AUGUST 28: WORLD DREAM DAY
There are dreams and then there are dreams. World Dream Day is not about sleepy time fantasies, but rather about the ideas, aspirations, hopes, and desires we have when wide awake, viewing the world, and wanting to make it better. Many of today’s inventions started as simple ideas. Tenacious hard work is what turned a concept into a reality.
World Dream Day encourages individuals, families, and communities to make dreams into realities. Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Sometimes the dream is more an idea or wish or desire for something to come true. Martin Luther King’s famous Dream speech radiated his desire for civil rights and an end to racism. Even if not fully realized, his dream has had an enormous impact—and still does. World Dream Day is a day of inspiration, reflection, and celebration—and planning. If you have a dream, take the first step to make it happen. Maybe you aspire to write a book. World Dream Day is a great day to start the first chapter — and finish it!
World Dream Day was started at Columbia University in 2012, by educator and “transformational strategist” (look it up) Ozioma Egwuonwu, with the aim to “heal and inspire humanity.” Her goal was to create a day that would help inspire and heal humanity. Through the years, a variety of organizations and businesses have become strategic partners with World Dream Day. In 2013, World Dream Day partnered with the United Nations’ My World 2013 initiative.
Keeping dreams alive is why we have what we do today. Without dreamers like Martin Luther King or Bayard Rustin, we wouldn’t have achieved change and progress. From civil rights to video games, nothing would have been possible without dreams and the people who helped bring them to life.Today is a day where we can rekindle the powerful dreams we have embedded in us and stimulate ways to make them a reality.
AUGUST 30: SLINKY DAY
The Slinky is known and loved the world over. This pre-compressed helical spring toy was immediately popular when it was introduced in the 1940s. But it was not until the 1950s that it became a national sensation. And Slinky has never lost its appeal, continuing to be popular — in many different forms — for successive generations of children and adults alike, even to this day. Slinky Day is the perfect day to have some fun with Slinkies: do Slinky stunts, race with Slinkies, or simply untangle Slinkies as they knot, twist, and spiral.
In 1943, Richard James, a naval engineer, was in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard working on a project using springs to hold items up on moving ships. He accidentally knocked down a spring and watched it “walk” and then coil itself up neatly on the floor. It was an idea-inspiring moment, and, along with his wife, Betty, a plan was hatched for a new toy. Betty came up with the name “Slinky.” In 1945, with a 500-dollar loan, they started James Industries. At first, Slinkys sales were flat. But when a demo table was set up in Philadelphia's Gimbels Department Store during the 1945 holiday shopping season, 400 Slinkies — at a dollar each — sold in 90 minutes. And people wanted more.
The Slinky was introduced at the American Toy Fair the following year, In 1947, the Slinky was granted a patent. Soon it was being marketed world-wide. However, in 1960 the James were divorced and the company was close to bankruptcy. Richard left Betty and their 6 children and joined a religious cult in Bolivia. Betty soldiered on, brought the company back from the brink of ruin, and made it flourish.
Betty James died in 2008 at the age of 90. By then, hundreds of millions of Slinkys had been sold. However, the Slinky has not simply been a toy. It’s also been used by NASA for experiments (such as, to show the effects of gravity on Space Shuttle missions); or as mobile radio antennas by amateur radio operators, after first being used as such during the Vietnam War; or by teachers to simulate oscillation in waves; or by physical therapists to improve hand-eye coordination. The Slinky postage stamp was issued in 1999. In 2000, the little pre-compressed-helical-spring-that-could was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. In 2019, a historical marker was put up near the spot where the first Slinky factory was located in Clifton Heights. Today the Slinky is celebrated all around the world with Slinky Day!
AUGUST 31: WE LOVE MEMOIRS DAY
A “memoir” is a non-fiction account based on the author’s memories and experiences. Memoir focus on how these events and experiences affected the writer, ranging from emotional responses to personal opinions of events at the time. Memoirs can be written about anything. From war and politics to business and travel, memoirs offer us a rare peek into a person’s life and beliefs. A memoir is different from an autobiography in that an autobiography may be a whole life, but a memoir has a narrower focus and covers a significant moment in that life. Memoirs with great historical importance include Thoreau’s Walden, and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.
