"Salute Your Undershorts", Austin Chronicle, 2 May 2008
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A618751
"Peace Conference of 1899" Online Library of Liberty
http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1053&chapter=141176 &layout=html&Itemid=27
The 500 Festival
http://www.500festival.com/
American Academy of Arts & Sciences
http://www.amacad.org
Bona Dea, the Good Goddess
http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/bonadea.html
Calendar, Maius
http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/3192/?letter=C&spage=1
Diversity Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/culturaldiversityday/index.shtml
Dolley Madison Project, The
http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/index.html
Global Initiative for Asthma
www.ginasthma.com
GoHawaii@about.com
http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/festivals/a/lei_day_hawaii.htm
Golden Spike National Park
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com
International Council of Nurses
http://www.icn.ch
Join Hands Day
www.joinhandsday.org
Kentucky Derby
www.kentuckyderby.com
Law Day
http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/home.shtml
Law Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/law/public/lawday.html
Loyalty Day
www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode36/usc_sec_36_00000115----000-.html
Malcolm X Official Website
http://www.malcolmx.com/about/photos.html
MEXonline
http://www.mexonline.com
Migratory Bird Day, US Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/birds/imbd
Military Home Front
http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil
Mythography
http://www.loggia.com/myth/content.html
National First Ladies Library
http://www.firstladies.org
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
http://www.nleomf.com/index.htm
National Education Association (NEA)
http://www.nea.org/
Official Home of Bing Crosby, The
http://www.bingcrosby.com
Official Home of the Mother Goose Society, The
http://www.librarysupport.net/mothergoosesociety
Official Site of the Indianapolis 500
http://www.indy500.com
Origins and Traditions of Mayday, The
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5202/mayday.htm
Peace Palace, The
http://www.vredespaleis.nl/showpage.asp?pag_id=429
Promontory Summit, May 10, 1869
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/gosp1/promontory_summit.pdf
Provider Appreciation Day
http://www.providersfirst.com
space@about.co
space.about.com/cs/spaceevents/a/spaceday.htm
Team Miura's website
http://www.snowdolphins.com
Theoi Greek mythology
http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheMaia.html
United Poultry Concerns
http://www.upc-online.org/respect/
US Department of Defense
http://www.defense.gov/afd
Utah State Quarter
http://www.theus50.com/utah/quarter.php
World Fair Trade Day
http://www.wftday.org
Worthy Wage Day
worthywageday.org
© Dwarf Designs 1998-2022
LAST UPDATED: 5/19/21
Across the millineums, celebrations honoring the emergence of spring and the planting season continued through the month of May, given the name Maius in the Ancient Roman calendar, honoring Maia Maiestas, an Earth Goddess associated with the Bona Dea, whose festival began on the first of May.
Long before the Romans, it is speculated by some the name originated with the Greek goddess Maia. The eldest and most beautiful of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, known as the Pleiades, her role in mythology places her as mistress to Zeus, and foster-mother to his son. Following the War of the Titans, Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders as a celestial safe-guard for peace. In his absence, the hunter Orion began to pursue all his daughters. Some myths claim Zeus sent them into the heavens for their safety, and the Pleiades (the Seven Sisters star cluster), can still 
be seen in the Mediterranean at night during the summer, from the middle of May until the beginning of November. One of the most stunning deep-sky objects, this open star cluster can be seen without a telescope in northern hemisphere autumn and winter skies, and has been used as a navigational guide for over 3 thousand years. Maia, characterized with intense and expansive molecular clouds, is the 3rd brightest.
The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged at Churchill Downs. in Louisville, Kentucky, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race currently covers one and one-quarter miles, known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate time length, and is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States. It typically draws around 155,000 fans.
Join Hands Day 2021
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established 1 May as Law Day by proclamation as a day to honor the Constitutional heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which has guaranteed findamental rights of individuals. Instituted by the American Bar Association to draw attention to both the principles and practice of law and justice, each Law Day is built around a central theme. Law Day 2010 focuses on Law in the 21st Century: Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges, emphasizing the importance to recognize the need to adapt current practices to acquired cultural understandings in the global community.
While it is generally agreed the collection of childrens rhymes and stories are derived from many sources, written and published by a wide variety of talented people, Mother Goose has developed to represent commonly known characters, such as Peter the Pumpkin Eater and Little Miss Muffet, delighting young children for over 400 years. The Mother Goose Society was founded in 1987 to encourage a love for the warm and comforting tradition of Mother Goose rhymes through the annual celebration of Mother Goose Day on 1 May.
Remembering Calamity Jane
During the early post-apartheid years, as several countries across the continent were beginning governmental reconstruction, African newspaper journalists gathered at a UNESCO seminar in Windhoek, Namibia during the first days of May 1991 to develop a statement of press freedom principles. Learning from years of repression, censorship, and government-controlled limitations, it was their goal to insure an international acknowledgement that a free press is a basic human right, and profoundly influential on the healthy maintenance of a democratic society. It is important to maintain a varied press reflecting a wide range of opinion, allowed a freedom of uncensored information exchange, without restrictions relating to licensing, mobility, distribution rights, and without fear of arrest and/or death. The Declaration of Windhoek was adopted on this day in 1991, commemorated as World Press Freedom Day.
