14 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!




It’s Valentine’s Day HOORAH!

First of all a very Special Happy Valentine Day greeting to Nomanda’s special person! I hope you have a lovely day and we have a very Happy Special Day together!


We wish a very Happy Special Valentine’s Day to all our faithful readers, friends, lovers and in some cases their partners!




Strangely enough nothing is known of the Saint Valentine whose anniversary is celebrated on this day. The only reference Nomanda can find is that there was a Saint Valentine buried on the Via Flamina, north of Rome on February 14th. Never mind! Celebrating this day is a good excuse to tell your loved ones how much you care for them and a great opportunity for the gift, card and restaurant industries to make a bit of extra dosh!


In a strange co-incidence of “déja vu” the Bank of England was nationalised on this day in 1946. Today nearly every UK bank is propped up with huge amounts of tax payers’ money and it doesn’t seem to have made a blind bit of difference!



Not displaying much of a loving and tender spirit on this special day the ex President Richard Nixon chose this day in 1971 to install his secret taping system in the White House! The thing Nomanda doesn’t understand is how he ever managed to keep it a secret in a place like the White House that must have more leaks in it than Nomanda’s sieve!


Today is a Happy Special Day for lovers so it comes as no surprise that there are lots of celebrities who want to get married on this day for lovers. Below is a selection of the more interesting ones. However my good manners and rose tinted spectacles prevent me from giving details of how many lasted! Do you know?

1952: Joey Adams married Cindy Heller
1984: Elton John married Renate Blauel
1988: Jackie Zeman married Glenn Gordon
1994: Jerry Garcia married Deborah Koons
1995: Roseanne married Ben Thomes

To those who are still married, Happy Anniversary, to those who are not Happy Valentine’s Day!


The guy who proved that just because you can play the game it doesn’t mean that you can be a successful manager, Kevin Keegan (1951), is our birthday celebrity today. He had had lots of associations with Newcastle Football Club over the years so Nomanda hopes it’s “Broon ales all roond” 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!!

8 September - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Aster

Gemstone of the Month: Sapphire

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!




In a special tribute to our American cousins it was on this day in 1664 that the Dutch surrendered “New Amsterdam” to 300 English soldiers. The Duke of York was instrumental in the battle and the city has retained its reference to him ever since. I know that the Irishman George Bernard Shaw described the relations between the US and the UK as “Two countries separated by a single language” but just imagine how much more separated we’d be if the American language was Dutch!


One American, Abraham Lincoln, was to make his famous speech about “fooling people” on this day in 1858. However Nomanda prefers another quotation from the great man which is, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than speak out and remove all doubt!” Wise words indeed!


More wise words were to come from Pope Pius XII on this day in 1957 in his encyclical “On motion pictures, radio and Television.” I haven’t bothered to research these weighty words as I’m pretty sure they weren’t encouraging and the world has moved on a touch since then. I wonder what he would think now! Heaven knows!



Around the same time as the Pope was bashing the media and entertainment industry Harry Belafonte was celebrating his album “Calypso” going to the #1 spot on this day in 1956. It was much better received than the Pope’s efforts as it stayed there for 31 weeks! He had a special relationship with nuts and fruit, especially coconuts and bananas. Here’s one of Harry’s best!


Now I know I’ve seen all the “Star Trek” episodes as they’ve been going for ever, since this day in 1966 in fact!



It’s often said that it’s not what you know but who you know as former President Richard Nixon was to discover on this day in 1974 when President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon of all federal crimes. Back scratching Presidential style!


The iconic Richard I (1157 – 1199) better known as “Richard the Lion Heart” was born on this day. Despite the myths and legends surrounding him he spoke hardly a word of English, rarely visited the country and used the taxes raised in England to fund his French army and religious crusades! Following his capture by Duke Leopold and later handed over to Henry VI the Holy Roman Emperor, his brother John offered Henry a considerable sum to keep Richard imprisoned! His mother Eleanor of Aquitaine evidently was not impressed with this display of filial love and eventually raised the required ransom to release him.

The larger than life comedian and entertainer Sir Harry Secombe (1921 – 2001) was born on this day. Knighted in 1981 he often referred to himself as “Sir Cumference!”


One of Harry’s friends and co-star on the ‘50’s popular “Goon Show”, Peter Sellers (1925 – 1980) was also so born on this day. I bet the two of them had some outrageous birthday partiers together! Peter Sellers immortalised the character “Inspector Clouseau” in the “Pink Panther” films. For those too old to remember the Goon Show let’s hear the “What time is it, Eccles” as a tribute to both of them.


Our final birthday wishes go to “Pink” (1979) who in her short musical career so far is doing very nicely, thank you!




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!!