There have been memoirs for as long as humans have written. In the past, documenting one’s life in scrolls, journals, and letters was a part of everyday life. Scholars, politicians, and military officers were the most common memoirists, along with a few royals and their associates. Some memoirs existed in the form of oral literature — passed down from generation to generation as part of a family’s heritage. One example is Libanius, a teacher who lived between 314 and 394 AD. He chose to have his memoir spread in the literary orations popular at the time. During the 13th and 14th centuries, some European diplomats, such as Philippe de Commines, and historians, such as Geoffrey of Villehardouin, wrote about great political upheavals, narrated from their perspective. In the 17th and 18th centuries, also known as the Age of Enlightenment, many intellectuals began writing memoirs: accounts of their exploits, such as in political movements and intellectual schools of thought. Most were written by esteemed members of certain professions, such as law and politics. It wasn’t until the 20th century that ordinary men and women began publishing memoirs for others to read.
After the First and Second World Wars, veterans of those conflicts began writing about the horrors experienced on the frontlines. These accounts showed the harsh reality and brutality of war when countries engaged in sustained conflict. Memoirs like Her Privates We and Storm of Steel stripped away outdated notions of war as a noble pursuit. Today, memoirs are still written by career politicians, businesspeople, and military officers. A large chunk of the market is dominated by celebrities, too.
We Love Memoirs Day was created in 2013 by two memoir authors — Victoria Twead and Alan Parks — along with a Facebook group to connect admirers, readers, and authors of memoirs. Their main aim was to create a friendly environment to discuss the memoirs and exchange opinions about them.
SEPTEMBER 1: WORLD LETTER WRITING DAY
World Letter Writing Day encourages people all around the globe to pick up a pen, grab a piece of paper, and write a letter. The letter can be a love letter, one filled with anger, news of events, to keep connections alive and well, or even one simply written to create memories. World Letter Writing Day is also a day to learn about the art of letter writing. In this digital age of text and e-mail, it’s almost unheard of to sit down and compose a letter.
There are some great reasons to write a letter:
It’s a thoughtful way to communicate with those you love.
The receiver may treasure your letter for years to come.
People who write letters of gratitude feel happier and more satisfied with life.
It’s a great way to strengthen a friendship, marriage, or other meaningful relationship.
It can help someone better understand your perspective or position on a certain topic.
Your older friends and relatives will cherish this traditional form of communication.
If you have beautiful handwriting, it’s a way to show off your penmanship skills.
One more reason to write a letter instead of a text or e-mail is that it forces you to really think about what you’re writing. Far too often, we send texts and e-mails without really thinking about the impact our words have. With a handwritten letter, you are forced to be more careful with the words you choose.
The day was founded by Australian author, artist, and photographer Richard Simpkin, who adores writing handwritten letters. It started when he began writing to individuals he considered Australian legends. Some wrote back! In 2005, he published Australian Legends, paying tribute to the art of writing letters and looking back on how it changed everything for him. To further honor handwritten letters, he created the World Letter Writing Day in 2014.
Letter writing itself has existed for centuries. It was present in ancient Egypt and Greece. At that point, letters were written on metal, lead, wax-coated wooden tablets, pottery fragments, animal skin, and papyrus. In the 17th and 18th centuries, letters were often used to send information, specific news, information, or greetings. Others used letters to exchange ideas and formulate critical thinking regarding particular subjects. This is why several letters gathered from the past serve historians as an archive of personal and diplomatic interactions and how many events in history actually played out.
From thereon, letters became an art form and stood out as a genre of literature. Things changed a great deal when postal services were created and people started using letters for personal interaction. In fact, during times of war, letters were the only way families and lovers could stay in touch.
SEPTEMBER 2: NATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD DAY
Today we celebrate the hummingbird! National Hummingbird Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September. This year it falls on September 2. Hummingbirds are small colorful birds distinguished by their ability to hover mid-air rapidly flapping their wings – which produces the humming sound they are characteristically known for. They are attracted to flowering plants, especially deep-throated flowers, and feed on the nectar for survival. Their reliance on nectar has helped the development of new hummingbird species influenced by the changes in the flowers. The number of species is still growing, but about 360 species of Hummingbirds currently exist. Most species of hummingbirds can be found in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and there are no hummingbirds outside of the Western Hemisphere. Only 8 species regularly breed in the US, although, up to 24 species can be found there at various times. The historical evolution of Hummingbirds has not been traced to any verifiable or scientifically researched source. Their first public sighting was published in a journal by a French explorer on his travels to Brazil.
