Happy Special Day!: Supremes

Gemstone of the Month

Sapphire

Flower of the Month: Aster

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!

We all know that lawyers will do almost anything as long as the fee is sufficiently attractive! However a couple of male lawyers “standing in” for another couple to get married is as about as bizarre as it gets! The couple were Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti, and the “wedding”, if you can call it that, took place in Juarez, Mexico on this day in 1957. Nevertheless it all seemed to work out OK for them in the end!

I wonder if the Supremes had this wedding in mind when they released their record “Baby Love” on this day in 1964!

We’ve all been on a few of these in our time so let’s celebrate the series that gave us the name “Mission Impossible” that premiered on CBS-TV on this day in 1967. Next time you’re presented with a “Mission Impossible” just remember the instructions at the beginning of each episode that “You do not have to accept this mission.” Try telling that to your boss!

The captain of the 2008 European Ryder Cup Team, Nick Faldo, announced himself on the Ryder Cup golfing scene at the competition held at the Royal Lytham and St Anne’s Golf Club on this day in 1977. It was the first of his 11 Ryder Cup appearances and he still holds the record for the most Ryder Cup points won. Not a bad chap to have as this year’s captain. Best of luck to you and your team, Nick!

The renowned yachtsman, Sir Francis Chichester (1901 – 1972) was born on this day. He was the first person to sail single handed around the world by the “Clipper Route” and the fastest circumnavigator of the world completing the job in just nine months and one day. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him for his achievements.

The veteran racing driver Sterling Moss (1929) was born on this day. He has become a legend in his own lifetime with the rhetorical question asked by traffic policemen when stopping speeding motorists “Who do you think you are, Sterling Moss”? There is a story that the great man himself in such circumstances was actually asked this question, and of course had great difficulty being believed when he answered the question honestly!

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!!

Flower of the Month

Gladiolus

Gemstone of the Month: Agate

We all know that people involved in the tourist industry will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that their particular “places of interest” are well promoted to the public. However Nomanda was amazed to discover that the famous "Loch Ness Monster” was first sighted as early as 565 AD! The credentials of the guy who saw it are impeccable being none other than Saint Columba, a man of the cloth. The story goes that he came across a group of Picts burying a man who had been attacked by the dreaded “Nessie” and saved another swimmer who was being pursued by the monster with a sign of the cross and the words “You will go no further” at which “Nessie” took off terrified! That dates “Nessie” and her off-spring back nearly 1500 years! I’ve got to go and check this out for myself!

In a misguided act of patriotism the Italian Vincenzo Perugia stole the “Mona Lisa” from the Louvre in Paris on this day in 1921. He believed that the painting should be returned to his native country so he nicked it and tried to get it back to Italy where he was caught red-handed when he tried to sell it to an Italian museum. Not much of a thinker, our man! The theft was bold and simple. He was an employee of the Louvre, and hid in a broom cupboard until the museum was closed for the evening. Then he just unhooked it off the wall and walked out of the museum after hours with the painting hid under his coat. Pretty straightforward stuff, really! The courts were sympathetic and good old Vincenzo was only sentenced to four months in prison for stealing one of the most important works of art in the world! Happy Days!

The inmates of the infamous prison on Devil’s Island were jumping with joy (or at least as high as their shackles would allow) on this day in 1953 when the French government decided to close the place down. The terrible conditions, the treatment of the prisoners, and the fact that it was possible to escape from it have been immortalised in the book and film “Papillon”. In an untypical gesture of goodwill at the time of closing the prison the current inmates were given the choice of either returning to France or staying on French Guiana to serve out their term. Tropical paradise or Northern France, no-brainer really!

This day has been a good day for the music industry as in 1964 the Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go?” went to #1, the Beatles recorded their video for a “Long and Winding Road” and Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl?” went to #1 as well in 1987.

Australia chose this day in 1988 to unveil its first platinum coin called the “Koala”. It has a picture of a koala bear on one side and Queen Elizabeth II on the other. I suppose the name “Queenie” was rejected! However if you are lucky enough to own one of these precious coins, don’t spend it as with a face value of Aus$100 it is worth a lot more melted down!

The formidable actress Honor Blackman (1926) is our first birthday celebrity today. She made her name as Cathy Gale in the series “Avengers” and sealed her fame as “Pussy Galore” in Goldfinger. Great lady and still going strong.

The snooker player Steve Davis (1957) is our next birthday guest. He has won more professional titles than any other player, he was the first to make a 147 break on TV, and the first to snooker player earn £1 million. None the wonder his nickname is the “Nugget”! He still plays on the professional circuit and has a nice little number as a commentator on the sport after he gets knocked out of the competitions! Not at all bad!

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!!