January 9 History National Apricot Day

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—January 9, 2015:    Trust your Friday is off to a great start and you are following your 2015 resolutions. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Ai Weiwei,  with a smile on your face, savoring a few pieces of dried apricots, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.

       1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas—celebrating in India since 2003 the contribution of non resident Indians around the world to India.

        2. Panama Martyrs’ Day—commemorating the deaths of 21 Panamanians in a riot on this day in 1964 over Panamanians displaying the Panamanian flag in the Panama Canal Zone then owned by the United States.

       3. 1978 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1978 Baby Come Back  by Player.

        4. National Apricot Day—nothing like the taste of this excellent fruit especially when dried; it has been around for centuries but why celebrated on a day when not in season is a mystery.

         5. Wish Upon A Starr Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1934 of a great quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Bart Starr who is still throwing spirals today albeit somewhat shorter and with less zip.

On this day in

      a. 1349 in a black mark on Switzerland, the Jewish residents of the town of Basel were blamed for the Black Death, rounded up, placed in a barn and burned to death; some 600 died and Jews were banned from the city for 200 years.

       b. 1793 Jean Pierre Blanchard became the first person in the United States to fly in a balloon.

       c. 1918 the last battle of the American Indian wars occurred at Bear Valley, Arizona between a band of Yaqui Indians and soldiers of the U.S. Cavalry.

      d. 1960 President Nasser of Egypt commenced construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile which construction was completed 10 years later.

        e.  2007 Steven Jobs unveiled the first iPhone.

Reflections on the iPhone: “Everyone wants an iPhone, but it would be impossible to design an iPhone in China because it's not a product; it's an understanding of human nature.” Ai Weiwei, noted contemporary Chinese artist. Nothing like having freedom of expression in the U.S. to stimulate creativity.

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© January 9, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

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