Thursday 30 October 2008

30 October - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Calendula


Gemstone of the Month: Opal

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!



Where would the world be without Clarence Birdseye who sold his first packet of frozen peas on this day in 1952? Peas suddenly take on a very attractive luminous green type of colour, they’re ever so easy to cook, just open the packet and throw some hot water on them, and everybody likes them! Brilliant! However if you want your frozen peas to taste a little then simmer them lightly in butter in a covered pan with a pinch of salt and throw on a bit of fresh mint at the end. Now you’re cooking on gas!


I hope the dog Laika wasn’t troubled with too much gas when she set off on the first doggie Sputnik mission by the USSR on this day in 1957. Nomanda has just adopted a new little doggie friend and he doesn’t like being left in alone and goes around wrecking the place when we leave him! I can only hope that Laika was better adjusted to her surroundings. I mean you can’t start ripping things up in a Sputnik, now can you!


There’s always someone somewhere who will come up with a “great idea” to make the biggest whatever. Well the guys and girls at the Smith Dairy at Orrville, Ohio had a go on this day in 1989 and made the world’s largest milkshake of 1,575.2 gallons. They needn’t have bothered as the current record stands at a 6,000 gallon classic Black and White milkshake made be the gallant employees of Parmalat USA and the American Dairy Association. What a classic waste of time!


Our first birthday honours go to the Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751 – 1816) whose legacy from his play “The Rivals” with his character Mrs Malaprop (French “malapropos”) amused audiences with her haughty misuse of the English language and coined the word malapropism. Here are a few examples:

“She's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile." (i.e., alligator)
"He is the very pineapple of politeness." (i.e., pinnacle)
"If I reprehend any thing in this world, it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!" (i.e., comprehend, vernacular, arrangement, epithets)
"Venus has a reprobate orbit." (i.e., retrograde)
Great Stuff!


Our next birthday celebrity is the English impressionist painter Alfred Sisley (1839 – 1899) who despite being overshadowed by some of the better known French impressionists still produced some very good work. Here’s one of Nomanda’s favourites.


Weaklings” of the world unite and celebrate with Nomanda the birthday of Charles Atlas (1893 – 1972). Apparently you can achieve your dream if you’ve got a muscle bound body! It worked for the Governor of California so why can it not work for you!



Fellow fan of “Captain Kirk” and “Star Trek”, Kevin Pollak (1958) will be amusing his guests with his impressions at his birthday bash today!




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!!
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