Category: November 20

• WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY – November 20

  WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY

  Each year on November 20th, World Children’s Day promotes the welfare of children around the world. The day also spreads awareness for issues that children face and celebrates international togetherness.
  Human rights don’t just apply to adults. They apply to children as well. Children deserve the right to life, health, education, and even the right to play. Additionally, children’s rights include the right to family life, protection from violence, and not to be discriminated against. The child also has the right for their views to be heard.

  Unfortunately, children around the world face many challenging issues. According to Children Incorporated, 385 million children around the world live in poverty. One in four children live in poverty in the world’s richest countries. An estimated 8,500 children a day die from malnutrition.

  Besides poverty, other significant issues children around the world face include:

  • Violence through indoctrination
  • Life as refugees
  • Lack of education
  • Neglect
  • Child labor
  • Child prostitution and human trafficking
  • Internet child pornography

  Children have a difficult world in which to navigate. It helps to have loving parents or other family members to help them guide the way. Unfortunately, there are millions of children who do not have someone like this in their life. According to UNICEF, 153 million children across the globe are orphans.
  What can be done to give children hope? To help their world become a better place? Having a World Children’s Day helps as it spreads awareness for the many issues facing children. It also forces leaders to come up with solutions to help some of our world’s most vulnerable individuals.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldChildrensDay

  Many people come together to celebrate this day. This includes teachers, health care professionals, government leaders, civil society activists, mothers, fathers, media professionals, and religious leaders. These people play an important role to make this day relevant to their communities and countries. Children also celebrate the day by taking over roles in media, politics, and entertainment to highlight issues important to them. Many landmark buildings light up blue to show their support for child rights.

  To participate:

  • Pay off some lunch accounts for children in your local school
  • Do something fun with your children like taking them to the zoo or a movie
  • Ask your children what issues are important to them
  • Donate to an organization, such as UNICEF, that helps children in need
  • Find a way for your child to forge a pen pal partnership
  • Volunteer for the nursery or youth ministry in your church
  • Help a child in need in any way you can
  • Wear blue to show support for child rights

  No matter what you do, share on social media to help spread awareness with #WorldChildrensDay

  WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY HISTORY

  On December 14th, 1954 the United Nations General Assembly recommended all countries institute a Universal Children’s Day. This day later became known as World Children’s Day. On November 20th, 1959, the UN adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. On November 20th, 1989, the UN held the Convention on the Rights of the Child. During the Convention, the specific rights of children were proclaimed. This Convention was the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.

   

  November 19, 2019

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  National Day Calendar

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  November 20

• NATIONAL ABSURDITY DAY – November 20

  NATIONAL ABSURDITY DAY

  On November 20th, National Absurdity Day reigns supreme. Oddness and weirdness take over. We’re not sure why, but it does. 

  Throughout history, bizarre occurrences mark the calendar.  It may seem absurd today to send your child cross country by airplane, but people do. There’s a process, attendants, an adult on the other side waiting to retrieve the precious package. When the postal service first launched in 1913, children falling within the shipping weights were sent cross country by parcel service. Mailed babies were shipped off to Grandma’s house, some for as low as 15 cents plus insurance.

  This day was created as a day to recall and note some of the entirely off-the-wall and ridiculous things in history, in our country, and in our lives.

  Absurdity Day is also a day to have fun and do crazy, zany, and absurd things. Use the day as an excuse to let out the silly antics hidden inside them. You can do things you have wanted to do that make absolutely no sense at all, and it will be okay because you will be celebrating this National Day.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalAbsurdityDay

  Do whatever absurd things that pop into your mind. (Please keep safety in mind.) Use #NationalAbsurdityDay to post on social media. 

  Educators and families, it may seem absurd, but the National Day Calendar Classroom has a project perfect for celebrating even this extra-special holiday. Be sure to check it out.

  Are you looking for some serious absurdity? Check out 7 Absurd Ideas That Became Reality. 

  NATIONAL ABSURDITY DAY HISTORY

  National Day Calendar® continues researching the origins of this absurd holiday.

