On April 13th, National Borinqueneers Day recognizes the sacrifices of the Puerto Rican Regiment of the Volunteer Infantry. Today the regiment is designated the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army.
#NationalBorinqueneersDay
Congress first authorized a volunteer military presence in Puerto Rico the year after the island became a United States territory – 1899. Since the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico’s military personnel have served honorably, though often in limited or non-combat roles. At the end of World War II, the military demobilized the 65th Infantry. However, when the Korean War broke out, the United States reactivated the combat-ready units; that included the 65th.
During the Korean War, the 65th adopted the nickname “The Borinqueneers.” The name honors the Taíno Indians, the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico or the island of Borinquen. Their operations during the Korean War provided substantial support. The Borinqueneers received numerous decorations, including more than 2,700 Purple Hearts, 600 Bronze Stars, 250 Silver Stars, 9 Distinguished Serve Crosses, and 1 Medal of Honor, among other commendations and awards.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL BORINQUENEERS DAY
Celebrate the history of the 65th Infantry Regiment. Honor those who serve in the military from Puerto Rico. Support your Hispanic veterans and learn more about the first Hispanic regiment. One way to do that is by watching The Borinqueneers documentary directed by Noemí Figueroa Soulet and Raquel Ortiz. You can also share stories and photos of your Hispanic military family members. No matter how you celebrate, be sure to use #NationalBorinqueneersDay on social media.
NATIONAL BORINQUENEERS DAY HISTORY
In 2020, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included legislation supporting April 13th as National Borinqueneers Day. President Donald Trump vetoed the legislation, but on January 1, 2021, members of Congress overrode the presidential veto making the legislation law. The United States celebrated the first National Boriqueneers Day on April 13, 2021.
On April 13th, we have an opportunity to break a trend that has been occurring around the country by joining National Make Lunch Count Day.
#NationalMakeLunchCountDay
According to a recent study commissioned by TGI Fridays, the majority of U.S. workers suffer from “FOLO” – otherwise known as a “Fear of Lunching Out.” Many workers eat lunch at their desk at least twice a week (73%) while one-third have lunch at their desk every day of the week. Don’t fear lunching out any longer!
Taking a break from the workday improves productivity. That includes taking a lunch break. Leaving the office or even your desk for 20-30 minutes to refuel also reinvigorates your creative juices. Our brains and bodies need the daily break. When you return, you’ll be refreshed and ready for new ideas and approaches to whatever your job throws your way.
The observance is here to remedy FOLO and help American workers increase their creativity and productivity.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL MAKE LUNCH COUNT DAY
Break the cycle of FOLO. Get away from your desk.
Join your co-workers and enjoy a real lunch with stimulating conversation.
Share your favorite ways to make lunch count and promote them with your peers.
Don’t just do it today, do it every day! Use #NationalMakeLunchCount to share on social media.
NATIONAL MAKE LUNCH COUNT DAY HISTORY
TGI Fridays founded National Make Lunch Count Day in 2016 to remind American workers to get away from their desks for lunch.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed the day to be observed on April 13th, annually.
Lunch FAQ
Q. What are some great ways to break the ice over lunch?
A. Getting to know your co-workers can be awkward sometimes. Great conversation starters include:
What was the best movie you watched last year?
What skill do you wish you had but don’t?
If you could travel anywhere in the world right this moment, where would it be?
Everyone has at least one talent. What’s yours?
Q. What can I eat to keep from feeling bogged down when I return to my desk?
A. Include fresh vegetables and lean proteins with your lunch. Restaurant portions tend to be oversized, so divide your plate in half and take the rest home for supper. Finally, drink water or tea instead of carbonated beverages.
National Peach Cobbler Day on April 13th each year recognizes a delicious dessert that originated during the 19th century.
#NationalPeachCobblerDay
Unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, the settlers instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings, fitted together. When the dish is fully cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street. The name may also derive from the fact that the ingredients are “cobbled” together. Some cobbler recipes resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dish pie with both top and bottom crust.
In 2007, the world’s largest peach cobbler was made at the Georgia Peach Festival. It consisted of:
90 lbs of butter
150 lbs of sugar
150 lbs of flour
32 gallons of milk
75 gallons of peaches
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY
Make some homemade peach cobbler. What’s nice is it can be made from fresh, frozen, or canned peaches and still taste amazing!
Use #NationalPeachCobblerDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this delicious dessert holiday.
Cobbler FAQ
Q. What is the difference between a cobbler and a crisp? A. Both desserts bring out the flavor of sweet, delicious fruit. They also fill the home with an amazing aroma. However, the textures of each one differ from the other. Cobbler is topped with a cake-like batter with baking soda to help it rise. A crisp recipes typically call for oats in the topping to create a coarser texture.
Q. What kinds of ice cream go well with peach cobbler?
A. Vanilla ice cream is always a winner as a topping for cobblers, pies, and other baked goods. Other delicious choices would be peach and cinnamon ice creams.
Q. Do my peaches need to be fresh to make cobbler?
A. No. Frozen, canned or fresh peaches make delicious cobblers. So, enjoy them any time of year, but especially on National Peach Cobbler Day!
National Thomas Jefferson Day each year on April 13th honors the birth of the third President of The United States, Thomas Jefferson, who was born on April 13, 1743.
#NationalThomasJeffersonDay
Most known as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a stalwart of democracy. While not much an orator, his pen cut quite a swath of ink through correspondence, documents, journals, and manuscripts.
