Jody Victor: During the war of 1812 between the British and Americans, Lawyer Francis Scott Key was escorting a prisoner to freedom by ship when he saw an American flag surviving a battle in Baltimore Harbor. The flag inspired him to write the poem which provides the words for the national anthem. The actual flag now hangs in the Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.. Today the "Star-Spangled Banner" is sung at large public gatherings such as sports events. Many television stations play the anthem before the station closes down for the night.
The Star-Spangled Banner - Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our Flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, and home of the brave?
Jody Victor: Lunar phases are the result of looking at the illuminated half of the Moon from different viewing geometries; they are not caused by shadows of the Earth on the Moon that occur during a lunar eclipse. The Moon exhibits different phases as the relative geometry of the Sun, Earth, and Moon change, appearing as a full moon when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, and as a new moon (also named dark moon, as it is not visible at night) when they are on the same side. The phases of full moon and new moon are examples of syzygies, which occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun lie (approximately) in a straight line. The time between two full moons (and between successive occurrences of the same phase) is about 29.53 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes) on average (hence, the concept of a time-frame of a period of time of an approximated month was derived). This synodic month is longer than the time it takes the Moon to make one orbit about the Earth with respect to the fixed stars (the sidereal month), which is about 27.32 days. This difference is caused by the fact that the Earth-Moon system is orbiting about the Sun at the same time the Moon is orbiting about the Earth. The actual time between two syzygies is variable because the orbit of the Moon is elliptic and subject to various periodic perturbations, which change the velocity of the Moon.
It might be expected that once every month when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun during a new moon, its shadow would fall on Earth causing a solar eclipse. Likewise, during every full moon, we might expect the Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon, causing a lunar eclipse. We do not observe a solar and lunar eclipse every month because the plane of the Moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted by about 5 degrees with respect to the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. Thus, when new and full moons occur, the Moon usually lies to the north or south of a direct line through the Earth and Sun. Although an eclipse can only occur when the Moon is either new or full, it must also be positioned very near the intersection of Earth's orbit plane about the Sun and the Moon's orbit plane about the Earth (that is, at one of its nodes). This happens about twice per year, and so there are between 4 and 7 eclipses in a calendar year. Most of these are quite insignificant; major eclipses of the Moon or Sun are relatively rare.
Jody Victor : It would be interesting to know how Father's Day came into practice and celebrated worldwide with and equal sincerity and respect as any other significant holiday. Here's a short history on the holiday, and meaning of the different colors of roses to be worn that day.
About 4,000 years ago a young boy named Elmesu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life by carving a Father's Day message on a card made out of clay. No one knows what happened to Elmesu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries across the world.
The countries where the Catholic church were of significant influence on the culture of the society, Father's Day is celebrated on St. Joseph's Day (March 19). However, a more secular celebration which is not associated with any religion is followed in recent times to highlight the increased diversity among people from all over the globe coexisting together in one place.
Father's Day is celebrated popularly on the 3rd Sunday in June in many parts of the world. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June Father's Day. President Nixon, in 1972, established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born as a token of love and gratitude that a daughter cherishes for her beloved father. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
Today, Father's Day is a day of commemoration and celebration of Dad - the special man in our life. We often forget the sacrifice of our fathers and the roles they have played in shaping our lives. Father's Day gives us the opportunity to show and express our love and care to this man who deserves our support most. Father's Day is the most appropriate time to make us look beyond 'our own' family and honor the men who brought us joy and happiness. Father's Day is a time to honor not only your father, but all men who have acted as a father figure in your life - whether as stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, or "Big Brothers."
The word 'Father' is often used to honor spiritual leaders, inventors and originators of an idea, product, service or person. Fathers have always been associated with guidance and protection as the person who can be loved, respected and looked up to. On Father's Day let these men know what place they have in our lives and what influence they have on us. Make this Sunday, June 21st, the best Father's Day ever!
Jody Victor: National flags are not merely symbols of a country. Their colors and designs convey past history and future goals. Flags have powerful connotations. They speak to the people and politicians. People of one country will burn the flag of another with whose politics they do not agree. To show their anger, students display their own nation's flags with the design altered or cut out completely. Dictators fly flags; dissidents rip them down. In every country of the world, the treatment of a flag displays an opinion or statement.
Americans take the treatment of their flag seriously and in the 20th century this has become an important issue. Included in the code of ethics are such rules as the national flag cannot be used for advertising. It cannot cover a monument or any ceilings. It must not be folded while being displayed. No one should write on an American flag. Ships can lower their flags slightly in greeting each other, but otherwise should not be dipped for any other object or person.
In the late 1960s, American students wore small flags sewn to the back of their jeans, symbolically insulting the American government and protesting its involvement in the Vietnam War. They burned the American flag in front of the Capitol Building in Washington as a statement of protest. In the early 1990s, senators suggested an amendment to the Constitution that would make this treatment of the flag illegal. The proposition was opposed because many others felt that this change would be a violation of Americans' constitutional rights to express their opinions freely.
For all the controversy it is interesting to point out that the United States did not even have a standardized flag until 1912! Called the "Stars and Stripes," or "Old Glory," the flag is one of the most complicated in the world. No other flag needs 64 pieces of fabric to make. The current flag has 13 red and white alternating stripes (representing the original 13 states) and 50 stars (each star represents one of the states of the Union) on a blue background.
