This day’s name is March 26, 2023. Central Florida will be over 90 degrees today. It was a short Spring. We desperately need the daily afternoon rains which should begin soon. I find that the older I get the more tolerable I am to higher temperatures. Moving on. Today is Legal Assistants Day, National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, National Nougat Day, National Spinach Day, Neighbor Day, Purple Day, Solitude Day, and Spinach Festival Day. A new holiday? How about Buy a Stephen a Drink Day? Sounds like fun to me. Here comes the history: On this day in 1790 Congress passed the Naturalization Act which required a 2 year residency to become a US citizen. In 1804 on this day Congress ordered the removal of all Indians East of Mississippi to Louisiana. This is the day in 1812 that an earthquake measured 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and killed 20,000 people. On this day in 1863 voters in West Virginia approved the gradual emancipation of slaves. On this day in 1885 the 1st modern, legal cremation was held in England. On this day in 1910 the US forbid the immigration of criminals, anarchists, paupers and the sick. On this day in 1926 the first lip-reading tournament was held in America. This is the day in 1931 that Leo Bentley bowled 3 consecutive perfect games in Lorain, OH. On this day in 1937 spinach growers in Crystal City, TX, erected a statue of Popeye. On this day in 1953 Dr. Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine to prevent polio. The anti-vaxxers were unable to prevent the mass vaccination program that came the following year eradicating polio. The author Raymond Chandler who died in 1959, provides the first quote today. Raymond said, “If you’re not tough it’s hard to survive in this world; and if you’re not kind then you don’t deserve to survive” and “There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.” I’ll finish with Walt Whitman who said, “Keep your fact always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you” and “Re-examine all that you have been told… dismiss that which insults your soul.” Abide.
