The Importance & History of World Bee Day

When we look at the intricate tapestry of our planet’s ecosystem, we can’t ignore the crucial role that bees play. They are the silent heroes tirelessly working to pollinate our crops, ensuring the abundance and diversity of our food supply. And what better occasion to honor these remarkable creatures than on World Bee Day?

The Origins of World Bee Day

Established by the United Nations in 2017, World Bee Day falls annually on May 20th. It serves as a reminder of the critical role bees and other pollinators play in sustaining our ecosystems. But why May 20th? This date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Anton Janša, an 18th century pioneer in beekeeping and an advocate for modern beekeeping techniques.

Anton Janša, born in Slovenia in 1734, is hailed as one of the greatest beekeepers of his time. His meticulous observations and innovative practices laid the foundation for modern apiculture. Janša’s legacy lives on, not only in the practices of beekeepers worldwide but also in the celebration of World Bee Day.

The Importance of Bees to our Food Supply

Why all the buzz about bees? Quite simply, the food supply of the entire world depends on them. Bees, along with other pollinators like butterflies, birds, and bats, play a crucial role in the reproduction of flowering plants, including many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that humans consume.

Approximately one-third of the food humanity eats relies on pollination, and bees are responsible for pollinating about 75% of the world’s leading crops. From apples to almonds, and cucumbers to cocoa, bees contribute to the production of a vast array of foods that nourish and sustain us.

But their importance extends beyond just food production. Bees also play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and preserving ecosystems. By pollinating wild plants, they support the growth of forests, meadows, and other natural habitats, providing homes and sustenance for countless other species.

Threats Facing Bee Populations

Despite their critical role, bee populations worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges. Habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and diseases are just some of the threats contributing to the decline of bee populations.

The loss of bee populations not only jeopardizes food security but also threatens the stability of entire ecosystems. Without bees and other pollinators, the diversity of plant life would diminish, impacting everything from soil health to wildlife populations.

Taking Action to Protect Bees

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to support bee populations and safeguard their future. From planting pollinator-friendly gardens to reducing pesticide use and supporting local beekeepers, individuals, communities, and governments all have a role to play in protecting bees.

Education and awareness are also key. By understanding the importance of bees and the threats they face, we can empower ourselves and others to take action. Events like World Bee Day provide an opportunity to raise awareness, inspire advocacy, and celebrate the vital contributions of bees to our world.

As we celebrate World Bee Day, let’s take a moment to appreciate the remarkable creatures that help sustain life on our planet. From their humble beginnings as tiny pollen collectors to their essential role in pollinating our crops, bees exemplify the interconnectedness of all living things.

But let us also remember that the survival of bees is in our hands. By working together to address the challenges they face, we can ensure that future generations continue to benefit from the invaluable services provided by these extraordinary insects. So, whether you’re a seasoned beekeeper or simply someone who enjoys the fruits of their labor, let’s join forces to protect and preserve the bees for generations to come.

Happy World Bee Day! Let’s drink to being responsible stewards of the planet, with today’ Drink Of The Day, a Honey Bee Cocktail & Mocktail.

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The Backstory on National Plant Something Day

National Plant Something Day is a holiday that’s celebrated in the United States every year on May 19. It encourages people to take a few minutes to plant something around them. It could be a flower, a tree, or an indoor plant. Any plant that grows will suffice. During the holiday, local businesses like nurseries and landscapers often host community events to plant vegetation in public spaces together. People can plant at home, in schools, in parks, and in other community gardens. The planting initiates help to protect the environment and enhance the beauty of public spaces.

Scientists estimate that over the past 10,000 years, humans have cleared about one-third to one-half of the Earth’s original habitable forests, while others have fallen to both natural and man-made climate change. Half of the world’s forests have been lost in just the past hundred years. Roughly 80% of Earth’s ancient, contiguous “old-growth” forests have now been degraded or entirely destroyed, leaving primarily younger, fragmented less biodiverse ecosystems.

About 8,000 years ago, these old-growth forests dominated much of the land on Earth, before human activities affected them. These days, humans are effecting our shared environment more than at any time in human history. One of the most destructive ways humans are doing this is through mass-production farming. Today, many crops are mass-produced by corporate-owned farms for specific kinds of plants that can be grown & harvested quickly. Being able to produce crops that are easier and less expensive to produce allows these corporations to turn a bigger profit - but it makes for a much less biodiverse environment for everything else on Earth, including humanity.

In fact, a year ago, when The Politics Bar just opened, we had author and journalist Ted Genoways here at The Politics Bar to talk about his book “Tequila Wars: José Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico.” We discussed with him then how how some agave farmers are being pushed to grow their crops faster, which can damage the crops, the environment, and even the flavor of the tequila. If you missed that interview, feel free to roll back and listen to to it now!

A majority of the most healthy plants on Earth aren’t easily available to consumers because they’re not as profitable for farmers to produce on a large scale. There are more than 80,000 edible plant species, that we know of. However, about 90% of the food we eat comes from only about 30 plants. This makes the human diet more limited than it has to be.

There are also many plants that are used for medicine in different parts of the world. Both traditional and modern medicine make use of about 70,000 plant species to treat various ailments. Despite that, there is not enough protection for plants. Only about 10% of the world’s plant-rich areas are protected to make sure that more plant species can survive.

National Plant Something Day was established to encourage more people to grow plants around them. This helps to boost the number of plants in the environment. It also gives people the opportunity to grow some plant species that they may not have been able to access easily.

National Plant Something Day FAQS

Are all plants poisonous?

Some plants, such as Poison Ivy, produce irritants that can cause allergic reactions, and there are some plants that are dangerous to eat. However, the majority of known plant species on Earth are not poisonous to humans.

Are some plants carnivorous?

Yes, though not like Audrey II in Little Shop Of Horrors.. Carnivorous plants are unique species of plants that obtain essential nutrients (like nitrogen) by trapping and digesting insects and other small animals. Most naturally thrive in nutrient-poor, waterlogged environments such as acidic bogs and swamps. There are several types of carnivorous plants including:

• Snap Traps - These are plants like Venus Flytraps, which are hinged, hair-lined, leaf pockets that snap shut when prey triggers the sensory hairs.

• Pitcher Plants - These plants use deep, slippery tube-like leaves filled with digestive enzymes along the sides, and sticky enzymes at the bottom. Insects slide in and are trapped and devoured.

• Flypaper Traps - These are plants like Sundews and Butterworts. They use sticky mucilage (glue) on their leaves to trap insects.

• Suction Traps - These are plants like Bladderworts. They’re carnivorous plants that look like submerged, tangled mats of fine, green, hair-like foliage, often topped with bright yellow or purple snapdragon-like flowers floating on stalks above the water. They use tiny vacuole bladders to suck in passing water organisms.

National Plant Something Day Activities

Plant something!

Literally - this is what the holiday is for! You can take the time to plant something around you. It can be flowers, herbs, fruits, or vegetables. Yes, you can grow things in your apartment too.

Share plant seeds

You can share plant seeds with the people around you. Giving them seeds - and a little encouragement - may spur them to plant something too.

Water some plants

Plants need water to survive. Give some water to the plants around you to help them thrive.

Of course, plants aren’t the only living things that need to drink something. Which is, of course, one of many reasons we give you the Drink Of The Day here at The Politics Bar, and today’s birthday Drink Of The Day is an Authentic Ranch Water cocktail or mocktail!

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The History Of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

For almost a century, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, now technically the “TCL Chinese Theatre,” has been the beating heart of Hollywood tourism. The venue, named for its giant Chinese pagoda structure, hosted the Academy Awards from 1944 to 1946. The Chinese Theatre is still a working cinema, long known for its larger-than-life film premieres and uniquely extravagant moviegoing experience. Additionally, the Chinese Theatre offers a personal encounter with film history through the iconic hand- and footprints left by Hollywood stars in the cement out front from the 1920s to today, part of the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

In the 1920s, businessman and entertainer Sid Grauman owned theaters and movie palaces across the country, including the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and the Million Dollar Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Grauman first leased the land where his Chinese Theatre would eventually stand from silent film star Francis Xavier Bushman, who owned a mansion on the site. Working with businessman Joseph Schenck and Hollywood acting legends & power couple Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Grauman built the theater for $2 million, or what would be roughly $30 million today.

Like the neighboring Egyptian, the Chinese Theatre was built in the Exotic Revival style, this time with a dramatic, fanciful interpretation of Chinese art and architecture. Raymond Kennedy of the Meyer & Holler firm designed the Theatre’s striking pagoda, supported by two massive coral-red columns and a 30-foot-high stone dragon. Though the approach to Chinese architecture was fundamentally ersatz, many multi-talented Chinese Americans working in Hollywood produced key features of the building. Director Moon Quan designed and collaborated with Chinese artisans to create many of the Theatre’s statues, and actor Keye Luke painted the murals decorating the lobby.

Grauman famously said that moviegoers deserved a “theatrical dinner, not just popcorn,” and the elaborate productions he staged during the early years of the Chinese Theatre offered just that. Films opened with custom variety shows directed by Grauman, many featuring a 65-piece orchestra. The second film ever to play at the theater, The Gaucho (USA, 1927), opened with Douglas Fairbanks playing the cowboy character on stage before appearing in the movie itself.

The Theatre was also known for its grand premieres, as with the launch of the wartime epic Hell’s Angels (USA, 1930). Expectant fans lined up a mile and a half down Hollywood Boulevard to witness the extravaganza outside the Chinese Theatre that included World War I biplanes buzzing overhead, actors parachuting down to the street, and a fireworks display.

The collection of cement hand- and footprints outside the front entrance is perhaps the best-known feature of the Chinese Theatre, however. Accounts vary, but the most cited version of the origin story for the prints involves Grauman and actress Norma Talmadge accidentally stepping in wet concrete during the Theatre’s construction. The oldest official prints are from 1927 and belong to Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, but the forecourt now features hundreds more. Marilyn Monroe even famously left an earring in cement when making her handprints at the premiere for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (USA, 1953). The Theatre’s portfolio of prestige Hollywood events evengrew to include the Academy Awards from 1944 to 1946.

