April 25, 2017

Today we celebrate:

National Telephone Day - We all know that the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. He is the one who first successfully submitted a patent. He is not the only one who was working on such a device, however. Elisha Gray submitted a patent for a telephone on the very same day that Bell did, he was just a few hours too late.  

Parental Alienation and Hostile Aggressive Parenting Awareness Day - This is about recognizing that the behavior displayed by a parent, grandparent, or other relative or guardian, could create alienation between that parental figure and a child. It can cause a rift in the relationship, and can be harmful to the child both emotionally and mentally which can last for years and years.

Hairstylist Appreciation Day - This is a day to appreciate your hair stylist. Not the hair style, mind you...that day comes later in the month. But perhaps you could give your stylist a little extra tip today. They work hard to make you look good. Not to imply that it is hard work to make you look good because you are probably one of those people who look good from the moment you get up in the morning.

DNA Day – On this day in 1953, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin published papers on the structure of DNA. Then, on this day in 2003, the genome project was declared as complete as it was financially able to be. The Senate and House of Representatives declared April 25, 2003 to be DNA Day, intending it to be just a one day celebration. However, several other non-governmental groups have declared it to be World DNA Day or International DNA Day, every year since then.

East Meets West Day – On this day in 1945, U.S. and Russian troops met in Germany for the first time. Some groups have turned this into a reason for having sporting events such as a team from the east of an area playing against a team from the west.

World Penguin Day – Who doesn't love penguins? Today is a day for the whole world to love them! Did you know that penguins are piscivorous? That means they only eat fish.

Malaria Awareness Day or World Malaria Day – Established in 2007 by the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization, this day is intended to focus our awareness on the plight of all of the people who suffer from this disease. They are primarily located on the continent of Africa where 3,000 children die every day and over a million people die every year from this treatable disease. We need to spread awareness of how to control the mosquito population that spreads the disease, and how to treat it once it has been contracted.

Hug A Plumber Day or Plumbers Day – For those of us who are not handy in this area, where do we go when the toilet stops flushing or the sink leaks? That's right, you go to someone who knows what they are doing with water and pipes and such, your friendly neighborhood plumber. Give him a hug before he climbs under the sink and gets all dirty.

Red Hat Society Day – Born of the simple idea of having fun as you age, this wonderful group of ladies has only been around for 16 years and in that time they have grown in number from one to thousands all over the country. Ladies 50 and up wear red hats and purple clothes (the clashing is on purpose) and Ladies under 50 wear pink hats and lavender clothes. Founded by Sue Ellen Cooper on this day in 1998, when this day falls during the week, some chapters will celebrate on a close Saturday instead.

ANZAC Day - Celebrated in Australia and New Zealand, today we remember the landing, on this day in 1915, of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps on the Gallipoli Penninsula in Turkey during World War I. More than 11,000 men from these two countries died and 25,000 were wounded. In total, there were more than 130,000 casualties among the Allied Forces for that very long battle that lasted many months. Today, this day is used to remember all of the Australian and New Zealander veterans who have died for their country.

Robigalia - According to the Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary by Cherie D. Abbey, Robigus was one of many Roman Gods but this one has the distinction of being the God of blights on crops. The Romans didn’t know what to do about the mildew, rust and other things that would attack their crops periodically, so on this day every year, they prayed and sacrificed to Robigus hoping that he would have mercy on them.

School Bus Drivers’ Day - This is a California day, as far as I can tell, and is to be celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of April. It is a day to honor the school bus drivers that we trust every day to transport our children to and from school and school related activities. They are a dedicated crew that get up ridiculously early, drive the same route every day, deal with loud, boisterous and frequently disobedient children. But they are a heroic group that will also do whatever they have to do to protect the children in their care.