The American flag has also changed designs more than any other flag in the world. The first flag, called the Grand Union, was first flown at the headquarters of the Continent Army on January 1, 1776. Betsy Ross, a' seamstress, is said to have contributed to this design. She had an upholstery business which made flags for navy ships in Pennsylvania. A legend still persists that she showed George Washington how to make a five-pointed star and suggested thirteen stars in a circle for the first flag. Her descendants claimed that she offered the design. George Washington did design the Grand Union but an often-quoted remark attributed to him might not be true:
We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separate it by white in stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her...
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress proposed that the United States have a national flag instead of the British Union Jack. The 13 stars of the flag represented the 13 new states. There were few public ceremonies honoring the Stars and Stripes until 1877, when on, June 14, it was flown from every government building in honor of the centennial of the adoption of a national flag. Schools had unfurled American flags over their doors or outside the buildings long before this; but in 1890, North Dakota and New Jersey made a law that required their schools to fly the flag daily. The first official Flag Day was observed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1893. New York also proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day 1897. Other states were slow to follow. Some people thought that the day was too close to Memorial Day and Independence Day.
In August 1949, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day. Since then the President proclaims the commemoration yearly, and encourages all Americans in the country to display the Stars and Stripes outside their homes and businesses. Individual states determine how they will observe the day. In Pennsylvania and American Samoa (In American Samoa, Flag Day is celebrated on April 17th) it is a public holiday. Usually the flag is flown from all public buildings, speeches are made in public places and ceremonies take place in towns and cities.
Jody Victor : What happened on this day June first, in history? Read on to find out.
1638 - An earthquake was reported in the unlikely locale of Plymouth, MA.
1792 - Kentucky entered the United States of America as the 15th state. Since its name is an American Indian word for "great meadow," it is fitting that Kentucky's nickname is the Bluegrass State, and its flower is the goldenrod. The official state bird is the cardinal. The capital of Kentucky is the city of Frankfort.
1796 - Tennessee joined the United States of America on this day. Long before it officially became the 16th state, Tennessee had already begun to earn its nickname, the Volunteer State, as it sent large numbers of volunteers to fight in the American Revolution. The tradition continued for the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the Civil War. The country-music capital of the world, Nashville, is also the governmental capital of Tennessee. The state's official flower is the iris, its bird, the mockingbird.
1831 - Sir James Clark Ross, an English navigator and explorer, discovered the magnetic North Pole while on his Arctic exploration.
1869 - Thomas Edison of Boston, MA received a patent for his electric voting machine. Ol' Tom would soon have a filing cabinet full of patents.
1911 - The folks in Bradford and Leeds in Great Britain didn't need wheelbarrows to get around...they were the first in England to have trolleys. The trolleys started running on this day.
1925 - Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees played the first of what would become 2,130 consecutive baseball games (Gehrig played in every Yankee game until May 2, 1939), setting a major-league record not to be broken until Cal Ripken, Jr. of Baltimore did so in the summer of 1995. Gehrig wasn't even a starter on this day. He was inserted in the lineup for Wally Pipp.
1936 - The Lux Radio Theater moved from new York City to Hollywood. Cecil B. DeMille, the program's host on the NBC Blue network, introduced Clark Gable and Marlene Dietrich in The Legionnaire and the Lady.
1949 - Microfilm copies of Newsweek magazine were offered to subscribers for the first time. The weekly publication cost $15 a year.
1953 - The Mask of Medusa, on ABC-TV's Twilight Theater, featured the network-TV acting debut of Raymond Burr. He later became the star of Perry Mason and Ironside.
1957 - The first American to break the four-minute mile was Don Bowden, who was timed at 4minutes, 58.7 seconds.
1959 - Celebrating a solid year at the top of the album charts was Johnny's Greatest Hits on Columbia Records. The LP stayed for several more years at or near the top of the album charts. It became the all-time album leader at 490 weeks.
1961 - There was a new sound in the air this day. FM multiplex stereo broadcasting was enjoyed for the first time by listeners to FM radio in Schenectady, NY, Los Angeles and Chicago. The FCC adopted the standard a year later.
1967 - The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released. One of the first critically-acclaimed rock albums, Sgt. Pepper's became the number one album in the world and was at the top of the U.S. album list for 15 weeks.
1975 - Nolan Ryan of the California Angels tied the no-hit record in major-league baseball. A future Hall of Famer, Ryan tossed his fourth career no-hitter with a 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
1987 - Knuckleballer Phil Niekro won game number 314 by leading the Cleveland Indians to a 9-6 win over the Detroit Tigers. The victory also brought Phil and his brother, Joe, to a total of 531 career wins, breaking the record set by the Perry brothers.
1991 - Former Temptations lead singer David Ruffin died in Philadelphia of a cocaine overdose at age 50. He was the lead singer on such Temptation hits as My Girl (1965) and Ain't Too Proud to Beg (1966). Ruffin had hits on his own with My Whole WorldEnded (The Moment You Left Me) (1969) and Walk Away from Love (1976).
Jody Victor : I'll bet you can remember something that happened to you on this day. Here are some events from entertainment and sports history that happened on May 26th.