Of course, Graumann’s Chinese Theatre would never have been built if it wasn’t for the investment of Mary Pickford, a highly talented Canadian-American actress, writer, producer, businesswoman, philanthropist, and one of the first movie stars.

Mary Pickford was born Gladys Marie Smith in 1892 in Toronto, Canada. After her father was killed in an accident, Gladys quickly became the family’s main breadwinner by performing in the theatre, starting when she was only seven years old. The young Ms. Smith took to the stage like a duck to water, and her local fame began to grow. In 1901, her family moved to the United States to pursue theatre as a family enterprise. The family first joined traveling theatre groups, and then chose to stay in New York City, where the young Gladys began to get parts on Broadway.

Living in New York City, Gladys pursued the successful Broadway producer David Belasco at his office for months. Eventually Belasco relented and auditioned her for a child role in the 1907 Broadway play ‘The Warrens of Virginia.’ Belasco hired her for the part at $25 per week, but didn’t think her name was right for the stage. He liked her middle name and for a last name chose Gladys’ maternal grandmother’s last name Pickford and so Mary Pickford became her permanent stage name.

In 1909, when she was 17, Pickford was between theatrical engagements, so she approached director D. W. Griffith at the Biograph Company, then located in New York, to ask for work in moving pictures. She had no intention of working permanently in the new medium, but hoped the income would tide her over before she went back to work in the theatre. Griffth was immediately taken with her acting abilities. Most Biograph actors earned $5 a day at that time, but after Pickford's single day in the studio, Griffith agreed to pay her $10 a day on a $40-a-week guarantee - the equivalent of $1450/week in 2026 dollars. Pickford worked prolifically, appearing in 51 films in 1909, averaging almost one a week.

Pickford ended up moving to California in 1910, and becoming a pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood career that spanned five decades, becoming one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. Pickford became Hollywood’s first millionaire by 1916, and, at the height of her career, had complete creative control of her films, as well as being one of the most recognizable women in the world.

Mary Pickford didn’t get to be a Hollywood legend just by being a major movie star. She was also a savvy businesswoman. In 1919, when she was only twenty-seven years old, Pickford cofounded United Artists, the first independent film distribution company, along with Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, and her then-future husband Douglas Fairbanks, as we wrote about earlier this year when we gave you the Charlie Chaplain Cocktail.

Pickford was also one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, and in 1929 she earned the second ever Academy Award for Best Actress for her first role in a “talkie” - a motion picture with sound - in the film Coquette. Pickford continued to act in films until she retired from acting in 1933, though she continued producing films into the 1950s.

Mary Pickford was such a star that even at the height of Prohibition in the United States, a cocktail was created for her, and popularized around the world. The drink was created at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, after a trip she took to Havana with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. You may also remember when we featured the Hotel de Nacional de Cuba this past year in another DOTD.

To celebrate Ms. Pickford, and the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre she made possible, let’s make today’s Drink Of The Day, a Mary Pickford Cocktail.

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NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY

On May 15, we recognize a morsel of a thing on National Chocolate Chip Day! This tiny piece of chocolate makes a big impact to any recipe you add it to!

History Of The Chocolate Chip

Have you ever wondered how a single ingredient would change a recipe? If it weren’t for one curious baker, it would be hard to imagine where we would be without the invention of chocolate chips.

In 1937, Ruth Graves Wakefield of Whitman, Massachusetts must have been curious about what a little bit of chocolate would add to her cookies. While working at the Toll House Inn, she added cut-up chunks of a semi-sweet Nestle chocolate bar to a cookie recipe. The cookies were a huge success and in 1939 Wakefield signed an agreement with Nestle to add her recipe to the chocolate bar’s packaging. In exchange for the recipe, Wakefield received a lifetime supply of chocolate. The Nestle brand Toll House cookies were named for the Inn.

Nestle initially included a small chopping tool with the chocolate bars, too. Starting in 1941, Nestle and other competitors started selling the chocolate in chip or morsel form. For the first time, bakers began making chocolate chip cookies without chopping up the chocolate bar first.

Chocolate chips originally came in semi-sweet. Later, chocolate producers began offering bittersweet, semi-sweet, mint, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white and dark swirled. Today, chips also come in a variety of other flavors that bakers and candy makers use creatively in their kitchens.

While cookies may be the first treat to come to mind, imagination is really the only thing limiting how chocolate chips can be used in baking and candy making. Even savory dishes feature chocolate chips in a variety of ways, too. Had Ruth Graves Wakefield never wondered what a few chopped up chunks of chocolate would be like in her baking, we wouldn’t even have chocolate chip cookies.

Ways To Observe National Chocolate Chip Day

Whether you bake up chocolate chip cookies or melt them down and begin dipping, be sure to celebrate! Make sweet treats to share, or experiment with a new recipe. Dive into Grandma’s recipe box and try an old favorite, too! Be sure to share the best ones, of course. It’s the best way to #CelebrateEveryDay! Use #ChocolateChipDay to post about your favorite chocolate chip recipes on social media.

And of course, you should make a drink to celebrate too. We recommend today’s Drink Of The Day, a Death By Chocolate cocktail!

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Ambassadors of Exchange:
The 1860 Japanese Mission to the U.S.

The 1860 Japanese delegation to the United States and host escorts. From the United States National Archives and Records Administration.

The 1860 expedition of the first Japanese ambassadorial delegation to the U.S. was a major event, in its time. While the official purpose of the mission was to ratify the 1858 Treaty of Amity and Commerce, the Japanese entourage became the rock stars of their day in the U.S., surrounded by the press, approached unabashedly by girls and women, and feted by a whirlwind round of parties and special events.

To say it was a special event would be significantly understating it.

Some Historical Context - A Change From The Past

Prior to Commodore Matthew Perry’s forceful arrival in Japan in 1853, the Japanese had not been prepared to open their country to foreign commerce. Frightened by the opium wars perpetrated by foreigners on China, the Japanese had closed themselves off to much of the world for the previous 200 years. So when they finally acquiesced to American demands for trade & diplomatic relations, and signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce on July 29, 1858, it was a huge change for the Japanese people.

Since Japan was just “opened” to the West in 1854, the 1860 expedition established the first formal commercial trade exchanges with the U.S. which made it a landmark in U.S.-Japanese trade and social relations.

The 1858 Treaty of Amity and Commerce (the Harris Treaty) between the United States and Japan ended Japan’s seclusion policy, and opened several major Japanese ports to U.S. trade: Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Niigata, and Hyogo (Kobe). It also opened Edo (Tokyo) and Osaka as places Americans were allowed to reside in Japan. The treaty also included a fixed, low-duty tariff structure, which prevented Japan from implementing its own trade protections.

The treaty also allowed the official exchange of diplomatic agents, and it included rules of extraterritoriality, meaning that American citizens were exempt from Japanese law, but would be tried for any crimes they committed in Japan by their own consular courts.

Finally, the Harris Treaty also initiated the Ansei Treaties, a series of unequal treaties that would be signed between Japan’s Tokugawa Shogunate and five Western powers—the U.S., Britain, Russia, the Netherlands, and France. These forced agreements angered many in Japan, leading to political violence, and the assassination of multiple Japanese officials. Eventually, these agreements fueled the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and set the stage for the Meiji Restoration.

Diplomacy Among Nations In Transition

The 1860 Japanese diplomatic visit to the U.S. occurred at the cusp between the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) and the Meiji period (1868–1912) in Japanese history, and the Japanese diplomatic visit to the U.S. provided a glimpse of the Japanese nation in transition. They were a people eager to learn about new technologies & foreign cultures, but also distressed by such American social customs as the inclusion of women in important matters and the lack of attention to hierarchy and status.

The delegation, led by three ambassadorial samurai, was sent to ratify the treaty that formally established commercial ties with the U.S. Though forced by previous engagements and treaties, the mission was also part of a final attempt by the Tokugawa shogunate to impress the Japanese people with the government’s modernity. The Tokugawa shogun, losing political power at home and virtually invisible abroad, sent this delegation to the U.S. in an attempt to present Japan in an impressive light to the growing world power the United States was becoming.

Traveling to the U.S. on an American ship, the coterie of seventy-seven Japanese citizens came with more than fifty tons of baggage, much of it special gifts to cement the new relationship, although some of the baggage contained special Japanese food to sustain the delegation members while they were away from home. While the delegation didn’t include officials of the very highest rank, the sheer numbers of individuals and the array of presents they brought were designed to impress their American hosts.

This meeting of nations also happened at the same time political upheaval was approaching in Japan, and at the same time the U.S. was headed inexorably toward a civil war. Thus, the foreign dignitaries provided a welcome respite from the otherwise mostly grim national news.

While today Americans are relatively blasé about visits of foreign dignitaries, attitudes in the mid-nineteenth century were quite different. Looking back, the excitement surrounding this event was considerable. The visitors began in San Francisco, followed by important governmental ceremonies in Washington, DC. Then they traveled to New York, where they were feted by a ticker tape parade down Broadway, an event now generally reserved, except for holidays, for local sports teams that win major competitions. Even Wikipedia, which lists major ticker tape parades in New York, includes only three in the nineteenth century and three so far in the twenty-first century. Though it may be difficult to fathom such excitement over a diplomatic event, the arrival of the mission captured not only media attention, but also the attention and popular imagination of many Americans as well.

The arrival in the U.S. in 1860 of the Japanese diplomatic delegation indicated that the Japanese government had finally realized their previous isolationism had been more damaging than helpful. Later, in 1871, the Iwakura Mission was sent to the U.S. to bring back scientific ideas to Japan. In between these two missions, the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown, and the Meiji Restoration indicated a willing interest in new ideas. From this, we can begin to trace the rapid trajectory of Japan’s embrace of Western technology and its march toward modernity. The 1860 delegation was thus a precursor to major social, scientific, and political change in Japan.

