Today is...

National Lobster Day

Today is National Lobster Day! Did you know that lobster was once considered peasant food? In the 1800s, lobsters were incredibly plentiful and New Englanders could simply walk down the beach and capture them during low tide. Many servants lived off of lobster during this time period. In fact, one Massachusetts community had to pass a law that limited how often you could serve lobster to your servants. It was a modest three times a week!

Today, lobster is considered a luxurious delicacy all over the world. In the state of Maine alone, lobster fishing is a $1 billion industry. There are many ways to enjoy lobster, but the most popular cooking methods are boiling, baking, steaming, and grilling.

To celebrate National Lobster Day, host your own lobster bake or order some lobster at your favorite restaurant tonight!

Today is also Smile Power Day & Nature Photography Day & National Flip Flop Day

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

This week is National Flag Week

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History for June 15  1215 - King John of England put his seal on the Magna Carta. 1864 - An order to establish a military burial ground was signed by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. The location later became known as Arlington National Cemetery. 1909 - Benjamin Shibe patented the cork center baseball. 1938 - Johnny Vandemeer, of the Cincinnati Reds, pitched his second straight no-hitter _________________________________________________________ "Imagination is more important than knowledge." --Albert Einstein

Today is...

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day! On this day in 1777 the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, which designated the first official American flag. The first flag, which featured thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, has become known as the “Betsy Ross flag,” but it is uncertain whether Betsy Ross actually created the original design. Did you know that there have been twenty-seven different American flags over the course of our nation’s history? The one we use today, which features fifty stars, became our national emblem in 1960.

President Woodrow Wilson designated Flag Day as an official holiday in 1916. However, the idea of an annual celebration of the flag dates back to 1885 when schoolteacher Bernard J. Cigrand held the first known Flag Day.

To celebrate Flag Day, decorate your home with an American flag and start brainstorming party ideas for the 4th of July!

Today is also National Stawberry Shortcake Day

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

This week is National Flag Week

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History for June 14  1777 - The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the "Stars and Stripes" as the national flag of the United States. 1900 - Hawaii became a U.S. territory. 1922 - Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. president to be heard on radio. The event was the dedication of the Francis Scott Key memorial at Fort McHenry. 1951 - "Univac I" was unveiled. It was a computer designed for the U.S. Census Bureau and billed as the world's first commercial computer. 1965 - Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone." _________________________________________________________ "As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge." --Henry Van Dyke

Today is...

Sewing Machine Day

Today is Sewing Machine Day! Thomas Saint patented the first sewing machine in 1790. Since then, the sewing machine has become one of the iconic symbols of the Industrial Revolution, representing the transition from traditional handmade goods to automated production.

For many decades the sewing machine was a standard household appliance, but it is no longer considered a domestic necessity. Although the heyday of the sewing machine has come and gone, we can still recognize its significance in our history. Without this important invention, the process of making clothing (and any sewn item) would be extremely tedious. Each article would have to be sewn by hand, stitch by stitch!

To celebrate Sewing Machine Day, dig out your sewing machine and start a new project, or sign up for a sewing class to learn this important handcraft!

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for June 13  1825 - Walter Hunt patented the safety pin. Hunt then sold the rights for $400. 1927 - For the first time an American Flag was displayed from the right hand of the Statue of Liberty. 1966 - The landmark "Miranda vs. Arizona" decision was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision ruled that criminal suspects had to be informed of their constitutional rights before being questioned by police. 1967 - Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. 1983 - The unmanned U.S. space probe Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to leave the solar system. It was launched in 1972. 1984 - The Jacksons' "State of Shock," was released. Mick Jagger did guest vocals. _________________________________________________________ "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no 'brief candle' to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." --George Bernard Shaw

Today is...

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day! The Aztecs invented peanut butter in the 14th century, but peanut butter cookies didn’t become an American favorite until the early 1900s. In 1916, George Washington Carver began promoting the peanut and its many uses. As part of the campaign, he published three peanut butter cookie recipes in a research bulletin entitled, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.”

In 1932, the Schenectady Gazette published the first peanut butter cookie recipe that called for crisscrossed fork marks on the top. Today, a peanut butter cookie just wouldn't be quite right without this iconic decoration!

To celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, dig out Grandma’s famous recipe and make a batch of delicious homemade peanut butter cookies for your family!

Today is also Red Rose Day

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for June 12 1812 - Napoleon's invasion of Russia began. 1935 - At age 17, Ella Fitzgerald recorded her first songs. The two songs were "Love and Kisses" and "I'll Chase the Blues Away." 1987 - U.S. President Reagan publicly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. 1989 - Graceland opened the Elvis Presley Autoland Museum, which contains over 20 cars owned by Presley. _________________________________________________________ "Treat all things as if they were loaned to you without any ownership -- whether body or soul, sense or strength, external goods or honors, house or hall...everything." --Meister Eckhart

Today is...

Kamehameha Day

Aloha! It’s Kamehameha Day! In Hawaii, today is a public holiday that celebrates Kamehameha the Great—the monarch who established the unified Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. During this time period, Hawaii was the only nation that remained independent while the rest of the Polynesian islands were taken over by colonial powers. Kamehameha was nicknamed “the Napoleon of the Pacific” for this achievement.

To celebrate Kamehameha Day, Hawaiians attend carnivals, floral parades, and horse races. There is also a large hula competition that attracts hula companies from all over the world. Take this opportunity to book a vacation to Hawaii, break out your Hawaiian shirt, or learn more about the history of this interesting state!

Today is also Hug Holiday

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for June 11  1793 - Robert Haeterick was issued the first patent for a stove. 1927 - Charles A. Lindberg was presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross. 1942 - The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed a lend lease agreement to aid the Soviets in their effort in World War II. 1972 - Hank Aaron tied the National League record for 14 grand-slam home runs in a career. 1993 - The Ike and Tina Turner film biography "What's Love Got To Do With It" opened. _________________________________________________________ "Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important that the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude."    --Charles Swindoll

Today is...

Best Friends Day

Today is National Best Friends Day! Best friends may be hard to find, but life just wouldn’t be the same without them. Today is our opportunity to celebrate that one special person in our lives who has always been there for us. Take a moment to send a beautiful free eCard to your best friend today to express how much he or she means to you!

Looking for other ways to celebrate? Make a plan to spend some quality time with your best friend. Grab some lunch, go for a walk, see a movie together, or catch up over Skype. Whatever you decide to do, just be sure to thank them for all the wonderful times you've had together! Happy Best Friends Day!

Today is also Name Your Poison Day

June is Gay Pride Month & Great Outdoors Month

This week is National Fishing and Boating Week

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History for June 8 1790 - The first loan for the U.S. was repaid. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was negotiated and secured on September 18, 1789 by Alexander Hamilton. 1869 - Ives W. McGaffey received a U.S. patent for the suction vacuum cleaner. 1942 - Bing Crosby recorded "Adeste Fideles" and "Silent Night." 1961 - The Milwaukee Braves set a major league baseball record when four consecutive home runs in the seventh inning. 1961 - Elvis Presley's seventh film, "Wild in the Country" premiered. 2000 - The Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils played the NHL's longest scoreless game in Stanley Cup finals history. The fifth game of the series lasted 106 minutes and 21 seconds. The game ended with a goal by Mike Madano that allowed the Stars to play a game six back in Dallas. _________________________________________________________ "We are never so happy, nor so unhappy, as we suppose ourselves to be." --La Rouchefoucauld