1913 - Actors' Equity Association was organized in New York City.
1928 - Andrew Payne ran 3,422 miles in 84 days in a time of 573 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds to win the Bunion Derby that ended at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1937 - Lionel Hampton and his band recorded the classic, Flying Home, for Decca Records.
1940 - Invitation to Learning was first heard on CBS radio. The educational radio program ran for 15 years on the network.
1954 - Liberace presented a three-hour, one-man concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Look at the official attendance : 13,000 women and 3,000 men! The performance nearly broke the box office mark of 18,000 set by pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski.
1956 - The first trailer bank opened for business in Locust Grove, Long Island, NY. The 46-foot-long trailer took in $100,000 in deposits its very first day.
1959 - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, Harvey Haddix, threw a no-hitter for 12 innings, but lost to the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in the 13th inning. That's when Braves slugger Joe Adcock whacked a home run to win the game.
1961 - Dave Garroway told the NBC-TV brass that he was ready to retire. Garroway voiced his trademark, "Peace," with palm facing the camera, for the last time, after 10 years of the Today show early morning informing and entertaining.
1969 - Dick Cavett began a prime time summer TV series three nights a week on ABC. The critics said it was too much for Cavett. Within two years, ABC decided that Cavett would be the star of its late night offering five nights a week against Johnny Carson. Guess who kept his job?
1973 - Kathy Schmidt set an American women's javelin record with a toss of 207 feet, 10 inches in Modesto, CA.
1977 - The man called The Human Fly, George Willig, did the impossible. He scaled the World Trade Center in New York City, by fixing himself up to the window washer mechanism and walking straight up until falling into police custody when he reached the top! It took Willig three and a half hours to make the climb, and $1.10 in fines - a penny per floor.
1985 - A.J. Foyt made it to his 30th Indianapolis 500 as he got his sluggish Indy-car to start. In addition to winning four Indianapolis 500s as a driver, A.J. Foyt won the 1972 Daytona 500 and the 24 hours of Le Mans, making him the only man to have won the crown jewels of Indy car, NASCAR Winston Cup and international sports car racing.
1986 - Sylvester Stallone set a sales record for a non-sequel film with the release of Cobra. Ticket sales for the opening day premiere were $12.4 million.
1189 Emperor Frederik I Barbarossa & 100,000 crusaders depart Regensburg 1330 Constantinople (Istanbul) becomes new capital by Roman Emperor Constantine for Eastern Roman Empire 1502 Columbus begins 4th & last trip to "Indies" 1751 1st US hospital founded (Pennsylvania Hospital) 1752 1st US fire insurance policy issued (Philadelphia) 1792 Columbia River discovered & named by US Captain Robert Gray 1812 Waltz introduced into English ballrooms - Most observers considered it disgusting & immoral. No wonder it caught on! 1814 Americans defeat British at Battle of Plattsburgh 1818 Cincinnati Reds Hod Eller no-hits St Louis Cardinals, 6-0 1850 Work starts on 1st brick building in San Fransisco 1858 Minnesota admitted as 32nd US state 1862 Confederates scuttle CSS Virginia off Norfolk VA 1864 General J E B Stuart is mortally wounded in Battle of Yellow Tavern VA (Sheridan's Raid, South Anna Bridge) 1875 George "Charmer" Zettlein pitches the 1st 9 inning shutout 1887 13th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Lewis aboard Montrose wins in 2:39¼ 1888 16th Preakness: F Littlefield aboard Refund wins in 2:49 1892 18th Kentucky Derby: Lonnie Clayton aboard Azra wins in 2:41½ 1894 American RR Union strikes Pullman Sleeping Car Co 1897 Washington Senator catcher Charlie Farrell throws out 8 attempted stealers 1900 James J Jeffries KOs James J Corbett in 23 for heavyweight boxing title 1910 Montana's Glacier National Park forms 1912 38th Kentucky Derby: Carol H Shilling aboard Worth wins in 2:09.4 1916 Einstein's Theory of General Relativity presented 1918 44th Kentucky Derby: William Knapp on Exterminator wins in 2:10.8 1919 Yankees' Jack Quinn & Senators' Walter Johnson, 12 inning 0-0 tie 1923 10 homeruns hit in Phillies 20-14 victory over St Louis Cardinals 1924 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Robert Frost (New Hampshire) 1927 Louis B Mayer forms Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences 1928 56th Preakness: Raymond Sonny Workman aboard Victorian wins in 2:00.2 1928 63rd British Golf Open: Walter Hagen shoots a 292 at Royal St George's 1928 General Electric opens 1st TV-station (Schenectady NY) 1929 1st regularly scheduled TV broadcasts (3 nights per week) 1935 61st Preakness: Willie Saunders aboard Omaha wins in 1:58.4 1940 66th Preakness: Fred A Smith aboard Bimelech wins in 1:58.6 1940 New York World's Fair reopens 1941 1st Messerschmidt 109F shot down above England 1943 Hermann Goering-division in Tunisia surrenders 1943 US 7th division lands on Attu, Aleutian, (1st US territory recaptured) 1945 US marines conquer Awatsha Draw Okinawa 1946 1st night game at Boston Braves Field (Giants 5, Braves 1) 1947 BF Goodrich manufactures 1st tubeless tire, Akron OH 1949 1st Polaroid camera sold for $89.95 (NYC) 1949 By a vote of 37-12, Israel becomes 59th member of UN 1949 Siam renames itself Thailand 1951 Jay Forrester patents computer core memory 1953 Tornado kills 114 