Those who write tend to read. Jefferson was no different. His vast library contained 6,500 volumes.
Jefferson was not only a lawyer, but he was also a scientist of agriculture, paleontology, and astronomy. Immensely curious, he kept detailed records of the weather and eventually established weather observers across his home state of Virginia.
Jefferson served as minister to France, Secretary of State in President Washington’s Cabinet, and ran for President for the first time in 1796 only to be elected Vice President to his opponent, John Adams, due to a flaw in the Constitution.
Four years later, the same fault in the document caused a tie within the same party between Aaron Burr and Jefferson, with Jefferson assuming the Presidency.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL THOMAS JEFFERSON DAY
Learn more about Thomas Jefferson.
Read one of his many books or books written about him. We’ve selected a few for you to choose from.
Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson by Gordon S. Wood
Use #NationalThomasJeffersonDay to post on social media.
Take a tour of Monticello or learn more by watching a documentary.
NATIONAL THOMAS JEFFERSON DAY HISTORY
By Presidential Proclamation 2276 on March 21, 1938, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed April 13th to celebrate the birth of Thomas Jefferson. Then again, on April 11, 2007, President George W. Bush proclaimed Thomas Jefferson Day to commemorate his birth with Presidential Proclamation 8124.
Presidential Proclamation 2276, of Mar 21, 1938, covers all succeeding years. (Pub Res No 60 of Aug 16, 1937.)
Thomas Jefferson FAQ
Q.Did Thomas Jefferson invent ice cream?
A. No but he was a big fan of it. So much so that he developed his own recipe which may very well be the first ice cream recipe written down by an American. His love of ice cream may have also increased its popularity in the United States.
Q. Did Thomas Jefferson own slaves?
A. Yes and so did about 11 other presidents.
Q. Did Thomas Jefferson commission the Corps of Discovery during his presidency?
A. Yes. Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the expedition to explore the country west and north of the Mississippi River.
April 13th Celebrated History
1920
President Woodrow Wilson swears in Helen Hamilton Gardener as one of three U.S. Civil Service Commissioners making Gardener the highest-ranking woman in the federal government. At the time, the Civil Service Commission ensured government employees were hired based on merit versus personal relationships with elected officials.
1964
Sidney Poitier wins Best Actor for his role in the film Lilies of the Field. Poitier is the first African American man awarded an Oscar.
1997
At the age of 21, Tiger Woods becomes the youngest winner of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He was also the first African American to win the tournament.
April 13th Celebrated Birthdays
Thomas Jefferson – 1743
The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson served two terms as the third United States President from 1801 to 1809. During Jefferson’s administration, the country doubled in size with the Louisana Purchase. With his signature, Jefferson launched the Corps of Discover which charged fellow Virginian Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with charting the vast newly acquired territory to the west.
Frank Woolworth – 1852
The entrepreneur persevered with his idea for a discount store after his first store failed. He opened a 5 & 10 cent store in Lancaster, PA. After merging with other retailers, Woolworth & Co stores spread to 37 states by 1912.
Samuel Becket – 1906
The Irish writer is best known for his plays Waiting for Godot and Endgame. In 1969, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Eudora Welty – 1909
The short story writer from Mississippi won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Optimist’s Daughter.
John Biggers – 1924
John Biggers developed his art following World War II and his recognition grew well into the 1990s. Today, his murals can be found publicly around Houston, Hampton University in Virginia, and Winston-Salem University in North Carolina.
Garry Kasparov – 1963
The Russian chess grandmaster dominated the World Chess Championship for nearly three decades. Kasparov took on IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue two times. In the first match, Kasparov won. However, the following year, Deep Blue won.
Each year on National Scrabble Day April 13th recognizes a game played around the world. Originally named Lexiko and then Criss-Cross Words, Alfred Mosher Butts eventually settled on the name Scrabble. The amateur artist and unemployed architect developed the word game in the midst of the depression. Still, it wasn’t until 1948, a final name change and a trademark that Butts finally began to produce the game.
#NationalScrabbleDay
Scrabble is played with two to four players who score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15 x 15 grid.
In the United States, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions. Worldwide, over One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold with sets being found in nearly one-third of American homes.
1984 – Scrabble became a daytime game show on NBC
2004 – Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
Some cities sponsor Scrabble tournaments on the weekend closest to National Scrabble Day
The word “scrabble” means to “grope frantically.”
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY
Call your friends and play a game or two of Scrabble!
Mix it up, too. There are several ways to play the game if you want to change things up a bit.
For example:
Scrabble solitaire challenges you at your own game of words if you’re spending time alone.
Another version allows players to only play nouns but they earn bonus points for playing nouns that are both a proper noun and an approved Scrabble word.
Once you’ve played a game, take the final board and create a crossword puzzle using this template. Develop hints to the words and see if others can solve the puzzle.
Do you have fun alternative ways of playing the game? Use #NationalScrabbleDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY HISTORY
National Scrabble Day commemorates the birth of Alfred Mosher Butts, born on April 13, 1899. However, our research had not identified the founder of the day.
Scrabble FAQ
Q. Do you have to be a word nerd to win at Scrabble?
A. No, but it helps. More importantly, you need to understand the scoring and how to take advantage of every point. Scrabble is as much a numbers game as it is a word game.
Q. What are some of the best two-letter Scrabble words to play?
A. It might surprise some people to know that playing two-letter words strategically can add up to some powerful pointage. Try playing these two-letter words the next time you play. Hit that double or triple score or line them up with other existing words and you’ll be hitting the jackpot!
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