  Absurd FAQ

  Q. What word rhymes with absurd?
  A. Besides the word word, absurd also rhymes with:

  • bird
  • deterred
  • third
  • shepherd
  • spurred
  • curd

  Q. What’s an absurd fact from 1901?
  A. In 1901, a 31 book set of the Encyclopedia Britannica with all the world’s absurd knowledge cost the absurd price of $1 per volume.

   

  June 5, 2014

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  National Day Calendar

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  Art & Entertainment, National Day, November 20

• NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DAY – November 20

  NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DAY

  Peanut butter lovers and fudge lovers come together on November 20th to celebrate National Peanut Butter Fudge Day. 

  On June 16th, people across the United States celebrated National Fudge Day. Just by adding creamy or crunchy peanut butter, the celebration continues. They will have the yummy taste of peanut butter as the fudge flavor and star of the show.

  Fudge originated in the United States, possibly by a happy accident. In 1886, a letter written by Emelyn Bettersby Hartridge was discovered. Ms. Hartridge attended Vassar College as a student in Poughkeepsie, New York, and the letter referred to a fudge her cousin had made.  Her cousin, in Baltimore Maryland, was selling the fudge for 40 cents per pound. Ms. Hartridge obtained the recipe, and in 1888, she made 30 pounds of fudge for the Vassar College Senior Auction.  

  In the late 19th century, some shops on Mackinac Island, Michigan, began to produce products similar to that of the Vassar College fudge and sold it to summer vacationers. Fudge is still made in some of the original shops there today.

  Two other fudge holidays on the calendar are National Nutty Fudge Day on May 12th and National Penuche Fudge Day on July 22nd.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #PeanutButterFudgeDay

  Peanut butter fudge adds great flavor to many desserts. Add it to ice cream, pies, and other candies. Of course, enjoying peanut butter fudge on its own is perfectly fine, too. Stop by your favorite candy shop or make your own. If you need a recipe, try these out. No matter how you decided to celebrate, be sure to invite someone to join you. No celebration is complete unless you have someone to join you!

  Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge
  Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
  Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
  Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge

  Use #PeanutButterFudgeDay to post on social media.

  NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DAY HISTORY

  National Day Calendar® continues researching the origins of this sweet holiday.

  Fudge FAQ

  Q. My fudge isn’t setting. What did I do wrong?
  A. Every fudge recipe calls for the sweet, sugary mixture to be melted and heated. It’s important to heat the mixture to between 234 and 241F (also known as the soft ball stage for candy making). A candy thermometer solves this problem. 

  Q. Is fudge something a beginner can make?
  A. Yes. Fudge doesn’t require fancy equipment. It does, however, require a little patience. Try making one of the many microwave fudge recipes first, which are easy to follow. 

  Q. How should I package fudge for gifts?
  A. Who wouldn’t want to receive homemade fudge as a gift? Some beautiful and festive ways to package fudge as a gift include:

  • Decorate a brown paper bag with stickers, stamps, a sweet message, or freehand drawings. Wrap the fudge in wax paper and place inside. Write the recipe on a card. Using a hole punch, punch a hole in the card and the paper bag. Use a colorful ribbon to attach the card through the holes and tie it with a bow.
  • Place several small pieces in a cellophane bag, tying with ribbon. Set the package inside a coffee mug.
  • Make a cone out of heavy wrapping paper or cardstock. Secure the edges with tape. Fill the cone with wrapped fudge and other goodies.

   

  June 5, 2014

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  National Day Calendar

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  National Day, November 20

• National Child’s Day – November 20

  NATIONAL CHILD’S DAY 

  November 20th each year recognizes National Child’s Day and all the potential represented by our children’s ambitions, dreams, and goals. Through educational goals, STEAM projects, and academic missions, educators and families join forces to provide excellence at all levels of education.

  Education begins at home, and by providing parents with resources vital to growing minds, we encourage curiosity and brain development. From the day they are born their education begins. Language and social skills are essential building blocks to any child’s early education.

  Schools and educators are investing in science, math, and arts programs. As technology becomes a more integral part of our lives, innovation drives education as well as nearly every career in the world. No matter where our children’s interests lie, technology will advance the way we learn, heal, communicate, travel, change, and protect the world. Our children will be the innovators of the future. All we need to do is give them the education and the tools to dream and learn to their fullest potential. National Child’s Day inspires communities, educators, and parents to do just that.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalChildsDay

  Get involved with your child’s school. Discover your child’s passion. Support extra-curricular activities. Encourage community endeavors that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math because these areas of focus support the way we live every day, and they are lacking in education today.