in Waco TX ($39 million damage) 1958 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island 1958 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak 1959 "Kookie, Kookie Lend Me Your Comb" by Byrnes & Connie Stevens hits #4 1959 Elvis Presley's 1st entry on UK charts with "Heartbreak Hotel" 1959 Rodgers & Barer's musical "Once Upon a Mattress" premieres in NYC 1959 Yankee catcher Yogi Berra's errorless streak of 148 games ends 1960 Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires 1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1963 "Puff (The Magic Dragon)" by Peter, Paul & Mary hits #2 1963 Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax 2nd no-hitter beats New York Giants, 8-0 1965 Ellis Island added to Statue of Liberty National monument 1967 100,000,000th US phone connected 1968 Richard Harris releases "MacArthur Park" 1968 Stanley Cup: Montréal Canadiens sweep St Louis Blues in 4 games 1969 Monty Python comedy troupe forms 1970 Sammy Davis Jr weds Altovise 1971 Cleveland's Steve Dunning becomes last American League pitcher to hit grand slam 1972 John Lennon says his phone is tapped by the FBI on Dick Cavett Show 1972 San Francisco Giants trade Willie Mays to New York Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams & cash 1972 Stanley Cup: Boston Bruins beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 2 1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1974 Steely Dan releases "Rikki Don't Lose that Number" 1976 Last broadcast of "Marcus Welby, MD" on ABC-TV 1978 Margaret A Brewer is 1st female general in the US Marine Corps 1980 Pam Higgins wins LPGA Lady Michelob Golf Tournament 1980 Pete Rose, 39, steals second, third, & home in one inning for Phillies 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber/TS Eliot's musical "Cats" premieres in London 1981 Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes" hits #1, stay there 9 weeks 1983 "Dance a Little Closer" opens & closes at Minskoff Theater NYC 1984 Tigers set best 30 game start record (26-4) 1984 Transit of Earth as seen on Mars 1985 Dave Concepcion becomes 4th Cincinnati Red teammate to get 2,000 hits, the others include Pete Rose, Tony Perez & Cesar Cedeno 1985 Madonna's "Crazy For You" single goes #1 1987 1st heart-lung transplant takes place (Baltimore) 1987 Corazon Aquino is elected President in the Philippines 1988 Mario Andretti records fastest Indianapolis 500 lap (221.565 mph) 1989 217th & final episode of "Dynasty" is aired 1989 Kenya announces worldwide ban on ivory to preserve its elephant herds 1990 New York Yankees trade Dave Winfield to Angels for Mike Witt 1993 28th Academy of Country Music Awards: Garth Brooks wins 1994 "Grease" opens at Eugene O' Neill Theater NYC for 1,503 performances 1996 Florida Marlin Al Leiter no hits Colorado Rockies, 11-0 1996 Valujet DC-9 crashes in Miami, 109 die 1997 New York Mets C Everett & Butch Huskey are 9th to hit consecutive pinch HRs
Jody Victor : There is almost no day that something important or interesting has not happened in the past. Here's what happened on May 4th....
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1874 - Frank Conrad, the American electrical engineer whose innovations led to the establishment of the first radio station, was born.
1886 - A labor demonstration for an eight-hour workday at Haymarket Square in Chicago turned into a riot when a bomb exploded.
1927 - The academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded.
1946 - A two-day riot at Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay ended after five people were killed.
1961 - A group of Freedom riders left Washington, D.C., for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
1970 - Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.
1980 - Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito died at age 87.
1989 - Fired White House aide Oliver North was convicted of shredding documents and two other charges stemming from the Iran-Contra affair. (The convictions were overturned on appeal.)
1994 - Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed an accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
1998 - Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, Calif., under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.
2000 - Londoners elected their mayor for the first time.
2006 - A federal judge sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Jody Victor : Here's some interesting happenings from history on this day, April 27th.
1805 - The worst steamship disaster in the history of the United States occurred on this day. The Sultana, carrying approximately 2,300 passengers, the majority being freed Union POWs, exploded while en route to Cairo, IL. Neither the cause of the explosion nor the final count of the dead (estimated at between 450 and 2,000) was ever determined. Today, the Sultana disaster remains the worst of its kind.
1880 - Francis Clarke and M.G. Foster patented the electrical hearing aid.
1899 -The Western Golf Association was founded - in Chicago, IL.
1938 - Geraldine Apponyi was the first American woman to become a Queen. She married King Zog of Albania.
1938 - Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded I Hadn't Anyone 'til You for Victor Records. Jack Leonard was featured as vocalist.
1947 - Organized baseball celebrated Babe Ruth Day. Major-League parks throughout the U.S. and Japan participated. A crowd of 60,000 fans honored their hero in ceremonies at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Ruth, who was dying of throat cancer, managed to put in an appearance to thank his former club.
