On This Day May 26th
OTD
May 26th is the one-hundred-forty-sith day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar; 219 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories
over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he attacks
while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day.
1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing
about 23,000.
1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city.
Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years.
1783 – A Great Jubilee Day is held at North Stratford,
Connecticut, to celebrate the end of fighting in the American Revolution.
1868 – The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ends with his acquittal
by one vote.
1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of
Gaydamak, establishing an Afghan state.
1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones
Industrial Average.
1908 – The first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is
made at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia. The rights to the resource were
quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
1923 – The first 24 Hours of Le Mans are held and have since been
run annually in June.
1938 – The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first
session in the United States.
1967 – The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is
released.
1968 – H-dagurinn in Iceland: Traffic changes from driving on the
left to driving on the right overnight.
Birthdays
1623 – William Petty, English economist and philosopher (d. 1687)
1750 – William Morgan, British actuary (d. 1833)
1886 – Al Jolson, American singer and actor (d. 1950)
1907 – John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (d.
1979)
1923 – James Arness, American actor (d. 2011)
1926 – Miles Davis, American trumpet player, composer, and
bandleader (d. 1991)
1948 – Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter
1949 – Hank Williams Jr., American singer-songwriter and
guitarist.
1951 – Sally Ride, American physicist and astronaut, founded Sally
Ride Science (d. 2012)
1999 – Micah Parsons, American football player.
Holiday Highlight
LAG BAOMER
Lag BaOmer or Lag B’Omer is observed on the 33rd day of the Omer,
which is 49 days between Passover and Shavuot. Its name is because the word
‘Lag’ consists of the Hebrew letters ‘lamed’ (ל) and ‘gimel’ (ג), which
together have the numerical value of 33. And ‘BaOmer’ means ‘of the Omer.’ The
Omer is a period of semi-mourning where many activities are prohibited, such as
weddings, singing and dancing, and even getting haircuts. However, Lag BaOmer
is the one day when Jewish law permits these activities.
Lag BaOmer commemorates two significant events. The first is the
passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a pivotal figure in Jewish mysticism. He
was the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as
the Kabbalah and authored the classic text of the Kabbalah, the Zohar. The
second event is the end of a plague that killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s
students, a tragedy that was observed during the Omer period.
Another reason for its observance comes from the Talmud, which
says that during this season, a plague killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s
students because they did not treat one another with respect. The semi-mourning
period is observed in memory of the students and their punishment. This plague
ceased on Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer, and, as a result, it became a
happy day, marking a break of 24 hours in the period of mourning.
Over the years, Lag BaOmer has become a minor holiday that is celebrated
in various ways. It is a day of holding Jewish weddings, lighting bonfires, and
even getting haircuts. Many people also play sports or go out for picnics and
celebrate with their families.
Holidays And Observance
Indianapolis 500
National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
National Cherry Dessert Day
National Paper Airplane Day
Neighbor Day
Sally Ride Day
Trinity Sunday
World Dracula Day
World Lindy Hop Day
World Red Head Day
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