Veterans Day, previously called Armistice Day, is a November 11 holiday. It honors all members of the Armed Forces who served this country valiantly, and in a very big way. They served and fought to protect us, keep our country safe, and preserve our way of life. Veterans gave their time and risked their lives for you and me. In many cases, they made the ultimate sacrifice. So, we salute anyone who wore a uniform in service to our great country, regardless of what branch of the military. Thier contributions must be remembered.

Originally, this holiday was called Armistice Day and was first celebrated in 1921. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed it to Veterans Day in honor of those who served during all wars, and especially those who died for our country.

On November 11 at 11:11, 1921 the U.S., France, and England each buried an unknown soldier in honor of those who died in World War I. This began the annual Armistice Day holiday. The time and day were picked because fighting ceased in WWI in 1918 on November 11 at 11:11. In keeping with this tradition, work stops on this day and time each year for a moment of silence.

Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, is a May 8 holiday. It is a celebration and commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. After years of war, the Third Reich of Nazi Germany was defeated. During the war, millions of people were killed. On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler, Germany’s Dictator, committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin. On May 8, 1945, the war in Europe was finally over. American GIs were coming home.

The German Army ceased fighting on May 2, and formally surrendered unconditionally, on May 7th. The surrender of all German forces was arranged for May 8 at 11:01. The Allied countries celebrated the victory, and the cessation of hostilities.

Did you Know? The originally planned date for the celebration of V-E Day, was May 9th, 1945. But, journalists caught wind of the plans. So, the U.S. and Britain moved the date up by a day to May 8th. Russia kept to the originally planned date of May 9th. Russia still celebrates V-E Day on May 9th.

Run it Up the Flagpole to See if Anyone Salutes Day is today. This January 2 holiday has a long title. So, you can abbreviate it to Run it Up the Flagpole Day. No one will object. This January 2 holiday is set aside to allow people to do just that. Be creative today.  Use this day to develop and test new ideas, concepts, and theories.  Don’t limit the ideas to business applications. In your personal life, try out a new dress or clothing style, perhaps a different haircut. Or, maybe buy a new house flag and run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes…or even notices.

“Run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes” is an expression or catchphrase that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. This phrase was used in the 1957 hit “12 Angry Men”. It means to float an idea to see what people think, or if they notice. The term is commonly used in advertising and print media.

Run it Up the Flagpole to See if Anyone Salutes Day is set aside to allow people to do just that. Be creative today.  Use this day to try and test new ideas and concepts.  Don’t limit the ideas to business applications. In your personal life, try out a new dress or clothing style, perhaps a different haircut. Or, maybe buy a new house flag and run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes…or even notices.

Today is United Nations Day, an October 24 holiday. This event recognizes the United Nation organization and all who serve and participate in this world organization. The UN is dedicated to world peace and the betterment of humanity through a wide range of programs from world hunger to environmental and health issues. It is headquartered in New York City. The property it is situated on is defined as International Territory on land originally purchased by John D. Rockefeller.

Previously, the League of Nations was an organization that preceded it. Many goals and objectives of the UN evolved from the League of Nations.

Originally, there were 51 member states. Since then, the number has grown to 193 member states (countries). The number continues to change from time to time.

Did You Know? Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish are the official languages of the UN. That is, delegates have to use these languages.

Beyond a doubt, Ugly Truck Day is a “guy thing”. Undoubtedly, every guy can appreciate the importance of this July 20 holiday. Not to be left out, a fair number of the ladies appreciate their ugly truck, too! Ugly trucks are loved and cherished by their owners. Of course, when it comes to being “Ugly”, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Surely, a brand new, shiny truck with all of the gadgets and features still working, is a great thing. It’s a joy to ride and show off. But, an old, ugly truck is something to cherish with pride. It has a character that a new truck sorely lacks. It has a long history of well-earned dents, bangs, and scratches, each with its own tale of how it was proudly earned. Most guys can tell you exactly how and where every dent and scratch occurred, making your ugly truck a walking history book.