1947 - The first broadcast of Studio One on CBS radio was broadcast. The show was full of great stars, but no sponsors. CBS dropped Studio One after a year on radio. The show, however, began a nine-year run on CBS-TV...with sponsors.
1956 - Rocky Marciano relinquished his crown as heavyweight boxing champ when he retired from boxing this day.
1959 - Lloyd Price's song, Personality, was released. Price had 10 songs that made it on the nation's pop music charts in the 1950s through early 1960s.
1960 - The submarine, Tullibee, was launched from Groton, CT. It was the first sub to be equipped with closed-circuit television.
1968 - Muhammad Ali's successor was finally decided after an eight-month runoff. Jimmy Ellis defeated Jerry Quarry of Atascadero, CA for the World Boxing Association's heavyweight title.
1973 - Steve Busby of Kansas City lead the Royals to a 3-0, no-hit shutout of the Detroit Tigers.
1976 - Maxine Nightingale received a gold record for the single, Right Back Where We Started From. Nightingale was in the productions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and Savages in the early '70s. Right Back Where We Started From was a number two hit for two weeks in 1976.
1981 - Former Beatle Ringo Starr married Barbara Bach at the Marylebone Registry Office in London. Paul McCartney and wife Linda, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson were in attendance.
1983 - Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros broke Walter Johnson's strikeout record. He struck out the 3,509th batter of his career. The Astros won 4-2 over Montreal. Johnson's record had been in the books for 55 years before being eclipsed by 'The Ryan Express'.
Jody Victor : Here's what happened and who was born this day, April 20th, in history.
1792 France declared war on Austia, marking the start of the French Revolutionary wars.
1812 Vice President George Clinton, a former New York governor, died at age 72.
1836 The Territory of Wisconsin was established by Congress.
1867 Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the purchase of Alaska by the United States.
1889 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau, Austria.
1902 Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.
1939 Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox.
1940 RCA publicly demonstrated its new electron microscope.
1945 Allied forces took control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart during World War II.
1968 Pierre Elliott Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister of Canada.
1971 The United States Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.
1972 The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon.
1980 The first Cubans sailing to the United States as part of the massive Mariel boatlift reached Florida.
1999 Two students went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives.
2005 President George W. Bush signed a bill making it harder for debt-ridden people to wipe clean their financial slates by declaring bankruptcy.
2008 Danica Patrick became the first female winner in Indy Car history, capturing the Indy Japan 300 in her 50th career start.
Jody Victor : Who was born and what happened on this day in history?
1598 The edict of Nantes grants political rights to French Huguenots.
1775 Lord North extends the New England Restraining Act to South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. The act forbids trade with any country other than Britain and Ireland.
1861 After 34 hours of bombardment, Union-held Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederates.
1865 Union forces under Gen. Sherman begin their devastating march through Georgia.
1902 J.C. Penny opens his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
1919 British forces kill hundreds of Indian nationalists in the Amritsar Massacre.
1933 The first flight over Mount Everest is completed by Lord Clydesdale.
1941 German troops capture Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Jefferson Memorial.
1945 Vienna falls to Soviet troops.
1960 The first navigational satellite is launched into Earth's orbit.
1961 The U.N. General Assembly condemns South Africa because of apartheid.
1964 Sidney Poitier becomes the first black to win an Oscar for best actor.
1970 An oxygen tank explodes on Apollo 13, preventing a planned moon landing and jeopardizing the lives of the three-man crew.
1976 The U.S. Federal Reserve begins issuing $2 bicentennial notes.
1979 The world's longest doubles ping-pong match ends after 101 hours.
Born on April 13
1721 John Hanson, first U.S. President under the Articles of Confederation.
1732 Frederick Lord North, British prime minister (1770-82).
1743 Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States (1801-09).
1852 Frank W. Woolworth, American retailer.
1866 Butch Cassidy (Robert LeRoy Parker), American outlaw and leader of the Wild Bunch.
1899 Alfred Butts, inventor of the board game Scrabble.
1906 Samuel Beckett, playwright, Nobel Prize winner (Waiting for Godot).
1909 Eudora Welty, Southern writer (Delta Wedding, The Optimist's Daughter).
1922 John Gerard Braine, British novelist (Room at the Top).
Jody Victor®: What happened today in the past? Some interesting dates from history:
1199 - English King Richard I is killed by an arrow at the siege of the castle of Chaluz in France.
1789 - The First U.S. Congress begins regular sessions at Federal Hall in New York City.
1814 - Granted sovereignty in the island of Elba and a pension from the French government, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates at Fountainebleau. He is allowed to keep the title of emperor.
1862 - Confederate forces attack General Ulysses S. Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee.
1865 - At the Battle of Sailer's Creek, a third of Lee's army is cut off by Union troops pursuing him to Appomattox.
1896 - The Modern Olympics begin in Athens with eight nations participating.
1909 - Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first men to reach the North Pole.
1917 - The United States declares war on Germany and enters World War I on Allied side.
1924 - Four planes leave Seattle on the first successful flight around the world.
1938 - The United States recognizes Nazi Germany's conquest of Austria.
1941 - German forces invade Greece and Yugoslavia.
1965 - President Lyndon B. Johnson authorizes the use of ground troops in combat operations.
Jody Victor : Here are some events from history for this day, March 30th.
