Fun Facts for Thursday, December 18, 2014

Fun Facts for Thursday, December 18, 2014

The 352 day of the year

13 days left in the year

THIS WEEK IS 

• Gluten-free Baking Week
• Christmas Bird Count Week
• Posadas (16-24)
• Chanukah (17-24) 

TODAY IS

• Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day
• Arabic Language Day
• Free Shipping Day (Link)
• International Migrants Day
• National Re-gifting Day
• National Roast Suckling Pig Day

ON THIS DATE...
1620: The Mayflower docked at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.
1862: the first orthopedic hospital was organized in New York City. 
1865: the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect.  The amendment abolished slavery. 

1892: Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" was first performed, in St. Petersburg by the Russian Imperial Ballet.

1912: The discovery of the Piltdown Man in East Sussex was announced; it was proved to be a hoax in 1953.

1915: President Woodrow Wilson, widowed the year before, married Edith Bolling Galt at her Washington home.
1935: the one-dollar silver certificate was issued.  It was the first currency to depict the front and back sides of the Great Seal of the United States. 

1936: Su-Lin, the giant panda, arrived in San Francisco, California.  She was the first giant panda to come to the U.S. from China. 

1940: Adolf Hitler signed a secret directive ordering preparations for a Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.

1956: "To Tell The Truth" debuted on CBS television.  


1957: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" premiered in New York City. 
1961: the Tokens hit number one with their single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." (Songhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LBmUwi6mEo)
1966: Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" aired for the first time on CBS. 
1971: rocker Jerry Lee Lewis divorced his second wife, Myra.  Their 1958 marriage caused an uproar because Myra was 13-years-old at the time and was also Lewis' cousin.  
1975: Rod Stewart announced he was leaving the group Faces to pursue a solo career. 

1997: actor-comedian Chris Farley died at the age of 33.  He is best remembered for his skits on "Saturday Night Live" and several films including "Tommy Boy" and "Beverly Hills Ninja." (Van Down by the River)

1999: after living atop an ancient redwood in Humboldt County, California, for two years, environmental activist Julia "Butterfly" Hill came down to Earth, ending her anti-logging protest. 

2002: the movie highly anticipated "Lord Of The Rings" sequel, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" opened in theaters around the country.
  
2009: the movie "Avatar," directed by James Cameron," opened in theaters nationwide.  At a reported budget of more than 300-Million-dollars, the fantasy film was said to be the most expensive movie ever made.  
2011: the last U.S. combat soldier left Iraq, putting an end to nearly nine years of war in Iraq that toppled the Saddam Hussein regime. 



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

The Mayflower docks at Plymouth, Massachusetts (Taken from Link) 


On December 18, 1620, the British ship Mayflower docked at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.


QUICK TRIVIA 

Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" aired for the first time on CBS on this date in 1966. (Taken from Link)

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a 1966 American animated television special directed by Chuck Jones. It is based on the homonymous children's book by Dr. Seuss, the story of The Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway. The special is one of the very few Christmas specials from the 1960s to still be shown regularly on television.
Boris Karloff, in one of his final roles, narrates the film and also provides the speaking voice of The Grinch. (The opening credits state, "The sounds of the Grinch are by Boris Karloff...And read by Boris Karloff too!") 




WORD FOR THE DAY

Jolly  [jol-ee]  

1. in good spirits; gay; merry; joyous or happy

2. cheerfully festive or convivial: 



"After her boss made the announcement that everyone could leave early, Bill was in a jolly mood" 



INTRIGUING BIBLE FACT 

After the departure of the wise men from the east, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt where they stayed for some time. 

"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matthew 3:13-15).


WORD FROM THE WORD

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. —1 Samuel 18:3


Read today's "Our Daily Bread"