Pick-Up Truck Trivia: Do you know the most popular state for pick-up trucks? If you guessed Texas, you are right!

Today is Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Acting on research that showed adolescent girls received less attention than boys, this day was initiated in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women. The intention was to give girls additional direct attention and an insight into work world opportunities available to them. It was to serve the multiple purposes of increased self-esteem for young girls, as well as give them some ideas of the wealth of careers in the world. Thirdly, it allowed them more one-on-one time with their mom or dad.

Take Your Daughter to Work Day quickly took off and became extremely popular. Girls would go off to work with mom or dad, or even an aunt or uncle. They spend the day seeing just what their sponsor’s job involves. It was limited only by the practicality of allowing a youthful, non-employee in a particular job environment. It works well in office environments, but proves impractical in many blue-collar factory jobs, or where safety is an issue. Businesses usually support this day, often holding special programs and demonstrations about the company and the jobs offered.

The popularity of Take Your Daughters to Work Day quickly sparked interest by the boys, who felt left out and were required to go to school for the day, while the girls “got the day off”. Over several years, more and more parents and employers made this opportunity available to boys as well as girls. While this takes away from the original intent to give more attention to adolescent girls, it has become a valuable and popular career day opportunity for girls and boys alike.

People love trivia and little trinkets of knowledge and insights. Those cute little, fun, and fascinating factoids amaze us. Logically, one would think there should be a whole list of trivia about the creation of National Trivia Day But, that is not the case. As a matter of fact, there is very little information at all about the creation of this January 4 holiday.

There’s certainly nothing trivial about this important holiday. Trivia Day is a fun day. It is an opportunity for us to share those many little trinkets of knowledge. It doesn’t matter how big or how trivial. Dazzle your friends and family with generous portions of trivia today!

Luckily, there are countless books and websites with an unending list of trivia on just about every subject imaginable. So, let’s explore all those interesting tidbits about any topic imaginable. 

Favorite Game for Today: Trivial Pursuit

Thesaurus Day celebrates the birthday of the author of Roget’s Thesaurus. Peter Roget was born on this day in 1779. This January 18 holiday encourages us to appreciate and utilize the Thesaurus as an excellent resource for all of our writing projects.

Discover the power of synonyms. The Thesaurus has been an invaluable reference book for hundreds of years. Students and writers use it to improve the quality of their literary work. Do you remember how the book works? After High School, many of us forget. If you have forgotten, you’re in good company.

The Thesaurus lists synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) for words. It allows you to avoid repetition in writing and speeches. Variety is the spice of life. Synonyms can also have a slightly different meaning that may be more relevant to the content of your document. For example, instead of using the word “correspondingly”, try synonyms like “therefore”, or “thus.  So, shake up and enrich the quality of things you write, making it more interesting. Another thing this book provides is antonyms. These are words with opposite meanings.

Enjoy today appreciating the value of the Thesaurus. If you haven’t seen it in a while, take a moment to browse through it.

Did You Know? There is no synonym or antonym for “Thesaurus”.

Today is National Teacher’s Day. Everybody who does something good, important, and valuable deserves a day in their honor. Teachers certainly are among the most deserving. It is a vital position. The success or failure of our children is in their hands.   This day honors those hard-working, patient, and understanding people to whom we entrust our children. Teachers mold our kids in a positive direction, affecting who they are and who they become. From Kindergarten through college, teachers are an important part of our children’s lives.

So let’s give them their due. If you happen to be a teacher reading this, we personally offer our thanks. We know full well that the future of America is in their hands.

Today is International Tatting Day, an April 1 holiday. Tatting is the skill of making delicate, elegant tatted lace. It is enjoyed by people all over the world. Tatting is a craft using thread and tools to create intricate knotwork. This craft goes back to ancient times.  It is believed that fishermen gave sections of old fishing nets to weavers. The nets were constructed of strings and knots. The weavers used thread to add finer loops and knots forming the lace.