On This Day November 15th

 OTD

November 15th is the 319th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 46 days remain until the end of the year.

 

 Events

1532 – Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire: Commanded by Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistadors under Hernando de Soto meet Incan Emperor Atahualpa for the first time outside Cajamarca, arranging for a meeting in the city plaza the following day.

1777 – American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation.

1806 – Pike Expedition: Lieutenant Zebulon Pike spots a mountain peak near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was later named Pikes Peak in his honor.

1864 – American Civil War: Union General William Tecumseh Sherman begins his March to the Sea.

1920 – The Free City of Danzig is established.

1942 – World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal ends in a decisive Allied victory.

1968 – The Cleveland Transit System became the first transit system in the Western Hemisphere to provide direct rapid transit service from a city's downtown to its major airport.

2001 – Microsoft launches the Xbox game console.

 

Birthdays

1738 – William Herschel, German-English astronomer and composer (d. 1822)

1868 – Emil Racoviță, Romanian biologist, zoologist, and explorer (d. 1947)

1887 – Georgia O'Keeffe, American painter and educator (d. 1986)

1905 – Mantovani, Italian conductor and composer (d. 1980)

1932 – Petula Clark was an English singer-songwriter and actress.

1936 – H. B. Bailey, American race car driver (d. 2003)

1967 – Jon Preston, New Zealand rugby player

1968 – Ol' Dirty Bastard, American rapper and producer (d. 2004)

1995 – Blake Pieroni, American swimmer

 

Holiday Spotlight

Steve Irwin Day

Steve Irwin Day celebrates the life and times of beloved Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin. Stephen Robert Irwin was born on February 22, 1960, in a home full of animals to parents who love wildlife. His father was a wildlife expert and herpetologist, and his mother was a wildlife rehabilitator who cared for injured or orphaned animals, from snakes to kangaroos.

 In 1970, Steve’s family moved to Queensland, where they opened a reptile park called Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. Over the years, the name changed to Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. Today, the park is known as the Australia Zoo, which created Steve Irwin Day in 2007.

 Steve Irwin might not have had a degree in wildlife, but he certainly had a lifetime of knowledge and experience. Like a real-life Mowgli or Tarzan, Steve grew up surrounded by animals. When he turned six, he was given a 12-foot python. By age nine, he wrestled his first crocodile with supervision from his father.

 In 1991, he got married to a woman who loved wildlife almost as much as he did, and it was footage from his honeymoon (which was spent trapping crocodiles) that formed the first episode of the TV series that brought him his fame, “The Crocodile Hunter.” The series pushed Steve Irwin into the public eye, and he became a beloved pop culture icon.

 On September 4, 2006, Steve Irwin was on a diving expedition filming for “Ocean’s Deadliest” when a stingray pierced his heart and killed him. His public memorial service was viewed by over 300 million views worldwide.

 Steve Irwin was a conservationist focusing on conserving endangered animals and ending illegal poaching and land clearing that could lead to habitat loss.


 Other Include

America Recycles Day

American Enterprise Day

Day of the Imprisoned Writer

George Spelvin Day

I Love to Write Day

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

National Educational Support Professionals Day

National Philanthropy Day

Pack Your Mom's Lunch Day 

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