Request follow
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 22 May 1819, the SS Savannah left 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.
#TodayInHistory
SS Savannah was an American hybrid sailing ship/side-wheel steamer built in 1818. She is notable for being the first steamship in the world 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.
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.
(o:
Tuesday, 22 May 2012 is:
Buy a Musical Instrument Day
Isn't it obvious how to celebrate Buy a Musical Instrument Day? If you are a musician in need of a new instrument, today could be a very good day indeed! If you have been considering taking up a musical instrument, today can be your starting point. And, the good news is you're never too old to begin playing a musical instrument. Many senior citizens pick up musical instruments as a hobby. They even form senior bands, often playing in public.
Okay... Just in case you haven't figured out how to participate in this day...
Go out and buy a musical instrument!
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss0 comments1 week 3 days ago
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
21 May is celebrated as Victoria Day in Canada. In 1952, “the Monday before 25 May” was declared Victoria Day by an amendment to Canadian law.
#TodayInHistory
21 May is celebrated as Victoria Day in Canada this year. As a neighbour of Canada’s, I was curious as to why the day was changing each year. You see, Queen Victoria was actually born on 24 May 1819. In fact, Queen Victoria's birthday, was declared a holiday by the Legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845. Even after her death, Canadians still remembered her birthday on 24 May. It wasn’t until Queen Elizabeth II was crowned that Victoria Day became a movable holiday.
When Elizabeth II was crowned, her first birthday as Queen was also celebrated in June. All this time, Canada was still celebrating Victoria Day on 24 May, but in 1952 the date was changed to “the Monday before 25 May”, making the holiday always fall on a Monday and giving the Canadians a three-day weekend. Finally, with the annual permission of the Queen, Canada began celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s birthday on Victoria Day. In 1957, Victoria Day was permanently appointed as the Queen's birthday in Canada. In the United Kingdom, the Queen's birthday is still celebrated in June. Will it change again when the next monarch takes the throne? We’ll have to wait and see. Until then, my neighbours to the north, enjoy your three-day weekend.
What do the Canadians do on Victoria Day you ask? The holiday, called May Long by some Canadians, is seen as the unofficial start of summer by many. By the end of May, the weather in Canada is usually warm and pleasant, and as a Canadian friend told me, “May Long (Victoria Day) is the weekend where Canadians everywhere start to plant their gardens. We can't plant before that because there's usually a good chance of frost, which would kill all the pretty flowers.” There are parades, of course. One of the most notable parades is held in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, which was named after Queen Victoria. There are also fireworks presentations. Many people gather in parks to enjoy the fireworks displays, which are particularly impressive in Hamilton and Toronto.
So enjoy May Long (Victoria Day), my Canadian brothers and sisters!
By the way, Victoria Day won’t occur on 24 May again until 2021.
(o:
Monday, 21 May 2012 is:
National Waiters and Waitresses Day
National Waiters and Waitresses Day recognizes the value and importance of a good waiter or waitress. When you go out to eat, they represent the restaurant, and make all the difference between a good or a bad experience. You already recognize your waiters and waitresses every time you go to a restaurant. That recognition comes in the form of a tip. The tip should be commensurate with the quality of the service.
You can recognize your waiters and waitresses on National Waiters and Waitresses Day by giving them a little something extra. In addition to a generous tip, a card or simple verbal recognition is sufficient. Waiters and waitresses should recognize this day by making sure by providing exemplary service (as always).
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss0 comments1 week 4 days ago
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 20 May 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.
#TodayInHistory
Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, in the Franconian region of Bavaria, Germany, to a Jewish family. He was the son of Hirsch Strauss and his wife Rebecca (Haass) Strauss. At the age of 18, Strauss, his mother and two sisters sailed for the United States to join his brothers Jonas and Louis, who had begun a wholesale dry goods business in New York City called J. Strauss Brother & Co.
Jacob W. Davis (Youphes) was born to a Jewish family in Riga,in the Russian Empire, in 1831 and came to Reno, Nevada in June 1868. Davis, who was a tailor, used small copper rivets to reinforce and strengthen items including harnesses. In 1871, a woman approached Davis to make pants for her overweight husband. To keep the pants from ripping, Davis decided to use copper rivets to reinforce stress points in the pants.
At the time, Davis made tents and wagon covers with cotton duck cloth, an off-white canvas-type material he bought from Levi Strauss & Co, a San Francisco merchant. Davis' copper-riveted pants and overalls, made of duck cloth, and later denim, sold well. Worried that others were pirating his product, he asked Levi Strauss to support him in a patent application. Levi Strauss agreed, and the patent was granted on May 20, 1873. Shortly before the patent was granted, Davis moved his family to San Francisco and became production manager for a line of Levi's copper-riveted clothing. Around 1907, Davis sold his interest to Levi Strauss & Co. but he continued his work as a manager until his death in 1908.
