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Celebrate Genealogy Day Image result for Genealogy Day

Many of us are too preoccupied with our lives to think too much about the past, especially ancestors of our who lived and died perhaps hundreds of years ago. Every now and then, however, people who happen to have a bit more time start digging around and sometimes find out the most fascinating facts about where their forefathers came from and what kind of people they were. Think about it: aren’t you just a little bit curious? If so, Genealogy Day is sure to prove both fun and educational.

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The History of Genealogy Day

The idea of keeping track of one’s family tree is not a new one. The family tree of Confucius, for example, has been maintained for over 2,500 years, a Guiness World Record. In Western societies, genealogy was especially important to royalty, who used it to decide who was of noble descent and who was not, as well as who had the right to rule which geographical area. Much like the ancient Egyptians’ assertions that their pharaohs were part god and part man, the medieval Anglo-Saxon Chronicle claimed that the god Woden (perhaps better known as the Norse god Odin) himself was a direct ancestor of several English kings.

Genealogy Day was created in 2013, by Christ Church, United Presbyterian and Methodist in Limerick, Ireland to help celebrate the church’s 200th anniversary. For this day, Christ Church brought together local family history records not only from its own combined churches, but also from the area’s Church of Ireland parishes, including the Religious Society if Friends in Ireland (Quaker) and the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon).

The people in attendance could then use the amassed marriage and baptism records dating back to the early 1800s, such as Limerick Methodist Registers and Limerick Presbyterian Registers, to find out about their great-great-grandparents. The idea proved so popular that the day was repeated for the next two consecutive years and has inspired many people to take a look into their family tree to find out a bit more about where they come from.

Word of the Day

numpty

MEANING:

noun: A fool.

ETYMOLOGY:

Of uncertain origin. Perhaps alteration of numbskull, remodeled after Humpty Dumpty. Earliest documented use: 1985.

USAGE:

“Go see Raw before some Hollywood numpty tries to remake it.”
A Smart and Hilarious Horror Movie; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Apr 22, 2017.

Idiom of the Day

Have a Ball

To have a ball means to have a great time or to enjoy oneself greatly.

Example usage: We are going to have a ball at the party tonight.

We had a ball last night and didn’t come home until 2.00am.

This Day in History

1454 - Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy. Matthias Ringmann, a German mapmaker, named the American continent in his honor.

1745 - The first carillon was shipped from England to Boston, MA.

1793 - Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first balloon flight in North America. The event was witnessed by U.S. President George Washington.

1822 - Charles M. Graham received the first patent for artificial teeth.

1839 - The French Academy of Science announced the Daguerreotype photo process.

1858 - Albert Potts was awarded a patent for the letter box.

1897 - A patent was issued to William Spinks and William Hoskins for cue chalk.

1905 - In Egypt, U.S. archaeologist Davies discovered the royal tombs of Tua and Yua.

1929 - Eric Krenz became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet.

1959 - Mattel introduced Barbie at the annual Toy Fair in New York.

1964 - Production began on the first Ford Mustang.

1990 - Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as the first female and Hispanic surgeon general.

2011 - Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation that abolished the death penalty in his state.

thanks, Sharon

DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, March 9

You are an imaginative person who is also resolute and determined, so you can go very far in life. There are many extremes in your nature, and you tend to go through a lot of ups and downs on an emotional level. You often have impulsive mood changes. Love improves when you learn to be a little less accommodating. Your career is extremely important to you, and you are likely to be very successful. Self-mastery is a goal, and you are always searching for ways to improve and grow. Famous people born today:

1454 Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer (America), born in Florence (d. 1512)

1749 Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau, French revolutionary (influential member of the National Constituent Assembly), born in Le Bignon, France (d. 1791)

1824 Leland Stanford, American business tycoon(Southern Pacific Railroad), 8th Governor of California and founder of Stanford University, born in Watervliet, New York (d. 1893)

1910 Samuel Barber, American composer (School for Scandal), born in West Chester, Pennsylvania (d. 1981)

1930 Ornette Coleman, American jazz saxophonist and composer (Downbeat Musician of Year 1966), born in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 2015)

1934 Yuri Gagarin, Russian cosmonaut and 1st man into space (aboard Vostok 1), born in Klushino, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (d. 1968)

1943 Bobby Fischer, American chess player (world champion (1972-75), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2008)

READERS INFO

1.