It was a change worth celebrating, though. So let’s do so with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Japanese Cocktail!

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Every May 13th, cocktail aficionados around the globe raise their glasses in honor of World Cocktail Day—an annual celebration that delves into the origins of the cocktail while appreciating modern mixology’s renaissance. This festive occasion is a chance to explore mixology’s rich history and cultural impact through the centuries.

The tale of how the cocktail was born is steeped in lore. In 1806, an anonymous writer included the curious line “25 dozen cock-tails” in a satirical article published in a New York newspaper. A reader’s inquiry about this unfamiliar term prompted editor Harry Croswell to provide the first official definition: “a stimulating liquor of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters.” And just like that, a legendary beverage was officially named and introduced to the world.

This origin story sets the stage for the cocktail’s evolution from those humble beginnings over 200 years ago. While the basic formula remained simple, the cocktail’s journey was just beginning.

It wasn’t until two centuries later, in 2006, that the cocktail’s birthday would be properly commemorated. That year, The Museum of the American Cocktail celebrated the 200th anniversary of Croswell’s definition by declaring May 13th “World Cocktail Day.” Fittingly, this new global holiday coincided with the final day of the full week-long World Cocktail Week festivities, allowing ample time to celebrate the beloved beverage.

Tracing the Cocktail’s Cultural Roots

While that 1806 definition was straightforward, the cocktail’s path to cultural significance was more nuanced. Its roots can be traced back to the experimental alchemy of 18th-century colonial bartenders who stirred up “bittered slings” and “cock-tails”—concoctions that helped make harsh spirits more quaffable and ignited the cocktail craze.

By the spirited cafe era of the 1800s, cocktails were woven into society’s vibrant cultural fabric. Local recipes multiplied rapidly as these beverages transitioned from regional novelties to global phenomenons. Though preparation methods evolved, the core quartet of tenets remained steadfast: spirits, sugars, bitters, and that je ne sais quoi separating an ordinary mixed drink from an exceptional cocktail.

Cocktails - More Than Just Delightful Drinks

In today’s modern age of meticulously curated cocktail menus and premium craft ingredients, the art of mixology has reached an apex. World Cocktail Day celebrates this renaissance, paying homage to the visionary bartenders and cultural pioneers whose passion and innovations sparked the cocktail revolution.

This spirited occasion toasts not just the countless classic and creative cocktails themselves, but the entire rich culture surrounding them. It revels in the magic of blending unique botanicals and esoteric ingredients into nuanced sips of perfectly balanced flavors. It reveres the meticulous efforts of top bartenders to coax unique flavors from each component. And it embraces the pure joy of savoring an exquisitely crafted cocktail amid wonderful company and lively conversation.

At its core, World Cocktail Day represents an appreciation for the culinary arts, the sheer artistry of mixology, and an excuse to indulge in life’s finer flavors. It’s a celebration of the enduring tradition of cocktails bringing people together to connect, converse, and revel in the moment.

Celebrating In Style

With such a storied, intoxicating legacy behind it, World Cocktail Day demands to be commemorated with enthusiasm and style. For diehard cocktail connoisseurs and history buffs, the weeklong festivities provide ample opportunity to explore every aspect.

An ideal start is delving into the rich backstories and cultural contexts behind iconic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Martini, and more. Armed with this deeper appreciation, meticulously recreate your own versions using premium spirits, freshly squeezed juices, and the finest ingredients. Or better yet, experience the art of mixology first-hand by attending an expert-led workshop or interactive course.

However you honor this spirited occasion, sip each spirit-forward blend slowly, appreciating the artistry and meticulously balanced flavors. Above all, use World Cocktail Day as an annual excuse to celebrate great company, engaging conversation, and perfectly crafted cocktails. Turn your home into a stylish cocktail bar by hosting your friends to showcase your newly refined mixology talents for your admiring guests.

And if they like a quality yet simple cocktail, like a Jack & Coke, serve this to ‘em instead. It’s a similar cocktail - and also available as a mocktail - but it’s a bit more refined. Our Drink Of The Day, today - and one of Shawn’s favorites - is a Black Nail Cocktail & Mocktail.

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International Limerick Day

Limericks are short poems, with a distinctive sound, which use a special meter and an AABBA rhyming scheme. They’re ideal for the creation of nonsense verses, which is why many limericks tend to have a childish or even an obscene tone to them, ensuring that they pack a humorous punch.

Here’s one that’s a solid example:

There was a young fellow named Lear,
Who penned Limericks, so we hear.
So now we converse
In humorous verse
On Limerick Day every year!

What Is a Limerick?

A limerick is a special type of poem that is short, usually packed full of humor, and is somewhat nonsensical. Most importantly, limericks are meant to be funny.

A limerick is made up of five lines. The first two of the five lines must rhyme with the fifth line, while the third and fourth lines of the limerick should rhyme together. Another unique feature regarding a limerick is that it should have a particular rhythm – this rhythm is described as being an ‘anapestic trimeter’.

Limericks are renowned for the humor and fun they bring to traditional poetry; incorporating a number of interesting and nonsensical themes. A limerick can be whatever the writer wants it to be; the point of writing a limerick is to incorporate humor into the piece and have a little fun with words.

Limericks are meant to be instantly recognizable from the rhythm that the verses create, limericks are carefully constructed to create humor and bring laughter.

One of Edward Lear’s most famous Limericks is ‘There was a Young Lady’ – the limerick goes like this:

There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

Or, how about this one?

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”

How to Celebrate International Limerick Day

Learn About Limericks

A great way to celebrate this monumental day from English literature is to spend some time learning more about limericks and poetry in general. A fantastic way to mark this incredible day dedicated to Edward Lear and his incredible works, is to sit down and write a few limericks of your own.

Share with Others

You can also opt to share your limerick creations onto social media as part of the celebrations to mark International Limerick Day. Join in the community of limerick lovers on social media and learn more about limericks and poetry in general.

Get the Kids Involved

International Limerick Day is the ideal opportunity to encourage children to become more interested in poetry, as it brings humor and fun to a topic that many children can often find dull and boring and struggle to understand.

The style of a limerick can work as a simple introduction to poetry to children and young people, with International Limerick Day helping schools to teach children how to create poetry and to learn to enjoy reading poetry.

Many schools celebrate International Limerick Day with workshops and classes focused on poetry and limerick writing, as well as offering students the opportunity to experience performances of limericks by professional poets.

Acquire a Limerick Book

Did you know that many people choose to celebrate International Limerick Day by purchasing a copy of Edward Lear’s famous 1846 opus ‘A Book of Nonsense’ and then spending the day reading, reciting and having fun with all of his incredible limericks?

Many people choose to perform these hilarious limericks to friends, family, and even colleagues to mark and celebrate International Limerick Day in style.

Write a Limerick

For anyone who is passionate about the written word and loves to spend time creating their own pieces of unique artistic works, International Limerick Day is an ideal excuse to put pen to paper and create a number of new, humorous pieces of content, perfect for sharing with friends and family.

If you need limerick writing inspiration or assistance, there are plenty of online resources that can help to make creating limericks somewhat easier and more enjoyable, and are perfect for utilizing as part of your International Limerick Day celebrations this year. Try visiting King Of Limericks, Limerick Land, or or It’s Lit Teaching for help.

Once you’ve seen some examples, spend International Limerick Day getting creative, writing your own five-line limericks, that are both funny and wonderfully obscene.

History of International Limerick Day

Each year on this day, International Limerick Day celebrates the birthday of famous English artist, illustrator, and much-loved author and poet, Edward Lear.

This multifaceted artist was born on May 12, 1812 and lived until January 29, 1888. Lear lived a long and vibrant life, making a significant contribution to the art world. International Limerick Day celebrates the incredible works he created during his life, including his many whimsical limericks. Edward Lear is primarily famed for his literary artistry in poetry, prose, and fittingly as the day is named, limericks.

International Limerick Day focuses on celebrating limerick poems, which were popularized by Edward Lear’s famous book of poems named ‘Book of Nonsense’ which was published in 1846, when he was 34-years-old.

What is International Limerick Day All About?

This day is all about bringing a little ‘silliness’ into your life through poetry - yes, limericks are poems! International Limerick Day offers the ideal opportunity to bring a little literary humor to your life through the art of limerick writing.

Limericks were named after the Irish city of Limerick, and although limericks were not in fact created by Edward Lear, it was he who popularized them, bringing the love of limericks to the masses. Limericks could potentially date back as far as 500 years, however it’s currently unknown when the very first limerick was created, and whether it was created purposely or by a happy accident.

International Limerick Day FAQs

• Did limericks exist before Edward Lear’s time? Yes, limericks predate Edward Lear. The earliest recorded limerick is attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274). Aquinas’ Latin prayer follows the limerick’s distinct AABBA rhyme scheme. This suggests that the limerick form has been in use since at least the 13th century.

• The origin of the term “limerick” is debated. One theory links it to an 18th-century Irish soldiers’ song with the chorus “Will you come up to Limerick?” This refrain may have inspired the naming of the poetic form.

• Shakespeare included limerick-like verses in his plays. For example, in “Othello,” the character Iago sings a song with a rhythm and rhyme scheme reminiscent of limericks

• Traditional limericks often feature humorous, absurd, or even risqué themes. They frequently begin with a person from a specific place and describe an amusing or outlandish situation involving them. There is a notorious series of limericks that begins with “There once was a man from Nantucket…” that fits this description perfectly - but we don’t want to blacklisted from your email box, so you’ll have to find some of those yourself.

• While limericks are often humorous or whimsical, they don’t always have to be funny. They can also address serious or nonsensical themes. Their defining feature is the AABBA rhyme scheme and rhythmic pattern, not necessarily their content.

• Limericks can help teach rhyme schemes, rhythm, and creative writing. Their concise structure makes them useful tools for engaging students in poetry and language arts.