Even with their aggressive nature, as many as 25 different species of Hummingbirds can survive and co-exist in the same place. The hummingbird’s size makes them susceptible to being preyed upon or caught in dangerous situations that could be man-made or natural. Hummingbirds are very small — many weigh less than the weight of a nickel. The calliope hummingbird is 3 inches long, and the bee hummingbird, native to Cuba, is the smallest bird species in the world, at 2.25 inches in length. Hummingbirds have such small feet that they can't walk or hop properly. They can shuffle a bit, though, but their feet are mainly used for preening. The small size of their feet also allows them to fly quicker. They can fly up to 30 miles per hour when going forward, and up to 60 miles per hour when diving. Among other threats to the hummingbird are pesticides, bad weather, big insects or predators, loss of habitat, and bad feeders.
Each species of hummingbird makes a different humming sound because the wings of each species beat at a different rate. Generally, a hummingbird's wings beat somewhere between 50 and 200 times a second. Wings aren't the only things that beat quickly when it comes to hummingbirds: their hearts beat more than 1,200 times a minute. They also take a breath about 250 times a minute, and that number is even higher when they are flying.
Hummingbirds may fly hundreds or even thousands of miles to migrate. They mainly eat nectar, but also eat small insects, spiders, tree sap, and juice from fruit. Their lifespan ranges from 3 to 12 years and is contingent on factors such as their species, habitat, and vulnerability due to predators and other threats. Hummingbirds share the raising of the chicks. Males hummingbirds live a lot shorter time because they use so much energy in defending their nests. They use a lot of energy in flying and need to rest every 15 minutes.
Even though these creatures have survived a long time without the direct and active intervention or help of man, this is currently changing as more information is being gathered on their vulnerability and threats to their survival. National Hummingbird Day exists to celebrate these beautiful flying creatures. It recognizes their importance in pollinating our flowers and identifies threats and situations that are harmful to them. It also encourages safer practices that will ensure their survival.
SEPTEMBER 3: NATIONAL PET ROCK DAY
The first Sunday in September marks National Pet Rock Day. This year, that day is September 3. Pet rocks are — or were — extraordinary pets adopted by hundreds across the country. They really had their advantages: rocks don’t need grooming, don’t require visits to the vet, nor do they eat, get sick, and — best of all — never die!
The pet rock was created by advertising executive Gary Dahl in April 1975. Each rock was a smooth stone picked from Mexico’s Rosarito beach. It was sold in a custom-made cardboard box complete with breathing holes and straw (pet-rock bedding). Die-cutting and manufacturing cardboard boxes represented the biggest production expense for Dahl. The stones were regarded as live pets and were marketed as such.
The inspiration behind this strange creation came from complaints from Dahl’s friends about the stress of caring for their pets. During a discussion in a bar — where else? — Dahl joked about keeping a rock as a pet. He did not, however, stop at just wisecracking. He did them one better: he created the Pet Rock. Then he went on to write a pet-rock instruction manual, which included jokes and gags about how to “care” for your new pet and listed several commands that could be taught to the new pet. While “sit” and “stay” were effortless to accomplish, “roll over” usually required a little extra help from the trainer. “Come,” “stand,” and “shake hands” were found to be near-impossible to teach; however, “attack” was fairly simple (with some help from the owner’s force). The instruction manual was a popular addition to the pet rock itself, showcasing Dahl’s sense of humor. They sold like pet hotcakes.
The pet rock fad came to an end after a slight boom in sales during the festive season of 1975. Gary Dahl made a tidy profit, selling over a million pet rocks before their eventual discontinuation in February 1976. At the time, each rock sold for $4, making it one of the most fascinating marketing schemes ever. In today’s money, each pet rock would sell for $18.
Dahl had become a millionaire, and he went from a cabin to a home with a big swimming pool and a Mercedes in the garage. He opened a bar in Las Gatos and continued dabbling with inventions. His subsequent inventions — such as the Sand Breeding Kit — were far less successful than the Pet Rock. Dahl also was sued by some of his investors, and forced to pay them an amount in the six figures. Dahl died in March 2015 in Jacksonville, Oregon, at the age of 78. But Dahl's Pet Rocks are still alive, enduring in the cultural lexicon long after their scintillating six-month ascent and rapid descent. On Pet Rock Day, we celebrate them even today.