December 4th – ♫He’s Makin’ a List…♫

December 4, 2017 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

Good morning list lovers. Today is Monday, December 4, 2017. Today’s reasons to celebrate are:

Santa’s List Day

There are a couple of possible interpretations regarding the meaning of Santa’s List Day. Does it refer to the day on which Santa compiles his “naughty or nice” list? Or, does it refer to the date on which children should compose and send their “wish lists” to Santa so that his elves have time to manufacture their requested Christmas gifts? Which is it? I don’t know, do you?
No matter which interpretation you choose, it is probably a good idea to be on your best behavior for the next three weeks; just in case. These days, you never know who is watching you.

Special Kids Day

Started in 1990, Special Kids Day began as a holiday event that provided an opportunity for children with special needs and their families to visit Santa Claus without having to face some of the obstacles that they might encounter when trying to experience a visit with Santa in a mall.
Over the years, through a joint effort among local businesses and community organizations, and dedicated individuals, Special Kids Day has grown to serve thousands of families.
Today, Special Kids Day has evolved into a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to providing celebratory events for children with disabilities and their families in environments designed to accommodate their special needs.

National Dice Day

National Dice Day not only celebrates dice, but the myriad games played with dice. The casino game “craps”, Monopoly, Backgammon, and Yahtzee immediately come to mind.
Dice commonly are six-sided cubes slightly rounded on the edges, with each of its six faces showing a different number of dots (pips) from 1 to 6. They are used in ‘dice’ games such as the above mentioned “craps” or Yahtzee where the sum of all pips on the dice determine your score for that turn; or in ‘board games’ like the above mentioned Backgammon and Monopoly where the sum of the pips on the dice determine the number of spaces you move on the board for that turn.
There are also a variety of similar devices, also described as dice, used specifically for certain games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Such specialized dice may have polyhedral or irregular shapes and may have faces marked with symbols instead of numbers. They may be used to produce results other than one through six.
The origins of this holiday are unknown, as are the origins of “dice” themselves. Dice have existed since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a 5000-year-old backgammon set at the Burnt City archeological site in south-eastern Iran. This indicates that dice have existed at least that long; and possibly for centuries or millennia before then. Other excavations from ancient tombs in the Indus Valley civilization indicate a South Asian origin. References to dice are mentioned in the Hindu and Buddhist religions as well as in the bible. “Casting lots”, as in Psalm 22, indicating that dicing (or a related activity) was commonplace when the psalm was composed.
Dice were originally made from the talus of hoofed animals, colloquially known as “knucklebones”. These are approximately tetrahedral, leading to the nickname “bones” for dice. Modern Mongolians still use such bones as shagai for games and fortune-telling. Besides bone, materials like ivory, and wood have been used. Today they are made from plastics like cellulose acetate.
To celebrate this holiday, simply play your favorite game which uses dice.

Wear Brown Shoes Day

Wear Brown Shoes Day, for some unknown reason, is always celebrated on December 4th.  My research revealed no rhyme or reason for this holiday; nor its origins.
Shoes are an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function. Traditionally, shoes have been made from leather, wood or canvas, but are increasingly being made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical-derived materials.
Shoes can also be used as an item of decoration; as an accessory to complement a specific wardrobe choice.
To celebrate Wear Brown Shoes Day, all you need to do is wear a pair of brown shoes. Whether or not you choose to color-coordinate these brown shoes with the rest of your clothing ensemble, or just walk around like a complete dork today is entirely your prerogative.

 World Wildlife Conservation Day

In response to growing concern about illegal trade in wildlife, the US Department of State has declared December 4th as Wildlife Conservation Day and is calling for individuals across the world to support threatened species.
World Wildlife Conservation Day promotes the conservation and protection of threatened species, specifically elephants, rhinos and tigers and raises awareness about the harmful security, economic and environmental effects of wildlife poaching and trafficking.
Many people depend on wildlife and plants directly for their livelihoods, food, fuel, shelter, and medicines. Many populations consider some charismatic species as part of their natural heritage and these species often provide revenues from tourism that not only contributes to local economies but also to the continuity of conservation efforts. However, over-exploitation puts the survival of many species at risk. The monitoring and regulation of wildlife trade are, therefore, essential to the protection of wild species.
To celebrate World Wildlife Conservation Day, ensure that the products you buy are not derived from endangered species. Do your part in preserving wildlife for future generations.

National Cookie Day

The English word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word “koekje,” which means little cake. Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they would not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn’t right. It was not long before they discovered that these tiny pieces of cooked batter were actually quite tasty as well.
There are eight basic types of cookies: bar cookies, drop cookies, fried cookies, molded cookies, no-bake cookies, refrigerator (icebox) cookies, rolled cookies and sandwich cookies. To celebrate this holiday, simply enjoy some of your favorite variety of cookies today. Got milk?

