Ridley's Believe It Or Not--This Day In History

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For January 23, 2016 National Handwriting Day

RRidley’s Believe It Or Not For January 23, 2016, 363 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. If you have not seen the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi strongly recommend you should see it—good chance you might not want to support Hillary Clinton with a memory of the “it’s a video” claim especially when the evidence coming out is that on her unsecure server she placed SAP material some of which may have endangered our human intel assets in the field. As always, I hope you enjoy Saturday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Perry Como; factoids of interest, a relevant quote frfrom Mac Davis, looking forward to enjoying a slice of your favorite pie, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. National Snow Plow Mailbox Hockey Day—with the blizzard conditions hitting the Eastern seaboard how many snow plow drivers are having a great time knocking down rural mailboxes.

2. National Handwriting Day—created by the Writing Instruments Manufacturing Association in 1977 to promote the dying art of handwritten letters and notes.

3. 1953 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1953 on a run of five weeks in that position Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes by Perry Como. Here is a link to Perry Como performing Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmkg_E2evbg

4. National Pie Day—celebrating another great way to end a meal.

5. Pilots Are Kings--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1951 of noted pilot Chelsey Sullenberger who landed a U.S. Airways flight in the Hudson River after engine immediately after takeoff.

On this day in:

a. 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell received her M.D. from Geneva Medical College, thereby becoming the first female doctor in the United States.

b. 1920 the Netherlands refused to turn Kaiser Wilhelm II over to the Allies.

c. 1941 Charles Lindbergh testified before the U.S. Congress recommending that the U.S. enter into a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler.

d. 1957 American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison sold the rights to his flying disc to the Wham-O Corporation which renamed the device “Frisbee.”

e. 1987 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first members—Little Richard, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry.

Reflections on Rock and Roll: “Every performer who ever performed in rock and roll or even close to it is lying if they tell you that they weren't influenced in some way or another by Elvis Presley. He turned the world around.” Mac Davis, noted country western singer and songwriter.

Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

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Friday, January 22, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For january 22, 2016 Roe v. Wade Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 22, 2016, 364 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. If you have not seen the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi strongly recommend you should see it—good chance you might not want to support Hillary Clinton with a memory of the “it’s a video” claim especially when the evidence coming out is that on her unsecure server she placed SAP material. As always, I hope you enjoy Friday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Johnnie Ray; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Jimmy Carter, looking forward to enjoying a few blonde brownies, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. National Celebration of Life—celebrating the uniqueness of the gift and wonder of life of the newborn.

2. Roe v. Wade Day—commemorating on of the landmark and divisive Surpreme Court decisions of all time which struck down the criminality of abortion laws.

3. 1952 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1952 on a long run of eleven weeks in that position Cry by Johnnie Ray. Here is a link to Johnnie Ray performing Cry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIxl_ISz1Ag

4. National Blonde Brownies Day—celebrating another great snack.

5. King Of Soul--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1931 Sam Cooke an iconic R & B singer who died way too early at the age of 33 by gunshot in Los Angeles.

On this day in:

a. 1506 the first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrived at the Vatican to provide security for the Pope.

b. 1879 at Rorke’s Drift, 150 British troops fought off 3-4,000 Zulu warriors.

c. 1970 the first 747 commercial flight occurred from New York City to London.

d. 1980 to the joy of legends of golf, the PGA formed the senior tour.

e. 2002 Kmart Corporation became the largest retailer to file for bankruptcy.

Reflections on Roe v. Wade: “When I was president, I announced and I still maintain that I can live with Roe v. Wade. I did everything I possibly could as president under that ruling, which I don't think ought to be changed, to minimize the need for abortions. I think every abortion is a result of a horrible series of errors on the part of people involved.” Jimmy Carter

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or NotIFor January 21, 2016 National Hugging Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 21, 2016, 365 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. If you have not seen the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi strongly recommend you should see it—good chance you might not want to support Hillary Clinton with a memory of the “it’s a video” claim especially when the evidence coming out is tha on her unsecure server she placed SAP material. As always, I hope you enjoy Thursday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Patti Page; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Paul Allen, looking forward to enjoying a bowl of ckam chowder, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. National Hugging Day—celebrated since 1986 and perhaps one of the great unique aspect that distinguish human beings—the ability to hug another person. My only complaint is that this is a holiday that should be observed daily.

2. Own Your Own Home Day—celebrating an idea first promulgated in 1920, home ownership as a means of promoting social stability and community spirit.

