12 June - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Rose

Gemstone of the Month: Pearl


First of all Nomanda would like to thank all our new readers! We have been getting more and more of you every day and we really appreciate you! If you are enjoying Nomanda’s blog please pass it on to your friends. And if you would like to make a comment or get your own special mention on your own special day just send us the details through the comments section and we’ll make sure we don’t forget you!

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!

New Yorkers will be happy to celebrate this day in 1665 when the Dutch decided they’d had enough of the place and, encouraged by the English, pulled out. To mark the occasion the English decided to rename the city, previously called New Amsterdam when the Dutch were there, to New York, and the name’s stuck!


If your horse has got a stone stuck in its shoe then the first thing you will reach for is your Swiss Army Knife with its special feature for just this type of emergency. It was on this day in 1897 that Karl Elsener, the owner of a company that made surgical equipment, took out his patent for the well known knife. No Boy Scout or squaddie would be without one ever since! The modern knife boasts the following useful set of tools in addition to the main blade and a smaller second blade, tweezers, toothpick, corkscrew, can opener, bottle opener, slotted/flat-head screwdriver(s), phillips-head screwdriver, nail file, scissors, saw, file, hook, magnifying glass, ballpoint pen, fish scaler, hex wrench w/bits, pliers and key chain. Recent technological features include USB flash drives, digital clock, digital altimeter, LED light, laser pointer, and MP3 player. What more could you ask for. Nomanda’s going to buy one for all his friends!


If you suffer from diabetes then celebrate this day in 1922 when Frederick Banting took out his patent for insulin and vitually overnight gave life and hope to all diabetes sufferers. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in medecine for his work the following year.



Making his fellow senators suffer was the Senator from Louisiana appropriatley named Huey Long. Renowned for upholding the rights of the poor and underpriveleged, he delivered his 15 hour speech of 150,000 words on this day in 1935. Not everybody enjoyed it as he was assassinated a few months later. However, records like this are bound to be broken and the current holder of this dubious title is J Strom Thurmond who delivered a fillibusting 24 hour and 18 minute speech against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Blah Blah Blah!


Bank robbers normally wouldn’t attract Nomanda’s attention except for today. It was on this day in 1962 that three convicted bank robbers, serving their sentences at the infamous Alcatraz prison, dug their way out using just metal spoons. My guess is they would have got out a lot quicker if the prison authorities had provided Swiss Army Knifes as standard issue! They then escaped from the island on a makeshift raft. Their escapade was subsequently immortalised by Clint Eastwood in his film made on location at the prison, “Escape From Alcatraz”.


Not escaping, but returning on this day in 1992 was the super hero “Batman”.



Another new twist on an old theme reaching its #17 spot in the charts on this day in 1993 was the song ”Three Little Pigs” by Green Jelly. And there’s me thinking that the traditional accompaniment to green jelly was a little lambie!



Taking up dangerous sports much too late for a lot of his fans it was on this day in 2004 that former President George H. W. Bush celebrated his 80th birthday by skydiving. Well, he’s still going strong and maybe his son will follow in his fathers’ wings soon! After all, when you’ve had two terms of the Presidency what else is there to get up for in the morning? According to his wife he doesn’t get up very early anyway!


Birthday celebrities today start with the author Charles Kingsley (1819 – 1875). His best known works of “Hereward the Wake”, “Westward Ho!” and “The Water Babies” are classics.




Claiming that she was born on this day in 1953 is the actress and singer Grace Jones. She sings, she models and does a bit of acting too! Her performance in the James Bond movie “A View to a Kill” is one of her best! Wouldn’t want to bump into her in a dark alley, though!



The impressionist and comedian Jim Morris was born on this day in 1957. Nomanda loves his impressions of two of our favourite American politicians Ronald Reagan and George Bush.




Final birthday wished go to the lovely Brazilian model Adriana Lima who was born on this day in 1981. No matter how much I use I have to admit that “Maybelline” just doesn’t do it for Nomanda!



Happy Special Day to one and all!!


If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!