1842 - Anesthesia was used for the first time in an operation.
1856 - The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Crimean War.
1867 - A treaty for the purchase of Alaska from Russia for the sum of 7.2 million, approximately two cents an acre, was submitted to the U.S. Senate, passed, and the purchase was made.
1870 - The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race.
1909 - Queensboro Bridge opens, linking Manhattan and Queens.
1932 - Amelia Earhart is 1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
1953 - Einstein announces revised unified field theory.
1981 - President Reagan shot and wounded by John W. Hinckley III.
2002 - The Queen Mother Elizabeth of England died at the age of 101.
Jody Victor: Tomorrow, March 17, 2009, is St. Patrick's Day. Millions of people will wear green, and celebrate the Irish in, and around, them with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a pint of green beer. But few of St. Patrick's Day revelers have a clue about St. Patrick the man.
The real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. At 16 he was kidnapped and sent to the mountainous countryside of Ireland to tend sheep as a slave. During this time he converted to Christianity. According to folklore, a voice came to Patrick in his dreams, telling him to escape. He found passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.
The voice then told him to go back to Ireland where he became a priest then a bishop to the Irish people. It wasn't until centuries later that he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland. After he died on March 17, 461, a mythology slowly grew up around him. Some of the myths include that he banished snakes from Ireland (no snakes ever existed on the island and don't to this day). The snake myth and others, such as Patrick using three-leafed shamrocks to explain the Holy trinity, were likely spread by well-meaning monks centuries after St. Patrick's death.
St. Patrick's Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans. Eighteenth-century Irish soldiers fighting with the British in the Revolutionary War held the first St. Patrick's Day parades. Some soldiers, for example, marched through New York City in 1762 to reconnect with their Irish roots. Other parades followed in the years and decades after, including well-known celebrations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, primarily for flourishing Irish immigrant communities. It became a way to honor the saint but also to confirm ethnic identity and to create bonds of solidarity.
Jody Victor :What happened on this day in history? Read the list below for some interesting facts! March 9, 1862 - During the Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, VA. 1934 - Yury Gagarin, the world's first man in space, was born. Following his death on March 27, 1968, his obituary appeared in The Times. 1867 - Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about black Americans. 1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte, the future emperor of France, married Josephine de Beauharnais. 1916 - Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, N.M., killing more than a dozen people. 1933 - Congress, called into special session by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, began its 100 days of enacting New Deal legislation. 1945 - U.S. B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Japan during World War II, causing widespread devastation. 1954 - CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow critically reviewed Wisconsin Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy's anti-Communism campaign on "See It Now." 1959 - Mattel's Barbie doll, created by Ruth Handler, made its public debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. 1975 - Work began on the Alaskan oil pipeline. 1977 - About a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims invaded three buildings in Washington D.C., killing one person and taking more than 130 hostages. The siege ended two days later. 1981 - Dan Rather made his debut as principal anchorman of "The CBS Evening News"; he signed off for the last time on the same date in 2005. 1989 - The Senate rejected President George H.W. Bush's nomination of John Tower to be defense secretary on a 53-47 vote. 1992 - Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin died at age 78. 1996 - Comedian George Burns died at age 100.
Jody Victor
: Here are some highlights of historical dates and people for March 2nd.
On March 2, 1877 - Republican Rutherford B Hayes was declared the winner of the
1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden
had won the popular vote.
On March 2, 1904 - Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote and illustrated the popular
'Dr. Seuss' children's books, was born. Following his death on Sept. 24, 1991,
his obituary appeared in The Times.
1793 - Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas, was born near
Lexington, Va.
1807 - Congress outlawed the importing of slaves to the united States,
effective the following year.
1836 - Texas declared its independence from Mexico.
1899 - Congress established Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State.
1917 - Peurto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship.
1933 - The movie "King Kong" had its world premiere in New York.
1949 - An American B-50 Superfortress, the Lucky Lady II, landed at Fort Worth,
Texas, after completing the first non-stop, around-the-world flight.
1959 - Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis held the first of two recording sessions that
yielded the album "Kind of Blue."
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored an NBA record 100
points in a game against the New York Knicks.
1965 - The movie version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound
of Music" had its world premiere in New York.
1985 - The federal government approved a screening test for AIDS that detected
antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded
from the blood supply.
2006 - President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
announced a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation deal in New Delhi.
Jody Victor: Mardi Gras means, literally, "Fat Tuesday," and is celebrated on the Tuesday that falls 47 days before the Easter holiday. The Mardi Gras holiday is noted for its impressive parades that feature floats, pageants, ornate costumes, masked balls, and dancing in the streets. For many Catholics and Christians it is they day before Ash Wednesday or the beginning of the Lenten season. This celebration falls between Feb. 3 and March 9, depending on the lunar calendar.
Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the New World in 1699 by the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne. Moyne landed in the Mississippi Delta Region on March 3, the same day France was celebrating Mardi Gras, and he named his camp "Pointe du Mardi Gras" in honor of the holiday.
However, Mardi Gras had been celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages, and can be braced back to an ancient Roman celebration known as Lupercalia.
