187 years ago today, Levi Strauss was born in what is now Germany. Here are a few things you may not have known about the man whose name has become synonymous with blue jeans. At the age of 18, Strauss moved to the United States with his mother and two sisters. They joined his brothers…
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Clam Chowder: Say it Right
Today is National Clam Chowder Day in the United States. Here are a few facts about clam chowder that you may not have known. First, chowder is a soup, but not all soups are chowders. Chowder is a type of soup made with dairy products and is usually thickened. Most chowders are seafood based, although…
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Miracle on Ice: An (Eventually) Golden Moment
On this date in 1980, the United States ice hockey team won the gold medal during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Here are some things you may not have known about the “Miracle on Ice.” The 1980 Olympics were the second winter games held in Lake Placid. The 1932 Winter Olympics, the…
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Iwo Jima: Raising the Flag in Victory
On this date in 1945, five United States Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Here are some things you may not have known about the battle, the moment and the iconic photograph. Iwo Jima is located halfway between…
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Legend of Zelda: Link’s 30-Year Quest
30 years ago today, the video game “The Legend of Zelda” was released in Japan. Here are some things you may not have known about the game. First off, the playable character is named Link, not Zelda. Link is a boy who ends up on a quest to gather eight pieces of the Triforce of…
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Japanese Internment During World War II
On February 19, 1942, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which would lead to the internment of more than 100,000 people of Japanese heritage living in the western United States. Here are some things you may not have known about the forced relocation. The United States became involved in World War II following…
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Dale Earnhardt: A NASCAR Champion
On this date in 2001, seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a final-lap crash during the Daytona 500. Here are some things you may not have known about Earnhardt and that fateful day. Dale Earnhardt was born in 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He was the third of four children of…
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Red Cross: Helping in Wartime since 1863
Today is the 153rd anniversary of the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Here are some things you may not have known about the humanitarian organization. The founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, was inspired after witnessing the Battle of Solferino during the Franco-Austrian War in June…
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Canadian Flag: Symbol of a Nation Since 1965
Today is National Flag Day in Canada, in honor of the adoption of The Maple Leaf flag on this date in 1965. Here are some things you may not have known about the Canadian flag. The first recorded flag to fly over Canada was the St. George’s Cross flag of England, which is a red…