Showing posts with label Charles Darwin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Darwin. Show all posts

Monday, 4 May 2009

4 May - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month

Lily of the Valley



Gemstone of the Month: Emerald



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!



Today was a very special day in the history of our American fans because it was on this day in 1626 that Peter Minuit, the Dutchman, bought Manhattan Island. And what a deal he got! He bought the island from a local group of Indians for the princely sum of $24. Even this wasn’t given in cash but in the form of cloth and buttons to the value of $24. I bet he was laughing all the way to the bank, what a deal! Unfortunately for Peter, the Indians turned out to be not quite as stupid as he thought. The Indians he traded with were the “Carnasee” who in fact lived in Brooklyn and not on the island. The guys who did live on the island, the “Weekquaesgeeks” were singularly unimpressed with the whole deal and fought the Dutch invaders. I can just imagine Peter Minuit explaining to his boss when the troubles broke out that
All these Indians look the same to me.



On a day in history that appears to have not a lot going for it the humble folding umbrella gets a mention as it was on this day in 1715 that a French manufacturer unfurled the first example in Paris. Must admit, Paris is a good place to have one!




Another event of interest to our American readers is that it was on this day in 1893 that the cowboy, Bob Pickett, invented “Bulldogging”. To those who are not familiar with this particular sport, “Bulldogging” is basically wrestling with steers. The steer is released into the ring and is minding its own business when a cowboy on a horse rides in and in an act of extreme bravado (and stupidity) leaps off his horse, grabs the steer by its horns, and brings it to the ground. Bravo!



The next event of interest that took place on this day in 1974 was the release of their Eurovision Song Contest winning song by ABBA. It was called “Waterloo” and the world has not been the same since. To be fair they’ve made a lot of people happy with their music over the years so for those of you who want to sing along with ABBA click here and enjoy “Waterloo”. It takes you back. The rest, as they say, is history!



Birthday celebrities today are Thomas Huxley (1825 – 1895) the “bulldog” defender of Darwin’s theory of evolution and the guy who reckons that birds are descended from dinosaurs. Well they certainly got a lot smaller!





Our other celebrity whose birthday it is today is the lovely Audrey Hepburn (1929 – 1993). Born in Brussels, Belgium, her performances in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “My Fair Lady” are her best known and loved.





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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Thursday, 12 February 2009

12 February - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month

Violet



Gemstone of the Month: Amethyst


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!



On a day that celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin the great man would have been impressed with the 100.5 kilogram sailfish caught on this day in 1947 by C W Stewart. Why? CWS caught his fish off the island of Santa Cruz, part of the Galapagos Islands where Darwin undertook a lot of his research. Today there is a Research Station named after Darwin on the island studying turtles!


The McGuire Sisters will “Sincerely” remember this day in 1955 when their single went to the #1 spot and stayed there for 10 impressive weeks. They have performed for several US presidents and even for HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Just goes to show what a sheltered life these top people live!


This day in 1964 marked the end of an illustrious cricket career for Richie Benaud when he played his last test match against South Africa. He went on to become one of the sports best loved commentators of the game and I’m just sorry I cannot find David Gower’s impersonation of Richie on youtube. It’s absolutely HILARIOUS! If you can find it please send me the details.


The dance skating couple, Torvill and Dean will remember this day in 1984 when they scored a perfect set of straight 6’s to lift the gold medal at the Sarajevo winter Olympics. Their performance to Ravel’s “Bolero” is always worth another look!



Edvard Munch would have been screaming mad on this day in 1994 when his best known painting “The Scream” was stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo. Happily it was recovered several months later undamaged.


Our first birthday celebrity has to be the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin (1809- 1882) on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Much has been and will be said and filmed of the great man over the coming weeks and Nomanda has no desires to compete with all the professional media attention. The only small detail I will point out is that he set off on his first trip aboard the HMS Beagle at the tender age of 22. The trip would last 5 years and by the end of it he had gathered most of his research material that would lead to his famous publication “On the Origin of the Species”. His book was published in 1859, some 23 years after the end of that voyage and has never been out of print since its original publication. Why did he wait so long? Nomanda was lucky enough to be given a copy of his book at Christmas and is looking forward to reading it someday soon!


Another great man of his times, the man who led his country through the American Civil War and ended slavery in the US, Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865), shares his birthday with Darwin.





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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Saturday, 27 December 2008

27 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Gemstone of the Month


Turquoise



Flower of the Month: Paper White


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!




The festive season has come to an end and Nomanda hopes all of our fans had a wonderful time with their friends and loved ones and in some cases their wives! Lots of people often take a few extra days off work at this time of the year to complete their annual holiday entitlement and to stretch out the festive season a bit longer. No such luck for Nomanda!


No such luck either for the naturalist Charles Darwin who began his 5 year voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle on this day in 1836. His discoveries and later publications would change the way we saw the world, God and evolution for ever.


Fans of Garfield and Pokemon will join Nomanda celebrating this day in 1871 when the world’s first Cat Show was held at Crystal Palace in London. Have a look at Garfield’s music video, it’s great!



I don’t know if there are any cats out there called “Adeline” but if there are I bet they are all pretty cool and chuffed to have one of the most popular barbershop songs, “Sweet Adeline”, first performed on this day in 1904, named after them!


This day in history had been a happy one for professional cricketers starting with the formidable Bradman who scored 246 runs against Queensland in 1937. Next up is another Aussie, Dennis Lillee who became the leading test wicket taker in 1981 taking his 310th wicket. Another bowler, Imran Khan enjoyed this day in 1982 when he took 8 – 60 against India to help his side to an innings victory!


