Every year on November 5th, countries around the world observe World Tsunami Awareness Day. This day raises tsunami awareness and shares innovative approaches to risk reduction.
Tsunamis are rare, but when they do occur, they can be very destructive. Tsunamis are considered one of the deadliest types of natural disasters. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 claimed 227,000 lives in 14 countries. In the last 100 years, 58 tsunamis have caused more than 260,000 lives. Tsunamis are most common in the Pacific Ocean and Indonesia. However, many other countries are at a high risk of experiencing tsunamis. These countries include:
Chile and Peru
West Coast of the United States
Japan
New Zealand
India
Italy
Morocco
Portugal
An earthquake must occur before a tsunami. It’s the seismic activity from an earthquake that causes a series of eruptions in the ocean waters. These eruptions become giant waves. When these waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights. The highest tsunami wave ever recorded was 100 feet high. This occurred in Alaska’s Lituya Bay in 1958. Because this area is sparsely populated, only five deaths were recorded. Besides achieving great heights, waves from tsunamis also travel quickly. During the Indian Ocean tsunami, the waves traveled 500 miles per hour.
Once a person has survived the earthquake preceding the tsunami, they must also survive the tidal wave that hits, and then the flooding that follows. When a tsunami warning is issued, it’s imperative to get to high ground or as far inland as possible.
HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldTsunamiAwarenessDay
Many countries host events to help spread awareness for tsunamis. They hold educational seminars to help the public learn about tsunamis as well as discussion panels on disaster preparedness. Only coastal communities are affected by tsunamis. Even if you don’t live along the coast, you can still observe this day. Here are some ways to do it:
Learn all about tsunamis
Think about what you would do in the event of a tsunami
Get a natural disaster emergency plan in place
Watch a tsunami movie, such as The Impossible, Deep Impact, 2012, and The Perfect Storm
When sharing on social media, use #WorldTsunamiAwarenessDay
WORLD TSUNAMI AWARENESS DAY HISTORY
The country of Japan is credited to having founded World Tsunami Awareness Day. Because of the country’s experience with tsunamis, they became leaders in preparing for these natural disasters. Japan has expertise in tsunami early warning and reducing future impacts of tsunamis. November 5th was chosen as World Tsunami Awareness Day to commemorate the Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi” or “burning of the rice sheaves.” In 1858 a Japanese farmer saw the tide recede and knew a tsunami was about to hit. He set fire to his rice harvest to warn the other villagers. Afterward, the farmer built an embankment and planted trees to protect the village from future tsunamis. In 2015, the United Nations declared November 5th as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
National Love Your Red Hair Day celebrates the beauty of those gorgeous red tresses annually on November 5th. There’s no reason to be shy. Redheads get the spotlight to show off the unique qualities of red hair.
#LoveYourRedHairDay
Many redheads feel like outcasts for having red hair. This celebration empowers redheads to feel confident, look amazing and rock their beauty. Red hair is more than a color; it’s a lifestyle. Besides, redheads are rare. Less than 2 percent of the population is crowned with red hair. And those that are may very well be left-handed, too.
Lucille Ball
Queen Elizabeth I
Ron Howard
Vincent van Gogh
Rupert Grint
Carol Burnett
Bonnie Raitt
Wynonna Judd
Carrot Top
Most natural-born redheads (yes, some of us like the bottle) have brown eyes, followed by green or hazel. Coming in at 1% of the world’s population, the blue-eyed ginger is the rarest kind.
And redheads do stand out in a crowd. So, each unique and impressively stunning redhead gets to show off their locks.
HOW TO OBSERVE LOVE YOUR RED HAIR DAY
Redheads, gather together. Show your red hair in all its glory. Short, long, curly or straight, red hair gets the spotlight. Celebrate your beauty by posting photos of your red hair on social media using #LoveYourRedHairDay.
NATIONAL LOVE YOUR RED HAIR DAY HISTORY
National Love Your Red Hair Day was submitted by Adrienne & Stephanie Vendetti, co-founders of How to be a Redhead in August of 2015. How to be a Redhead brand released its beauty book and subscription box in 2015. Each year on November 5th, redheads can celebrate their locks to the fullest.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar declared the observance to be celebrated on November 5th, annually.
MEDIA CONTACTS
How to be a Redhead – Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti – 347-709-0RED (0733) orinfo@howtobearedhead.com
Redhead FAQ
Q. What is the rarest eye color for redheads?
A. Blue-eyed redheads are the rarest kind. Only 1% of the world’s population has both blue eyes and red hair.
Q. Is red hair a dominant or recessive gene?
A. Red hair is a recessive gene requiring 2 copies for red hair to be present.
Q. Do other days on the calendar celebrate redheads?
A. Yes. National Kiss a Ginger Day combats bullying on January 12th.
National Donut Day (also known as National Doughnut Day) on November 5th is one of two observed by donut lovers across the nation. The first Friday in June is the other day donuts steal the bakery case spotlight ready to tease their way into white bakery box and go home!
#NationalDonutDay
Visit the June page for more information on the other National Doughnut Day celebration.
History disputes the origin of the donut. One theory suggests Dutch settlers brought donuts to North America much like they brought other traditional American desserts. They receive credit for such desserts as the apple pie, cream pie and cobbler.
Donut shapes are as varied as their history. Was the original donut round? If so, American Hanson Gregory laid claim to inventing the ring-shaped donut in 1847 while working onboard a lime-trading ship. Only 16 at the time, Gregory claims he punched a hole in the center of dough with the ship’s tin pepper box. Later, he taught the technique to his mother.
