Today is...
International Jazz Day!

When Louis Armstrong was asked what the definition of jazz was, he famously replied "If you've got to ask, you'll never know." Today is a worldwide day of celebration of jazz and its unique history.
The official birthplace of jazz music is New Orleans, but Kansas City and Chicago also have similar claims. Jazz fuses together African and European musical traditions. Blue notes, syncopation, and swing notes are all found in this style of music. There are many different sub-genres of jazz including early ragtime, swing, and bepop. Improvisation is also a large component of jazz; musicians often only start a song with one key and time signature from the bandleader.
International Jazz Day was created in 1991 by musician D. Michael Denny at which time a statement was recorded by the U.S. Congressional Record to officially recognize this day. To enjoy International Jazz Day, sit back, relax, and listen to your favorite jazz tunes!

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Today is also National Raisin Day & International Guide Dog Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

 

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		History for April 30th          1789 - George Washington takes oath of office to become first elected US President.           1931 - George Washington Bridge linking NYC & NJ opens.            1939 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first US President to appear on television.          1943 - Operation Mincemeat: Allies supply Germans at Normandy with fake battle plans.         1975 - Fall of Saigon to Communist forces, with surrender of South Vietnamese president Duong Van Minh. ______________________________________________________ "Form the habit of making decisions when your spirit is fresh; to let dark moods lead is like choosing cowards to command armies." - Cooley

Today is...
Great Poetry Reading Day!

This holiday celebrates all of the fantastic poetry and poets out there. Poems are words written to express an idea or emotion with imagery and metaphors. Poetry is believed to predate literacy, and all of the oldest written works are in poetry form.
There are many different types of poetry, all unique in their own way. Four popular kinds of poems are ballad, free verse, haiku, and epic. A ballad is a narrative poem that explains a story, made up of four-line stanzas, in which the second and third lines rhyme. A free verse poem has no rhyme scheme and no specific length; it is a free-form poem to write as the poet wishes. A Haiku is a poem focusing on nature, with three lines- 5 syllables on the first and third lines and 7 syllables on the second line. Lastly, an epic is a long narrative poem that tells the story of a heroic journey.
Poetry is an impressive and beautiful type of literary work. Celebrate today by reading some great poetry, throw a poetry reading party, or try writing a poem of your own!

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Today is also National Blueberry Pie Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

 

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		History for April 28th          1253 - Nichiren Buddhism founded.           1789 - Mutiny on the HMS Bounty.            1929 - "Crosley" compact car introduced.          1942 - Nightly "dim-out" begins on East Coast.         1994 - Former CIA official Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving US secrets to Soviets. ______________________________________________________ "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." - Earl of Chesterfield

Today is...
Arbor Day!

Arbor Day has been celebrated since 1872. A journalist named J. Sterling Morton created this holiday to encourage people to plant trees and to raise awareness about the importance of forests and plants. The first Arbor Day took place in the state of Nebraska, and local newspapers estimated that one million trees were planted that day!
Today, Arbor Day is a worldwide celebration. People celebrate this holiday by volunteering their time to plant trees or donating money to preserve forests. Many schools plan a variety of Arbor Day activities like essay contests, art projects, and fieldtrips to local parks to get kids engaged in this important campaign.
To celebrate Arbor Day, plant a tree in your yard or send a free Arbor Day eCard to friends and family. Happy Arbor Day!

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Today is also National Zucchini Bread Day & National DNA Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

This week is Administrative Professionals Week
 

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		History for April 25th          1719 - Daniel Defoe publishes The Life and Strange Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.           1846 - Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican-American War.            1901 - New York becomes the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates.          1945 - U.S. and Red Army units meet near the Elbe River at Torgan, 75 miles south of Berlin.          2003 - Human Genome Project completes sequencing human gene. ______________________________________________________ "Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." - Harriet Braiker

Today is...
National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day!

This delicious finger food is popular with kids and cocktail party guests all across the world. In fact, there are many different cultures that have their own unique twist on this comfort food classic.
In the United Kingdom, pigs-in-a-blanket are small sausages wrapped in bacon. People traditionally serve them as Christmas dinner appetizers. In Israel, kids enjoy Moshe Ba'Teiva (Moses in the Ark), which are miniature hot dogs rolled in a ketchup-covered puff pastry and baked in the oven. In the United States, pigs-in-a-blanket are hot dogs or Vienna sausages wrapped in biscuit or croissant dough and baked until golden brown. Yum!
No matter where you are or how you decide to cook your pigs-in-a-blanket, make this tasty finger food for dinner tonight and serve it with a side of ketchup. Happy National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day!

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April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

This week is Administrative Professionals Week
 

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		History for April 24th          1704 - First regular newspaper in US, the Boston, Massachusetts New-Letter, published.           1792 - "La Marseillaise" composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle.            1888 - Eastman Kodak forms.          1982 - Jane Fonda releases first "Workout" aerobics video.          1990 - Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery. ______________________________________________________ "If you are speaking the truth you don't have to remember anything." - Mark Twain

Today is...
Administrative Professionals Day!

