NATIONAL KAZOO DAY
National Kazoo Day on January 28th recognizes nearly 200 years of kazoo music in the United States. The day also encourages playing and learning about the kazoo.
#NationalKazooDay
The instrument requires little effort to create a sound. However, some skill is necessary to make intelligible music. This simple instrument also adds comedic punctuations to just about any childhood song. The great thing about the kazoo is, if you can hum, you can play!
Click play and enjoy a story about National Kazoo Day featuring our founder, Marlo Anderson. If you enjoy the 2-minute show, subscribe with your favorite podcast player.
Warren H. Frost first proposed the name “kazoo” when he submitted his U.S. patent application for a musical toy instrument.
The U.S. Patent Office granted Frost’s application with patent no. 270,543 on January 9, 1883.
In 1915, Michael McIntyre partnered with Harry Richardson, and they established The Original American Kazoo Company which began producing metal kazoos. They are still in production today in Eden, NY.
During World War I, another instrument made the scene. Larger and a little more cumbersome for a child to manage, makers touted the bazooka as an instrument anyone could play (and build).
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL KAZOO DAY
- Play a song on the kazoo.
- Start a kazoo band.
- Make your own kazoo.
- Learn about how a kazoo works.
- Teach someone to play the kazoo.
- Create a video of you playing a kazoo.
- Visit the National Day Calendar Classroom for kazoo projects.
Use #NationalKazooDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL KAZOO DAY HISTORY
Founded in 1983 by Chaplin Willard Rahn of the Joyful Noise Kazoo Band, National Kazoo Day celebrates the humble kazoo and all the infectious joy it brings to people of all ages.
Kazoo FAQ
Q. Can anyone play a kazoo?
A. Anyone who can hum can play the kazoo.
Q. Are kazoos expensive?
A. Kazoos are relatively inexpensive musical instruments. More expensive kazoos still cost less than ten dollars.
Q. What materials are used to make kazoos?
A. Kazoos can be made from metal, wood, plastic, glass, or even cardboard.
January 28th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1868
The first female detective in the United States dies of pneumonia. Kate Warne served as a Pinkerton detective for 12 years. During her career, Warne proved integral to thwarting an 1861 assassination plot against President-elect Abraham Lincoln.
1873
U.S. Patent Office issues patent no. 135,245 to Louis Pasteur for an “Improvement in Brewing Beer and Ale.”
1958
The Danish toy building block company, Lego, filed an application to patent the interlocking plastic toy building blocks. Originally invented and designed out of wood by the company’s founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, the company produced its first plastic blocks in 1949.
1985
Singer-songwriters from across the United States including Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Daryl Hall, John Oats, and Paul Simon came together as USA for Africa. They record the hit single We Are the World, raising over $63 million for Ethiopian famine relief.
1986
Seven NASA astronauts tragically die when the space shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after launch. Crew members included Payload Gregory Jarvis, Judy Resnick, Christa McAuliffe, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Michael Smith, and Ellison Onizuka.
January 28th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Auguste Piccard & Jean Piccard – 1884
The twin brothers attended the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Auguste studied physics, and Jean studied chemistry. Their mutual interests in ballooning led to several scientific achievements.
Jackson Pollock – 1912
The abstract expressionist painter achieved critical success during his lifetime. Some of his most iconic works include Mural (1943), She-Wolf (1943), and Convergence (1952).
Anna Gordy Gay – 1922
In 1959, the record executive formed A.N.N.A. Records in Detroit, Michigan, with her sisters Gwen Gordy and Roquel Billy Davis.
Vera Williams – 1928
The award-winning children’s author was best known for her novel A Chair for My Mother.
Henry Morton Stanley – 1841
Popularly known as the explorer who found missing explorer Dr. David Livingstone who disappeared in Zanzibar, Africa. Upon reaching the weakened and ill doctor on Lake Tanganyika, Stanley said, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Stanley was also a journalist, soldier, politician, and author.
Charles William Nash – 1864
Nash made enormous contributions to the automotive industry. He first served the industry at General Motors as Buick’s VP and as GM’s fifth president. In 1916, Nash established Nash Motors when he purchased Jeffery Motor Company.