when European fishing vessels began returning home carrying pelts traded from natives of the New World. The first organized attempts to control this new source of fur trade was by France in 1599, seeking to expand this trade as explorers were seeking new routes across the continent. The Dutch soon followed. In 1660, two French trappers, named Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers, discovered not only the best furs in the regions northwest of Lake Superior, but that use of Hudson's Bay could reduce the cost of moving furs overland. Unfortunately not licensed to trade furs, when they returned from their first expedition, they were fined and their furs confiscated. Unhappy with this reception, they travelled to the Boston colony and pitched their ideas of improving the fur trade in quality and transport to a receptive English businessman, who took them to England for an audience with King Charles II. The British then joined the fur trading industry, sending a ship via the proposed route to the Hudson Bay area, and successfully returning to England in 1670. The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay (known as the Hudson's Bay Company) was incorporated on this day in 1670, with a Royal Charter from King Charles II granting a 1.5 million square mile monopoly over the Indian trade. Over the next two centuries, their trapping brigades were influential in the exploration and development of the North American continent by Europeans and Americans. In 1870, the trading posts that were established turned to general merchandise, and by 1881 had begun a chain of department stores called The Bay, based in Winnipeg. Hudson's Bay Company is the oldest commercial corporation in North America, and is one of the oldest in the world. In 2007, the Hudson's Bay Company Archives became part of UNESCO's Memory of the World project.
Remembering Hedda Hopper
Remembering Bing Crosby
Sciences was chartered in 1780 by prominent community leaders "to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people." Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the mission of the Academy brings together the nation's most prominent intellects in the areas of Science and Technology, Social Policy, Humanities and Culture, and Education, and continues to shape the development of contemporary issues in an objective environment. Current projects include analyzing international impact of rapid developments in science and technology, developing innovative solutions to critical social problems, examining the significance of the humanities to our national culture, and ways of improving the availability and quality of education. The prestigious Academy membership is obtained only through nomination and election by current members, which number 4,000 fellows and 600 foreign honorary members, including more than 160 Nobel Prize laureates and 50 Pulitzer Prize winners.
Following the announcement regarding the Cambodian Invasion during the Vietnam War, the ROTC building at Kent State University (Ohio)was burnt down during an anti-war protest. On this day in 1970, the Ohio National Guard (including Infantry and Armored Cavalry) was sent to the campus to disperse the crowd of over 2,000 demonstrating students. Amid a torrent of rock-throwing, the Guard first used tear gas, escalating the hostilities, and in the confusion, shots were fired on the unarmed students. A volley of 67 rounds of ammunition resulted in 4 students killed, nine wounded, some with lifelong disabilities, and not all among the protesters, but students just going to class. The incident caused a national outrage, and marked the end of an era.
outnumbered Mexican forces, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, which signaled the end of European rule in the New World. Today, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, but has become increasingly popular in parts of the 
US that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. Celebrating Mexican culture, several cities throughout the US hold parades and concerts during the week following up to 5 May, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year.
Remembering Nellie Bly
Miura became the first person to ski on Mount Everest, descending nearly 8,000 feet from the 26,000 foot elevation of South Col. This accomplishment was documented in the 1976 film, The Man Who Skied Down Everest. Thirty years later, in May of 2003 at age 70, Miura achieved the record of being the oldest to reach the summit at 29,028 feet, and has since been internationally recognized 
for expanding the horizons of the elderly. In 2008, Yuichiro Miura and his son Gota began training expeditions to reach the summit from China, accompanied by a team of doctors and specialists in related fields such as altitude medicine, sports physiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry, studying the extremely severe environment of the world's highest altitude at Yuichiro's current age of 75.
The Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Summer Olympics Games announced its plan to bring the Olympic torch from Athens along the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world, with plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest. Considered one of the most significant projects in sports history, the $19.7 million construction project began on a 67-mile long road scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain to the Everest Base Camp. In March 2008, China banned mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest, later persuading the Nepalese government to close their side as well, citing environmental concerns, and reflecting security concerns for the torch relay.
Remembering Orson Welles
Remembering Robert Peary
Remembering Sigmund Freud
to sell products. Kraft Television Theatre first aired on this date in 1947, and was the first weekly commercial network program on television. Designed to appeal to the suburban middle class, the shows ranged from Shakespeare and other adaptations for TV to original contemporary plays, showcasing some of America's best writers, directors, and actors, many in the early stages of their careers. Included in the star-studded cast were Elizabeth Montgomery, James Dean, Rod Steiger, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Jack Lemmon, Grace Kelly, Lee Remick, Anthony Perkins, George C. Scott, Art Carney, and Susan Strasberg. James Whitmore starred in the episode titled Profiles in Courage, and the show was introduced by then Senator John F. Kennedy, author of the book from which the script was adapted. During the the mid-1950s, a number of plays centered on popular music, featuring Gisele Mackenzie, Ferlin Husky, Julius LaRosa, Tommy Sands, and Sal Mineo. Enduring few changes over the course of its run from 1947 to 1958, it ended with a legacy of more than 650 plays, starring or featuring 3,955 actors and actresses along the way.
and there is evidence these parrots are capable of associating human words with their meanings. Although a very affectionate pet, they are considered high-maintenance, requiring much personal attention, and time each day outside its cage, or can become prone to behavioural problems. On this day in 2008, one such African Grey named Yosuke spent a little too much time outside his cage in Nagareyama, Japan and went missing for two weeks. Captured from a neighorhood rooftop by a police officer, Yosuke quietly spent the night at the police station, ignoring friendly efforts on the part of the police officers to make him comfortable. The following day, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital. Police casually canvassed the area over the next few days trying to find the parrot's home to no avail. Meanwhile, at the vet's, Yosuke finally decided to start talking. "I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, and proceeded to offer his home address, before entertaining the hospital staff with a few songs. The address proved to be correct, and the parrot was returned to his home, but where he had been for those missing days, and why he refused to talk to the police, remains a mystery.
Remembering Tim Russert
World War II was a global war from 1939 to 1945, involving nearly every nation, with fighting between the Allies and the Axis powers, resulting in over 73 million deaths, half of which involved civilians from disease, starvation, massacres, bombings, and deliberate genocide. While the goal of unconditional surrender began the previous year, the first Instrument of Surrender was signed at Reims, France, on 7 May to take effect at 11pm the following day, 8 May 1945, commonly known as V. E. Day, Victory in Europe.
The World Fair Trade Organization represents more than 350 organizations, connecting millions of farmers, artisans, and retailers worldwide, by creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, ensuring commercial accountability and fair trade practices, and monitoring human rights issues for workers and their working conditions. World Fair Trade Day, annually recognized on the second Saturday in May, is the first global campaign for The Fair Trade movement to bring attention to ending the imbalance in trade by facing the extraordinary issues in a global marketplace.
Remembering Harry S. Truman
worker health and safety. During the American Civil War, these clubs tended to the needs of the wounded in both Union and Confederate encampments, and worked to reconcile divided families. After the war, meetings of mothers of all soldiers were organized to promote the causes of pacifism and social activism. During the 1870s, Julia Ward Howe, in conjunction with the suffragette movement, promoted a day honoring mothers by issuing a Mother's Day Proclamation calling for pacifism and disarmament by women. Two years after Jarvis' death, her daughter sought to organize a day of remembrance, and on 10 May 1908, the first official Mother's Day service was held at Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Subsequent campaigns to recognize the day shifted the emphasis from the pacifism and reform movements to a general appreciation of mothers. A proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914.
During the post-WWII years, when the television industry was new and NBC was the only channel, most programs were only 30 minutes in length, and had an exclusive audience of about 200,000 people on approximately 3,500 sets in New York City and along the northeastern seaboard. On this day in 1946, NBC premiered an hour-long variety show on Thursday nights titled Hour Glass. Commercially sponsored by Standard Brands (a conglomerate of multiple companies which products are still being used), Hour Glass adapted radio entertainment formulas to include singing and dancing, comedy acts, and skits. Co-hosted by Eddie Mayehoff and Helen Parrish, the live video program included guests with famous names from radio, including Doodles Weaver, Bert Lahr, Dennis Day, Peggy Lee, and Edgar Bergen with his ventriloquism act as one of the the first times that a major radio performer had appeared on television.
Primarily a publication for classified ads, including employment, lost and found, and items for sale, one of the most successful newspapers in colonial America was The Pennsylvania Gazette, published by Benjamin Franklin, known for his opinionated editorials regarding local reforms and events. Franklin's Editorial on this date in 1754 emphasized the importance of colonial unity in the face of an impending French and Indian War. It was accompanied with an illustration of a divided snake, each segment representing the different colonies, captioned "Join or Die". A popular image throughout the colonies, the cartoon was revived 20 years later preceding the American Revolution urging colonial unity against the British, and again in the 1860's to express the sentiments of the Civil War. A timeless example of the American spirit, "Join or Die" is considered one of the first documented efforts to unite the colonies and has remained one of the most influential political cartoons in America.
northwestern routes, as well as house railroad platforms and a terminal. By the end of that summer, it became apparent this was not going to be the case. Because of the alkali terrain and cover of the high desert, coupled with the lack of fresh water, the tent-town was slowly abandoned. By the following summer of 1870, the population had dwindled from 200 to 40, all Chinese employees of a railroad section crew, a family-run restaurant/boarding house, and a miner.
and snack food for purchase. But it houses operational replicas for both the Jupiter and the No. 119 steam locomotives used in 1869, and bring them out in the summer months for Saturday re-enactments staged where the original ceremony was held. There is a walking trail around the Central Pacific grade and the Union Pacific grade, both sides landmarked by cuts, over fills, and drill marks where workers once blasted rock away. The Visitor Center provides a gallery of photographs, and a series of short films and documentaries, including one for children "This is America Charlie Brown" featuring the cast of Peanuts telling the story of this most pivotal point in American history.
Originated in1944 by Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge, who began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodbridge also wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953, persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. Originally set as 7 March by Congress in 1980, for the express purpose of honoring teachers and their committment to education, it was changed in 1985 to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Week in May (Tuesday in the first full week of May). In conjunction with the Teaching Channel and Parenting Magazine, the NEA is instrumental in organizing annual activities, which not only include essay contests with prizes awarded to individual teachers, and Tweeting Teacher Thanks, but also provides the opportunity for teachers to focus on current challenges in the teaching profession.
On this date in 1904, a recently retired American philanthropist named Andrew Carnegie agreed to finance a building in The Hague to permanently house the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), under the conditions it would also include a legal library of the highest standards. The Carnegie Foundation was established to manage the funds, and mediate matters regarding the location and designs of what came to be known as the Peace Palace.
Louis Cordonnier won the first prize. Not without several months of heated disputes and modifications of the original design, the first stone was symbolically placed during the second Peace Conference in 1907. Construction began several months later. An opening inauguration ceremony was held in August of 1913.
Remembering Harriet Quimby
Sponsored by the International Council of Nurses, representing nurses in more than 128 countries, this day recognizes the contributions and commitment nurses make to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, the advancement of nursing knowledge, and the presence worldwide of a respected nursing profession and a competent and satisfied nursing workforce. Celebrated annually around the world 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year specifies a general theme, focusing on quality nursing within communities, facing contemporary issues such as AIDS, domestic violence, immunization programs, and general health care.