Traveling further back in time, we look at an English cookbook. According to anthropologist Paul R. Mullins, an 1803 volume included donuts in the appendix of American recipes. However, the earliest recorded usage of the term donut is found in a short story in a Boston Times article about “fire-cakes and dough-nuts” published in 1808.
A more commonly cited first written recording of the word is Washington Irving’s reference to donuts in 1809 in his History of New York. He described balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat. The author called them donuts. Today, these nuts of fried dough are called donut holes.
Another author, William Cullen Bryant describes donuts fried in lard in his book Picturesque America; Or, the Land We Live In which was published in 1872.
Donut versus Doughnut
Print ads for cake and glazed donuts and doughnuts existed from at least 1896 in the United States.
George W. Peck published Peck’s Bad Boy and his Pa in 1900. It contained the first known printed use of donut. In it, a character is quoted as saying, “Pa said he guessed he hadn’t got much appetite and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut.”
In 1919, the Square Donut Company of America was founded. Square donuts offer an easier-to-package product.
The more traditional spelling is doughnut. However, both doughnut and donut are pervasive in American English.
Donuts come in a large variety of recipes, flavors and toppings. However, just like many pastries, we are only limited by imagination and the ingredients at hand. From syrups and jellies to sprinkles and custards, top them, fill them, bake them or fry them. Donuts have a mouth-watering way of glazing and dusting their way into our shopping carts. They also slip into the break room at work to share.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DONUT DAY
Stop at your favorite donut shop and indulge in a fresh donut or try making your own with one of the following recipes:
National Day Calendar® continues researching the origins of this donut holiday.
Donut FAQ
Q. Do all donuts have yeast in them? A. No. There are different types of donuts: yeast donuts, French crullers and cake donuts. Only the yeast donuts contain yeast.
Q. How many donut days are there? A. We love our donuts so much that there are two donut days on the calendar. The other is in June.
November 5th Celebrated History
1872
Susan B. Anthony along with fourteen other women presented themselves for voter registration in Rochester, NY. After being permitted to register, they cast their ballots. Several days later, United States Commissioner William Storrs issued a warrant for their arrest.
1889
Wyoming voters ratify the first constitution in the world granting full voting rights to women.
1895
George B. Selden receives the first U.S. patent for an automobile. Even though he never built a car, he collected royalties from car manufacturers for years.
1906
Marie Curie gives her first lecture at the Sorbonne. After her husband’s death, she took over his role becoming the first woman professor at the Sorbonne.
1930
Sinclair Lewis, the author of Arrowsmith, Mainstreet, and Babbitt, became the first U.S. writer to earn the Nobel Prize in Literature.
1940
The voters of the United States elect Franklin D. Roosevelt to a third term for the first and only time in United States history.
November 5th Celebrated Birthdays
Ida Tarbell – 1857
The investigative journalist wrote a series of articles named The History of the Standard Oil Company and earned a name for her type of journalism – muckraking. However, the article exposed the unfair business practices of monopolies. She would later pursue advanced education at the Sorbonne and write several biographies.
James Ward Packard – 1863
In 1899, the industrialist co-founded the Packard Motor Car Company in Warren, OH. He remained the company’s president until 1909. In 1956, the last Packard rolled off the assembly line.
Evelyn Bryan Johnson – 1909
A colonel in the Civil Air Patrol, Bryan has logged more flying hours than any other woman in the world. In 1945, she earned her private pilot’s license, but that was only the beginning. Bryan would go on to earn her commercial license, become a flight instructor, and run her own flying service.
Roy Rogers – 1911
The actor and singer appeared in more than 100 westerns, usually as himself.
Peter Pace – 1945
In 2005, Pace became the first Marine to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His already long career now encompassed increased efforts to overcome terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. He served two years in the position and retired from active duty after 40 years of military service.
Bryan Adams – 1959
The award-winning Canadian musician rose to fame in the early 1980s. His first taste of success came with his album Cuts Like A Knife.
Tatum O’Neal – 1963
The actress won her first award at the age of 10 for her role as Addie Loggins in the film Paper Moon.
Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday in November at 2:00 AM.
#DaylightSavingTimeEnds or #FallBack
The practice of Daylight saving time (DST) (also known as summer time) advances clocks during the summer months. It causes us to lose an hour for one day. However, the practice allows people to get up earlier in the morning and experience more daylight in the evening. Typically, users of DST adjust clocks forward one hour near the start of spring. Then, they change them back again in the autumn.
The system has received both advocacy and criticism. Setting clocks forward benefits retail business, sports, and other activities exploiting sunlight after working hours. However, the practice causes problems for evening entertainment and other activities tied to the sun or darkness. For example, farming and fireworks shows are both affected.
Although some early proponents of DST aimed to reduce evening use of incandescent lighting (formerly a primary use of electricity, modern heating and cooling), usage patterns differ greatly. Additionally, research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited or contradictory.
Problems sometimes caused by DST clock shifts include:
they complicate timekeeping
can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment,
it especially impacts sleep patterns
Software can often adjust computer clocks automatically, but this can be limited and error-prone. Programming is particularly problematic when various jurisdictions change the dates and timings of DST changes.
HOW TO OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS
Depending on where you live, make sure to turn back your clocks. What will you do with your extra hour? Use #DaylightSavingTimeEnds or #FallBack to post on social media.
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS HISTORY
The New Zealander George Vernon Hudson proposed the modern idea of daylight saving in 1895. Germany and Austria-Hungary organized the first implementation, starting on 30 April 1916. Many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s.
DATES 6 November 2022 5 November 2023 3 November 2024 2 November 2025 1 November 2026 7 November 2027 5 November 2028 4 November 2029
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