  • Science – Every day, we use science in nearly every facet of life. From medicine to the development of new products to solutions to socioeconomic issues, science is a necessary tool in the educational toolbox.
  • Technology – It’s growing every day. We communicate with people around the world who speak another language. Hundreds of years of compiled science allow us to continue developing new technologies to explore space. New innovations will enable us to cure a disease before babies are even born.
  • Engineering – Without engineering, many innovations never happen. Whether we look deep to the ocean floor or miles above the earth, engineers visualize and then create the components that work together. It’s a fusion of science, technology, and design.
  • Art – By human nature, we need the arts. Those who have a creative outlet perform better at work. While we’re more likely to be more productive, the arts allow us the opportunity to connect to the human condition. It’s also an ability to understand design and quality. When a product has an aesthetic design, it holds its value longer. Quality products are also a piece of art.
  • Math – When it comes to each of the above areas, every one of them relies on math. We wouldn’t have gone to the moon without it. If we want our children to move us with music or with the next greatest automobile, they will need outstanding math skills, too.

  Share your tips and ideas by using #NationalChildsDay on social media.

  NATIONAL CHILD’S DAY HISTORY

  In 1995, Lee Rechter set out to create National Child’s Day. The retired school counselor wanted a day that honored children. In 2001, she succeeded in her mission, and President George W. Bush signed a one-time proclamation for the nation to observe the day on June 3rd. The declaration proposed supporting children in their endeavors from the very beginning. And while it was initiated as a single-day observance, it aimed to nurture and uphold the belief that all children deserve to have the same opportunities.

  However, Rechter pursued a continuing resolution for the observance. She succeeded, and for the next seven years on a Sunday in early June, the President proclaimed National Child’s Day.

  Then, in 2009, when President Barak Obama took office, the observance was changed to November. Each year since National Child’s Day has been observed on November 20th at a time when children are in the midst of their education and surrounded by families.

  Children FAQ

  Q. When will children born in 2021 graduate from high school?
  A. Children born in 2021 will graduate from high school in 2039.

  Q. How much does a four-year degree cost?
  A. As of 2021, the cost of tuition and fees at a four-year college runs between $42,000 for public education and $150,000 for private. Keep in mind, these numbers do not include room and board.

   

  1789 

  New Jersey is the first state to ratify the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution – The Bill of Rights.

  1866 

  The United States Patent Office issues a patent for a bandelore to James L. Haven and Charles Hettrick of Cincinnati, OH. Patent No. 59,745 describes a yo-yo.

  1923 

  The United States Patent Office awarded Garret Morgan a patent for a three-way automatic traffic signal. The invention allowed traffic to clear the intersection before allowing it to flow in the other direction.

  1962 

  Wilbur Hardee registers the restaurant chains Hardee’s trademark.

  November 20th Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) Birthdays

  Chiyono Hasegawa – 1896

  She lived to 115 years, 12 days, and was the oldest person living in Japan and Asia at the time of her death. During her lifetime, Japan experienced the Russo-Japanese War. The country launched Hosho, the first Japanese aircraft carrier. During World War II, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The country hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. They endured the Great Hanshin earthquake and the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

  Chester Gould – 1900

  In 1931, the cartoonist created the comic strip detective, Dick Tracy. Gould would draw and write for the comic strip and its line up of criminal characters until 1977.

  Anna Pauline Murray – 1910

  Before Rosa Parks, there was Pauli Murray. The co-founder of the National Organization for Women was a pioneering face of racial equality years before the Civil Rights Movement began.

  Ann Turner Cook – 1926

  Cook was the original face of the Gerber Product Company. Her cherub-like face graced the packages of baby food all over the country.

  Dominique Dawes – 1976

  In 1996, the gymnast became the first African American to win gold in women’s gymnastics at the Atlanta Summer Olympics.

  November 9, 2013

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  National Day Calendar

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  Education & History, National Day, November 20