Remembering Florence Nightingale
never make good films. However, through a series of coincidental financial events in 1961, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli were able to purchase the film rights to all but one of Fleming's spy novels. In alliance with United Artists, they decided their first film would be Dr. No.
personal goals involving the world's three highest peaks, Everest, K2, and Kanchenjunga. Although criticized for a climb when she was pregnant, she spent time raising her toddlers and did little climbing until 1993, when her family moved to Switzerland and she became the 1st person to climb solo on the classic 6 north faces of the Alps. Confronting gender-based bias regarding conflicts in her roles as mother and climber, she was devoted to her family, and often stated she was no different than male climbers, who chose to leave their families home. Her family returned to Britain, where she trained for over a year on the slopes of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak, before making her way Tibet. Approaching along the north ridge, it was on this date in 1995 that Hargreaves, at age 33, was not only the 2nd person ever to reach the peak unaided, but was the 1st woman to conquer Everest. She reached the summit at noon local time, and immediately radioed base camp to send a fax to her family, which read "I am on the top of the world and I love you dearly." She planted a silk flower before starting her descent. After a short visit to her family in Britain, Hargreaves headed to her next goal of K2, the world's 2nd highest mountain, and considered the most dangerous. Three months later, on 13 August, while climbing with several others, a sudden change in the weather caused half the climbers to return to base camp. Hargreaves, along with 5 others, continued the ascent and joyfully radioed camp that they had reached the summit of K2, and the weather was clear. It was the last anyone heard from them. Below the summit, storms violently ravaged the mountainside throughout the night, with winds up to 140mph. By morning, there was little hope for those stranded on the summit. Their bodies were never found. Alison Hargreaves was a courageous woman, who accomplished great things in her short lifetime, and is highly regarded as one of the greatest mountaineers of her time.
Colony. Ater 144 days at sea, three ships, carrying 104 men and boys, made landfall at what they named Cape Henry, then headed inland along the James River for the location of a settlement which would offer a strategic defensive position against any enemy forces. Finding the suitable spot about 40 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, they went ashore and began construction of a fort, completed within a month. These initial settlers were not well-equipped for the task at hand, many being unaccustomed to manual or skilled labor, and others mainly farmers. Less than two weeks after their arrival, they were attacked by Indians; one died, eleven wounded. The site they chose turned out to be swampy, plagued by mosquitoes, with unsuitable drinking water, limited hunting, and little space for farming. As a result of the difficulties, many of the men were plagued by disease and starvation. Supply ships arriving over the next 18 months became their primary resource for provisions, but also brought more settlers, and the settlement became the first permanent English settlement in what would become United States. Jamestown observances of its founding have been held every 50 years since 1807, although Jamestown 2007 commemorated its 400th anniversary with a three-day festival honoring the colony's three primary cultures - the Europeans, American Africans and Virginia Indians – and was attended by actors, journalists, musicians, and prominent dignitaries President George W. Bush, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip. Historic Jamestowne is now part of the Colonial National Historical Park project, and includes the original 1607 James Fort, the 17th century church tower and the site of the 17th century town, as well as an archaeological museum.
Despite its controversial beginnings, the U. S. Department of Defense was established in 1947 to consolidate the branches of the military under a single command, with the purpose of coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the United States armed forces. Early efforts to reduce interservice rivalries included the creation of Armed Forces Day, replacing separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Days into a single-day celebration. Enacted through Presidential Proclamation in February of 1950 by President Truman, all branches of the military were requested to comply for the first Armed Forces Day held the following May. Armed Forces Day continues to be recognized on the third Saturday of May, and is meant to honor all Americans serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
Police officers in the United States devote much time and self, regardless of the peril or hazard to themselves, in order to safeguard the lives and property of their fellow Americans. Between 140 and 160 of them die in the line of duty each year. In gratitude for their dedication, a joint resolution by Congress was signed into law by President Kennedy in 1962, designating 15 May of each year as Peace Officers Memorial Day in honor of the Federal, State, and municipal officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. The calendar week of each year during which such 15 May became known as Police Week, in recognition of the service given by the men and women who, night and day, stand guard in our midst to protect us through enforcement of our laws.
Remembering L Frank Baum
Tomohiro Shibata and Satoko Inoue. Officiating the ceremony was a 4-foot tall seated robot with flashing eyes and plastic pigtails, named the "I-Fairy". Build by the Kokoro Co, the I-Fairy has 18 degrees of motion in its arms, and operates through preprogrammed movements and sounds. Selling for $68,000, it is currently being used for industrial work in Singapore, the US, and Japan. The Shibata wedding I-Fairy, decorated with an additional wreath of flowers, was especially wired for the occasion, leading to a programmer clicking commands at the appropriate moments. It is the first time a marriage had been led by a robot.
The first land route across the United States was mapped by Lewis and Clark, but their path across the Rocky Mountains was too difficult for wagons to pass. In 1810, a second expedition, funded by John Jacob Astor, travelled through South Dakota into Wyoming and Idaho to settle a trading fort in Oregon, and on a return trip discovered a pass through the Rockies in Wyoming, which was considered the most practical wagon route. While small groups of individuals and some families did travel overland to the Pacific coast, early scouting reports offered unappealing information about vast wastelands with little wood or water, filled with uncontrolled herds of bison, and inhabited by somewhat protective Native Americans. Consequently, the Oregon Trail was at first mostly used by fur traders, missionaries, and military expeditions until 1839, when a group of men from Illinois set out with the intention to colonize the Oregon Country on behalf of the United States to drive out British occupation. Calling themselves the Oregon Dragoons, they carried a company flag heralding "Oregon or the Grave" and are remembered as the prominent early pioneers of that region. But it was not until this date in 1842 that the first organized wagon train of settlers to travel the Oregon Trail left Elm Grove, Missouri, and included 112 men, women, and children in 18 wagons, with a variety of livestock. Led by a Methodist missionary named Elijah White, whose leadership skills were questioned along the way, the party eventually split into two groups, one settling in Oregon, the other at Fort Vancouver, Washington. The following year marked the beginning of the Great Migration, when over 52,000 hopeful settlers followed the westward migration along the Oregon Trail, lured by land grants in the Oregon Territory and the California Gold Rush. After the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the trail became the road less travelled until modern highways were built, including US Highway 26 which still follows the trail from Nebraska to Oregon.