  

• While the AABBA structure is standard, some poets experiment with variations. For instance, Edward Lear’s limericks sometimes deviate from the strict syllable count or rhyme, showcasing creative flexibility within the form.

• Limerick competitions have long been popular in English speaking nations, especially in the 20th century. Magazines and businesses often hosted contests, challenging participants to create witty and humorous limericks.

However you choose to celebrate International Limerick Day, we recommend you also have something to drink - and we’ve gotcha covered there too, with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Limerick cocktail & mocktail

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From an early age, Salvador Dalí was encouraged to practice his art, and he would eventually go on to study at an academy in Madrid. In the 1920s, he went to Paris and began interacting with artists such as Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Miró, which led to Dalí’s first Surrealist phase. He is perhaps best known for his 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, showing melting clocks in a landscape setting. The rise of fascist leader Francisco Franco in Spain led to the artist’s expulsion from the Surrealist movement, but that didn’t stop him from painting.

Early Life

Dalí was born Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domenech on May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain, located 16 miles from the French border in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. His father, Salvador Dalí y Cusi, was a middle-class lawyer and notary. Dalí’s father had a strict disciplinary approach to raising children—a style of child-rearing which contrasted sharply with that of his mother, Felipa Domenech Ferres. She often indulged young Dalí in his art and early eccentricities.

It has been said that young Dalí was a precocious and intelligent child, prone to fits of anger against his parents and schoolmates. Consequently, Dalí was subjected to furious acts of cruelty by more dominant students or his father. The elder Dalí wouldn’t tolerate his son’s outbursts or eccentricities and punished him severely. Their relationship deteriorated when Dalí was still young, exacerbated by competition between he and his father for Felipa’s affection.

Dalí had an older brother, born nine months before him, also named Salvador, who died of gastroenteritis. Later in his life, Dalí often related the story that when he was 5 years old, his parents took him to the grave of his older brother and told him he was his brother’s reincarnation. In the metaphysical prose he frequently used, Dalí recalled, “[we] resembled each other like two drops of water, but we had different reflections.” He “was probably a first version of myself, but conceived too much in the absolute.”

Dalí, along with his younger sister Ana Maria and his parents, often spent time at their summer home in the coastal village of Cadaques. At an early age, Dalí was producing highly sophisticated drawings, and both of his parents strongly supported his artistic talent. It was here that his parents built him an art studio before he entered art school.

Upon recognizing his immense talent, Dalí’s parents sent him to drawing school at the Colegio de Hermanos Maristas and the Instituto in Figueres, Spain, in 1916. He was not a serious student, preferring to daydream in class and stand out as the class eccentric, wearing odd clothing and long hair. After that first year at art school, he discovered modern painting in Cadaques while vacationing with his family. There, he also met Ramon Pichot, a local artist who frequently visited Paris. The following year, his father organized an exhibition of Dalí’s charcoal drawings in the family home. By 1919, the young artist had his first public exhibition, at the Municipal Theatre of Figueres.

In 1921, Dalí’s mother, Felipa, died of breast cancer. Dalí was 16 years old at the time and was devastated by the loss. His father married his deceased wife’s sister, which did not endear the younger Dalí any closer to his father, though he respected his aunt. Father and son would battle over many different issues throughout their lives, until the elder Dalí’s death.

Art School and Surrealism

In 1922, Dalí enrolled at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid. He stayed at the school’s student residence and soon brought his eccentricity to a new level, growing long hair and sideburns, and dressing in the style of English Aesthetes of the late 19th century. During this time, he was influenced by several different artistic styles, including Metaphysics and Cubism, which earned him attention from his fellow students—though he probably didn’t yet understand the Cubist movement entirely.

In 1923, Dalí was suspended from the academy for criticizing his teachers and allegedly starting a riot among students over the academy’s choice of a professorship. That same year, he was arrested and briefly imprisoned in Gerona for allegedly supporting the Separatist movement, though Dalí was actually apolitical at the time (and remained so throughout most of his life). He returned to the academy in 1926, but was permanently expelled shortly before his final exams for declaring that no member of the faculty was competent enough to examine him.

While in school, Dalí began exploring many forms of art including classical painters like Raphael, Bronzino and Diego Velázquez (from whom he adopted his signature curled moustache). He also dabbled in avant-garde art movements such as Dada, a post-World War I anti-establishment movement. While Dalí’s apolitical outlook on life prevented him from becoming a strict follower, the Dada philosophy influenced his work throughout his life.

In between 1926 and 1929, Dalí made several trips to Paris, where he met with influential painters and intellectuals such as Picasso, whom he revered. During this time, Dalí painted a number of works that displayed Picasso’s influence. He also met Joan Miró, the Spanish painter and sculptor who, along with poet Paul Éluard and painter Magritte, introduced Dalí to Surrealism. By this time, Dalí was working with styles of Impressionism, Futurism, and Cubism. Dalí’s paintings became associated with three general themes: 1) man’s universe and sensations, 2) sexual symbolism, and 3) ideographic imagery.

All of this experimentation led to Dalí’s first Surrealistic period in 1929. These oil paintings were small collages of his dream images. His work employed a meticulous classical technique, influenced by Renaissance artists, that contradicted the “unreal dream” space that he created with strange hallucinatory characters. Even before this period, Dalí was an avid reader of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories. Dalí’s major contribution to the Surrealist movement was what he called the “paranoiac-critical method,” a mental exercise of accessing the subconscious to enhance artistic creativity. Dalí would use the method to create a reality from his dreams and subconscious thoughts, thus mentally changing reality to what he wanted it to be and not necessarily what it was. For Dalí, it became a way of life.

In 1929, Dalí expanded his artistic exploration into the world of film-making when he collaborated with Luis Buñuel on two films, Un Chien andalou (An Andalusian Dog) and L’Age d’or (The Golden Age, 1930), the former of which is known for its opening scene—a simulated slashing of a human eye by a razor.

Dalí’s art appeared several years later in another film, Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945), starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. Dalí’s paintings were used in a dream sequence in the film, and aided the plot by giving clues to solving the secret to character John Ballantine’s psychological problems.

In August 1929, Dalí met Elena Dmitrievna Diakonova (sometimes written as Elena Ivanorna Diakonova), a Russian immigrant 10 years his senior. At the time, she was the wife of Surrealist writer Paul Éluard. A strong mental and physical attraction developed between Dalí and Diakonova, and she soon left Éluard for her new lover. Also known as “Gala,” Diakonova was Dalí’s muse and inspiration, and would eventually become his wife. She helped balance—or one might say counterbalance—the creative forces in Dalí’s life. With his wild expressions and fantasies, he wasn’t capable of dealing with the business side of being an artist. Gala took care of his legal and financial matters, and negotiated contracts with dealers and exhibition promoters. The two were married in a civil ceremony in 1934.

By 1930, Dalí had become a notorious figure of the Surrealist movement. Marie-Laure de Noailles, and Viscount and Viscountess Charles were his first patrons. French aristocrats, both husband and wife invested heavily in avant-garde art in the early 20th century. One of Dalí’s most famous paintings produced at this time—and perhaps the best-known Surrealist work—was The Persistence of Memory (1931). The painting, sometimes called Soft Watches, shows melting pocket watches in a landscape setting. It is said that the painting conveys several ideas within the image, chiefly that time is not rigid and everything is destructible.

By the mid-1930s, Dalí had become as notorious for his colorful personality as his artwork, and, for some art critics, the former was overshadowing the latter. Often sporting an exaggeratedly long mustache, a cape, and a walking stick, Dalí’s public appearances exhibited some unusual behavior. In 1934, art dealer Julian Levy introduced Dalí to America in a New York exhibition that caused quite a lot of controversy. At a ball held in his honor, Dalí, in characteristic flamboyant style, appeared wearing a glass case across his chest which contained a brassiere.

Expulsion from the Surrealists

As war approached in Europe, specifically in Spain, Dalí clashed with members of the Surrealist movement. In a “trial” held in 1934, he was expelled from the group. He had refused to take a stance against Spanish militant Francisco Franco (while Surrealist artists like Luis Buñuel, Picasso, and Miró had), but it’s unclear whether this directly led to his expulsion. Officially, Dalí was notified that his expulsion was due to repeated “counter-revolutionary activity involving the celebration of fascism under Adolf Hitler.” It is also likely that members of the movement were aghast at some of Dalí’s public antics. However, some art historians believe that his expulsion had been driven more by his feud with Surrealist leader André Breton.

Despite his expulsion from the movement, Dalí continued to participate in several international Surrealist exhibitions into the 1940s. At the opening of the London Surrealist exhibition in 1936, he delivered a lecture titled “Fantomes paranoiaques athentiques” (”Authentic paranoid ghosts”) while dressed in a wetsuit, carrying a billiard cue and walking a pair of Russian wolfhounds. He later said that his attire was a depiction of “plunging into the depths” of the human mind.

During World War II, Dalí and his wife moved to the United States. They remained there until 1948, when they moved back to his beloved Catalonia. These were important years for Dalí. The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York gave him his own retrospective exhibit in 1941. This was followed by the publication of his autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí (1942). Also during this time, Dalí’s focus moved away from Surrealism and into his classical period. His feud with members of the Surrealist movement continued, but Dalí seemed undaunted. His ever-expanding mind had ventured into new subjects.

The Dalí Theatre-Museum

Over the next 15 years, Dalí painted a series of 19 large canvases that included scientific, historical or religious themes. He often called this period “Nuclear Mysticism.” During this time, his artwork took on a technical brilliance combining meticulous detail with fantastic and limitless imagination. He would incorporate optical illusions, holography and geometry within his paintings. Much of his work contained images depicting divine geometry, the DNA, the Hyper Cube and religious themes of Chastity.

