Fun Facts for Friday, December 26, 2014

Fun Facts for Friday, December 26, 2014

The 360 day of the year

5 days left in the year 

THIS WEEK IS

• It’s About Time Week

TODAY IS

• National Candy Cane Day
• Boxing Day
• National Thank-you Note Day
• National Whiner's Day

ON THIS DATE...
1492:  - Christopher Columbus established the first Spanish settlement in the Americas on the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti.

1865 - James H. Mason of Franklin, MA patented the coffee percolator.


1924: two-and-a-half-year-old Judy Garland made her acting debut as part of her family's vaudeville act. 
1917:During World War 1, the U.S. government took over operation of the nation's railroads.
1947 - A monster snowstorm hit New York City, dumping up to 26 inches of snow on the Big Apple. It became the worst snowstorm  in the city’s history, surpassing the snowfall totals from the Blizzard of 1888, which had 22 inches of the white stuff.

1954: "The Shadow" was heard on radio for the final time.  The program had been on the air since 1930. 


1963: The Beatles released the single "I Want To Hold Your Hand."  The song went on to become their first hit in the United States. (Song)
1972: President Harry S. Truman died at the age of 88.  
1973: "The Exorcist" opened in theaters. 
1974: actor, comedian Jack Benny died at the age of 80.  

1986: "Search for Tomorrow" aired for the final time.  The show's 35 year run makes it television's longest-running drama. 


1988: "The Young and the Restless" began a 500-week streak as daytime television's top soap opera. 
1992: President-elect Bill Clinton was honored as "Time" magazine's "Man of the Year." 
1996: six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in the basement of her family's Boulder, Colorado, home. 

  

2004: NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White died at his home in North Carolina.  He was 43.  White, known as the "Minister of Defense," was the NFL's former all-time sack leader as a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers.  He was also an ordained minister who pioneered community outreach programs and worked with inner-city kids.  

2006: former U.S. President Gerald Ford died at his home in California.  He was 93.  Ford, the oldest living president, was remembered mainly for his controversial pardon of former President Richard Nixon a month after Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment for the Watergate scandal.  Ford took over the presidency on August 9, 1974  --  the same day Nixon resigned the position.  He is the only president never to have been elected either to the presidency or the vice presidency.  



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT
Boxing Day—always celebrated on December 26th—unless the 26th falls on the weekend (Taken from Link) 

Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom and many countries (including Canada) that were once part of the British Empire. The origin of this holiday's name is not clear. In feudal times in the United Kingdom, the lord of the manor would 'pay' people who worked on his land in the past year with boxes practical goods, such as agricultural tools, food and cloth. These were often distributed on the day after Christmas Day. More recently, employers traditionally gave their servants a gift of money or food in a small box on the day after Christmas Day. Some people in Canada still give gifts to people who provide them with services.
Many people in Canada have a day off work and many of them visit stores that start their annual sales on Boxing Day. Some shoppers even start waiting outside stores in the small hours of the morning and many stores open earlier than usual. Now, the sales often last for a whole week between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve and are known as the "Boxing Week Sales" instead of the "Boxing Day Sales". 



QUICK TRIVIA 




In 1982, a computer was honored as "Time" magazine's "Man of the Year." 










WORD OF THE DAY

Borborygmus [bawr-buh-rig-muh s] noun, plural bor·bo·ryg·mi  

a rumbling or gurgling sound caused by the movement of gas in the intestines.


“Since he was only 9, Joey couldn’t help but laugh at the borborygmus heard under the table”



INTRIGUING BIBLE FACT

Solomon was a very wealthy and wise king—so much so that he received a visit from the Queen of Sheba. 

"When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. 2 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.
5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 6 But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard" (2 Chronicles 9:1-6) .



WORD FROM THE WORD 

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. —John 1:14



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