Remembering Henry Fonda
in 1902, an archeological diver retrieved a piece of rock with a gear wheel embedded in it, which became the most celebrated object from the wreck. Known as the Antikythera Mechanism, it is now considered the world's oldest known analog computer. Estimated to have been made during the mid- to late-2nd Century BC on the Greek island of Rhodes, it was a small, thin, sophisticated mechanism made of bronze and mounted in a wooden frame, containing a speculated 70 miniture gears, and inscribed with a text of over 3,000 Greek characters, which were part of a manual describing how to set up the instrument and how to use it for astronomical observations. Using a crank to enter a date, calculations could be made relating to the Sun and the motion of the motion of the planets. Unusual because it appears to be based on the idea of the Sun (rather than Earth) being the center of the Solar System, it also resources Lunar phases, and the rising and setting of specific stars. With one side marking divisions the Egyptian calendar, as well as the Greek Zodiac signs, the dials also adjust to compensate for leap years (which was not officially calculated for another century). Today, no one knows how the object was used. While there are historical references to similar mechanisms as early as 210BC, as well as to historical literature of Islamic engineers and astronomers, it is presumed the original meanings and uses were lost in the burning of the Library of Alexandria. As technology has advanced over the past century, this artifact which has intrigued historians of science and technology is now being studied by the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, currently using high resolution X-ray tomography and 3-D surface imaging to uncover even more of its ancient secrets.
meant as a safeguard against potential self-interest by the nation's lawmakers, it was only ratified by 6 states (11 were needed), and set aside for a later time. Eighty-four years later, in 1873, Congress passed legislation raising the salaries of the President and members of the Supreme Court, as well as a 50% increase in Congressional salaries, payable retroactively for the past two years. Remembered as the Salary Grab Act, public outrage was so great, not only were many moved to repay their increase to the treasury, the act was repealed the following year, except as to the President and justices. It was then that Ohio ratified the compensation amendment. The next state to ratify the Amendment was Wyoming in 1978, although it did not become a popular topic until after 1982, when the item was rediscovered by a college intern to a Texan legislator in 1982. Now a nation of 50 states, ratification was needed by a total of 38, which was accomplished 10 years later. On this day in May 1992, the Amendment was officially certified by the Archivist of the United States and printed in the Federal Register the following day. Despite the ratification process of 202 years, and that the Archivist was acting under the authority granted to the Archives office by Congress, the current Senate leader disapproved having the Amendment certified without Congressional approval verifying its validity. While on 20 May 1992, acting separately, both houses of the 102nd Congress adopted concurrent resolutions agreeing that the amendment was indeed validly ratified, neither body adopted the concurrent resolution of the other. Since its 1992 adoption, members of Congress have not received pay raises, but have been compensated in the form of "cost-of-living" adjustments. The 2008 salary for members of Congress was $169,300 per year.
Remembering Omar Khayyám
then noticed by people and animals alike the day was getting darker towards the noon hour. Birds returned to their nests, chickens to their roosts, cattle to their barns, as their habit at nightfall. People preparing for their noontime meal had the need to light candles, and keep them lit for the entire day. So dark midday, one could not tell the time from the town clock, or read from paper in open air. In an age when communication was slow, people in one community had no idea if the phenomena was inclusive to their area, or if others were having the same experience; but the general opinion of those living from the New Jersey coast to Portland, Maine was that the Day of Judgment was at hand. The penitent souls hastily congregated in their places of worship. Others took part in heated discussions at the local tavern. The Connecticut Legislature was sitting at Hartford as this uncommon darkness continued, and while many in attendance felt the need to join their families in the churches (or the taverns), one legislator named Colonel Abraham Davenport opposed adjournment stating "The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause of an adjournment: if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty." The more scientifically-minded were watching the skies. Observers at the time noted the water falling from the sky was dark and sooty, smelling and tasting much like the black ash of burnt leaves, and is from their observations that it can be deduced the causes behind this fearsome New England day. Lands to the west and northwest were still wilderness in 1780, and it is suggested the smoke from burning forest fires was drawn into the atmospheric circulation, which gave the sky its unusual coloring. Since the day was already overcast by the impending storms, and an easterly wind from the ocean brought a dense inland fog, sunlight was abnormally weakened with this combination of smoke, fog, and clouds. The evening was of total darkness until around midnight, when a northeasterly breeze began to disperse the cloud cover. Based on a chronology compiled of the various recordings, the atmosphere took about seven and a half hours to change, moving at an estimated 25 mph speed, covering an area of approximately 180 miles.
Remembering Malcolm X
about the Orteig challenge, his name was Charles Lindbergh, who assisted in the design of a single engined plane, streamlined to increase fuel efficiency, with extra fuel tanks, in order to travel a much greater distance non-stop.
