Daily Calendar for Monday, October 14, 2024

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. The first Canadian Thanksgiving Day was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of the prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed in the United States on the second Monday in October, recognizes the culture, contributions, and history of Native Americans. Ways to celebrate include attending community events, supporting indigenous businesses and art, and expanding knowledge via museums and other resources. The holiday is celebrated in certain areas in lieu of Columbus Day (a federal holiday) because of the devastation that European exploration brought to indigenous peoples of the Americas. Learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day here.

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the Bahamas, convinced that he had reached the East Indies. The anniversary of his landing in the New World was first formally celebrated in 1792, by the Columbian Order (Society of St. Tammany) in New York City. Now, it is celebrated nationally on the second Monday in October.

Question of the Day

I want to make sure my Christmas cactus produces flowers in December. What should I do now?
Buds will form on a Christmas cactus when it is kept at a constant temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit or when you give it at least 13 hours of complete darkness each night. If you can achieve either of these conditions, the December blooms will be well worth the effort.

Advice of the Day

Sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda on the bottom of your toaster oven to eliminate the burned smell from drippings and crumbs.

Home Hint of the Day

To remove tarnish from brass, bronze, or copper, dip a lemon slice or rind in a little salt and rub it on the object. Then clean and dry with paper towels.

Word of the Day

Julian period
A period of 7,980 years beginning January 1, 4713 b.c. Devised in 1583 by Joseph Scaliger, it provides a chronological basis for the study of ancient history. To find the Julian year, add 4,713 to any year.

Puzzle of the Day

What’s that in the Fire, and not in the Flame? What’s that in the Master, and not in the Dame? What’s that in the Courtier, and not in the Clown? What’s that in the Country, and not in the Town?
The letter R

Born

  • William Penn (Quaker; founder of Pennsylvania, named in honor of his father)
  • Francis Lightfoot Lee (American Revolutionary leader)
  • Sir Edward Sabine (astronomer)
  • Ray Ewry (track and field star)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th U.S. president)
  • e. e. cummings (poet)
  • Eugene Fodor (travel writer)
  • Charles Everett Koop (U.S. Surgeon General)
  • Roger Moore (actor)
  • Ralph Lauren (designer)
  • Sheila Young (speed skater, cyclist)
  • Harry Anderson (actor)
  • Usher (singer)
  • Jordan Brower (actor)

Died

  • Bing Crosby (singer)
  • Cleveland Amory (critic and animal rights activist)
  • Lou Albano (American professional wrestler, manager and actor)

Events

  • While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, former president Theodore Roosevelt was shot by William Schrank
  • First contingent of Canadian Expeditionary Force arrived in England, during WWI
  • Poland presented 5.5 million goodwill signatures to the United States for 150th anniversary of American independence
  • A. A. Milne’s classic, Winnie-the-Pooh, was published
  • Girl Crazy by George Gershwin opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York
  • German U-boat sank passenger ferry S.S. Caribou in Cabot Strait
  • Charles Yeager, piloting a Bell X-1 jet, became the first person to break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.06
  • Queen Elizabeth II began Canadian tour
  • Eighteen-month old Jessica McClure (Baby Jessica) fell down an abandoned well in Midland, Texas
  • The Illinois Natural Resources Department confirmed that a 17-inch fish caught in Chicago’s Burnham Harbor in Lake Michigan was an invasive snakehead, a feared Frankenfish known to eat native fish and compete with them for food
  • A Ghanaian-registered Boeing 747 cargo jet crashed and burned on take off from Halifax airport in eastern Canada
  • The United States Air Force Memorial was dedicated, Arlington, Virginia
  • Khagendra Thapa Magar, from Pokhara, Nepal, turned 18 years old and was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s shortest living man, at 26.4 inches tall.
  • Video tweet was posted of a miniature horse seen in the back seat of a neighboring car in Iowa

Weather

  • Hail in southern Oklahoma caused major crop and property damage
  • The first regularly scheduled television weathercast was seen on WNBT (later, WNBC) in New York City.
  • Albany, New York, had a temperature of 21 degrees F