In late 1872 Jacob Davis, a Reno, Nevada tailor, started making men's work pants with metal points of strain for greater strength. He wanted to patent the process but needed a business helper, so he turned to Levi Strauss, from whom he purchased some of his fabric. On May 20, 1873, Strauss and Davis received United States patent for using copper rivets to strengthen the pockets of denim work pants. Levi Strauss & Co. began manufacturing the famous Levi's brand of jeans, using fabric from the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester, New Hampshire.
The "Arcuate", the double arch stitching on the back pocket, is a Levi's trademark, which the company has repeatedly defended in court. During World War II it was deemed by the US Government to be decorative only, and prohibited from being stitched into the pockets because items needed for the war effort, including thread, were being rationed. Rather than lose its trademark, the company had the Arcuate hand-painted onto the pockets.
(o:
Sunday, 20 May 2012 is:
Yom Yerushalaim in Israel
It is also:
Be a Millionaire Day
Okay, so a million bucks ain't what it used to be. But, it’s still a lot of money. I have no doubt everyone reading this would like to join the Millionaire's Club. Then, after reaching it, you can work on your qualifications for the Billionaire's Club.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss3 comments1 week 5 days ago
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 19 May 1928, the first annual Calaveras County Frog Jumping Jubilee was held in Angel's Camp, California.
#TodayInHistory
Angels Camp is the only incorporated city in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 3,835 at the 2010 census, up from 3,004 at the 2000 census. It lies at an elevation of 1378 feet (420 m).
Mark Twain based his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" on a story he claimed he heard at the Angels Hotel in 1865. The event is commemorated with a Jumping Frog Jubilee each May at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, just east of the city. Because of this, Angels Camp is sometimes referred to as "Frogtown."
United States Ski Team member and two time Alpine skiing World Cup Downhill Champion Kyle Rasmussen lives in Angels Camp.
The city is California Historical Landmark #287.
You can find a free copy of the story in many formats, including text and Kindle, at:
www.gutenberg.org/
and for $0.99 for the Kindle edition at:
http://amzn.to/LlWHyA
(o:
Saturday, 19 May 2012 is:
Armed Forces Day in the United States
It is also:
The Running of the Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 lb (55 kg). It is the second leg of the US Triple Crown, with the Kentucky Derby preceding it and the Belmont Stakes following it. The horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss9 comments1 week 6 days ago
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 18 May 1652, Rhode Island passed the first law in English-speaking North America making slavery illegal.
#TodayInHistory
Rhode Islanders thought this was such a common sense decision that very little can be found out about it other than it happened. Way to go Rhode Island!
By the way, despite the name, most of Rhode Island is on the mainland United States. The official name of the state, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, derives from the merger of two colonies. Rhode Island colony was founded near present-day Newport, on what is now commonly called Aquidneck Island, the largest of several islands in Narragansett Bay. Providence Plantations was the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams in the area now known as the City of Providence.
(o:
Friday, 18 May 2012 is:
Visit Your Relatives Day
Visit Your Relatives Day encourages us to visit our relatives and loved ones. This day is intended to give us the opportunity to get closer to our relatives, and to build (or re-build) family ties and relationships.
It's easy to get out of touch with loved ones; we lead busy lives. A visit with the relatives is sometimes relegated to Christmas and a few other choice major holidays.
If you cannot visit your relatives today, we suggest you call them and/or send them a card. Both snail mail and online cards will do.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss0 commentsMay 18th, 2012
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 17 May 1875, Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby.
#TodayInHistory
In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England, visiting the Epsom Derby, a famous race that had been running annually since 1780. From there, Clark went on to Paris, France, where in 1863, a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club and had organized the Grand Prix de Paris, which at the time was the greatest race in France.
Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club for the purpose of raising money to build quality racing facilities just outside of the city. The track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack. Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937.
The Kentucky Derby was first run at 1½ miles (2.4 km), the same distance as the Epsom Derby. On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. Under jockey Oliver Lewis, a colt named Aristides, who was trained by future Hall of Famer Ansel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. In 1896, the distance was changed to its current 1¼ miles (2 km).
Thoroughbred owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete a few weeks later in the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Race Course, in Baltimore, Maryland, followed by the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. The three races offered the largest purse and in 1919 Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term Triple Crown didn't come into use for another eleven years. In 1930, when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase into American usage. Fueled by the media, public interest in the possibility of a "superhorse" that could win the Triple Crown began in the weeks leading up to the derby. Two years after the term was coined, the race, which had been run in mid-May since inception, was changed to the first Saturday in May to allow for a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes.