3. 1951 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1951 on a long run of ten weeks in that position Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page. Here is a link to Patti Page performing Tennessee Waltz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44B6B1OycgI

4. National New England Clam Chowder Day—celebrating a great way to enjoy those tasty mollusks although this highly evolved omnivore prefers Manhattan clam chowder.

5. Cougars Excel Beyond Belief--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1953 of Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft who attended Washington State University for two years before dropping out to enter the computer programming world.

On this day in:

a. 1793 Louis XVI after being found guilty of treason was executed by the guillotine.

b. 1887 the American Amateur Union was formed.

c. 1908 the Sullivan Ordinance making it illegal for women to smoke in public in New York City was passed only to be vetoed by the mayor.

d. 1915 Kiwanis International was founded in Detroit.

e. 1997 the House of Representatives voted with only 28 votes voting nay to censure the Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Reflections from a great philantropist: “You look at things you enjoy in your life, but much more important is what you can do to make the world a better place.” Paul Allen

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Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For January 20, 2016 National Disc Jockey Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 20, 2016, 366 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. If you have not seen the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi strongly recommend you should see it—good chance you might not want to support Hillary Clinton with a memory of the “it’s a video” claim. As always, I hope you enjoy Wednesday’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Andrew Sisters; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Gore Vidal, looking forward to enjoying a cup of coffee with your friends or coworkers, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. National Disc Jockeys Day—where would a dance party be if the host could not afford a live band but wanted the guests to dance the night away without a disc jocky and his multiple cds.

2. Penguin Awareness Day—honoring those unique native birds to Antarctica whose waddle should bring joy—where black and white today!

3. 1950 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1950 on a run of four weeks in that position I Can Dream, Can’t I by the Andrews Sisters. Here is a link to the Andrews Sisters performing I Can Dream, Can’t I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pto68TqHxKg

4. National Coffee Break Day—celebrating a great way to break up the work day with the quintessential pick me up drink.

5. Good Night Gracie--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1896 of George Burns who after entertaining us for so many years finally ended his act at the age of 100.

On this day in:

a. 1841 as a result of the First Opium War China ceded Hong Kong Island to Great Britain.

b. 1920 the American Civil Liberties Union was formed.

c. 1929 In Old Arizona, the first talking motion picture filmed outdoors was released.

d. 1986 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.

e. 2016 in a chilling reminder that radical Islam kills Muslims also and deserves to be eradicated off the face of the planet, four Taliban suicide attackers attacked Bacha Khan University in Pakistan.

Reflections on the need to protect civil liberties: “As for civil liberties, anyone who is not vigilant may one day find himself living, if not in a police state, at least in a police city.” Gore Vidal

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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 19, 2016, 367 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. Nervous time as we await the markets to open after a three day hiatus with great uncertainty as the price of oil continues to free fall but hope your Tuesday is off to a great start with all or a majority of your New Year’s Resolutions still being observed; as always, I hope you enjoy Tuesday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Evelyn Knight; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Walt Whitman, looking forward to enjoying a large bowl of popcorn, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. National Printers Ink Day—even as we try to be more and more paperless in our communications time to honor the use of printers ink to facilitate communications and disseminate information and knowledge.

2. Robert E. Lee Day—commemorating in certain Southern states the birthday of Robert E. Lee which most likely given the removal of the Stars and Bars and the sense of political correctness is a holiday not long for this world.

3. 1949 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1949 on a run of seven weeks in that position A Little Bird Told Me by Evelyn Knight. Here is a link to Evelyn Knight performing A Little Bird Told Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiKrclcBPXY

4. National Popcorn Day—celebrating a quintessential snack that is cheap and tastier unless bought in a movie theater.

5. Ravens Never More--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1809 of the iconic poet Edgar Allen Poe.

On this day in:

a. 1883 the first overhead electric lighting system designed by Thomas Edison with wires began service in Roselle, New Jersey.

b. 1903 the bicycle race “the Tour de France” was announced; a great race but corrupted by Lance Armstrong with steroid enhancements.

c. 1920 the U.S. Senate rejected the United States admission into the League of Nations.

d. 1952 in a what took you long moment the PGA approved Afro Americans to participate in PGS events.

e. 2016 on the day before the founder of the Eagles, Glenn Frey died—Winslow, Arizona is in our hearts as the Eagles generated the great music.