More Holidays  

Below is a list of other holidays celebrated on this date worthy of mention: 

• Cab Franc Day  
• Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day  
• National Kitten Day  
• National Sock Day  

Historical Events

Below is a list of significant historical events that occurred on this date:

• In 1783 – Gen. George Washington said farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York.
• In 1791 – Britain’s Observer newspaper was first published. The Observer, a British newspaper, became the first newspaper in the world to be published and read on a Sunday.
• In 1812 – Peter Gaillard patented the power mower.
• In 1867 – The National Grange of Husbandry was founded.
• In 1875 – William Marcy Tweed, the “Boss” of New York City’s Tammany Hall political organization, escaped from jail and fled from the U.S.
• In 1918 – President Woodrow Wilson set sail for France to attend the Versailles Peace Conference. Wilson became the first chief executive to travel to Europe while in office.
• In 1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the dismantling of the Works Progress Administration. The program had been created in order to provide jobs during the Great Depression.
• In 1942 – United States bombers attacked the Italian mainland for the first time during World War II.
• In 1943 – Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that any club was free to use black players.
• In 1945 – The Senate approved American participation in the United Nations.
• In 1965 – The United States launched Gemini 7 with Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Borman and Navy Cmdr. James A. Lovell on board.
• In 1973 – Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter.
• In 1978 – Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco’s first woman mayor when she was named to replace George Moscone, who had been murdered. A United States Senator from California, Feinstein became the 38th mayor of San Francisco.
• In 1979 – For the second time, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to urge Iran to free American hostages that had been taken on November 4.
• In 1980 – After the death of drummer John Bonham, the British rock band Led Zeppelin announced that it was disbanding…12 years after coming on the music scene.
• In 1982 – China adopted its current Constitution. This version, the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, replaced the Constitutions of 1954, 1975, and 1978.
• In 1983 – United States jet fighters struck Syrian anti-aircraft positions in Lebanon in retaliation for attacks directed at American reconnaissance planes. Navy Lt. Robert O. Goodman Jr. was shot down and captured by Syria.
• In 1984 – A five-day hijack drama began as four men seized a Kuwaiti airliner en route to Pakistan and forced it to land in Tehran. Two American passengers were killed by the hijackers.
• In 1986 – Both houses of Congress moved to establish special committees to conduct their own investigations of the Iran-Contra affair.
• In 1987 – Cuban inmates at a federal prison in Atlanta freed their 89 hostages, peacefully ending an 11-day uprising.
• In 1990 – Iraq promised to release 3,300 Soviet citizens it was holding.
• In 1991 – Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson was released after nearly seven years in captivity in Lebanon.
• In 1991 – Pan American World Airways ceased operations. The Pan American World Airways, the largest airline in the United States began operations in October 1927.
• In 1992 – President George H.W. Bush ordered American troops to lead a mercy mission to Somalia.
• In 1994 – Bosnian Serbs released 53 out of about 400 UN peacekeepers they were holding as insurance against further NATO airstrikes.
• In 1997 – The National Basketball Association suspended Latrell Sprewell of the Golden State Warriors for one year for choking and threatening to kill his coach, P.J. Carlesimo.
• In 2000 – O.J. Simpson was involved in an incident with another motorist in Miami, FL. Simpson was accused of scratching the other motorists face while pulling off the man’s glasses.
• In 2001 – O.J. Simpson’s home in Florida was raided by the FBI in an ongoing two-year international investigation into drug trafficking, satellite service pilfering, and money laundering. Some satellite equipment was taken from Simpson’s home and no drugs were found.

Noteworthy Birthdays

If you were born on this date, Happy Birthday. You share your birthday with the following list of illustrious individuals – and about 20-million other people.

• Wassily Kandinsky 1866 – Artist.
• Francisco Franco 1892 – Spanish dictator.
• Deanna Durbin 1921 – Actress, singer.
• Wink Martindale 1934 – Radio DJ, TV game show host.
• Max Baer Jr. 1937 – Actor.
• Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon 1940 – Singer, songwriter.
• Bob Mosley 1942 – Musician. (Moby Grape)
• Chris Hillman 1942 – Musician. (Byrds)
• Dennis Wilson 1944 – Musician. (Beach Boys)
• Jeff Bridges 1949 – Actor.
• Patricia Wettig 1951 – Actress.
• Gary Rossington 1951 – Musician. (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• Cassandra Wilson 1955 – Jazz musician, vocalist.
• Brian Prout 1955 – Musician. (Diamond Rio)
• Marisa Tomei 1964 – Actress
• Chelsea Noble 1964 – Actress.
• Tyra Banks 1973 – Model, TV personality.
• Lila McCann 1981 – Country singer.
• Orlando Brown 1987 – Actor.