25 April - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Gemstone of the Month

Diamond

Flower of the Month: Sweet Pea

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!

If “great oaks from little acorns grow” then today’s patent must qualify as one of the smallest ever. It was on this day in 1684 that the patent for the humble thimble was granted. Sock darners and needle workers are all grateful!

Not having any socks to darn, or anything else either, “Man Friday” made his first appearance on this day in 1719 when Daniel Defoe published his classic novel “Robinson Crusoe”.






Despite the fact that Napoleon had previously turned down the idea of building the Suez Canal as it was projected to cost too much, the first ground for the canal was broken on this day in 1859 by a French company. It was completed 10 years later and opened in 1869. The very first “canal” linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean is thought to go back to sometime around 1800BC. So not such a new idea after all!



It was on this day in 1960 that celebrated the first submerged circumnavigation of the world by the submarine “Triton”. I cannot get Bob Newhart’s speech made by the captain of the USS Codfish out of my mind;



Whilst the well known drunk Boris Yeltsin was getting himself elected leader of Russia on this day in 1993, weather more typically Russian was to fall in Southern California on this day one year later in 1994 when they recorded 14” of snow . “I told you not to put out the geraniums out yet!”



Birthday celebrations today go to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) the great Russian composer with his “1812” overture and the “Nutcracker” being amongst his more popular works. Always makes me smile, that one!




The great jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald (1918 – 1996) was born on this day and the legacy of her work with some of the best big bands of the time including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Duke Ellington will always be remembered.

The well known actor of the Coronation Street character Ken Barlow, William Roache was born on this day in 1932. Have a beer on Nomanda, Ken!

Finally, born on this day in 1957 “The Crafty Cockney”, Eric Bristow, the celebrated 5 times world darts champion will be having a beer or two today as well! Cheers, Eric!.




Happy Birthday 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!!

10 December - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Paper White

Gemstone of the Month: Turquoise

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!



This day in history seems to have been a popular one for picking up the Nobel Peace Prize, or in some cases sending your wife along to collect it! So on this day in 1901 the first NPP went to Jean Henri Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross and the initiator of the Geneva Convention and Frederic Passy who founded a French Peace Society. US Presidents Roosevelt, in 1906, and Wilson in 1919 were the next to pick up the prize on this day. And later on Andrei Sakhorov sent his wife along to pick up his prize in 1975 as did Lech Walesa in 1983. Maybe they were both just too busy to get away!


The first planet outside our solar system was discovered on this day in 1984 and of course by now they’ve discovered 100’s more. The question Nomanda asks is whether or not there’s life out there as or not as we know it! Should this blog reach any one out there who knows the answer Nomanda will be delighted to hear from you!



One of the early actresses in Coronation Street who didn’t survive to the 7,000th episode, Jill Summers (1910 – 1997), is our first birthday celebrity today. She was one of the first “blue rinse” brigade!



Our next birthday honours go to the singer of the group the Commodores, Walter “Clyde” Orange (1946). They’ve done lots of stuff and you can choose whether you prefer their “Too Hot to Trot” or “Three Times a Lady”.


Our final birthday wishes go to the drummer of the group ZZ Topp, Frank Beard (1951) who is the only one in the group without a beard!





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!!

9 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!



OK the farting’s over and time to get back to business as normal!

Working class Northerners unite and join Nomanda in celebrating the very first episode of ITV’s longest running “kitchen sink” soap “Coronation Street” that was broadcast on this day in 1960. Still alive and well, which is more than can be said for some of the original actors; it will broadcast its 7,000th episode sometime in January 2009. Of course in the ‘60’s it was broadcast in black and white with this original theme tune! There’s supposed to be a new theme tune on its way and it is absolutely rubbish compared to the real thing!


Keeping appearances up and costs down it was on this day in 1967 that the lucky Lynda Johnson, daughter of the President Lyndon Johnson, got married at the White House. Just a touch up market from “Coronation Street”! Another nice one for the luckless American taxpayer!


Displaying his best humanitarian character and his total misunderstanding of the suffering of some of the American poor it was on this day in 1974 that the American Attorney General, Edwin Meese, said to the world, “The reason people go to soup kitchens is because the food is free and that’s easier than paying for it.” Nomanda can only hope that one day he may fall on hard times and try out the experience for himself!


A near miss in astronomical terms occurred on this day in 1994 when a meteor missed the earth by 100,000 kilometres. Nomanda is no astronomer but that seems a mighty long way away to me! Hardly worth the mention!



Our first birthday honours go to the poet John Milton (1608 – 1674) whose best known poem “Paradise Lost” still remains a mystery to Nomanda and is not a work for the fainthearted!



Clarence “Captain” Birdseye (1886 – 1956) is our next birthday celebrity and the world hasn’t been the same since he introduced rock hard frozen veggies and all sorts of other rubbish!



The Hollywood great Kirk Douglas (1916) is our next birthday boy. He takes a very self effacing look at himself and his roles in the following clip and is still going strong at the ripe old age of 92. Have a great one, Kirk!



Our final birthday wishes go to the actor Michael Dorn (1952) who plays “Worf” in “Star Trek – The Next Generation”. If you get an invite to his party and he asks you for a dance, be warned, he might Kling on a bit!




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!!