The holiday began to gain an identity in America in 1711, when citizens of Mobile, La. conducted the first Mardi Gras parade. However, it wasn't until 1835 that the first float was created. In 1867, the secret society Krewe of Comus was established to organize the parades.
Many other traditions were established through the years, such as King Cakes, which first appeared in 1871. King Cakes represent the tradition of the three kings who brought the gifts to baby Jesus. A modern tradition is to bake a plastic baby into one of the cakes, and whoever receives the cake with the baby in it either buys the next king cake or plays host to the next party. King cakes are made of a cinnamon filled dough that is shaped into a hollow circle. It is topped with a glazed topping and then sprinkled with colored sugar.
Due to the popularity of Mardi Gras, it has only been canceled four times since 1699. The first cancellation was caused by the Civil War in 1861 and the holiday wasn't celebrated again until 1865.
The second and fourth cancellations were because of the World War I and World War II. The third cancellation came during the Depression in 1933, and is the only one ever canceled because of rain.
Jody Victor : For President's Day - a collection of quotes from Presidents of the United States.
"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company." George Washington
"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." Thomas Jefferson
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." James Madison
"The government should not be guided by Temporary Excitement, but by Sober Second Thought." Martin Van Buren
"It is not strange....to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore
"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: 'And this, too, shall pass away.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!" Abraham Lincoln
"Let every man, every corporation, and especially let every village, town, and city, every county and State, get out of debt and keep out of debt. It is the debtor that is ruined by hard times." Rutherford B. Hayes
"If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it." James A. Garfield
Jody Victor: Full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent (ecliptic) longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun. At this time, as seen by viewers on Earth, the hemisphere of the Moon that is facing the earth (the near side) is almost fully illuminated by the Sun and appears round. Only during a full moon is the opposite hemisphere of the Moon, which is not visible from Earth (the far side), completely unilluminated.
The average lunar month is about 29.531 days long, so that the full moon falls on either the 14th or 15th of the lunar month in those calendars that start the month on the new moon. In any event, as lunar months are counted in discrete numbers of days, lunar months are said to be either 29 or 30 days long.
Jody Victor: It's a sunny day in our part of the world on this 2009 Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil was up early to give his yearly forcast. Here's Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise on Gobbler's Knob:
Here Ye, Hear Ye,
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time,
Jody Victor: Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4707 begins today, Jan. 26, 2009.
Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in ox years tend to be painters, engineers, and architects. They are stable, fearless, obstinate, hard-working and friendly.
At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.
In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year's Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host banquets and other New Year events.
The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.
In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon - which might stretch a hundred feet long - is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.
Jody Victor: Our great country is made up of more than just presidents and politicians - we have come so far because so many every-day people have done extraordinary things. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, lest we forget, here are some people, places and dates to remember.
Albert Schweitzer - physician, musician, philosopher, and missionary, born January 14, 1875.
Martin Luther King, Jr. - American civil rights leader, born January 15, 1929
Civil Service System - established, January 16, 1883.
Amendment 18 to the Constitution - prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, ratified, January 16, 1919.
Benjamin Franklin - American statesman and inventor, born January 17, 1706.
Daniel Webster - American statesman, born January 18, 1782.
Versailles Peace Conference - opened following World War I, January 18, 1919.
Robert E. Lee - commander of the Confederate Army in the Civil War, born January 19, 1807.
Edgar Allan Poe - American author, born January 19, 1809.
Inauguration Day - for the President every fourth year, beginning January 20, 1937.
Stonewall Jackson - Confederate Army general, born January 21, 1824.
U.S.S. Nautilus - first nuclear-powered ship in the world, launched, January 21, 1954.
John Hancock - first signer of the Declaration of Independence, born January 23, 1737.
Gold - discovered in California, January 24, 1848.
Edith Wharton - American author, born January 24, 1862.
Transcontinental Telephone - service established in United States, January 25, 1915.
Michigan - became the 26th state, January 26, 1837.
Douglas MacArthur - American General, born January 26, 1880.
Thomas Edison - granted the first patent for his incandescent light, January 27, 1880.
U.S. space shuttle Challenger - exploded, killing all seven crew members aboard, January 28, 1986.
William McKinley - 25th President of the United States, born in Niles, Ohio, January 29, 1843.
Kansas - became the 34th state, 1861.
Thomas Jefferson's Library - Congress authorized purchase as nucleus of the Library of Congress, January 30, 1815.
Franklin D. Roosevelt - 32nd President of the United States, born at Hyde Park, NY, January 30, 1882.
Gouverneur Morris - Revolutionary War patriot, born January 31, 1752.
Jody Victor: If you haven't made your New Year's resolution yet, there is still time. Here is a list of the top ten - maybe one of them is just what you need!
Spend More Time with Family & Friends - Recent polls show that 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends. Take a tip from Scrooge - work shouldn't always come first!
Fit in Fitness - Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.
Tame the Bulge - Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it's not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions.Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year's commitment to shed extra pounds.
Quit Smoking - Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. There are lots of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies, hypnosis, cessation classes and prescriptions from your doctor to help you quit.
Enjoy Life More - Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you! Try a new hobby or sport, go to a spa, enjoy thearter performances, or find a new weekend getaway.
Quit Drinking - Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.
Get Out of Debt - Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It's a promise that will repay itself many times over in the years ahead.
