On This Day December 13th

 OTD

December 13th is the 347th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 18 days remain until the end of the year.

 

 Events

1294 – Saint Celestine V resigns from the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.

1577 – Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.

1623 – The Plymouth Colony establishes the system of trial by 12-men jury in the American colonies

1769 – Dartmouth College was founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor John Wentworth.

1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.

1962 – NASA launches Relay 1, the first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.

1974 – Malta becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

 

Birthdays

1780 – Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner, German chemist, invented the Döbereiner's lamp (d. 1849)

1818 – Mary Todd Lincoln, 16th First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)

1818 – Mary Todd Lincoln, 16th First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)

1883 – Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian and bibliographer (d. 1950)

1887 – Alvin C. York, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)

1903 – Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (d. 1993)

1913 – Archie Moore, American boxer and actor (d. 1998)

1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer

1942 – Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball player

1948 – Ted Nugent, American musician

1967 – Jamie Foxx, American actor, singer, songwriter, producer, and comedian

1989 – Taylor Swift, American singer-songwriter

 

Holiday Spotlight

National Cocoa Day

  Chocolate has a long and ancient history. The first origins of cocoa can be traced back to 5000 years. Archaeologists believe that this is only as early as we can trace it. Of course, the chocolate back then was much different from what we consume now, as sugar was still scarce. The beverage was flavored with vanilla and chili and was served throughout the year. It was reportedly more popular during the Olmec period, where it was used for spiritual praying. It was once used as a trade currency in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

 It was first found by European explorers in South America, where it was already enjoyed for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Europeans. Not only that, but the Spaniards first found the flavor unpleasant and declared it bitter. Chocolate became an acquired taste. It would not be until it was introduced to Europe and adopted as a luxury drink of the wealthy that it would be sweetened. This led to the invention of milk chocolate. And it wouldn’t be until 1828 that powdered chocolate would be available for consumption. Soon after this, the chocolate bar and instant hot cocoa existed.

 The three prominent varieties of cocoa plants are Forastero, Trinitario, and Criollo. Forastero is a commonly used variant contributing to up to 90% of the world’s cocoa production. Trinitario originated from Trinidad and is a hybrid variety of cocoa. Criollo is prone to diseases and less common — it is cultivated chiefly mainly by Venezuela. Trinitario is foremost in quality, and when compared to the other two varieties, it produces higher yields due to its disease-resistant nature.

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Other Include

Ice Cream Day

Malta Republic Day

National Cocoa Day

National Day of the Horse

National Violin Day

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day

US National Guard Birthday

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