On This Day December 2nd

 OTD

December 2nd is the 336th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 29 days remain until the end of the year.

 

 Events

1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.

1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.

1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.

1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.

1823 – Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.

1865 – Alabama ratified the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina and then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.

1927 – Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Ford Model A as its new automobile.

1939 – New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.

1954 – Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."

1991 – Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.

1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

 

Birthdays

1754 – William Cooper, American judge and politician, founded Cooperstown, New York (d. 1809)

1759 – James Edward Smith, English botanist and mycologist, founded the Linnean Society (d. 1828)

1827 – William Burges, English architect and designer (d. 1881)

1863 – Charles Edward Ringling, American businessman, co-founded the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1926)

1885 – George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)

1930 – Gary Becker, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)

1945 – Penelope Spheeris, American director, producer, and screenwriter

1960 – Rick Savage, English singer-songwriter and bass player

1973 – Monica Seles, Serbian-American tennis player

1981 – Britney Spears, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress

1994 – Aaron Jones, American football player.

 

Holiday Spotlight.

International Sweater Vestival

  This diverse piece of clothing was designed with functionality in mind, even as people thought it was a mistake. It was made for people indulging in sports to help them sweat and, thus, help them lose weight. Julia Felsenthal, then a staff writer at “Slate Magazine,” wrote a history piece about the sweater vest, tracing this garment back to 1882 when rowers first wore these with one big difference — they were long-sleeved. The piece does not indicate when the sleeves were chopped off to mimic the now-popular style, but it is believed that football players from Michigan abandoned the sleeves to breathe better while playing, and it has been a staple ever since.

 This humble garment became familiar in the 1900s; men everywhere wore it with pride. Soon enough, the sweater vest crossed the gender barrier, too. Stars adopted this garment excitedly, namely the lead character of Clueless, Cher Horowitz, and later Eleanor Roosevelt, who wore the sweater vest with her tweeds in 1934, creating another fashion statement. Ace designers Dior, Givenchy, and Prada also put this garment on runways, cementing its place in popular imagination.

 The World Wars brought other matters to the public eye, and the sweater vest lost its place for a little while. By the 1970s, the sweater vest was making inroads into fashion again, although in places like the UK.

 The sweater vest has been used by sports fans (especially those who enjoy golf) and American football team coaches for a long time. It has remained a supplementary fashion icon ever since, except in the 21st century, when the Spring/Summer 2017 runway presentation saw significant designers such as Raf Simons and Prada play with the sweater vest again. By 2020, sweater vests will explode all over the internet, with celebrities paying tribute to this garment and fashion houses swearing it is the next best thing.

 The facts about who created this day are a little murky. The only mention we could find is in a “Boston Globe” article by reporter Carolyn Johnson. Some people believe Johnson to be the one who coined the term ‘Sweater Vestival, ‘others think she might have had a partner, but no one can say for sure. Did you know Knoxville, Tennessee, has an unrelated version of this day that is held annually in May? Whatever its origins, this day sees international celebrations in almost 65 countries around the globe, including Boston, New York, London, and Auckland.

 

Other Include

 Bike Shop Day

Business of Popping Corn Day

Coats & Toys for Kids Day

Earmuffs Day

Global Fat Bike Day

Greenwood Day

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Lao National Day             

National Fritters Day

National Mutt Day

National Play Outside Day

National Rhubarb Vodka Day

Play Basketball Day

Safety Razor Day

Skywarn Recognition Day

Special Education Day

World Pear Day 

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