A whole chorus of singers celebrate their birthdays today and I can’t 'elp it but to start with Marlène Dietrich (1901 – 1992). She spent a lot of her life “Falling in Love Again”, she never wanted to, she just couldn’t ‘elp it!



A popular rocker of the ‘60’s, Leslie Maguire (1941) from the group Gerry and the Pacemakers helped to earn the Liverpool ferries a world wide reputation with “Ferry Cross the Mersey



Another rocker form the same era, Michael Pinder (1941) shares his birthday with Leslie but he had the Moody Blues and preferred his “Nights in White Satin”!




The lovely actress Maryam D’Abo (1960) may scare the “Living Daylights” out of her party guests today, but she’s a nice girl really, even though she fiddles a bit on the side!




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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Monday, 24 November 2008

24 November - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month

Chrysanthemum


Gemstone of the Month: Topaz


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!



It was on this day in 1859 that the naturalist Charles Darwin first published his revolutionary book entitled “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life”. The book was an immediate sell out and it was published no less than 6 more times during Darwin’s lifetime. It was to prove to be one of the most contentious theories of all time and the arguments still persist between the “Evolutionists” and the “Creationists”. The basic theories can be summarised as follows:

1. Species have great fertility. They have more offspring than can grow to adulthood.

2. Populations remain roughly the same size, with small changes.

3. Food resources are limited, but are relatively stable over time.

4. An implicit struggle for survival ensues.

5. In sexually reproducing species, generally no two individuals are identical.

6. Some of these variations directly impact the ability of an individual to survive in a given environment.

7. Much of this variation is inheritable.

8. Individuals less suited to the environment are less likely to survive and less likely to reproduce, while individuals more suited to the environment are more likely to survive and more likely to reproduce.

9. The individuals that survive are most likely to leave their inheritable traits to future generations.

10. This slowly effected process results in populations that adapt to the environment over time, and ultimately, after interminable generations, these variations accumulate to form new varieties, and ultimately, new species.


It all sounds pretty plausable to me and one day Nomanda hopes to read the full work when I’ve got the time!


If the survival of the fittest is your thing then you have to admire the longevity of Agatha Christie’s “Mousetrap” that opened in London on this day in 1952 and is still going strong! So mice are up for it, then! Rabbits too, I suppose! I wonder what “Mousetrap” will evolve into, “Catflap” possibly!


The iconic transport of the US President “Air Force One” was christened on this day in 1954 and is still going strong! Apparently it’s only called “Air Force One” when the President is on board and sadly the plane carrying the vice President is downgraded to “Air Force Two”. It all sounds a bit second class to me!


The prolific painter and poster maker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 – 1901) is our first birthday celebrity today. He found most of his models in the pubs, clubs and brothels of Paris and not surprisingly died at an early age from an anti-social disease. He did however do some great stuff!


The owner of a Soho night club, Joseph Olutola Olu Odutola Oguntala (1920 – 1996) not only gets a mention on his birthday today because of his name, but also because he managed to live to the ripe old age of 76 in what can only be described as a hazardous occupation! See above!


This day over the years has been a good birthday for English cricketers including Ken Barrington (1930 – 1981), Fred Titmus (1932) and the indomitable Sir Ian Botham (1955).




The multi talented big Scotsman Billy Connolly (1942) is our final celebrity today. He seems to have an opinion on most things but the theorems of algebra seem to have escaped him!




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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Saturday, 12 July 2008

Happy Special 12th July Day!



Gemstone of the Month

Ruby


Flower of the Month: Larkspur


Upcoming Special Days


14 July - Emmeline Pankhurst Day

15 July - St. Swithin’s Day


Coming towards the end of his relatively short but eventful life Henry VIII married his 6th and last wife, Catherine Parr, on this day in 1543. Not only did she survive Henry, something not to be sniffed at as far as his wives were concerned, she did manage to bring some order and reconciliation into the Royal household before Henry died.


Bringing order into the normal domestic household a machine for manufacturing the humble paper bag was patented on this day in 1859 by William Goodale of Massachusetts. It was the standard container for transporting domestic purchases from the shop to home right up to the invention of the much cheaper plastic bag that became the preferred option in the ‘70’s onwards. Nowadays the plastic bag has become a conservation pariah and the good old paper bag has got a second life. Of course if you are a believer of all the greenie nonsense surrounding what sort of bag is best/least worst for the environment then this will be a subject close to your heart. Frankly Nomanda thinks the best solution is to remove all “free” grocery bags from the shops and to take your own reusable job! It’s not rocket science!

Rocketing up the leader board at Royal Lytham on this day in 1969, Tony Jacklin was to become the first Briton to win the Open Championship for 18 years. He shot 280 and came out on top. Well done, Tony! Celebrate today and have a drink on Nomanda!


Drinking his way to top dog in Russia, Nomanda’s favourite drunk, Boris Yeltsin, chose this day to decide to quit the Soviet Communist Party. No doubt he downed a bottle or two to celebrate! He did have his moments and could be quite a funny man. Have a look at this!


First up for birthday honours today is the famous potter, designer and manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood (1730 – 1795). As well as making pottery for the royals, rich and famous throughout Europe he also had a famous grandson, Charles Darwin!


Sharing her birthday with Wedgwood is Christine McVie (1943) the vocalist of Fleetwood Mack. Has she got a hold on you?


Another great female vocalist from the group Boney M, Liz Mitchell (1952) was born on this day. If you like a bit of calypso, steel bands and Jamaican beach fun you’ll love this one!


It seems to be all girls’ birthdays today as born on this day in 1976 was the lovely English actress, Anna Friel. Nomanda will send her a bunch of daisies for her birthday!



And sharing her birthday with Anna is the hard hitting American actress Michelle Rodriguez born in 1978. Nomanda will send her a pair of boxing gloves!




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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