1959 -

Ruth Mosko Handler unveils Barbie Doll

At the International American Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959, inventor Ruth Mosko Handler unveiled one of the most loved, emulated, and criticized toys of the 20^th century. The Barbie Doll, named after Handler's 15-year-old daughter, and modeled after a sex toy called Lilli, which Handler had seen on a trip to Germany, rocketed the Mattel company to nearly overnight success and became an icon of American culture.

Although Barbie has been roundly condemned by feminists as promoting an unrealistic body shape to young girls, Handler originally conceived the doll as a way for girls to imagine their futures as adult women. "I believed it was important to a little girl's self-esteem," she later said, "to play with a doll that has breasts." The development of the doll was also influenced by Handler's daughter's preference for adult paper dolls over the baby dolls that then dominated the toy market.

Although it was Mattel's first big success, the Barbie Doll was not the beginning of Handler's career as an inventor. While working at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Handler first went into business with her husband producing picture frames. Mattel, named for Handler's husband and a business partner, was incorporated in 1945. In its early years, the company produced a toy ukulele and toy guns; it was among the first to market toys directly to children, sponsoring a year's run of the Mickey Mouse Club television show. After the runaway success of Barbie, the company added Ken, named after Handler's son, and later additional dolls named for Handler's grandchildren.

After losing a breast to cancer in 1970, and leaving Mattel in 1975, Handler turned her attention to helping other breast cancer survivors. Unhappy with the available breast prostheses, she invented her own, which she sold through a new company called Nearly Me.

Handler received numerous awards for her accomplishments. The Los Angeles Times named her "Woman of the Year" in Business in 1967, the United Jewish Appeal named her its first "Woman of Distinction," and the Toy Industry Hall of Fame inducted her in 1985.

Ruth Mosko Handler died in 2002. Although often a subject of satire and social criticism, Barbie lives on, with more than 100 million sold annually. Professional outfits and ethnic Barbies have updated the original, but the grown-up doll continues to entrance both young girls and older collectors.

2.

Ice Alaska World Ice Art Championships 2019

Feb 16 - Mar 17, 2019 | Fairbanks, AK

You'd think everyone living in Alaska was a master ice sculptor. That isn't 100% correct, but the state itself is home to the largest ice sculpting competition in the world. With hulking ice everywhere in Fairbanks, sculptors will go to work with their tools and create dozens of stunning displays. Even if your favorite isn't crowned the winner, you'll still see the finest ice sculptures a winter wonderland can offer.

further information: 2019 World Ice Art Championships - Fairbanks Ice Park

3.

Woodlawn Needlework Show & Sale 2019

Mar 9 - 31, 2019 | Alexandria, VA

Woodlawn Estate was the first family home of Eleanor “Nelly” Custis, one of America’s foremost needle workers. Our annual Needlework Show & Sale, which in 2019 will be its 56th year, honors her legacy as an American crafter, maintaining the long tradition of the needle arts, promoting emerging needlework artists, and raising needed funds to preserve our site today.

further information: 56th Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show & Sale | Alexandria, VA 22309

4.

LODA Artwalk 2019

2nd Friday of Each Month | Mobile, AL

The Lower Dauphin (LoDa) Arts District has something beautiful in store for you once you clock out of work for the weekend. On each second Friday throughout the year, local businesses including restaurants, shops and art galleries showcase a wide variety of visual spectacles and lively performances. After staring at computer screens and mind-numbing paperwork all week, full-blown creativity will do wonders for your retinas.

further information: Welcome to City of Mobile Special Events

Pictures of the day

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the American state of Pennsylvania and the urban core of the Greater Pittsburgh Region. It is located in the southwest of the state, at the confluence where the Allegheny and Monongahela join to form the Ohio. The city was named in 1758 by General John Forbes, in honor of British statesman William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, and incorporated as a borough in 1794. It developed as a link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, and its nicknames include the "Steel City", for its more than 300 steel-related businesses, and the "City of Bridges" for its 446 bridges. This picture shows downtown Pittsburgh and the Duquesne Incline funicular, viewed from Mount Washington on the city's south side.

The Guardian