On This Day August 8th

 OTD 

August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 145 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

1503 – King James IV of Scotland marries Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1709 – Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrates the lifting power of hot air in an audience before the king of Portugal in Lisbon, Portugal.

1794 – Joseph Whidbey leads an expedition to search for the Northwest Passage near Juneau, Alaska.

1863 – Tennessee Military Governor Andrew Johnson freed his personal slaves in Greeneville, Tennessee, despite being exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation, now commemorated as Emancipation Day.

1876 – Thomas Edison receives a patent for his mimeograph.

1903 – Black Saturday occurs, killing 12 in a stadium collapse in Philadelphia.[6]

1908 – Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It is the Wright Brothers' first public flight.

1945 – The London Charter was signed by France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States, establishing the laws and procedures for the Nuremberg trials.

1969 – At a zebra crossing in London, photographer Iain Macmillan takes the iconic photo that becomes the cover image of the Beatles' album Abbey Road.

1974 – President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announced his resignation from the office of the President of the United States effective noon the next day.

2000 – Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor and 30 years after its discovery by undersea explorer E. Lee Spence.


 Birthdays

1492 – Matteo Tafuri, Italian alchemist (d. 1582)

1673 – John Ker, Scottish spy (d. 1726)

1694 – Francis Hutcheson, Irish philosopher and academic (d. 1746)

1754 – Hipólito Ruiz López, Spanish botanist (d. 1816)

1856 – Thomas Anstey Guthrie, English journalist, author (d. 1934)

1879 – Bob Smith, American physician, surgeon, co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous (d. 1950)

1891 – Adolf Busch, German violinist, and composer (d. 1952)

1896 – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, American author and academic (d. 1953)

1919 – Dino De Laurentiis, Italian actor, producer (d. 2010)

1920 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American jump blues singer (d. 1997)

1932 – Mel Tillis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist (d. 2017)

1949 – Keith Carradine, American actor

1953 – Don Most, American actor and singer.

1961 – The Edge, British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter.


Holidays & Observances

National Tarantula Appreciation Day

Tarantulas, the ancient arachnids' captivating features, holds a world of intriguing, fun facts that leave us marveling at their unique characteristics. These fascinating creatures have been roaming the Earth for millions of years, dating back to the Cretaceous period.

One of the most recognizable traits of tarantulas is their hairy legs. These bristles, called setae, add to their eerie appearance and serve as susceptible touch receptors. With these fine hairs, tarantulas can detect vibrations, aiding their navigation and hunting prowess.

Size variation among tarantula species is equally captivating. From petite ones with a mere few centimeters of leg span to the giants boasting leg spans up to 12 inches (30 centimeters), tarantulas come in a broad range of sizes.

While tarantulas are venomous, their bites are not usually fatal to humans. Comparable to bee stings, their venom causes mild pain and swelling, with most bites posing no severe danger. However, it's important to note that some individuals may experience allergic reactions to venom.

Tarantulas display diverse behavior and habits across their 900 known species. Some species are expert burrowers, spending their days underground, while others prefer an active lifestyle, hunting their prey on the surface.

These arachnids are master silk spinners, using their silk for various purposes, such as building burrows, creating egg sacs, and lining their hideaways. Though they don't construct elaborate webs like some spider counterparts, their silk remains indispensable to their survival.

Remarkably, tarantulas boast long lifespans, often surpassing two decades with proper care in captivity. Their nocturnal nature also sets them apart, as they become more active during nighttime, skillfully hunting for insects, small vertebrates, and other spiders.

From molting to their appearances in popular culture, tarantulas continue to captivate human curiosity. These fascinating creatures remind us of the extraordinary diversity and marvels in the natural world, inviting us to appreciate and respect their significance in their ecosystems.

 

Others include.

Culturama Day

Peace Festival in Augsburg

Scottish Wildcat Day

Peasants' Day

National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

National Mochi Day

International Cat Day

Digital Nomad Day


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In This Day December 3rd

  O.T.D December 3rd is the three hundred thirty-third day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 33 days remain until the end of the year. Events 1775—American Revolutionary War: The USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); John Paul Jones hoists the flag. 1800 – United States presidential election: The Electoral College casts votes for president and vice president that result in a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. 1854 – Battle of the Eureka Stockade: More than 20 gold miners at Ballarat, Victoria, are killed by state troopers in an uprising over mining licenses. 1898 – The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club defeats an all-star collection of early football players 16–0 in the first all-star game for professional American football. 1904 – Charles Dillon Perrine discovers the Jovian moon Himalia at California's Lick Observatory. 1910 – Georges Claude first demonstrates modern neon lighting at the Paris Moto...
Read more

The Lightning Mind of Benjamin Franklin: Innovator, Statesman, and Sage

Image
   Benjamin Franklin, one of the most extraordinary figures in American history, was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. His life spanned an era of remarkable change and progress, and Franklin himself was a driving force behind much of this transformation.  Franklin's thirst for knowledge was evident from a young age. Born into a modest family, he had limited formal education but compensated for this with an insatiable curiosity and a passion for self-learning. His early exposure to books and learning, mainly through his apprenticeship at his brother's printing shop, laid the foundation for his lifelong pursuit of knowledge.  Regarding Franklin's IQ, it's important to note that the concept of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and IQ tests were not developed during Franklin's lifetime. Thus, it's impossible to accurately state his IQ. However, his broad range of achievements and intellectual pursuits indicate high intelligence and creativity.  Franklin e...
Read more

On This Day January 13th

 OTD January 13th is the Thirteenth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 352 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the Roman Senate's and the people's free disposal. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. 532 – The Nika riots break out during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople because of discontent with the rule of Emperor Justinian 1815 – War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Mary’s, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state. 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C. 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the operas Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. 1920 – The Reichstag Bloodbath of January 13, 1920, the bloodiest demonstration in German history. 1966 – Robert C. Weaver became the f...
Read more