Reflections the genius of a poet Edgar Allen Poe: “In a dream I once had, I saw a vessel on the sea, at midnight, in a storm. It was no great full-rigg‘d ship, nor majestic steamer, steering firmly through the gale, but seem‘d one of those superb little schooner yachts I had often seen lying anchor‘d, rocking so jauntily, in the waters around New York, or up Long Island sound — now flying uncontroll‘d with torn sails and broken spars through the wild sleet and winds and waves of the night. On the deck was a slender, slight, beautiful figure, a dim man, apparently enjoying all the terror, the murk, and the dislocation of which he was the centre and the victim. That figure of my lurid dream might stand for Edgar Poe, his spirit, his fortunes, and his poems — themselves all lurid dreams.” — (Walt Whitman, The Washington Star, November 16, 1875.)

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Monday, January 18, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For January 18, 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 18, 2016, 368 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. Tough loss for the Steelers last night and great fireworks between Clinton and Sanders last night and better yet your Monday is off to a great start with all or a majority of your New Year’s Resolutions still being observed; as always, I hope you enjoy Monday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Vaughn Monroe; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., looking forward to enjoying a serving of Peking Duck, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—honoring a great man and proponent of nonviolence as a means of achieving desegregation and ending discrimination who sadly was assassinated far too early. .

2. Elementary School Teachers’ Day—commemorating and honoring all those teachers that more likely than not have had a great impact on our lives.

3. 1948 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1948 on a long run of ten weeks in that position Ballerina by Vaughn Monroe. Here is a link to Vaughn Monroe performing Ballerina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZdI_okm2I

4. National Peking Duck—celebrating another great Chinese dish and a great reason to go to your favorite Chinese restaurant.

5. Temptations Come In All Forms--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1941 the lead singer of the Temptations, David Ruffin, who sadly could not withstand the temptation of cocaine and died of a cocaine overdose in 1951.

On this day in:

a. 1788 the first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from England arrived at Botany Bay.

b. 1903 the first radio transatlantic transmission to originate in the U.S. was sent from a radio transmitter located at Wellfleet, MA.

c. 1967 Albert De Salvo, aka the ”Boston Strangler,” was convicted of numerous murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.

d. 1977 scientists identified a previously unknown bacterium which caused the deadly outbreak of what became to be known as Legionnaires Disease so name because it struck an American Legion convention in Philadelphia.

e. 1993 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was observed in all 50 states for the first time.

Reflections on how mankind can survive: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” Martin Luther King, Jr. How true, how true as the quote should be posted on each member of Congress’ mirror. Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

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Sunday, January 17, 2016

Believe It Or Not For January 17, 2016 Hardware Freedom Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For January 17, 2016, 369 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. Tough loss for the Packers last night—have to believe the strategy of the DNC to shelter Hillary as Sanders surges is working as no one will watch her debate tonight instead of watching the Broncos/Steelers game on at the same time and better yet your Sunday is off to a great start with all or a majority of your New Year’s Resolutions still being observed; as always, I hope you enjoy Sunday’s holidays and observances, a music link to Sammy Kaye; factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Muhammad Ali, looking forward to enjoying a hot buttered rum, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. Hardware Freedom Day—promoting open hardware systems as proposed by the Digital Foundation in 2012.

2. Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Day—commemorating a day to dress up your pet and head to church and have your pet blessed.

3. 1947 Number One S ong—celebrating the number one song in 1947 on a long run of seven weeks in that position The Old Lamplighter by Sammy Kaye. Here is a link to Sammy Kaye performing The Old Lamplighter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4HjJULL-s

4. National Hot Buttered Rum Day—celebrating another warm drink to face the cold winter nights and if taken with large amounts of lemon juice if facing a cold.

5. Butterflies and Bees--celebrating the birthday on this day in 1942 of perhaps the greatest heavyweight boxer of all times, Muhammad Ali best noted for his slogan “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Sadly although it seemed during his fights that he was rarely hit, he is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease most likely due to repeated blows to his head.

On this day in:

a. 1917 to the joy of future cruise ship passengers, the U.S. bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.

b. 1920 heralded by what must have been massive and widespread hangovers Prohibition took effect due to the passage of the 18^th Amendment.

c. 1945 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who was credited with saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis was arrested by Soviet secret police in Hungary and never was seen again.

d. 1962 a B-52 and a KC--135 tanker collided near the town of Palomares, Spain killing seven airmen and dropping three 70 kiloton bombs onto the land and one into the ocean; fortunately the bombs did not detonate.

e. 1998 Bill Drudge on the Drudge Report revealed the existence of Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Reflections on the need to change: “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” Muhammad Ali Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

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