(o:
Thursday, 17 May 2012 is:
Ascension Day is a Christian Religious Holiday
It is also:
Pack Rat Day
C’mon, admit it... you're a Pack Rat like the rest of us. If you are a Pack Rat, you're in good company. You might as well come out of hiding behind those piles of valuable "stuff" and celebrate this fun day. It’s really easy to let things pile up. After all, each item you acquire along the road of life may have value or serve some meaningful purpose. Ya just never know. Making the decision to discard something of even remotely questionable value is difficult, if not impossible to do. We understand you perfectly. Why? Because most of us are pack rats.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss7 commentsMay 17th, 2012
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 16 May 1929, the first Academy Awards were given on this night. The term, Oscars, was not used to describe the statuettes given to actors and actresses until 1931.
#TodayInHistory
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the origins of the name are uncertain, but "a popular story has been that an Academy librarian and eventual executive director, Margaret Herrick, thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so; and that the Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar." The name was used in a column by Sidney Skolsky in 1934, and officially used by the Academy itself starting in 1939.
The first awards went to:
Best Picture: Wings
Best Actor: Emil Jannings, The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh
Best Actress: Janet Gaynor, 7th Heaven, Street Angel and Sunrise
Best Director; Dramatic Picture: Frank Borzage, 7th Heaven
Best Director; Comedy Picture: Lewis Milestone, Two Arabian Knights
(o:
Wednesday, 16 May 2012 is:
Wear Purple for Peace Day
You'd think that this day originated in protest of a particular war or conflict. Or, perhaps it should have been conceived by the UN, or another peacemaking or peace keeping group. Our extensive research found no evidence supporting the origin of this holiday stemming from these sources. Rather, we found this day to be a stellar event. It seems some of you out there fear that aliens from outer space consider earthlings to be too hostile (you've got that right). As a result, they have yet to visit or make contact with us. So, some of you (originators unknown) decided to promote world peace by establishing Wear Purple for Peace Day.
The goal of Wear Purple for Peace Day is to make the world a peaceful place and, of course, encourage alien species to make contact with earth. Do you want to meet aliens for another planet? Me, too! So, let’s all wear purple for peace today.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss0 commentsMay 16th, 2012
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 15 May 1919, The Winnipeg General Strike begins. By 11:00 am, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg, Manitoba had walked off the job.
#TodayInHistory
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and became the platform for future labour reforms.
Although many Canadian companies had enjoyed enormous profits on World War I contracts, wages and working conditions were dismal and labour regulations were mostly non-existent.
In March 1919 labour delegates from across Western Canada convened in Calgary to form a branch of the "One Big Union", with the intention of earning rights for Canadian workers through a series of strikes.
With the cost of living rising due to the inflation caused by World War I, the City of Winnipeg's teamsters, electrical workers, water works employees and office workers approached City Council in April 1919 for a wage increase. Their proposal was rejected and City Council offered the four departments war bonuses, with a promise to revisit the topic after the war. City Council's new proposal was unsatisfactory to the four departments, and the municipal Electrical Workers took action and began striking on May 15, 1919, with the waterwork and fire alarm employees joining a few days later. City Council considered the strike actions of the civic departments unacceptable and, after warnings to strikers, the Council dismissed the striking workers on May 19. This action, however would not discourage the strikers but strengthened their cause as other civic unions joined the strike out of sympathy with the dismissed strikers. This was an important feature of 20th-century Canadian social history.
Fearing that the strike would spread to other cities, the Federal Government of Canada ordered Senator Gideon Decker Robertson to mediate the dispute. After hearing both sides, Robertson settled in favour of the strikers and encouraged City Council to accept the civic employee's proposal. Bolstered by their success, the labour unions would use striking again to gain other labour and union reforms.
(o:
Tuesday, 15 May 2012 Is:
National Chocolate Chip Day
National Chocolate Chip Day celebrates and enjoys sweet, tasty chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are a great invention, and certainly deserve a little recognition. After all, where would chocolate chip cookies, cakes and muffins be without the chocolate chip? Chocolate chips are popular in cooking and baking, for a wide variety of breads, cakes, and cookies. There are an almost endless number of recipes. They are also used in decorating. Have you ever had chocolate chip pancakes? How about chocolate chips in trail mix? If you've never had these, then you're leading a sheltered life.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss2 commentsMay 15th, 2012
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 14 May 1796, Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox vaccination to 8-year-old James Phipps.
