Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to August 28th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate cheesy shows and seeing red.

If you’re a fan of Zordon or Rita Repulsa, then you know exactly what we’re celebrating today. Although this kid’s show was pieced together with old footage from a Japanese TV show, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was a huge hit in 1993. Five teenagers transformed into...well, Power Rangers, who then merged into a giant robot that fought monsters. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but if you grew up in the 90s, this was THE show to watch. And your neighborhood was probably full of every color of Ranger on Halloween. On National Power Ranger Day, celebrate with a walk down memory lane and watch some old episodes. The special effects are cheesy but the lessons on teamwork are priceless!

Though folks enjoy wine all year long, the end of Summer begins the seasonal celebration of the varietals known as reds. Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Noir all pair well with the richer foods we all love to indulge in during cooler weather. And the good news is that reds are actually healthier for you than whites. The rule of thumb is that dryer wines are better for you than sweeter ones. And young wines, which tend to be darker, are healthier than the older, lighter ones. Moderation in all things is the key to a healthy life, but on National Red Wine Day, have fun indulging in the drink that’s the very symbol of celebration.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 27th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate getting to the good stuff and doing things “just because.”

Pots of cream may not sound delicious but pots de creme deserves its own celebration. Think of it as a cousin to crème brûlée. Both are made with simple ingredients of cream, eggs and flavorings, which are baked into pots or individual ramekins for a super rich and creamy flavor. Today most people think of pots de creme as a chocolate dessert though its texture is close to a vanilla custard. Interestingly, the French have no word for custard which has been around since the Middle Ages. In those days it was used to fill pies and tarts or “crustade,” and the name became attached to its original use. By the 17th century people realized that the cream was the best part anyway and pots of cream became a dessert on their own. On National Pots De Creme Day, celebrate getting to the good stuff with this decadent dessert!

When was the last time you did something “just because?” Have you ever stopped to think about what saying “yes” instead of “no” might do for your life? For Shonda Rhimes it all started at a family Thanksgiving dinner when her sister pointed out that she always said no to everything! When the self proclaimed introvert challenged herself to a year of saying yes instead, the results changed her life! She ended up writing a best selling book, delivering a TED Talk and producing the Emmy award winning television show, "Grey’s Anatomy." The writer producer describes the feeling of triumph that comes from doing things that scare you. On National Just Because Day, celebrate the life changing habits that may come from simply saying “Yes!”

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 26th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate women’s rights and man’s best friend.

On this day in 1920 the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women full and equal voting rights. While it may sound preposterous to our young women today, this amendment was 80 years in the making, if you take into account that the seeds of unrest were sown in the early 1800s. That’s when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, along with Martha Wright, Mary Ann McClintock and Jane Hunt set in motion plans for the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York after being denied access to the Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Today we celebrate National Women’s Equality Day and the one hundred years of progress we have made since the 19th Amendment was passed.

Over 15,000 years ago, early humans domesticated wolves and created a friendship that has stood the test of time. Since then dogs have proven to be loyal, friendly and hardworking to boot. No other canine represents these traits better than the film star Lassie. While this collie was first played by a pedigree female, she refused to swim in the river and was replaced by a male dog named Pal. Since then, all nine Lassies have been male and all of them descendants of Pal. It turns out that male collies don’t lose their coats as often as females and are therefore more suited to their movie closeups. On National Dog Day, celebrate your own furry friends who are awfully glad that you’re in their pack.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 25th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the great outdoors and one successful apprentice.

After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, Ferdinand Hayden did geographical surveys of the Grand Canyon and what would become the Western United States. One particular region of Northwestern Wyoming caught his attention and he petitioned the government to explore and document this area. Along with photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran, he put together a report that was presented to Congress. It made such an impression that on March 1, 1872, President Grant established Yellowstone as the first National Park. Nearly 150 years later, Yellowstone is still one of the most visited. On National Park Service Founders Day, celebrate the folks who saw the forest for the trees and helped preserve our great outdoors.

In 1904 David Evans Strickler showed more than a little enthusiasm for his job. The 23 year old apprentice enjoyed making up new kinds of sundaes, but little did he know that he would soon make history. At Tassels Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, David stumbled upon the winning combination of three scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry all topping off a split banana. They charged double the price for this new concoction, but the banana split was worth all 10 cents. And eventually David bought the place, renaming it Strickler’s Pharmacy. To this day the Great American Banana Split Festival happens in downtown Latrobe. On National Banana Split Day celebrate the sweet rewards for being top banana!

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 24th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a tasty debate and Summertime’s freshest pie.

There are two kinds of people: pancake people and waffle people. Sure pancakes are delicious, but if you like to pile on the toppings, waffles are just built better for the job. It was likely this feature that encouraged Cornelias Swarthout to patent the waffle iron in 1869. Though this tasty breakfast has been around since the 14th Century, the invention made waffles more readily available. And when folks tasted the Belgian kind at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, they found even more ways to enjoy the deep pockets filled with toppings and sauces. On National Waffle Day, serve them anyway you please and invite your pancake friends to enjoy the difference!

Summertime means the freshest crops and the most delicious fruit. In Georgia that means peaches. Sure, California grows more of them than any other state, but in Georgia they have a reputation for being the best. Maybe that’s because to this day there are no major processing operations there. The good news for bakers is that Georgia peaches are always picked fresh and arrive in grocery stores full of juicy flavor. If you’re a pie maker you will know why this prize fruit is worth all the fuss. Making a perfect crust is only half the battle, and if you find tree ripened fruit, you’re on your way to a prize winning pie. On National Peach Pie Day celebrate with the freshest you can find, and if you live in the Empire of the South count yourself lucky!

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 23rd, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate challenging new heights in the kitchen and on the runway.