From 1960 to 1974, Dalí dedicated much of his time to creating the Teatro-Museo Dalí (Dalí Theatre-Museum) in Figueres. The museum’s building had formerly housed the Municipal Theatre of Figueres, where Dalí saw his public exhibition at the age of 14 (the original 19th century structure had been destroyed near the end of the Spanish Civil War). Located across the street from the Teatro-Museo Dalí is the Church of Sant Pere, where Dalí was baptized and received his first communion (his funeral would later be held there as well), and just three blocks away is the house where he was born.

The Teatro-Museo Dalí officially opened in 1974. The new building was formed from the ruins of the old and based on one of Dalí’s designs, and is billed as the world’s largest Surrealist structure, containing a series of spaces that form a single artistic object where each element is an inextricable part of the whole. The site is also known for housing the broadest range of work by the artist, from his earliest artistic experiences to works that he created during the last years of this life. Several works on permanent display were created expressly for the museum.

Also in 1974, Dalí dissolved his business relationship with manager Peter Moore. As a result, all rights to his collection were sold without his permission by other business managers and he lost much of his wealth. Two wealthy American art collectors, A. Reynolds Morse and his wife, Eleanor, who had known Dalí since 1942, set up an organization called “Friends of Dalí” and a foundation to help boost the artist’s finances. The organization also established the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Final Years

In 1980, Dalí was forced to retire from painting due to a motor disorder that caused permanent trembling and weakness in his hands. No longer able to hold a paint brush, he’d lost the ability to express himself the way he knew best. More tragedy struck in 1982, when Dalí’s beloved wife and friend, Gala, died. The two events sent him into a deep depression. He moved to Pubol, in a castle that he had purchased and remodeled for Gala, possibly to hide from the public or, as some speculate, to die. In 1984, Dalí was severely burned in a fire. Due to his injuries, he was confined to a wheelchair. Friends, patrons and fellow artists rescued him from the castle and returned him to Figueres, making him comfortable at the Teatro-Museo.

In November 1988, Dalí entered a hospital in Figueres with a failing heart. After a brief convalescence, he returned to the Teatro-Museo. On January 23, 1989, in the city of his birth, Dalí died of heart failure at the age of 84. His funeral was held at the Teatro-Museo, where he was buried in a crypt.

Paternity Case and New Exhibition

On June 26, 2017, a judge in a Madrid court ordered that Dalí’s body be exhumed to settle a paternity case. A 61-year-old Spanish woman named María Pilar Abel Martínez claimed that her mother had an affair with the artist while she was working as a maid for his neighbors in Port Lligat, a town in northeastern Spain.

The judge ordered the artist’s body to be exhumed because of a “lack of other biological or personal remains” to compare to Martinez’s DNA. The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, which manages Dalí’s estate, appealed the ruling, but the exhumation went ahead the following month. In September, results from the DNA tests revealed that Dalí was not the father.

In October 2017, Dali was back in the news with the announcement of an exhibition at the Dalí Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida, to celebrate his friendship and collaboration with Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. The two were known for the joint creation of a “lobster dress” worn by American socialite Wallis Simpson, who later married English King Edward VIII.

Originality is definitely worth celebrating. So we salute Salvador Dali with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Moondream cocktail.

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A Little Coke History on National Have A Coke Day

May 8 was chosen for National Have a Coke Day because it directly marks the anniversary of the first, historic sale of this legendary drink.

The legend of Coca-Cola began on May 8, 1886, at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, when Dr. John Stith Pemberton sold the first glass of his fizzy drink.

He initially concocted Coke as a medicinal elixir, but it quickly evolved into a non-narcotic version of the soda that captured the hearts of billions around the world. These days you'd be hard-pressed to find somewhere that doesn't sell Coca-Cola, although you might not find it in your local pharmacy anymore.

The name of the soft drink comes from two of its original ingredients, coca leaves and kola nuts (the caffeine source).

In its earliest years, Coca-Cola’s bottling process was crucial to its widespread popularity. A businessman in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Joseph Biedenharn, perfected the process between 1892 and 1894. The introduction of the classic Coca-Cola glass bottle in 1916 further cemented its status in popular culture.

However, it’s been the advertising of Coca-Cola that’s truly embedded Coca-Cola into American popular culture. Coke’s 1971 “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” TV advertisement is a perfect example of that. With its harmonious blend of music and advertising, this catchy jingle became a symbol of peace and unity during the Flower Power era. Its message continues to resonate with Coca-Cola fans today!

National Have a Coke Day Fact Shots

• During World War II, Coca-Cola built bottling plants near battlefronts to supply American soldiers with their favorite drink. This not only boosted troop morale but also introduced Coca-Cola to global markets. As a result, the drink became a symbol of home and freedom, cementing its iconic status.

• Coca-Cola flavors vary globally to suit regional tastes. Japan offers “Coca-Cola Clear,” a lemon-flavored clear soda, while Thailand enjoys Coke with coffee. These unique versions reflect the brand’s adaptability to local cultures while still staying true to its roots.

• In 1985, Coca-Cola became the first soft drink consumed in space. NASA worked with the company to design a zero-gravity-friendly can. This moment highlighted the brand’s cultural reach and technological ambition, taking its slogan “Out of this world” literally.

Coca-Cola Advertising Shots

• Coca-Cola’s first slogan in 1886 was “Delicious and Refreshing.” It emphasized the drink’s appeal as both a luxury and a thirst-quencher. Over the years, the brand’s slogans evolved, reflecting changes in culture and marketing trends.

• Polar bears first appeared in Coca-Cola ads in 1922, symbolizing the brand’s connection to winter festivities. The modern version of the bears gained fame in the 1993 “Always Coca-Cola” campaign. These ads, featuring playful polar bears, became a holiday favorite.

• The 1971 commercial “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” evolved into a full song, recorded as “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” This anthem became a global hit, reflecting the brand’s message of unity. Coca-Cola’s integration into music has influenced advertising for decades.

• In 2010, Coca-Cola launched the “happiness machine” campaign. Special vending machines dispensed surprises like free Cokes, flowers, or oversized sandwiches. The concept aimed to create joyful, shareable moments, tying the brand to unexpected generosity.

Ways To Celebrate National Have A Coke Day

Celebrating National Have a Coke Day can be as simple as popping open a cold one or going as over-the-top as one might please.

Coca-Cola collectors usually mark this day by showcasing rare memorabilia from more than a century of Coca-Cola advertising, including vintage bottles, original signs, and limited-edition packaging. They also often sell their memorabilia in auctions, featuring unique items, with some selling for thousands of dollars. This adds a layer of nostalgia to the celebration.

One category of Coke collectors’ items that are often sold at auctions are variations of the classic Coca-Cola contour bottle, which debuted in 1915. The bottle’s shape makes Coca-Cola instantly recognizable, even in the dark.

The bottle’s design was inspired by the cocoa pod, chosen for its distinctive shape. This innovation also helped fight counterfeits and remains a global design icon.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate today. Here are a few good suggestions:

A Coke Tasting Party

Why not have a Coke tasting party where everyone can taste their way through the many different flavors of Coca-Cola?

Start with the classic Coke that everyone knows and loves, then move on to compare the taste of Diet Coke and its calorie-free appeal with the fruity twist of Cherry Coke.

Don’t forget to include fun twists like Vanilla Coke or other newer iterations of the fizzy drink. This party is a perfect way to explore the world of Coca-Cola. Maybe it’s a chance to even find a new favorite!

If you’re looking to get even more crazy with your Coke tasting party, purchase some unusual flavors for your party from specialty exotic soft drink retailers like Exotic Pop or Exoticers.

Coca-Cola Mixology

Transform into a mixologist for the day and explore the versatility of Coca-Cola as a mixer. Create a mini-bar with various ingredients and encourage guests to mix up some creative Coca-Cola cocktails.

Start with some classic combinations, like a refreshing Cuba Libre or a sweet and tangy Cherry Coke highball.

That’s when the real fun begins. Get creative by inventing new signature cocktails. Why not try devising a Coke Mojito with a splash of lime, or a spicy Coke-tail with a hint of ginger?

Provide guests with spirits, fruits, and herbs, and let everyone experiment to come up with their signature drink. It’s a fun way to see how Coca-Cola can blend with different flavors to create something entirely new. Legal drinking age only, please, and always drink responsibly.

Coke Floats and Desserts

Take a trip down memory lane with a childhood classic: the Coke float. Set up a float station with different flavors of premium ice cream, a selection of Coca-Cola varieties, and a few fun toppings like cherries, sprinkles, and whipped cream. Guests can mix and match floats to create their perfect dessert.

Those who love baking could whip up a moist Coca-Cola cake. They’re rich and chocolaty with a hint of Coke, or bake some Coca-Cola cupcakes topped with cola-flavored frosting. These sweet treats will surely be a hit and add a delightful twist to the day’s celebrations.

DIY Coca-Cola Crafts

Get creative with Coca-Cola cans and bottles by turning them into a one-of-a-kind craft project. Organize a crafting corner where guests can make their own Coke can lanterns – these are perfect for adding a quirky touch of charm to any room.

Alternatively, transform glass Coke bottles into elegant vases. Consider painting them or wrapping them in twine for a more rustic look.

Challenge those who enjoy a larger project to create a Coca-Cola themed art piece. For example, they might make a mosaic made from can pieces or a sculpture. This activity not only recycles but also provides a memorable keepsake from the day.

Share a Coke

In the spirit of the classic “perfect harmony” ad campaign, encourage sharing a Coke with others. Personalize bottles with names or special messages using custom labels or markers.

This can be a super thoughtful gesture for friends or a sweet surprise for family members. Set up a ‘Share a Coke’ station at the office where co-workers can choose a bottle and write a message for someone else at the party, helping create a sense of community and connection.

However you choose to celebrate, National Have a Coke Day is the perfect day for celebrating an iconic beverage’s refreshing taste and rich history. Grab a Coke — and dare we say, a smile? And while you’re at it, grab a round of today’s Drink Of The Day, a Piscola cocktail.

