National Day Calendar

This Might Be The Strangest Thing Ever Delivered By The Post Office. Welcome to July 1st, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate special deliveries come rain or shine.   The United States issued its first postage stamps on July 1, 1847.  They were not, however, the first of their kind.  In the United Kingdom, the Penny Black stamp attempted to fix a broken system.  Before then, mail...

Here's The Scoop On What's Playing Up In The Sky. Welcome to June 30th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a show that’s outta this world and staying positively social. The Comet Swift-Tuttle is one of the largest extra-planetary objects in the solar system. Each year, this giant ball of ice and rock gives the people of Earth quite a show. Debris from the comet’s long tail plung...

This Breakfast Food Inspired A Shoe! Welcome to June 29th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate capturing the moment and a breakfast favorite that inspired a shoe.  In 1838, Louis Daguerre set up his camera near the Boulevard du Temple in Paris. Then he took a picture. Today we are used to instant photos. Touch the button on your phone or camera and the picture is taken. But for D...

This Larger Than Life Lumberjack Carved A Legacy Of Tall Tales. Welcome to June 28th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate peace of mind and tall tales.   Just about everyone buys insurance in one form or another, most likely it’s for their cars or homes. But there’s one insurance company that does things a bit differently. Lloyd’s of London offers policies for things most of us w...

This Ice Cream Vendor Stayed Cool Under Pressure. Welcome to June 27th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate staying cool under pressure and looking cool while you’re at it.  On Memorial Day weekend of 1929, Tom Carvel was driving his ice cream truck around when he got a flat tire. He pulled into the parking lot of a local shop and watched helplessly as the ice cream began to melt...

These Tropical Fruits Take A Long Voyage Over The Pond. Welcome to June 26th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate our best friends in beauty and adventurous fruits.  They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With nearly 100 billion dollars spent each year on cosmetic and personal care products in the United States alone, that’s a market that depends heavily on how we se...

It's Never Too Early To Get A Jumpstart On The Holiday Fun. Welcome to June 25th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate getting a jumpstart on the holidays and polka paradise.   With the season in full swing, the heat is probably getting to you. Take some cool consolation that Christmas is a mere 6 months away. It may sound a bit premature to be thinking about the holiday, but this...

Time For Turkey With Your Favorite Friends. Welcome to June 24th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate sweet “nut-things” and the Dog Days of Summer. There are lots of stories about the origin of the candy known as the praline, but they all point to the same 17th century nobleman —Count du Plessis-Praslin. The most popular version was that the Count asked his personal chef to crea...

This Pizza Proves It's Hip To Be Square! Welcome to June 23rd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate keeping your cool and Motown pizza.   You’ve heard that your body is made up of more than 60 percent water and maintaining proper hydration is critical for your survival.  Imagine how important it is for athletes who train outside.  The special precautions they take to stay hydrated...

This Dessert Goes Down Lightening Fast. Welcome to June 22nd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate a flash of lightning and going for the gold. On National Onion Rings Day we celebrate the “brass ring of fried foods!” Ok, I suppose they are more “golden” than “brass” but most people reach for them when it comes to appetizers with global appeal. While no one is quite sure who made...

Skateboarding Fans Owe A Debt Of Gratitude To These CA Teens. Welcome to June 21st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate shredding the half pipe and the need to overshare.   The Z-boys were a group of Los Angeles teenagers who rode the waves near the Santa Monica pier. On days when the ocean was too calm for surfing, they would go skateboarding. In the early 1970s, there was a maj...

Both These Birds Inspired Greatness In Our Early History. Welcome to June 20th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate great birds in history.  Benjamin Franklin once said that the turkey was “a Bird of Courage… '' that would not hesitate to attack any British soldiers who dared to step foot onto their farm. This argument did not win the day when choosing our Nation’s mascot and unf...

