August 23, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Spongecake Day – This is a day to make a fluffy, spongy cake today. I like to eat cake like this with strawberries and whipped cream, but there are a multitude of other options out there.

Day For The Remembrance Of The Slave Trade & Its Abolition – Created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this is a day to remember the inhumanity of the transatlantic slave trade. This day was chosen because on this day in 1791, a revolt began on Haiti which set in motion events that eventually culminated in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Something that was certainly a step in the right direction.

Valentino Day – On this day in 1926, Rudolph Valentino, an enormously popular star of the silent-screen died because of a ruptured ulcer at the very young age of 31 years old. He was Hollywood's first sex symbol and was idolized by millions of female fans.

To celebrate today, eat spongecake while you watch one of Valentino's silent-screen movies. Then read a book about the transatlantic slave trade. I'm sure there are many out there, but if you can't find one that interests you, I recommend Alexander Haley's book, Roots: The Saga of an American Family.