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The Cosmopolitan Chronicles: Unraveling the Story Behind the Iconic Cocktail

The Cosmopolitan cocktail, also known as “The Cosmo” is a core drink in modern cocktail culture. Known for its blush-pink color, slight tartness, and refreshing taste, this cocktail is often associated with cosmopolitan cities, glamorous parties, and sophisticated individuals.

Like most cocktails, this one comes with a backstory - though, since it’s a drink named after an adjective to describe a sophisticated urban feeling, you can expect this one to have multiple characters, several layers, and a bit of drama.

Older Than You Think

The Cosmopolitan is one of those cocktails that has had various incarnations through the ages - some of them, quite probably, independent of one another. It became the go-to cocktail drink of celebrities during the late 1980s & early 1990s from New York City to London, and from San Francisco to the Twin Cities. But its origins have been hotly debated for years.

A recipe for a “Cosmopolitan cocktail” first appears in Harry McElhone’s 1927 cocktail recipe book Barflies and Cocktails, in the chapter “Cocktails Round Town" written by Arthur Moss. That version included Italian vermouth, French vermouth, Swedish punch, Scotch whisky, Irish whisky, & Russian vodka - a virtual League of Nations in a glass.

A few years later, in 1934, Charles Christopher Mueller’s cocktail book Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 featured five very different cocktails named “Cosmopolitan” including one that was very similar to today's Cosmopolitan, only with lemon in place of lime, gin in place of vodka and raspberry syrup in place of cranberry.

It would be almost 50 years though before the Cosmopolitan really became more than a rare cocktail in a couple of old bar books.

The Modern Cosmopolitan Creators

The Cosmopolitan we think about today - and that we have in our recipe below - came from several people, some of whom did not know each other.

In fact, bartender and author Cheryl Charming (AKA Miss Charming), who’s deeply researched the origins of the Cosmopolitan, wrote in her 2018 book The Cocktail Companion, that “two bartenders, at two different times (fourteen years apart), in two different cities (1800 miles apart) created a cocktail with almost identical ingredients and both named their creation - Cosmopolitan.” These bartenders are Neal Murray and Cheryl Cook.

Cheryl’s story is it’s own adventure, while Neal’s story has a complex thread.

In 1989, Cheryl Cook, then known as “The Martini Queen of South Beach,” was a head bartender at The Strand on Miami Beach. Cheryl has a well-supported claim that she invented the Cosmopolitan. Always on the lookout to create the next drink craze, she decided to put a twist on the classic Martini. So Cook crafted a cocktail resembling the Kamikaze, using the then-new Absolut Citron vodka, a splash of triple sec, a dash of Rose’s lime, and a splash of cranberry juice. Cheryl, helped by The Strand’s owner, Gary Farmer, named her new cocktail after a March 1989 copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine, which featured an article on The Strand, and a had a pink cover that matched the color of her drink.

Neal Murray, a young black man, first claimed to have created the famous Cosmopolitan cocktail in 1975. Murray (then aged 24) took his first bartending position at the Cork 'n Cleaver Steakhouse in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. After learning the key cocktail recipes of the day, he soon noticed a change in cocktail trends from gin to vodka – primarily as the base spirits in the Gimlet and Kamikaze shooter. So, in the fall of 1975, he decided to experiment by combining a Cape Cod with a Kamikaze, adding some triple sec from the Kamikaze to the Cape Cod’s vodka, cranberry, and lime. When he made the pink drink, a regular asked the name and Murray replied, [to quote Miss Charming’s The Cocktail Companion] “I just thought it needed a little color,” making a joke about how he was the only Black man working at the steakhouse. The regular said, “How cosmopolitan!” and the Cosmopolitan was born.

In 1979, Murray moved to study psychology at San Francisco State University and, in 1981, after working at a couple of other establishments, started as a waiter at the Elite Café on Fillmore Street. Murray taught the bartender there, Michael Brennan, how to make his Cosmopolitan cocktail and started recommending it to customers, and the drink became a hit.

But that’s not the end of this thread.

Patrick "Paddy" Mitten also worked as a bartender in San Francisco in the mid 1980s. According to Miss Charming, Mitten worked at the Patio Café in San Francisco in 1985, where he first learned of the Cosmopolitan cocktail. To quote Miss Charming’s book, “Mitten remembers his manager, Alan Mary Kay, walking in one day saying, ‘I just tried a new cocktail, and it’s pink! It’s called a Cosmopolitan. It’s a Kamikaze with cranberry, but served as a Martini.’”

Mitten learned how to make Cosmopolitans then, and in 1987, he moved to New York City, where he continued tending bar, Reportedly, he taught other bartenders in NYC how to make the pink Martini from San Francisco called a Cosmopolitan. Mitten claims to have served a Cosmo to Madonna, and even says he served one to Sarah Jessica Parker when they were filming the pilot of Sex and the City, where her character Carrie Bradshaw became iconically connected to the Cosmopolitan.

Mitten also taught one specific New York City bartender how to make Cosmos, his friend Melissa Huffsmith.

The Cosmopolitan Upgraders

By 1987, the Cosmo was a good drink. To become iconic thought, it needed to be a bit better. Two New York City bartenders claim to be the first to have upgraded the Cosmopolitan recipe by using quality ingredients - and you’ve already met one of them.

In 1988, Melissa Huffsmith, now Melissa Huffsmith-Roth, worked with Toby Cecchini, a bar owner in New York, and introduced him to the Cosmopolitan she’d learned from her friend Mitten. After tasting it and not liking it, Toby decided to put his spin on it, keeping most of the same ingredients but adding a twist of what they were using at the time to make Margaritas—fresh lime juice and Cointreau. It started as a drink for the staff, but patrons took notice. Then, the drink became a hit among celebrities and the rest is history.

Classic vs. Modern Cosmopolitan: What’s the Difference?

There are notable differences between the classic and modern-day versions of the Cosmopolitan cocktail.

In its classic form, the Cosmopolitan consisted of rail vodka, Rose’s lime juice, and Rose’s grenadine, served in a Martini glass.

However, the modern-day Cosmopolitan has undergone some changes. The most significant change is using fresh lime juice instead of bottled lime juice. It gives the modern Cosmopolitan a brighter and more vibrant flavor.

Another difference is the substitution of Cointreau for grenadine, which adds a hint of orange flavor and enhances the overall taste profile. Additionally, the modern Cosmopolitan often includes cranberry juice as a key ingredient, giving the cocktail its iconic blush-pink color.

Creating the Perfect Drink For National Cosmopolitan Day

As we’ve explored the evolution of the Cosmopolitan, it’s clear this iconic cocktail isn’t just a drink but a cultural phenomenon. For those looking to recreate the magic of the Cosmo at home or at their party, we highly recommend sticking to the recipe below - though as the history above shows, there are many ways to make a Cosmopolitan.

For us, we’re going to celebrate National Cosmopolitan Day by making it our Drink Of The Day.

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International Sauvignon Blanc Day is celebrated annually during the first week in May to honor the aromatic white wine grape known for its crisp acidity, herbaceous notes, and vibrant tropical flavors.

It’s a day dedicated to tasting and enjoying Sauvignon Blanc wine, in all of its wide range of taste profiles — from the zesty and herbaceous sauvignon blancs of New Zealand, to the ripe and fruity styles of California. Restaurants and wine tasters around the world often promote the event on social media, giving out suggestions of meals that pair with the wine and other tasting tips for beginners and even experts in the wine community.

History Of International Sauvignon Blanc Day

Wine has been a part of humanity and its traditions since ancient times. It’s estimated that the first production of wine dates back to 7000 B.C. in China. Traditionally, this drink was made from fermented grapes, which can stay up to a few years in a keg or other container, fermenting the perfect blend. There are many varieties of wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Chardonnay. However, wine can also be produced from fermented honey, starch, and other fruits, such as apples or cherries.

Wine was an important beverage to ancient people for many reasons, including its antioxidant properties. But the primary reason for the importance of wine was because clean, healthy water wasn’t always available in every community. So it was common for the main drink in a household to be wine. There’s also religious importance to this drink. In Christianity, for example, wine is considered a symbolic representation of the blood of Christ.

Wine tasting has also been a part of many cultures for thousands of years. Around the fourteenth century, methods of experimentation were developed for tasters in Europe. Theories about the mechanism of how human beings taste and smell have been useful for tasters to learn how to recognize different grapes and even regions and prices of certain wine bottles.

International Sauvignon Blanc Day FAQs

When is it best to drink Sauvignon Blanc?

Earlier in the day - though not before noon - preferably mid-day to early in the evening. Remember to also keep your sauvignon blanc in the fridge for a bit so it’s nice and chill to drink!

What makes Sauvignon Blanc special?

Sauvignon Blanc is special for its vibrant, high level of acidity, and aromatic profile. It’s often described as a "green" wine, and often features zesty citrus, grassy, and herbaceous notes. It’s widely celebrated for its intense, unmistakable aromas, and its ability to act as a crisp, refreshing, and food-friendly wine that pairs well with most foods, especially in warmer climates.

Is Sauvignon Blanc only from New Zealand?

No, not all Sauvignon Blanc is from New Zealand. While New Zealand is famous for its vibrant, aromatic style – they produce about 23% of the world's supply - the grape originated in France. Sauvignon Blanc is grown globally however, with major production in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux areas of France, as well as in California, Chile, and South Africa.

International Sauvignon Blanc Day Activities

Drink some wine

Get yourself a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Go ahead, enjoy it either by yourself or by sharing it with friends or family!

Visit a vineyard

If you’ve got some time to spare, why not visit a vineyard near your home with some friends, and try some fresh crisp wine together?

Gift someone a bottle of wine

If you’re not a big fan of wine yourself, you can always get a bottle and gift it to one of your wine-loving friends. We all have someone we know that loves wine!

5 Interesting Facts About Wine

There are many different types of wine

There are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes around the world, and different grapse - alone or in combination - make different kinds of wine.

Wine comes from specialty grapes

You can’t make wine just by fermenting the grapes you buy at the supermarket.