#TodayInHistory
Edward Anthony Jenner (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was an English physician and scientist from Berkeley, Gloucestershire, who was the pioneer of smallpox vaccine. He is often called "the father of immunology", and his work is said to have "saved more lives than the work of any other man".
A British rural physician, Jenner was variolated* as a boy. He had suffered greatly from the ordeal, but survived fully protected from smallpox. Jenner knew of a local belief that dairy workers who had contracted a relatively mild infection called cowpox were immune to smallpox. He decided to test the "theory" (though he was probably not the first to do so). On 14 May 1796 he selected "a healthy boy, about eight years old for the purpose of inoculation for the Cow Pox". The boy was James Phipps who survived the experiment and suffered only a mild fever. On 1 July 1796, Jenner took some "smallpox matter" (probably infected pus) and repeatedly inoculated Phipps’ arms with it. Phipps survived, and was subsequently inoculated with smallpox more than 20 times without succumbing to the disease. Vaccination – the word is derived from the Latin vacca meaning "cow" – had been invented.
*Variolation is the deliberate inoculation of an uninfected person with the smallpox virus that was widely practiced before the era of vaccination as prophylaxis against the severe form of smallpox.
(o:
Monday 14 May 2012 is:
Dance like a Chicken Day
Dance like a Chicken Day is for those who like to do the "Chicken Dance". All ya gotta do is dance like a chicken. While any dance song will do, there's no dance like the Chicken dance. It's tradition at every wedding reception to play and to dance the Chicken Dance. It gets people of all ages up dancing and mingling. It puts a smile on everyone's face. The Chicken Dance is not limited to weddings. It is also played at other social events where there is a band and dancing. The only problem is that events are way too infrequent for a chicken dance lover. Therefore, today exists to provide you with another opportunity to dance like a chicken. So, don't pass up this priceless opportunity.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss0 commentsMay 14th, 2012
-
Uncle_Pete snapped a picture
On 13 May 1912, 100 years ago today, the Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) was established in the United Kingdom.
#TodayInHistory
With the growing recognition of the potential for aircraft as a cost-effective method of reconnaissance and artillery observation, the Committee of Imperial Defence established a sub-committee to examine the question of military aviation in November 1911. The following February the sub-committee reported its findings, which recommended that a flying corps be formed and that it consist of a naval wing, a military wing, a central flying school and an aircraft factory. The recommendations of the committee were accepted and on 13 April 1912 King George V signed a royal warrant establishing the Royal Flying Corps. The Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers became the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps a month later on 13 May.
The Flying Corps' initial allowed strength was 133 officers, and by the end of that year it had 12 manned balloons and 36 aeroplanes. The RFC originally came under the responsibility of Brigadier-General Henderson, the Director of Military Training, and had separate branches for the Army and the Navy. Major Sykes commanded the Military Wing and Commander C R Samson commanded the Naval Wing. The Royal Navy however, with different priorities to that of the Army and wishing to retain greater control over its aircraft, formally separated its branch and renamed it the Royal Naval Air Service in 1914, although a combined central flying school was retained.
The RFC's motto was Per ardua ad astra ("Through adversity to the stars"). This remains the motto of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other Commonwealth air forces.
(o:
Sunday, 13 May 2012 is:
Mother’s Day in many countries around the world.
Everybody has a mother and absolutely no one is more special than Mom. Sure, Dad is really important, and grandparents too. But moms, well they are just the greatest. Often taken for granted, they are always our strongest supporter. You can't do wrong in Mom's eyes. When you are hurt or not feeling well, there is no one else that can help you more than Mom.
So go out and celebrate Mother's Day. First and foremost, spend time with her. If you absolutely cannot be there, take time for a long phone call. Flowers, cards, candy and gifts are all part of the day, but Mom wants some time with you far more than anything else.
Questions? http://www.formspring.me/UnclePete
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss4 commentsMay 13th, 2012
Pete is a 64 year old male from United States.
About
I was born and raised in Chicago. After 12 years in the US Army, I found a job in Lombard, west of Chicago.
Today I'm retired and enjoy life to the fullest. While working, I traveled a lot and met many wonderful people. Everyone I met wanted the same things that I did - to be happy, successful and accepted.
If I could have the perfect job, it would be as a Mattress Tester. It'd be great to get paid to sleep. (o:
You can reach me at:
(MSN) UnclePete@hotmail.com
(Skype) Pete072313
Following them
They're following
Television
NCIS, Person of Interest, Psych, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS LA, The Mentalist (Psych Jr), Lie To Me, The Middle.
Books
Jeffery Deaver, Tami Hoag, Lawrence Block, John Locke, John Green, Warren Murphy, Scott Sigler, Anthony Horowitz, Sophie Kinsella, Stephen Chbosky and others.