Send a free eCard to your office admin to express your appreciation! Where would we be without our administrative professionals? These are the dedicated individuals who take notes, answer phones, remember all the little details, and keep everyone in the office organized.
In 1952, the International Association of Administrative Professionals organized the first Administrative Professionals Day. This holiday is a worldwide celebration that brings millions of people together to honor secretaries, receptionists, and administrative assistants. It is one of the largest workplace observances of the year, and with good reason. There are over 4.1 million Americans that have the job title “administrative assistant,” and another 8.9 million Americans that work in administrative support roles.
To celebrate Administrative Professionals Day, show your appreciation for the admins at your office today. Surprise them with a bouquet of flowers or a thoughtful gift card. They certainly deserve it!

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Today is also National Cherry Cheesecake Day & National Picnic Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

This week is Administrative Professionals Week
 

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		History for April 23rd          1597 - Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance.           1635 - The United States' first public school, a high school called Boston Latin School founded in Massachusetts, is also the current oldest school in the US.            1933 - The Gestapo (Nazi Germany's secret police during WWII) is established in Germany.          1984 - Scientists find AIDS virus.          1985 - Liberace first appears on the TV soap opera "Another World," playing himself. ______________________________________________________ "Every man is a consumer and ought to be a producer." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today is...
Earth Day!

Every year on April 22, more than 1 billion people in 175 countries participate in Earth Day events. It is the largest civic observance in the world, and its purpose is to raise awareness about important environmental issues. To spread the word about this special occasion, send an eco-friendly free Earth Day eCard to friends and family!
The first Earth Day took place in 1970. After witnessing the effects of an oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson organized a grassroots “environmental teach-in” on college campuses across the country. Many people believe that this first Earth Day celebration marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement.  
To celebrate Earth Day, plant a tree, help clean up a beach or park, or participate in a local event near you. Happy Earth Day!

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Today is also National Jelly Bean Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

This week is Administrative Professionals Week
 

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		History for April 22nd          1509 - Henry VIII ascended to throne of England.           1864 - US mints 2 cent coin (1st appearance of "In God We Trust").            1954 - Army-McCarthy televised hearings begin.          1978 - John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd performed as The Blues Brothers on SNL.          2000 - Six year old Elian Gonzalez seized from his Miami home by Federal agents. ______________________________________________________ "That which is beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. " - Ninon de L'Enclos

Today is...
World Creativity and Innovation Day!

Today is the day to celebrate your creativity and new ideas! World Creativity and Innovation Day is the final day of celebration during World Creativity and Innovation Week. It has been celebrated in over 46 countries since 2002. People in businesses, organizations, schools, and communities take part in this day to generate new ideas for a brighter future.
Marci Segal, a creativity specialist, came up with the idea for World Creativity and Innovation Day. After reading a newspaper headline, “Canada in Creativity Crisis,” Segal decided to do something about it. With the help of her colleagues, she organized the first World Creativity Day to encourage people to use creativity to make the world a better place.
There are many ways to celebrate this day, so just use your imagination! Invite some friends over tonight for some creative activities or a brainstorm session to solve a neighborhood problem. Good luck!

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Today is also Boston Marathon

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month

This week is Administrative Professionals Week
 

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		History for April 21st          1856 - The first rail train to pass over the mighty Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island.           1898 - Spanish-American War begins.            1918 - "Red" Baron von Richtofen, killed in WW I.          1967 - Svetlana Alliluyeva (Josef Stalin's daughter) defects to NYC.          1989 - Tiananmen Square student protests in Beijing begin. ______________________________________________________ "Creative words generate energy; negative words drain out energy." - Robert H. Schuller

Today is...
National Animal Crackers Day!

Who doesn't love the crunch and sweetness of an animal cracker? These fun little crackers are usually in the shape of circus or zoo animals such as elephants, lions, tigers, bears, and monkeys.
Animal-shaped crackers were first brought to the United States during the late 1800’s. The demand for these treats skyrocketed so bakers began to produce them domestically.
Stauffer's Biscuit Company was the first company to produce animal crackers in 1871 in York, Pennsylvania. Other local bakeries soon came together under the National Biscuit Company, or "Nabisco Brands." It was not until 1902 though that the animal cracker's box débuted its "Barnum's Animals" circus theme.
Did you know that since their start in 1903, there have been 37 different animals included in Barnum's Animal Crackers? Today more than 40 million packages of animal crackers are sold each year around the world. To celebrate National Animal Crackers Day, enjoy a box (or two) of some delicious Barnum's Animal Crackers!

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April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 18th          1506 - Cornerstone laid for St. Peter's Basilica.           1775 - 2 lanterns hung in Old North Church steeple in Boston, leading to the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere.            1838 - Wilkes' expedition to South Pole.          1909 - Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.          1942 - WW II: Doolittle Raid on Tokyo occurs. ______________________________________________________ "Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down." - Unknown