It’s important to keep wine securely stored

If left open for too long, it gets spoiled. That’s why wine needs to be in sealed bottles.

Wine is a healthy option, in moderation

A glass of wine a day prevents cardiac disease and gives a dosage of antioxidants.

Wine can be used as a component in a cocktail

While high quality wines are excellent by themselves, some kinds of wine also make for great components in cocktails. Thankfully, one of those kinds of wine is Sauvignon Blanc, which pairs well with almost everything.

With that in mind, let’s raise a glass of today’s Drink Of The Day, a Crisp Martini cocktail, inspired by International Sauvignon Blanc Day!

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Today’s Drink Of The Day celebrates a specific moment of victory in Mexican history - and an important defeat for the Confederacy in the U.S., which - given last week’s attack on the Voting Rights Act by the racist traitorous Confederates on the U.S. Supreme Court - we’re very much down to celebrate.

Cinco de Mayo History

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. Instead, it commemorates a single military battle in the Franco-Mexican War. Although it’s a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican American populations.

But first, the history.

In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the Indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, Mexico was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces. France, however, then ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to try to carve an empire out of Mexican territory.

Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of French troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

The Battle of Puebla

Much like the Trump regime today, Napoleon - arrogantly certain that success would come swiftly - sent 6,000 French troops, then stationed in Veracruz, under the direction of French General Charles Latrille DeLorencez, to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town south east of the Mexican capitol of Mexico City. From his new headquarters in the north, President Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 men loyal to Mexico —many of them either Indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to defend Puebla.

The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, DeLorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and began his assault.

The Battle of Puebla lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated, they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Meanwhile, fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash. The French army retreated to Veracruz to lick its wounds and wouldn’t return to take Puebla until a full year later in May of 1863.

Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government, and bolstered the resistance movement. It also helped prevent a major win by the Confederates in the U.S. Civil War.

The year-long delay of the French invasion of Puebla gave Abraham Lincoln’s generals in the U.S. just enough time to win decisive Union victories before Napoleon could provide upgraded artillery and munitions to the Confederacy. Had France won the initial Battle of Puebla de Los Angeles, Napoleon’s French forces would have likely marched right into Mexico City, and may have taken over their government. Since Napoleon supported the Confederacy, such a victory would have been a huge boon to them, and may have turned the tide against Abraham Lincoln and the Union forces.

Thankfully, Zaragoza & the Mexicans won at Puebla. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the U.S. Civil War—France finally withdrew from Mexico.

The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as the so-called “Emperor of Mexico” in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely victory occurred. Some other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events.

For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open.

Why Is Cinco de Mayo Celebrated in the United States?

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of Indigenous Mexicans, such as Juárez, over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla.

Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Confusion With Mexican Independence Day

Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.

Independence Day in Mexico (Día de la Independencia) is commemorated on September 16. The date is the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores,” referring to the city of Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico). His call to arms amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.

There’s no confusion about this drink, though – well, maybe a little. Today’s Drink Of The Day, an Agua de Pepino is also known as a cucumber agua fresca - and it’s the perfect drink to cool you off after a ay of celebrating and eating spicy Mexican food. Plus, since it’s non-alcoholic, you can have as many as you want!

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With that being the inspiration, it makes sense that the Drinks Of The Day are the Skywalker Shot Tail or the Darth Jäger Shot Tail, depending which one you choose.

May the 4th Be With You: A Cultural History

Like anything that emerges from the collective passion of a group of people, the Star Wars fan holiday on May the 4^th each year has no single point of origin. It has no official commencement year, no formal dedication. It is a grassroots phenomenon that now transcends the English language pun that inspired it. Around the world, “May the 4th Be With You” is more ubiquitously known as “Star Wars Day.”

The earliest uses of the phrase “May the 4th Be With You” that we have evidence for date from 1978, one year after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope. By then, Star Wars was firmly established within American popular culture and became “like a handshake,” as Professor Leo Braudy would later comment in the documentary, Empire of Dreams. That summer of ’78, clever newspaper writers used the phrase as a gimmick to mark Independence Day celebrations on the Fourth of July. “May the Force be with you,” as heard in A New Hope, had been appearing on licensed (and unlicensed) buttons, posters, and various items for months, enough to convince those writers that the joke would be well-received by their readers.

English-speaking audiences in the United Kingdom were familiar with it as well. It was on May 4, 1979, that the first known instance of “May the 4th Be With You” being used to mark the earlier date took place. Britain’s new prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, happened to assume office that day, and another clever newspaper writer for The London Evening News declared in a full-page ad: “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!” (Coincidentally, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was in production at nearby Elstree Studios at the same time, and issues of the Evening News could have appeared in Lucasfilm’s offices.)

Another lesser-known instance came from within Lucasfilm in 1982. Randy Thom, who today is the director of sound design at Skywalker Sound and has been with the company for over 40 years, worked as a location sound recordist on Revenge of the Jedi (its title, of course, was later changed, and at the time of production it was known under the codename Blue Harvest).

Thom joined the production unit in northern California as they shot in the redwood forest. which was doubling as the moon of Endor. May 4, 1982, happened to be a working day, and Thom recalled thinking of the pun on his own when contemplating the date. He shared it with others on the set, and would continue to write an annual message to the company declaring “May the 4th Be With You” for years to come.

In ensuing years, evidence for use of the phrase in public or private is hazy. As recently as 2005, it was used once again in context with the American Fourth of July holiday. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith had been released weeks earlier, and a marketing push to bring audiences back to theaters inspired a unique newspaper & magazine ad (seen above) sporting Yoda, a background of red-white-and-blue fireworks, and “May the Fourth Be With You” (the ad was later made into a poster sold at StarWars.com).

As the laughable pun continued to circulate underground, an unofficial holiday emerged. Star Wars fans chose the day to hold themed parties or host community events and gatherings. Others simply used it as a time to revisit the films. It was not unlike other ways fans exercised their passion throughout the year, such as the popular “Blow Up the Death Star” watch-parties on New Year’s Eve. This point is essential because Lucasfilm cannot take credit for Star Wars Day. That belongs to the fans, along with the irresistible attraction of using the phrase to evoke laughter (or even an eye-roll) from bemused friends, relatives, colleagues, or even strangers on the street!

It wasn’t that long ago that being a big Star Wars fan was considered being a “nerd” in a negative way. That kind of fandom wasn’t generally considered something to wear on your sleeve (literally or figuratively), for fear of being subjected to harsh criticism, especially if you were an adult who loved the movies, TV shows, and other entertainment. Many adults still saw Star Wars culture as children’s entertainment, and adults who indulged in it as suspect.

Within the last 20-25 years though, that began to change. As cosplay & Star Wars conventions grew, Star Wars fans began to find other adults who openly shared their same passion for the series and the other stories tied to it.

In the early 2000s, Lucasfilm began to take a more active role in the unofficial holiday, helping sponsor and promote events and sharing resources for free use. People started to see “May the 4th Be With You” more often on local television news, at the grocery store, coffee house, bookstore, or sports game. Each time the holiday came back around, it felt like Star Wars was re-emerging in the mainstream, perhaps not unlike how it had become that “handshake” back in the late 1970s.

Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney in 2012 and the subsequent announcement of new films going into production came like lightning from a clear blue sky for a lot of fans. Star Wars was center stage again, and everywhere there were T-shirts and bumper stickers and advertisements. The new films, series, books, comics, and games have done a great deal in fueling this surge of relevancy, and the timeless appeal of most Star Wars stories have continued to fuel the passion of its fans.

The latest movie in the series, "“The Mandalorian & Grogu” opens on May 22nd.

Just like The Force, we’ve given you a choice today on which way to take today’s Drink Of The Day…

Will you choose the Skywalker Shot Tail? Or the Darth Jäger Shot Tail? The choice is yours - & the recipes for both are below.

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The Bloody Origins Of The Workers’ Day Of Action

For workers across the globe, May Day is celebrated as International Labor Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, every year on May 1. But if you’re in the U.S., you’ll be forgiven if that’s news to you. We’ll explain why in a minute.

International Workers’ Day was born out of the 8-hour workday movement in 19th-century Chicago. At the time, as the corporatist system had gained a foothold in industrial-era America, working-class conditions had worsened. A 16-hour shift wasn’t unusual for workers at the time.

The organization now known as the American Federation of Labor, was working hard to get employers to accept sane limits on working, decades before the 8-hour work-day would become the law of the land. As part of their efforts, the AFL set May 1, 1886, as the date that workers nationwide should go on strike to demand the 8-hour workday.

The workers followed through. On May 1, 1886, anti-corporatists & labor activists in Chicago began a multi-day strike in what became known as the Haymarket Square attacks of 1886. By May 3, the protests turned violent when police attacked workers demonstrating near the McCormick Reaper plant in West Chicago.

The following day, May 4, near the end of a peaceful pro-labor rally, after the guest speakers were finished, an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at the police as they acted to break up the event. The bomb blast & ensuing retaliatory gunfire by the cops caused the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians, while dozens of others were also wounded.

Eight protestors were wrongfully charged, and seven of them were sentenced to death. Hundreds of labor leaders and sympathizers were rounded-up a brief time later and four were executed by hanging, after a trial that was seen as a miscarriage of justice. Efforts to commemorate those killed in the incident were moved to May 1 in the following years, a day that labor leaders of many kinds were already settling on for a day of action.

Why Labor Day Is In The Fall In The U.S.

May 1 isn’t the only day important to the labor movement. There was also a second date, in the fall - the first Monday in September - pushed by the pro-worker Knights of Labor group that was supposed to be more of a day of rest holiday for laborers.

During the 1894 Pullman Strike - a nationwide strike of railroad workers - the conservative, pro-corporatist, anti-labor President Grover Cleveland decided to make a conciliatory gesture to the labor movement, as part of his attempt to settle the strike. Cleveland also wanted to separate this new official U.S. holiday to celebrate workers from the labour unions’ May Day day of action. So Pres. Cleveland set the national holiday to celebrate workers on the fall day pushed by the Knights of Labor, thus taking much of the energy out of International Workers Day.

