Welcome to May 23, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the luck you are given and the kind you make for yourself. The first one-cent coin in America was minted in 1787, and was designed by Benjamin Franklin. On one side, it read “Mind Your Business” and the other “We Are One,” though we’re not sure which side counted as heads or tails. Pennies don’t have much value, but finding one on the street is still a symbol of luck. If you abide by this superstition, be sure to pick up a penny showing “heads.” And if it shows “tails” flip the coin to heads and leave it for the next person. Who knows if this is what Ben Franklin had in mind, but on National Lucky Penny Day, celebrate the choice to pick up a little luck throughout our day. Life is full of happy accidents, it’s all in how you look at things. Consider the story of salt water taffy. In 1883, David Bradley of Atlantic City, New Jersey walked into his store to find his entire supply of taffy had been covered in ocean water during a local storm. When a girl came in that morning to buy some candy, Bradley joked that he only had salt water taffy. She willingly tried a piece and found it was delicious, and then ran down the beach to tell her friends. Salt water taffy is now a mainstay at candy stores and gift shops everywhere. On National Taffy Day, celebrate the sweet solutions to any sticky situation. And thank your lucky stars for those big storms. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to May 22, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate strange instruments and strategic goofing off. The most popular instrument in the world is the guitar. It makes sense if you think about its versatility in terms of genre. But at the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find the theremin—one of the most uncommon musical instruments. Theremins are electronic and are played without touch. To make sound, the musician passes their hands through an electric field generated by the antennas, one which controls volume and the other frequency. The music it creates is pretty eerie, so you’ve likely only heard one in horror movies. Today is National Buy a Musical Instrument Day, so get out there and find something that suits your personal style, whatever that may sound like. The World Video Game Hall of Fame has honored such favorites as Pac Man, Super Mario Brothers and Halo. But one game in the Hall of Fame may surprise you, Solitaire. This game made its debut in 1990 and since then it’s been played by more than half a billion people worldwide. Solitaire is also number three on the list of most frequently used Microsoft programs. Anyone who has ever worked in an office can tell you how happy they are that Solitaire exists. Otherwise, how would we make it through conference calls? On National Solitaire Day, celebrate the game for one that helps us goof off, while still being productive at work. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to May 21, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate those who inspire us on land, sea, air and space and also in the pool. After a few defeats at the hands of British forces, George Washington requested troops that could fight on both land and sea. On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to create two Battalions of Marines to serve with the Continental Army and these men changed the course of the Revolutionary War. Since then, the United States military has expanded to include not just the Army, Navy, and Marines, but also the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force. On National Armed Forces Day, we celebrate all the men and women who serve our country both past and present. At the age of 10, most kids are thinking about video games and homework. But not Carson Foster. At 10 years old, he was an avid swimmer and had been competing for a few years, aspiring to be like his idol—Michael Phelps. In 2012, he beat Phelp’s record for the 50 meter butterfly by a full second. Phelps was so impressed that he sent Carson a selfie holding a sign that said “Congratulations Carson!” A few years later, at age 16, Carson broke another of Phelps’ records. Watch out for Carson Foster, who may just break a few more records on the world stage. Celebrate National Learn to Swim Day by dipping your toes in the water. Who knows where this fun pastime might lead. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to May 20, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate slowing down to the speed of streaming and life in the fast lane. There was a time when if you wanted to watch a season of an entire TV series, you needed to go buy a DVD boxed set. Then in 2012, Netflix changed that forever with a show called Lilyhammer. It’s the story of a New York gangster who is living in Norway and it was the first streaming series in TV history. Nowadays, we are overwhelmed with original content from streaming services, but back then this was highly unusual. Although Lilyhammer was only a modest hit, this show paved the way for things like Bridgerton, The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, and all of the Marvel shows. On National Streaming Day, grab some snacks, curl up on the couch, and get binge-ing! During Prohibition, it became very popular in the Southern states to illegally distill the alcohol known as moonshine. Federal agents would chase down vehicles during transport and destroy the barrels, so bootleggers began to soup up the engines on their cars. With these faster cars, they could outrun the Feds. Once Prohibition ended, those really fast cars were going to waste, so people began to race the vehicles and that evolved into what we know today as NASCAR. Each year on the third Friday of May, we celebrate NASCAR Day. So get comfortable on the couch, crack open a cold one and get ready for the races. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices