Category: November 21

• WORLD TELEVISION DAY – November 21

  WORLD TELEVISION DAY

  Every year on November 21st, World Television Day recognizes how TV plays a vital role in presenting different issues that affect people.

  The first television set was invented in 1927. The 21-year-old inventor was Philo Taylor Farnsworth. His idea was to capture moving images, transfer them into code, and then move the images along radio waves to different devices. In 1928, a television aired its first broadcast. It wasn’t until 1938 that television sets became commercially available.

  At this time, televisions in the home were rare. In 1949, approximately only 1 million American households owned a television set. And the cost of one was expensive, too. The most expensive set on the market at the time cost $1,295. In today’s dollars, that would be nearly $14,000 today! By 1969, the number of households containing television sets skyrocketed to 44 million. The number of TV stations in that period went from 69 to 566.

  This new form of media was well on its way to influencing the culture. Television stars were born. TV genres were created. Presidential debates were televised. And when John Kennedy was assassinated, Americans tuned in for days to get all the news on the tragedy and the aftermath. Besides the news, many Americans turned to their television to escape from reality. Iconic shows like Star Trek, the Andy Griffith Show, and Beverly Hillbillies provided a much-needed relief from the realities of the Vietnam War.

  Today, nearly 96% of all households in the United States have at least one television set. TV isn’t just an American phenomenon. Throughout the world, 1.63 billion people have televisions in their homes. Even though the number of televisions has increased dramatically, the reasons for watching hasn’t changed much. People still watch TV as a way to get the news, unwind, or escape reality. Some people, especially children, watch television to learn.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldTelevisionDay

  The UN understands the impact that television has on the culture. The UN also sees the television as a symbol of communication and globalization. Events held around the world reflect these ideas. These events include talks about communication issues and informational meetings that discuss the role of television in social and political developments.

  To participate:

  • Ask your family members what their favorite TV shows are and why.
  • Get the news from your television instead of the internet.
  • Read about the best TV shows of all time, including I Love Lucy, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Friends, ER, and Game of Thrones.
  • Learn about the history of TV and its influence on our culture.
  • Think about the television sets you have had throughout your lifetime and what effect they had on you through the years.
  • Talk to someone who remembers what it was like to watch TV in black and white.
  • Spread awareness for this day on social media with #WorldTelevisionDay

  WORLD TELEVISION DAY HISTORY

  In 1996, the UN General Assembly proclaimed November 21st as World Television Day. This date commemorates the first World Television Forum held that same year. During the Forum, leading media figures discussed the growing significance of television in our ever-changing world.

   

  November 20, 2019

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  National Day Calendar

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  November 21

• WORLD HELLO DAY – November 21

  WORLD HELLO DAY

  World Hello Day, on November 21st, recognizes the role communication plays for preserving peace. The day also encourages world leaders to use communication rather than force to settle conflicts.

  It doesn’t take a lot of effort to say hello. It’s one little word that means a whole lot. Hello shows that you are friendly. It shows that you want to connect with someone. Saying hello is a great way to start a conversation. Generally, when you say hello to someone, they say it back.

  Hello provides a way to communicate with everyone from family members to co-workers. You can even greet strangers you pass by on the sidewalk or in the hallway. Saying hello with a smile is a great way to brighten someone’s day. It’s incredible how one little word brings so much goodness to the world.

  Fun Facts About the Word Hello

  • Hello is often one of the first words a baby says.
  • Thomas Edison was the first to say hello upon receiving a phone call.
  • Hello is believed to derive from the word hail, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
  • Hello is related to other words that mean health.
  • The word was first used in the 1800s but was used to express surprise.
  • Hola, Bonjour, Guten tag, Ciao, Namaste, Salaam, Ohayo, Jambo, and Nay hoh, are all ways to say hello in other languages.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldHelloDay

  Participants are encouraged to say hello to 10 different people on this day. Don’t just reserve this word for co-workers, friends, and family members. You can also say hello to strangers. Perhaps you’ll be sharing an elevator or shopping in the same aisle at the grocery store. When saying hello, keep track of how many people say it back. Also, try to gauge how they feel when you say hello. Are they pleasantly surprised? Maybe saying hello will even help you make a new friend. If you have not spoken to someone in a long time, text or call with a simple hello. It might just help bring peace to the relationship.

  Share this day on social media with #WorldHelloDay.

  WORLD HELLO DAY HISTORY

  World Hello Day began in 1973 as a simple response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. The conflict was called the Yom Kippur War. Two brothers, Brian McCormack and Michael McCormack, founded World Hello Day. They mailed 1360 letters in 7 languages to encourage world leaders to participate. Today it is a global expression of peace in 180 countries.

   

  November 20, 2019

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  National Day Calendar

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  November 21

• NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COOKIE DAY – November 21

  NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COOKIE DAY

  National Gingerbread Cookie Day on November 21st encourages us to grab the rolling pin and cookie cutters. The baking will warm the home and decorating will inspire us to design tasty cookies while making memories!

  National Gingerbread Day takes place on June 5th. A favorite food of an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, brought gingerbread to Europe around 992 AD and taught French Christians to bake it. Gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies and was baked to be sturdy as it was usually molded into images of saints.

  Gingerbread cookies also make sturdy walls for sweet houses and the day is just in time for some practice before National Gingerbread House Day on December 12th. Don’t forget to make those tasty gingerbread families that can be decorated by the children in your home.

   HOW TO OBSERVE #GingerbreadCookieDay

  Invite friends to help you bake and decorate. Get the children involved and continue family traditions. Read the story of the gingerbread man.

  Host a gingerbread design contest. While everyone is decorating, be sure to provide plenty of supplies. This is still important even if you’re hosting an online gingerbread design contest. You don’t want your home team to run out of icing or sprinkles just for zoom team B to zoom ahead with an abundance of supplies. One way to keep your gingerbread designs moving is by setting up stations. Start with icing, followed by sprinkles, edible glitter, and decorative piping. Then set up a drying station. Once everyone finishes, assign bragging rights to these categories:

  • Most colorful
  • Cookie most likely to be mistaken for a Salvador Dali
  • Neatest icing and sprinkle usage
  • Best use of icing
  • Best repair job
  • Most original design

  Everyone should enjoy a good laugh and savor their hard work with a glass of milk and a tasty cookie! There are many other ways to celebrate the day, too. Share your ideas and join us using #GingerbreadCookieDay to share on social media.

  NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COOKIE DAY HISTORY

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

  Do you need more cookie days to celebrate? We have them right here!

  Oatmeal Cookie Day
  Peanut Butter Cookie Day
  Sugar Cookie Day
  Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
  Pecan Cookie Day
  Oreo Cookie Day
  Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
  Spicy Hermit Cookie Day

  Gingerbread FAQ

  Q. What are the ingredients in gingerbread?
  A. The ingredients that make gingerbread so special include molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Brown sugar adds a little more sweetness and a crispness to the outer crust. Flour and butter combine to make a sturdy final product perfect for building your dream house.

  Q. Does gingerbread include baking powder or baking soda?
  A. No. Gingerbread does not contain any leaveners like baking soda or baking powder. These ingredients cause the dough to puff up when, making it lighter. Because gingerbread is used to make strong cookies that hold up to decorating, leaveners are avoided.

  Q. Without leavener, will the cookies expand?
  A. Yes. Even without leavener the cookies will expand a little. So leave some room between your cutouts.

  Q. What temperature should I bake my gingerbread cookies?
  A. Gingerbread cookies bake at a slightly lower temperature to avoid burning the sugars.

   

  November 21, 2017

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  National Day Calendar

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  National Day, November 21

• NATIONAL RED MITTEN DAY – November 21

  NATIONAL RED MITTEN DAY

  On November 21st, National Red Mitten Day represents Canadian Olympic Pride!

  National Red Mitten Day encourages Canadians to wear their Red Mittens in support of Canadian athletes! Red mittens represent the pride, generosity, and excellence of every Canadian.

  Every Canadian from the sweetest newborn to the most experienced family member, wear your mittens with pride and support each athlete as they pursue their dreams!

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalRedMittensDay

  Wear your red mittens or purchase a pair. For every pair of $15 CDN mittens purchased at Hudson’s Bay or at thebay.com, $3.90 CDN will go to support Canadian athletes. Money raised from the Red Mittens helps provide Canadian Olympians and next-generation athletes with access to elite coaching, equipment, sports medicine, nutrition and other high-performance resources that make up a world-class daily training environment.

  $3.90 from the sale of each pair of Red Mittens goes to support Canadian athletes. To date, the Red Mittens alone have raised more than $32 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

  Use #NationalRedMittensDay to share on social media.

  NATIONAL RED MITTENS DAY HISTORY

  Hudson’s Bay founded National Red Mitten Day to encourage Canadians to show their support for Canadian athletes and share their national pride through the tradition of wearing the company’s Red Mittens. Their goal on November 21st is to sell 25,000 Red Mittens to support Canadian Athletes in pursuing their dreams.

  Since its launch ahead of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Hudson’s Bay’s Red Mittens have become the nation’s most iconic symbol of Canadian Olympic pride. From every sale of a pair of Red Mittens, $3.90 goes to support Canadian athletes. To date, the Red Mittens alone have raised more than $30 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

  The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Red Mitten Day to be observed annually beginning November 21, 2017.

  For more information, please contact:

  Michelle Veilleux
  Public Relations Director
  Hudson’s Bay
  416-256-5182
  Michelle.Veilleux@hbc.com

   

  November 21st Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) History

  1783 

  Brothers Jacques-Étienne and Joseph-Michel Montgolfier launched Dr. Jean-François Pilatre de Rozier and François Laurent up in the first successful untethered hot-air balloon flight. The brothers’ cloth balloon took their passengers aloft 5.5 miles over Paris. Can you imagine the view?