If you enjoy a good baking challenge, set your sights on the airy rise of a perfect sponge cake. One of the most difficult cakes for bakers to master, sponge cake makes the perfect backdrop for berries and cream or even a simple dusting of powdered sugar. And if you are intrigued by this challenge, here are a few tips to ensure your success. Start with sifting the cake flour which makes for a lighter batter. Cake flour is more finely milled and produces a finer crumb. For egg whites that whip to the highest heights use only the freshest eggs. And finally, be sure to add a measure of fun, which is best had by with a friend. On National Sponge Cake Day, don’t be intimidated by this lofty queen of cakes.

For as long as we have been watching birds fly, humankind has wanted to join them. The Wright Brothers achieved this in 1903 with a combustion engine plane, but it turns out that a human powered aircraft was much tougher to build. To create some incentive, the Royal Aeronautical Society announced the Kremer Competition in 1959 with a prize of 50,000 pounds. But the strict figure 8 course was tough to navigate and the prize was not awarded until August 23rd, 1977. That's when Paul MacCready’s Gossamer Condor 2 beat the Japanese Stork and a year’s worth of work paid off big! On National Ride the Wind Day visit the Smithsonian where the Gossamer Condor 2 is displayed next to the Wright Brothers Plane and the Apollo 11 moon capsule.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 22nd, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate food that takes a bow and magical dentistry.

During the Three Kingdoms era of China, a general and his troops found their way home was blocked by a raging river. The river god told the general that passage would only be granted if he cut off 50 of his soldiers’ heads and threw them into the river. Instead, the general ordered his cooks to create buns that looked like heads and threw them in the river instead. And, according to legend, that is how we came to have the delicious steamed buns known as bao. This may be a strange origin story for such a cute little dumpling, but on National Bao Day, we celebrate the small bite that tames our raging appetite.

No one is quite sure how fairies took an interest in children’s health in the 1920s. But when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published photographs of two girls surrounded by fairies the fascination took flight. This phenomenon was useful for teaching kids everything from eating veggies to getting fresh air. Then in 1927 Esther Watkins opened a link to the supernatural with her play known as the Tooth Fairy. Since then teeth have been magically transformed into money by the mysterious fairy folk. On National Tooth Fairy Day, celebrate this age old legend that still affects our kids' imagination.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 21st, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate an industrious insect and dessert Italian style.

If you think the humble honey bee is just another bug, think again! While they seem to be aimlessly buzzing from flower to flower, they’re actually performing a valuable task. It’s estimated that over one third of our United States food production depends on bees pollinating crops. Farmers spend millions of dollars renting beehives that help this process. Without honey bees, many fruits and vegetables would disappear from our grocery stores. And these insects contribute around 24 billion dollars to agriculture every year, which is some pretty heavy lifting for a tiny little insect. Think about that the next time you’re tempted to swat one away from your drink. On World Honey Bee Day celebrate our busy friends that are hard at work keeping us fed.

No one does style quite like the Italians. When their delicious gelato became popular across Europe, ice cream makers had to find a way to ship it. Neapolitan ice cream was created in one big block, which seemed to do the trick. When Italian immigrants came to New York, they brought this treat over as spumoni, named after their favorite ice cream from Naples. This molded dessert marries chocolate, pistachio and cherry flavors, though vanilla is sometimes substituted for chocolate. The best part is that this creamy concoction has fewer calories than regular ice cream. On National Spumoni Day, celebrate this frozen twist that beats the heat Italian style.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 20th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate amazing mashups in the kitchen and in the lab.

Few things are as sweet as the Southern favorite pecan pie, but when someone decided to add chocolate, this candy-like dessert went over the top. Pecan trees are native to the American South, and this classic pie sprung up in the region around the late 1800s. Though sugar pies with a mixture of eggs, sugar and flavorings existed throughout Europe before then, the addition of crisp pecans is a claim to fame that’s purely American. The only other variation that puts this dessert on the map is a shot of bourbon whiskey. But for sheer decadent appeal a handful of chopped chocolate will likely make this Southern belle a true crowd pleaser. On National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day, celebrate the American way of taking things over the top!

While some inventions are created by just one genius, radio was born from a meeting of the minds. Oddly enough, these pioneers never sat down together. In Germany, the research of Heinrich Hertz proved that electricity could be transmitted wirelessly. From Croatia, Nikola Tesla provided the Tesla coil. And the first commercially available wireless was thanks to the Italian born Marconi. His technology was first used by the military but it was a Marconi wireless that broadcast the distress signal from the Titanic. Broadcast stations began airing programs in the 1920s that featured news from around the globe, and when entertainment followed the world became synchronized by the power of sound. On National Radio Day we celebrate this invention that is truly a melting pot of genius.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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Welcome to August 19th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate playing with our food and more than a century in the wild blue yonder.

For as long as anyone can remember, parents have told their children to not play with their food. But Mr. Potato Head changed that. In the late 1940s, Mr. Potato Head—or at least parts of him—were included in cereal boxes. Kids would collect the body parts and piece them together with actual potatoes to make the character. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Hasbro began making the plastic version of the beloved character that we know today. So raise a French fry and remember our favorite spud as we celebrate National Potato Day. Later, taters!

While folks have been dreaming of navigating the skies for centuries, we usually give the credit to the Wright brothers for the first controlled, powered and sustained flight. The brothers tossed a coin to see who would test their glider first. Wilbur won the toss, however, his flight at Kitty Hawk lasted only 3 and a half seconds. Orville claimed the second attempt and made history on December 17, 1903. Today we can thank many inventors from Leonardo da Vinci to George Cayley for their contribution to aviation. But it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who chose August 19th as the official date for National Aviation Day. On this day we also celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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