Learn Something New - Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep.
Help Others - Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help.
Get Organized - Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find that stapler whe you need it, there are hundreds of tips and resources out there to get you started on the way to a more organized life.
Jody Victor: It's hard to believe another year has gone by. Are you ready for the challenges in the New Year? The New Year is a significant event for many people. But like most things, there is humor in the absurdities of the celebration. What better way to start the New Year than with some humor and wisdom. Here's what some famous and infamous people had to say about it.
Mark Twain - New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.
Brooks Atkinson - Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
Bill Vaughan - Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.
Jay Leno - Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average - which means, you have met your New Year's resolution.
Eric Zorn - Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle.
Charles Lamb - New Year's Day is every man's birthday.
Mark Twain - New Year's Day...now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
Anonymous - Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.
Joey Adams - May all yuor troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions!
Oscar Wilde - Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
Anonymous - A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other.
Jody Victor: Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Or, are you like me, you still have some (or all of it) left to do? Only three more days left - we'd better hurry! Kind of makes you wonder how this whole gift thing got started.
The history of the Christmas gift dates back to the 4th century A.D. - the time of Saint Nicholas (later called Santa Claus). Even after so many years, people still find it difficult to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the special persons in their lives. But it doesn't have to be so hard. One just has to anticipate the coming of Christmas and write down good ideas as they occur. For instance, if your dad is frustrated that his old fishing rod broke during summer vacation, he might forget about it after a while, but it is your job to write it down and remember to buy him a replacement when Christmas comes.
If you're still looking for ideas, there are some great alternatives to a wrapped gift:
Subscriptions (monthly magazine, journals, etc.)
Food (gift certificate for restaurants and grocery stores, gourmet food basket)
Holiday (gift certificate for weekend get-away)
Personal Care ( gift certificate for massage, facial treatment, or manicure)
Entertainment (cinema tickets, ski resort voucher, bowling or golf certificate)
I'm sure those ideas will spark other for you. Historically, gift giving was common during the Roman Saturnalia. In the 13th century, nuns in France started giving gifts to the poor on the eve of St. Nicholas' Day. Gift giving was soon repressed by the medieval church.
In the beginning people did not buy expensive Christmas gifts for each other. Gifts could be peices of gruit or simple toys. The gifts were not wrapped and were just given to each other or hung on the tree since the Christmas tree tradition also became popular.
Gift giving in colonial America was based on class differences - the poor accosting the rich and demanding food, drink, and money. In the 1820s, borrowing from the New York Dutch, the idea of gift giving was transformed to that of parents giving Christmas gifts fo their children. Moore's poem may have been a contributing factor to the beginning of the commercialization of Christmas. And then, Christmas shopping was encouraged to overcome the depression during the 1839-40 period.
Today, the sales during the Christmas season have usually broken records year after year (probably not this year). No matter what, gift giving is sure to be around for a long time. Gifts are still fun to give and even more fun to receive. It is the gift of giving that makes us feel that Christmas spirit!
Jody Victor: "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house..." How often have we heard, read and loved those words - the beginning of one of the most loved and most printed, poems in the world. Almost every family has read or listedned to that poem at some time during the Christmas season. It is, of course, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore. Here is his story.
Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas also called "A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve. The poem Twas the night before Christmas has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the creation of the story of Twas the night vefore Christmas, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeer! The author of the poem was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night befor Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was December 23rd, 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement C. Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry. Clement Moore came from a prominent family and his father Benjamin Moore was the Bishop of New York who was famous for officiating at the inauguration of George Washington. The tradition of reading Twas the night before Christmas poem on Christmas Eve is now a Worldwide institution.
Jody Victor: Christmas stockings are hung near the chimney on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus to fill with goodies for children. They are just an empty sock or a bag that is made in the shape of a sock but oh, the wonderful things they can hold. Children in the United States and some other countries have been following the tradition of hanging a Christmas stocking for a long time. The items that are believed to be stuffed in the Christmas stocking by Santa Claus are known as stocking stuffers.
The tradition of the Christmas stocking began with a story told since ancient times about a kind nobleman who had three daughters. The wife of the nobleman died and he and the daughters were left in a state of sorrow. The daughters had to do all the work in the house. When the daughters became eligible for marriage, the poor father could not afford the huge dowries to their husbands.
One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings, hung them near the fire place to dry. Santa Claus, being moved by the plight of the daughters, came in and put in three bags of gold - one in each of the daughters' stockings hanging by the chimney. The next morning the family noticed the gold bags and the nobleman had enough for his daughters' dowries. The daughters got married and they lived happily ever after. Since then children have been hanging Christmas stockings.
Traditionally, Christmas stockings are supposed to have the gifts given by Santa Claus. The other gifts are wrapped in paper and placed near the Christmas tree. It is believed that a child who mishehaves during the year will not get a gift in their Christmas stocking. The Christmas stockings are traditionally hung on the fireplace. But as most of the modern homes do not have a fireplace, any location is suitable for hanging Christmas stockings.
Some traditions say the Christmas stocking is to be stuffed by a gift that will stimulate one or more of the five senses. The gift given by Santa Claus would be something to eat, a thing that makes a pleasant sound, a pleasant view, a nice touch, or which has a lovely fragrance.