  1902

  The Philadelphia Athletics squared off against the Kanaweola Athletic Club at the Maple Avenue Driving Park in Elmira, New York, for the first-ever professional football night game. The final score was 39-0 in favor of the Philadelphia Athletics. We wonder how many fans stayed for the whole game.

  1905  

  Albert Einstein publishes a paper in the journal Annalen der Physik that leads to his mass-energy equivalence formula, E=mc²

  1922  

  The first woman appointed to Senator takes the oath of office. On October 3, 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton was appointed by the Georgia governor to fill a vacancy. She served only 24 hours while the Senate was in session, as Democrat Walter George was elected shortly before the next session was convened.

  November 21st Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) Birthdays

  Hetty Green – 1834

  From a young age, Green’s shrewd understanding of money earned her a ruthless reputation in the world of finance. After the death of her husband Edward Henry Green in 1936, she earned the nickname “Witch of Wall Street” after appearing in her mourning clothes. She died one of the richest women in the world.

  Dorothy “Mickey” Maguire – 1918

  As a catcher, Mickey played seven seasons in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. During her career, she played on two World Champion teams.

  Georgia Frontiere – 1927

  In 1979, Frontiere became 70% owner of the Los Angeles Rams. She was the second woman in NFL history with majority ownership of a team.

  Etta Zuber Falconer – 1933

  As one of the few African American women with a Ph.D. in mathematics, Falconer set out to change that. She established several science programs designed to encourage women to continue their educations in math and sciences. Well before STEAM and STEM programs, Falconer knew math and science were important to our future.

  Henry Hartsfield – 1933

  As a NASA astronaut, Hartsfield flew on three shuttle missions including as the commander of the space shuttle Discovery’s maiden voyage. He also logged a total of 483 hours in space. Do you wonder what that translates to in travel miles?

  Ken Griffey, Jr. – 1969

  The left-handed center fielder played 22 years in Major League Baseball. He was known for his exceptional hitting ability as well as his solid fielding.

  November 17, 2017

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  National Day Calendar

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  Health & Awareness, National Day, November 21

• NATIONAL STUFFING DAY – November 21

  NATIONAL STUFFING DAY

  November 21st is an ideal day for National Stuffing Day with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Since we are already thinking about the delicious turkey stuffing that is a traditional part of Thanksgiving dinner.

  Some cooks choose to stuff the bird with crusts of bread, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Others prefer to prepare a similar dish alongside the turkey using the drippings to moisten the dish. Either way, each preparation is a personal preference or family tradition. The difference is the first is called a stuffing, but the latter is referred to as a dressing.  

  The usual turkey stuffing consists of bread cubes or crumbs combined with onions, celery, salt, and pepper. Further spices and herbs such as summer savory, sage, or poultry seasoning add flavor and variety. Other recipes add sausage, hamburger, tofu, oysters, egg, rice, apple, raisins, or other dried fruits.

  The first known documented stuffing recipes appeared in the Roman cookbook, Apicius “De Re Coquinaria.”  Most of the stuffing recipes in this cookbook included vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, and spelt (an old cereal). Some recipes also included chopped liver and other organ meat. 

  In addition to stuffing the body cavity of poultry and fish, various cuts of meat are often stuffed once deboned and creating a pouch or cutting a slit in them. A few examples of other meats frequently stuffed include pork chops, meatloaf, meatballs, chicken breast, lamb chops, and beef tenderloin.

  Stuffing isn’t limited to the butcher block. Vegetables are excellent containers for stuffing. Peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cabbage are just a few of the shapely veggies that make stuffing a fabulous part of your meals. 

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalStuffingDay

  Who makes the best stuffing in your family? Some families debate this question and never settle the question. That’s why they end up with multiple versions on the table at the big meal. No one complains, though! How do you like your stuffing? Challenge yourself to try a new recipe. See if you can get the family to agree to breaking with tradition. Better get in the kitchen and test those stuffing recipes before the big day. Give your stuffing some holiday flair with this classic stuffing recipe. Use #NationalStuffingDay to post on social media.

  NATIONAL STUFFING DAY HISTORY

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

  Stuffing FAQ

  Q. What is the best bread to use when making stuffing?
  A. Stale white bread is the best bread to make stuffing. Its fluffy porousness absorbs all the unctuous juices and savory herbs producing a stuffing that allows the ingredients to meld for outstanding flavor.

  Q. Why does the bread need to be stale or dry?
  A. Dry bread absorbs more flavor and holds up better when the juices are added. Fresh bread will turn to mush when the wet ingredients are added.

  Q. How can I quickly dry my bread to make stuffing?
  A. If you forgot to dry the bread a few days before making homemade stuffing, don’t fret. There are a couple of ways to get that bread ready.

  First, cube the bread so more surface area is exposed to the air.

  • Overnight: Place bread cubes in a basket or on a baking sheet and cover with paper towels or cheesecloth. Place in a warm area and leave out overnight.
  • Oven method: Heat oven to 250°F and place baking sheet in the oven uncovered. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

   

  June 5, 2014

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  National Day Calendar

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  National Day, November 21