World Population Day

This year's theme focuses on adolescent pregnancy and how to encourage young girls to stay in school and start families only when they're ready. Studies have shown that the key to a country's economic strength lies in educating girls.

Happy Fourth of July!

Lincoln Memorial fireworks by dbking from Washington, DC (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Juneteenth!

 Harriet Tubman, 1931, by Aaron Douglas, American (1898-1979) - Oil on canvas, Bennett College Art Gallery, Greensboro, NC

Even though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, which became effective in 1863, word of this did not reach Texas until June 18 and 19th of 1865. Slaves in Texas were only informed of the Emancipation two years after the fact. The term, Juneteenth, was created in 1903 and it has been celebrated as a holiday throughout the south and other parts of the country. It is a state holiday in Texas and other states commemorate it in some unofficial manner. The history of this day is an interesting one and the holiday has enjoyed a resurgence of interest and acknowledgement in recent years.

 

"Juneteenth" A Painting by G. Rose

 

Happy Father's Day!

World Oceans Day

Underwater landscape of coral reef - Jim E Maragos, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wikimedia Commons public domain

A day to celebrate our oceans, a vital resource and sustainer of life on earth. Once an unofficial celebration initiated by Canada, it was formally recognized by the UN in 2008 and now enjoys greater recognition and participation by nations. Keep our oceans forever blue and healthy!

 

 

World Environment Day

World Environment Day

 June 5th commemorates the date on which the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment met in 1972. Sweden originally suggested this conference in 1968 and the UN decided to convene in 1972 to raise awareness of human interaction with the environment. At this meeting, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) issued the Stockholm Declaration which provided a list of twenty-six principles relating to protecting the environment. Reading the proclamation and principles now, it's striking how innocent and ambitious people once were during the early years of the environmental movement. Since then, there have successes and setbacks when trying to encourage people and nations to protect the environment, but maybe today people are less wide-eyed about it. The principles are wide ranging, concerning topics such protecting wildlife and resources to eliminating weapons of mass destruction.

 

This year’s theme for World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. The UN states that every year 1.7 billion tons of food goes to waste, which is heartbreaking when considering all those who suffer from hunger.

International World Turtle Day

Western pond turtle - Wikimedia Commons public domain

This day is sponsored by the American Tortoise Rescue to help people celebrate and protect turtles everywhere. Turtles are disappearing, especially the larger ones and we need to help keep them safe. The American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) website has helpful advice on what we can all do to achieve this end. They're among the oldest animals in the world and probably the best thing we can do is to leave them alone and allow them to live peacefully - slow and steady!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy May Day and Lei Day!

'The Lei Maker', painting by Theodore Wores, 1901,
Honolulu Museum of Art - Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The world celebrates May Day in many ways and in Hawaii it's celebrated with leis!

Happy Earth Day!

Earth from the Moon, taken by Apollo 8 crew on Dec. 24, 1968 - NASA public domain

So fitting that this day follows John Muir's birthday, which is an additional reminder of the importance of taking care of our home.  This year's Google Earth Day doodle is another fun interactive one - read instructions here to enjoy all its features. "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home!"

Tolkien Reading Day

Shire-like English Countryside by Scott Rimmer - Wikimedia Commons

A day to celebrate the works of J.R.R Tolkien by reading any of his books. The Tolkien Society has an interesting explanation for why March 25th was chosen for this purpose: it was on this day that Middle Earth saw the downfall of Sauron. This year's theme is "Tolkien's Landscapes" as much of his works are drawn against wondrous and majestic vistas which have fueled readers' imagination throughout the years. Many of his landscapes were also immensely comforting, as the Shire most often evokes a sense of homecoming.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Image assembled by theLibraryLander

Happy Presidents Day

Air Force One flying over Mount Rushmore - photo by US Air Force - public domain Wikimedia Commons

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Better known as Chinese New Year, but it is celebrated across Asia so it's more accurate to say Asian Lunar New Year. It's the Year of the (water) Snake - here's hoping for good luck in 2013!

Image composed by TheLibraryLander

Ground Hog Day 2013

Snow lovers will lament; spring lovers rejoice. Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today so we'll hold him to his prediction that spring is near! Though, we're still waiting word from his taxidermied relative, Potomac Phil, who should make a stoic appearance in Dupont Circle. And of course, there are a whole slew of other groundhog prognosticators that may have their own prediction. But it's undeniable that Punxsutawney Phil is the ultimate prognosticator among the Marmota monax crew.

Martin Luther King, Jr Day

Martin Luther King, Jr with medallion
photo by Phil Stanziola, NYWT&S
Library of Congress Collection

List of Little Known Facts about MLK (various sources)*:

1. In 1934, five years after his birth, his family discovered Martin's name had been recorded wrong on his birth certificate. The certificate said Michael King, so his name had to be legally changed to Martin Luther King Jr.
2. In 1939, Martin sang with his church choir in Atlanta at the gala premiere of the movie Gone With The Wind.
3. He skipped the 9th and 12th grades in school and entered Moorehouse College at age 15.
4. He had Bachelor degrees in sociology and theology. In 1955 he received his PH. D. from Boston University.
5. From 1957 until his death in 1968, he traveled more than 6 million miles. He gave over 2500 speeches during his travels. He also wrote 5 books and had published countless numbers of articles in newspapers and magazines.
6. In 1964, at age 35, he was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
7. According to a Gallup poll, King is the second most admired person in the 20th century.
8. In a contest sponsored by the Discovery Channel, he was voted the 3rd Greatest American of all time.
9. Presently there are 900+ U.S. cities that have streets named after King.
10. King is 1 of 10 20th century world martyrs who has a statue at Westminster Abbey.
11. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Trekkie - King watched the show with his family and even convinced actress Nichelle “Lt. Uhura” Nichols to stay on the show. The gifted orator reportedly told her: "You are part of history, and it’s your responsibility, even though it wasn’t your career choice."
12. Martin Luther King’s  “traveling bible” was used to swear in President Obama at his second inauguration.
13. He spent his wedding night in a funeral home - when MLK Jr. married Coretta Scott in 1953, the newlyweds were not allowed to spend their honeymoon in a white-owned hotel, so the couple spent their wedding night at a black funeral home.
14. His favorite pie was pecan - The American icon's favorite foods were fried chicken and pecan pie.
15. 'I Have A Dream' was largely improvised -  according to his autobiography, King's famed "I Have A Dream" speech was largely improvised.
16. He had the heart of a 60-year-old when he died - although King was only 39 when he was assassinated, his autopsy revealed he had the heart of a 60 year old. The doctor believed this was a result of heavy stress.
17. Martin Luther King, Jr Day was not recognized as a national holiday by all fifty states until 2000.
18. The U2 song Pride (in the Name of Love) was written about Martin Luther King, Jr.
19. He was the first African American to be named Time Man of the Year (1964).
20. The Martin Luther King Memorial  on the National Mall is the first to honor a non-president.

* Huffington Post
  London School of Economics
  Holiday Inn Blog

Happy New Year! Welcome 2013

Happy New Year!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All!

The Adoration of the Magi, tapestry Manchester Metropolitan University.  Designed by Edward Burne Jones
with details by William Morris and John Henry Dearle. Public Domain image via Wikimedia Commons.