September 23rd is now here. We have 95 days until Christmas in case you’re an early shopper. The joy of trying to find gifts for people who have everything they want is almost here. That’s in the future and it isn’t here yet so I’ll concentrate on this day which happens to be Celebrate Bisexuality Day (Yippie), International Day of Sign Languages, Love Note Day, National Great American Pot Pie Day, National Snack Stick Day, and Native American Day. Now some history. On this day in 1387 the most extravagant medieval English feast was held for Richard ll. The menu included 14 salted oxen, 120 sheep, 1,200 pigeons and 11,000 eggs. On this day in 1779 John Paul Jones aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard said, “I have not yet begun to fight”. He defeated the British frigate HMS Serapis and became a national hero. On this day in 1821 Greek forces massacred 30,000 Turks during the Greek War of Independence. On this day in 1845 America’s 1st baseball team, the NY Knickerbockers, was organized. In 1875 on this day, Billie the Kid was arrested for the 1st time and jailed after receiving stolen clothing from a Chinese laundry. He escaped two days later. In 1941 on this day the first gas murder experiments were conducted at Auschwitz. On this day in 1957 “That’ll Be The Day” by Buddy Holly and the Crickets reached #1 in the US. On this day in 1939 Sigmund Freud died. He said, “Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief.” On this day in 2020 that the legendary Chicago Bear halfback Gale Sayers died at the age of 77. Gale said, “We must stop the trend of closing schools and building prisons” and “People think I played 10 years. I played 68 ball games.” Chief Dan George passed in 1981 on this day. I’ll wrap up with his wish for all of us. “May the stars carry your sadness away, may the flowers fill your heart with beauty, may hope forever wipe away your tears. And, above all, may silence make you strong.” Abide.