This Time Piece Took A Licking And Kept On Ticking. Welcome to June 19th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate timeless timepieces and spinning tunes.   For hundreds of years after their invention in the 1500s, watches were carried in pockets or worn on chains around one’s neck. Wristwatches didn’t become popular with men until the early 1900s, and then only out of necessity. Duri...

Celebrate Dad With A Few Of His Favorite Things! Welcome to June 18th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the guys we look up to and relaxing hobbies.   Father’s Day was made for honoring the guy in your life who taught you how to fish or ride a bike. Maybe you haven’t always seen eye to eye, but just for today give your dad the celebration of his choice. Fortunately there’s som...

This Strutting Chicken Is A Fan Favorite! Welcome to June 17th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a dessert that keeps on rolling and a mascot who keeps us laughing.  The German word “strudel” literally means “swirl,” which makes sense if you think of its whirlpool shape.  This flaky, fruit-filled pastry was created in 1696 and became very popular during the Habsburg Dynasty. ...

These Ladies Made Their Mark By Breaking The Rules! Welcome to June 16th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate profitable pastimes and the great American getaway.   Have you ever wondered why most tourist towns offer fudge in their souvenir shops? It all began in 1888 at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Young women found the recipe for fudge so intoxicating that they dodged c...

This Fish Had A Ten Foot Smile! Welcome to June 15th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate deadly creatures and amazing views.   The Great White Shark is one of the most deadly predators on Earth. But it looks positively tame when compared to its great great great granddaddy—the Megalodon. This prehistoric fish hunted throughout the world’s oceans until about 3.5 million years ago...

This Little Bear Became The Poster Child For Fire Safety. Welcome to June 14th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate inspirational bears and distinctly American tastes. In 1950, a large and destructive wildfire tore through the mountains of south-central New Mexico. After firefighters extinguished the blaze, they found a tiny bear cub hanging on to the top of a charred tree. Range...

This Inventor Stayed The Course And Really Cleaned Up! Welcome to June 13th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a determined inventor and persistent weeds.   Elias Howe patented the sewing machine in 1838, but didn’t make any money selling it. In fact, he was living in poverty until he realized that other manufacturers had been ripping him off and selling lots of sewing machines...

According To Victorian Tradition, A Red Rose Symbolizes Passion. Welcome to June 12th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate floriography and a tasty health food. Floriography, the process of communicating via flowers and their arrangements, was developed during the Victorian era. For example, a bouquet with yellow tulips is saying that the sender loves your smile. And birdsfoot tr...

Everyone Loves This Summer Veggie. Welcome to June 11th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a confusing cake and Summer’s best veggie.  German chocolate cake…it’s a luscious dessert straight from Germany, right? Nope. The cake is actually named after the man who invented it: Sam German. The thing that made it stand out from traditional chocolate cakes was its use of sweet, rathe...

This Very British Beverage Is Now An All American Favorite. Welcome to June 10th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate beating the heat American style and disappearing ink.  This common, everyday drink was so popular that at one point in history it changed the world economy and sparked a revolution.  That beverage of course is tea.  In the 1700s, the demand was great and the Engli...

This Sweet Tart Treat Was First Used As A Medicine. Welcome to June 9th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a sweet tart treat and the bird that still quacks us up. It will probably come as no surprise that rhubarb was initially produced as a medicine.  The first recorded use dates back to 2700 BCE. Today we know that rhubarb is high in oleic acid, although the leaves are toxic...

This Unlikely Pair Shares A Love Of Water. Welcome to June 8th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate pre-picked poison and pals who are the perfect fit.   Most people saunter up to a bar and aren’t sure what to order. They typically settle for a beer or wine. But wouldn’t it be cool to have a signature drink that you can order with confidence? Like Carrie Bradshaw, who loves Cosmo...

Some People Get Downright Emotional About This Ice Cream Flavor! Welcome to June 7th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate feathered heroes and a frozen favorite.   In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you can visit a museum that pays tribute to some of the lesser-known heroes of the American armed forces—the winged kind. Specifically pigeons. During World War II, over 55,000 of these wing...