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!!

18 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!




One of the most popular Christmas ballets, Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” premiered on this day in 1892 at Saint Petersburg. There are many well known melodies from this work and this is one of Nomanda’s favourites.



Cuddly toys make it on to lots of Christmas gift lists and on this day in 1936 the city of San Francisco was to receive one of the biggest. She was a Giant Panda and was a gift to the city from China. Her name was Su-Lin and although she was big and fluffy she was definitely not one to cuddle!


The title of the play asked the question “What’s Wrong With this Pic?” and sadly nobody seemed to either know the answer or to care as the play closed on this day in 1994 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York after just 12 performances!


The co-founder of the Methodist Church, Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788), is our first birthday celebrity today. He was a prolific hymn writer and one of his best known Christmas hymns is this one!


The actress who had her legs insured for $1 million, Betty Grable (1916 – 1973), is our next birthday guest. She was the forces pin-up of WWII and could act a bit as well!



A couple of the oldies but goodies from the world of rock and roll share this day as their birthday, Chas Chandler (1938 – 1996) the bass guitarist of The Animals, and Keith Richards (1943), the rhythm guitarist from the Rolling Stones. Have a listen to Chas doing his bit on “We Gotta Get Out of this Place” and Keith giving it his best in “Street Fighting Man”!


Another couple of Hollywood favourites will be having a bit of a song and dance at their birthday parties. Brad Pitt (1965) will be celebrating his birthday, whilst Tom Cruise will be under starter’s orders at his wife’s party, Katie Holmes (1978)!




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!!

20 August - Historical Events and Special Celebrations

Flower of the Month

Gladiolus

Gemstone of the Month: Agate

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 Danish sea captain Vitus Bering employed by the Russian Navy discovered Alaska and the Straits that bear his name on this day in 1741. I wonder if he realised that he was on the far Eastern coast of his employers when he found them.


Peter Tchaikovsky’s ouverture 1812 was first performed at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow on this day in 1882. The work was written to commemorate the defence of Napoleon’s French invading army at Borodino in 1812. Stirring stuff!


For those who read yesterday’s blog it will come as no surprise that the day after the one and only Olympic cricket match started Great Britain beat France on this day in 1900! So no surprise there then!



A Frenchman Adolphe Pegourd became the first man to parachute out of an aircraft on this day in 1913. He signed up for military service at the start of WWI and was shot down by one of his pre-war students in 1915. Bad luck, that!


The performance of the Royal Air Force was uppermost in Winston Churchill’s mind on this day in 1940 when he made his famous speech, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

Looking at the performance of some of our current day civil servants Churchill’s words could be paraphrased to, “Never in the field of public service has so much been paid to so many for so little!”

One of Nomanda’s unfavourite Frenchmen, General de Gaulle, left the comfort of his English residence and returned to France on this day in 1944 just in time for the liberation of his country! Even Churchill didn’t like him, and he was an easy guy to get along with!


Mick Jagger was shaking his hips with “Satisfaction” when this song became their first #1 in the US on this day in 1965.



And 20 years later, determined to get his name in the record books, it was on this day in 1985 that Hanspeter Beck from South Australia completed his 3,875 unicycle ride from Western Australia to Melbourne.


Staying in the southern hemisphere the great billiard and snooker player Edward J “Murt” O’Donoghue (1900 – 1994) was born on this day. He is reputed to have been the first player to have a 147 snooker break witnessed at Griffith, Australia in 1934, and also made a 1,000 points billiard break. Smart potting!


The voice of Fred Flintstone, Alan Reed (1907 – 1997), is our next birthday celebrity today. So let’s have a bit of yabba dabba doo!



The British comedian Lenny Henry (1958) will be having a great birthday bash today. He’s very funny and I’m sure you will like this one even though you don’t see 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!!