Because the fuel tanks were located in the front of the plane, there was no front windshield, limiting the view from the small cockpit to side windows and a periscope. Avoiding unnecessary weight, the fuselage and wings were made with treated fabric over a metal and wood frames, and he chose to eliminate non-essential equipment like radios, sextant and parachute. It was considered he made risky choices, especially flying solo in an untested craft toward an unachieved goal, but he was determined to take his chances.
Remembering Dolley Madison
distribute supplies to wounded soldiers, locate those missing soldiers, and identify those who had died. She was advised by her doctors after the war to take a vacation, yet while she was in Europe, she became involved in the work of the International Red Cross, chartered to provide humane services to all victims of war under a flag of neutrality. Determined to bring this idea to the United States, she confronted many skeptics who believed there was no need for such an organization. After campaigning her ideas for 8 years, she was able to bring it into reality on the basis that the new American Red Cross organization could also be available to respond to other types of crisis. Funded by government monies and private donations, the American Red Cross was established on this day in 1881, with national headquarters located in Washington, DC. One of the group's first major relief efforts occurred in September of that year, responding to the Great Fire of 1881 in the Thumb region of Michigan, where over 5000 were left homeless. 
The next major disaster dealt with was the Johnstown Flood which occurred in May of 1889, when over 2,209 people died and thousands more injured in or near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The ARC was also active during the Spanish-American giving aid to prisoners of war and refugees. Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, today's American Red Cross is a nationwide network of more than 700 chapters, with more than a million volunteers and 30,000 employees who train people in lifesaving skills, and helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. ARC is also active providing communications services and comfort for military members and their families, and is the largest supplier in the nation of blood and blood products.
Adopted by the United Nations in 2002 as an integral part of the Millineum Project, 21 May was declared "The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development", commonly known as "Diversity Day". Studies have shown 75% of major conflicts generally have a cultural dimension, and the goal of this worldwide action is to promote cultural understanding and tolerance to insure peace, stability, and development toward a positive future. Diversity Day has been aside to emphasize the need for cross-cultural dialog, sharing and learning to understand and accept political, intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual things that are an essential investment in the world's future. The 2013 campaign "Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion" encourages action to support diversity through raising awareness for the need to open dialog; exploring how to support diversity in every day-life gestures; and strive to combat the concepts of polarization and stereotypes.
known as a brilliant orator, an unyielding foe of slavery, and a classic Puritan. A blunt speaker with a sharp tongue, one such speech known as "The Crime Against Kansas" was intensely inflammatory regarding the pro-slavery efforts of Kansas settlers and its endorsement by Southern supporters, particularly Senators Stephen Douglas and Andrew Butler. Within the speech, given over the course of two days, Sumner expressed his opinions by especially criticizing Butler's personal character, and the state he represented, South Carolina. Although Butler was not present, his cousin and House representative from South Carolina named Preston Brooks took 
great offense to the tirade against his kinsman and his constituents, and felt the duty to avenge the insult to his home and family. It was on this date in 1856 that Brooks, in the company of Laurence Keitt (South Carolina) and Henry Edmundson (Virginia), entered a near-empty Senate chamber and confronted Sumner at his desk. He stated "Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is a libel on South Carolina, and Mr. Butler, who is a relative of mine", then began beating Sumner on the head with his cane, and continued to do so until Sumner, blinded by his own blood, staggered up the aisle and collapsed into unconsciousness. Brooks continued to beat Sumner until he broke his cane, then quietly left the chamber. Several other senators attempted to help Sumner, but were blocked by Keitt who was holding a pistol and shouting "Let them be!" Although Brooks was applauded by pro-slavery advocates across the South, he paid a $300 fine and resigned his seat, claiming he meant no disrespect. His constituents thought of him as a hero and returned him to Congress. In the North, the attack on Sumner was regarded as the act of a cowardly barbarian, and a crime against the right of free speech. The insults were not forgotten by either side. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December of 1860, and when Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter in April of 1861, the American Civil War began.
Remembering Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
to Massachusetts, William H. Carney served with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a Sergeant during the Civil War. In this era, soldiers relied on a visual of their flag to recognize troop movement on the battlefield, and it was during the 1863 assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston the color sergeant was shot down. Carney dropped his rifle and grabbed the flag. Although he had been injured, he carried the flag through the advance on the fort. Finding himself surrounded by the enemy, he wrapped the flag around the staff to protect it and ran back through retreat, shot four more times along the way. Reaching his unit, he turned over the colors to another survivor, and before he collapsed from his injuries is known to have said "Boys, I only did my duty. The flag never touched the ground." It was not unusual for medals to be awarded to Civil War veterans 20 or more years after it was over, and Sergeant William Harvey Carney was awarded his Medal of Honor on this date in 1900. Although several other black Americans had already received the award for actions during the Civil War and the Indian Campaigns, the date of Sergeant Carney's action at Fort Wagner on 18 July 1863 was the first to merit the award, and renders his legacy as the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
and politics. In 1830, he began travelling Europe to improve his skills, and eventually decided on a project painting miniature copies of some of the Louvre's famous paintings onto a single canvas which he would complete when he returned home to the States, and earn money by exhibiting his work. On the voyage home in 1832, Morse met a Boston man experimenting with electromagnets, and observing some of his experiments, Morse began working on the idea of a single wire telegraph, transmitted with what would become known as the Morse Code. Although the telegraph had already been invented in Britain as a multiple wire signaling method, Morse was able to adapt his idea of using a single wire over great distances, and proved it could work in January of 1838 when America's first telegram was sent across two miles of wire, which read "A patient waiter is no loser." It was difficult to find funding to continue his project, but after years of confronting skeptics, in December 1842, he sent messages back and forth between two committee rooms in the Capitol, and received the money he needed to build an experimental line. A thirty eight-mile line was constructed between Washington, DC and Baltimore, which was officially opened on this date in 1844, when Morse sent his famous words "What hath God wrought" along the wire. Within a year, lines connected major cities on the East Coast, and eventually across the continent and around the world. Considered one of the greatest advancements in communication for over 160 years, an unsurpassed tool bringing the world up-to-speed, gradually becoming a thing of the past with the advent of telecommunications and the Internet.
Remembering Queen Victoria
for money at the age of six in local beer gardens. At age 12, he began working with travelling entertainers on the Black theater circuit, and by 1905 had found his way into vaudeville. A successful showman for over 25 years, he became one of the most renowned of Broadway entertainment. He was 50 years old before he danced for White audiences. He danced well into his late sixties, always insisting his feet responded directly to the music and his head had nothing to do with it. His endearing celebrity made him known for his famous "stair dance", successful gambling exploits, plaid suits and bow ties of multiple colors, his ability to run backward, and stunts such as dancing down Broadway in 1939 on his 61st birthday. As vaudeville began to fade and the film industry began its early boon, Robinson was invted to participate in over 14 films, best remembered for a number of 1930s film performances with the child star Shirley Temple. Because of his talent and generousity of spirit, he was named an honorary mayor of Harlem, a lifetime member of policemen's associations and fraternal orders, and was a mascot of the New York Giants major league baseball team. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson died penniless in 1949 at the age of 71. His funeral was paid for by TV host Ed Sullivan, and more half a million people lined the streets of New York to view his funeral procession from Harlem, down Broadway to Times Square on its way to his interment. In 1989 a joint resolution of Congress recognized the need to preserve, promote, and celebrate tap dancing for its contributions as an American art form, and established National Tap Dance Day on this date each year to honor his contributions to the art of tap dancing on both stage and in film.
The Hague, now third largest city in the Netherlands, has been a gathering center for royalty and the ruling class since the mid-13th Century. Originally developed as a hunting lodge in 1230 by a Knight of the Crusades, Count Floris IV of Holland, it expanded over three generations to include a residential palace that soon became a gathering place for all the counts of Holland to use in the business of government. As the country began to unite during the early 15th Century, The Hague was selected for the location of the central government of the Dutch Republic.
vessel, which sailed under the American flag, was built in 1919 and changed names 3 times with as many owners until named the SS Robin Moor in 1940. Although Germany was already terrorizing Britain and Europe, the US had not yet entered WWII when on this date in 1941, a German U-69 submarine sank the Robin Moor in the South Atlantic. Carrying 46 passengers and a commercial cargo, which included engines and vehicles, from New York to Mozambique via South Africa, the Robin Moor was was stopped by the U-69, and informed of the intent to destroy it because of its cargo meant to supply Germany's enemies. The Robin Moor's crew and passengers were not allowed to radio for assistance, and were given less than 30 minutes to board the ship's 4 lifeboats. The U-boat then fired a torpedo, and the ship sank. Before leaving the area, the captain's lifeboat was given 4 tins of bread and 2 tins of butter. The passengers and crew of the Robin Moor were left afloat in small lifeboats from approximately two to three weeks before being accidentally discovered and rescued by friendly vessels. On 20 June, President Roosevelt delivered a message to Congress on the sinking of the Robin Moor, stating Germany's actions violated international law, and the right of United States vessels freely to navigate the seas. Roosevelt strongly stated although the German Reich actively pursued a policy of frightfulness and intimidation as an instrument of international policy, the United States would not be intimidated by Germany's obvious plans for world domination. "We are not yielding and we do not propose to yield." The State Department then required Germany and Italy to close all of their consulates in the United States except for their embassies. The US officially joined the war against Germany the following December.
could not be possible considering the strong tides and currents, and almost constant winds. In 1916 city administrators began to seek engineers to construct a bridge, and the winning bid was from a young engineer named Joseph Strauss for $17 million. Strauss became the Chief Engineer in charge of overall design and construction of the bridge project, and working with a team of experts, including Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis, the structural and decorative designs became one of the most beautiful examples of bridge engineering in the world. Construction was authorized in 1928, but delayed following the Crash of 1929, until a bond measure was able to take place in 1932 when the San Francisco-based Bank of America bought the entire issue in order to help the local economy. Construction began in 1933, and finished in 1937. The bridge opening celebration began on 27 May, with city officials taking the ferry to Marin County, then crossing the bridge in a motorcade. The entire day was filled with city-wide activities, including a parade, a California products exposition, tournaments, a pageant on the history of California, and evening fireworks. Open that day only to pedestrian traffic, with souvenir tickets costing 25 cents, an estimated 200 thousand people from both San Francisco and Marin County walked across the bridge. Dedication of both opening sides took place on the following day of 28 May, attended by Governors of Western States, representatives of foreign nations and other dignitaries, while above 500 planes from Navy aircraft carriers flew in battle formation. Although President Roosevelt was unable to attend, he participated from Washington by ceremoniously pushing a button at noon, while at the bridge, the booming of cannons and blowing of whistles all over San Francisco and Marin County, signaled the official start of vehicle traffic over the bridge. Today, an average of 120 thousand vehicles cross the bridge each day, with an average toll fare of $5. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic remains toll free. The Golden Gate Bridge has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco, and is one of the most photographed bridges in the world.
toasting one side at a time. By 1913, along came the toaster with an automatic bread turner, successfully marketed as the "toaster that turns toast." As evolution goes, the next step in toaster development came with an automatic heating element that used a clockwork mechanism to shut the toaster off when the toast was done. Through all these advancements, the toast still required manual labor in lowering and raising the bread. Then along came a man named Charles Strite who developed an automatic pop-up toaster wherein all the user had to do was drop in the bread, lower the lever, and wait for the finished toast to pop-up all by itself. Strite received the patent for this idea on this date in 1919, and in 1925 it was on the market by the Waters Genter Company as the Model 1-A-1 Toastmaster. Early toaster appliances were a luxury item, quite expensive for the time, but increased in affordability during the post-WWII years and the pop-up toaster became a common kitchen item. Meeting with strong competition during the late-20th Century from toaster ovens and microwaves, modern additions to the pop-up toaster include wider toasting slots for thicker breads, the ability to toast frozen non-bread products, and a single-side heating mode. There are also toasters with the ability to print images and logos on bread slices, and toasters which can be connected to the Internet to dial-up and print onto the toast the day's weather forecast.
nicknamed Awful Knofel, which inspired Kneivel to adopt the name Evel, with the intentional spelling to avoid being known as a bad person. He continued his daring deeds in professional rodeos and ski-jumping events, a pole vaulter in the Army, a time in minor pro hockey (until a questionable incident involving the 1960 Olympic Czechian hockey team), and owner of a successful hunting guide business (until approached by game wardens from Yellowstone National Park). His tried the motorcross circuit, but broke his collarbone and shoulder, so decided to sell insurance. Good at his new career, even able to sell insurance policies to institutionalized mental patients, he quit the job when the company refused to make him a Vice President. Seriously seeking a new start, he moved his family to Washington state, and ended up working at a motorcycle shop, where a professional motocross racer inspired him to start his own daredevil show. Producing the entire show himself, his 1st performance involved jumping a 20 feet of rattlesnakes and 2 mountain lions. The debut of his daredevil show was a huge success, until the 2nd performance, when he attempted to jump, spread eagle, over a speeding motorcycle, jumping too late and the motorcycle hit him in the groin, tossing him 15 feet into the air. Undaunted, he continued jumping cars, adding more cars to sell more tickets. The thing about Evel was the audience never knew what was going to happen. It was on this day in 1967, he successfully cleared 16 cars. Doing the same stunt 2 months later, he suffered a a broken left wrist, right knee, and two ribs. Finally receiving national attention (and larger paychecks), Evel became a TV and film personality and an imaginative daredevil, attempting to jump the Caesars Palace fountains, a rocket powered jump across the Snake River, and global performances including jumps over cars, Pepsi trucks, and London busses. Although he encountered several challenges (legal and otherwise) in his later years, Evel Knievel was an American icon of unending stamina and endurance.
Billed as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500 is an annual Memorial Day sporting event held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first auto races at the track were held in August 1909. Resurfacing its 500-mile (805 km) track with 3.2 million bricks accomodated the rapidly rising advancements in the automotive industry, and the first "500" race was held at the Speedway on Memorial Day in 1911.
33 racers round 200 laps at speeds exceeding 200mph. Only one makes it to the Winner's Circle at the end, receiving the 5 foot-4 inch/153 pound sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, a winner's wreath of orchids, over $1 million in winner's payout, and a traditional glass of milk.
and women's wheelchair entries, the marathon is sponsored by the 500 Festival non-profit group, who also provides the 500 Festival Parade the day before the race. Past grand marshals have included astronauts, politicians, celebrities, journalists, and sports figures, as well as animated icons Mickey Mouse and Minnie (1985) and Garfield (1996). Grand Marshals in 2010 include the entire Butler basketball team for their outstanding college basketball season.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is given credit as the first racing facility to use the word "speedway" in its name. Originally opened as a course for motorcycle races in 1909, when the track was paved with brick to accomodate automotive racing, the facility acquired the nickname of "The Brickyard." The final brick added to the roadway was made of gold and laid in a special ceremony by Governor Thomas Marshall in 1909. By 1939, the entire track had been resurfaced to asphalt and tar, but 3 feet of original bricks remain at the start/finish line. The Speedway was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, it currently remains the only such landmark to be affiliated with automotive racing history.
Saxon England, responsible for governing a large area and raise taxes for the king. Lady Godiva was deeply religious, and passionately cared for the well-bring of the citizens in her charge. They appealed to her to influence leniency from the Lord's heavy taxes, but the resistence she found with her husband led to what would become one of the most infamous stories in history. According to the legend, he said he would lower the taxes the day she rode naked through the town on horseback. Believing her to be too pious to fulfill such a challenge, he was quite surprised to learn she had requested the townsfolk to close their blinds and not peek as she obeyed her husband's request. In the end, everyone did what they said they would do, but for one curious tailor, whose name also came through history with the story as the Peeping Tom. When William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday Book in 1086 to survey property ownership, Leofric and Godiva were listed as major property owners, and the only taxes being collected in the area were for horses. Annual town fairs were common during the Middle Ages, usually begun with a procession, followed by a week or more of celebration. The Coventry Fair was no different, although it was not until this date in 1678, the name of Godiva became associated with it. The Godiva Procession began with colorful banners and streamers, followed by marching fifes and drums, leading the way for a uniformed color guard, an armed and mounted St George, the High Sheriff, followed by Godiva sitting side-saddle on a white horse. In 1678, Godiva was represented by a boy, then later by an actress or dancer, almost always a stranger from another town. The subject of nudity has always been a speculation, however generally, the Godiva of the hour was known to wear wearing a close-fitting white tunic and cloak, which covered all but the legs. The most renowned variation was in the 1962 procession, when Godiva wore a skin-colored body suit and a long wig. The Godiva Festival is still a popular annual summer event in Coventry.