May Day’s Weird and Wonderful Pagan Roots

If you instead associate May Day with baskets of flowers, dancing around maypoles, or simply, the start of summer, those May Day celebrations recall the holiday’s much earlier origins. Before May Day was adopted as a day to champion workers, its roots belonged to the pagan traditions of Europe.

May 1st is the date marking an ancient Northern Hemisphere festival, now known as ‘May Day’, which traditionally marked the return of summer. It is believed that the celebrations originated in agricultural rituals intended to ensure fertility for crops, held by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Later developments included the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. Today, many customs still mark this ancient festival, including the gathering of wildflowers and the setting up of a decorated May tree or Maypole, around which people dance.

The Festival of Flora: May Day For Romans

The Romans marked the occasion over two millennia ago with the Floralia, or Festival of Flora, a five-day ceremony to honor the Roman goddess of flowers. Flora was regarded as one of the most ancient goddesses of Roman religion, and was one of 15 deities to have her own state-supported high priest, the flamen Florialis. A goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility, she received sacrifices in the sacred grove of the Arval Brothers, an archaic priesthood.

This pagan holiday began in Rome in 240 or 238 BC with the hopes of pleasing the goddess Flora into protecting flowers – probably with a focus on the blossoms of fruit-bearing plants. Floralia was forgotten for a time, but re-instated in 173 BC when bad weather threatened, and the Roman Senate believed it was necessary to please Flora and request her protection once again.

The Floralia festival was marked by dancing, the gathering of flowers, and the setting aside of white togas in favor of more colorful garments. It was also a time for the Ludi Florales (six days of games), which was paid for by fines collected when public lands were encroached upon.

The festival was eventually declared a Roman holiday by Julius Caesar and holiday revelers are said to have worn garlands of fresh flowers while scattering seeds to promote agricultural bounty. One way the Floralia has lived on is with the wreaths people continue to wear in May Day celebrations.

May Day: The Celtic Holiday Of Beltane

Beltane - which means “the return of the sun” - is the Gaelic May Day festival. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Its festivities began on the night before May 1st. It fell out of practice in most areas around the 19th century, but was resurrected in 1988 at one of the most popular Beltane celebrations, the annual fire festival which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The ancient Celts believed the sun was held prisoner during winter months only to be released each spring to rule the summer sky. They celebrated this mythic release with fire ceremonies and a huge feast to mark the occasion. In this Celtic take on May Day, rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops, and people, and to encourage growth. Beltane was a time to rejoice in the return of the land’s fertility. It was also the time when livestock would be out to pasture. It was a key moment in the Pagan Wheel of the Year.

Beltane, which roughly translates as ‘bright fire’, was traditionally a time when special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke, and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. People and their cattle would walk around the bonfire and sometimes leap over flames or embers.

As Europe became Christianized, pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays. The only significant Christianization of May Day is localized to Germany, where it is one of many historic days that were used to celebrate St. Walpurga - the saint credited with bringing Christianity to Germany.

Walpurgis Night: A Germanic Christian May Day

In Germany, Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht), the night from 30 April to 1 May, is when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken and await the arrival of spring. The night is so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Germany.

The only relation Saint Walpurga has to the date is that May 1 was the day when her remains were transferred to the Church of the Holy Cross at Eichstätt around 870 AD. Even though the holiday got its name from the saint, it is better described as a spring celebration with striking similarities to Halloween.

Some common events associated with the day are dressing up in costumes and making loud noises – activities people used to do to try to keep witches away. Other methods used to ward off the evil forces out on that night were hanging blessed sprigs of foliage from houses or barns, or leaving offerings of bread with butter and honey (known as ‘ankenschnitt’) for phantom hounds . Bonfires are also traditional to Walpurgis Night and were believed to serve a similar purpose, though they harken back to the pagan practices of light returning around the Spring Equinox as well.

Although Saint Walpurga is unique to Germany, local variants of Walpurgis Night spread from that country and are observed across Europe in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia.

In Finland, for example, Walpurgis Night is known also as Vappu, and it is one of the country’s most important holidays. Although it was initially celebrated by the upper class, during the late 19th century it became popular amongst university students. Today, Walpurgis Night is celebrated by all segments of both Finnish and Swedish societies.

The Maypole: A Traditional May Day Symbol

Maypole dancing continues to be one of the most popular May Day customs in Europe. No one can say for certain how Maypoles came to be, but they may have been inspired by Norse beliefs in the world tree, Yggdrasil, or Germanic pagan reverence for trees. There is also the less-popular suggestion that Maypoles are adopted as phallic symbols. Either way, the practice became especially popular in the British Isles around 1350-1400 AD and can be seen in some celebrations on May Day, Pentecost, or Midsummer.

Traditionally, participants dance around a wooden Maypole while holding colorful ribbons that become decoratively intertwined. The dancers then change direction and repeat the steps in reverse, causing the ribbons to unwind. This is said to symbolize the lengthening of the days as summer begins.

Whether your favorite May 1 holiday is the Roman Festival of Flora, or the Celtic Beltane; whether it’s the German Walpurgis Nacht, or the noble and honorable International Workers’ Day, at the end of the day, no matter how you celebrate it, May Day remains a time meant to celebrate the power of light over darkness, and the power of people working together to make life better for all.

That’s something we think everyone can raise a glass to! So here’s today’s Drink Of The Day, a Mayflower Martini!

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For those who forgot when we first introduced you to this drink last August, the Ramos Gin Fizz, is an iconic Louisiana cocktail created in New Orleans in 1888 by Henry C. Ramos at his Imperial Cabinet Saloon. Originally called the “New Orleans Fizz,” it is deeply rooted in the city’s culture due to its popularity during Mardi Gras - so it’s the perfect drink to celebrate Louisiana! Plus, this time around, we’ve also got the recipe for the Mocktail version.

A Long & Complication Road To The Union

On April 30, 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state in the United States of America. It was the first state to be carved out of the vast area of the Louisiana Purchase, which stretched across a vast portion of the continental United States and would in later years be divided into many other states. Thus, it was quite appropriate that Louisiana formally gained statehood on the ninth anniversary of the official date of the U.S. taking over the Louisiana Territory.

The nine-year period from the beginning of American jurisdiction over Louisiana in 1803 to statehood in 1812 was a time of considerable difficulty and frustration for the inhabitants of that region. The vast area of Louisiana came under the control of France in 1682, when René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, reached the mouth of the Mississippi River and claimed the lands bordering the river and its tributaries for King Louis XIV. The first French settlers came to what is now Louisiana in 1699, and they, and those who followed, firmly established the customs, government, and language of their homeland in the area at the mouth of the Mississippi.

For more than 70 years following La Salle’s explorations, the Mississippi valley, including what is now Louisiana, remained under French control. Then, in 1762, France ceded its claim to the area west of the Mississippi to Spain. Spanish rule over the vast territory lasted until 1800 when Spain returned the area to France. However, even during the time of Spanish jurisdiction, the settlers clung to their French language and traditions.

The American purchase from France of the vast, ill-defined area west of the Mississippi in 1803 disrupted the lives of the inhabitants of New Orleans and the surrounding countryside to a much greater extent than had the previous period of Spanish rule.

On March 26, 1804, the United States Congress passed an act dividing the Louisiana Purchase into two parts: the Territory of Orleans, comprising that “portion south of the Mississippi Territory and on an east and west line, to commence on the Mississippi River at the thirty-third degree of north latitude and extend west to the western boundary of the cession”; and the District of Louisiana, composed of the remainder of the area purchased. The act provided that the District of Louisiana, or upper Louisiana, as it was also known, be placed under the jurisdiction of the government of the Indiana Territory, but it established a separate government for the Territory of Orleans.

The government that Congress set up for the Territory of Orleans was unlike any other then existing in the United States or its territories. It consisted of a governor vested with full executive powers, to be appointed directly by the president; a 13-member legislative council, to be named by the president; a superior court of three judges, also to be presidential appointees; “and such inferior courts and justices of the peace as the Legislature of the Territory might establish.” English was made the official language of the territory, and “the importation of slaves from foreign countries was forbidden, and that of those from the United States was allowed only to citizens, bona fide owners, removing to the Territory.”

The congressional debate preceding the passage of the 1804 act was heated. One Massachusetts representative claimed that the inhabitants of the new territory were not ready for full citizenship and should be treated “as if they were a conquered country.” Others disagreed. Indeed, some members of Congress felt that the government established for the Territory of Orleans was too harsh and even contrary to the treaty of cession, which guaranteed that “the inhabitants of the ceded territory [the Louisiana Purchase] shall be incorporated in the union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible according to the principles of the federal Constitution to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States.”

The government that Congress established for the Territory of Orleans greatly dissatisfied the residents of what is now Louisiana. They had expected immediate admission to statehood and resented the territorial status that Congress imposed. Furthermore, they disliked the introduction of jury trials, a phenomenon that previously had no place in their legal system, and they were unhappy that English was now the territory’s official language since few could read or speak it. To protest the Act of 1804, the mayor of New Orleans resigned, and on June 1, 1804, a group of planters and merchants met in New Orleans to initiate more practical measures. They drew up petitions asking Congress to repeal the legislation relating to the division of the Louisiana Purchase and to the prohibitions against the importation of slaves. They also decided to request immediate statehood for Louisiana. In the following weeks, they circulated these petitions among the populace, and late in the summer they sent a committee of three to Washington, D.C., to place their demands before Congress.

In November 1804, President Thomas Jefferson suggested to Congress that improvements be made in the government of the Louisiana Purchase territory, and in December 1804 Pierre Darbigny, Pierre Sauvé, and Jean Noel Destréhan presented to the House of Representatives the petition that had been circulated through the Orleans territory during the previous summer. In 1805, Congress acted quickly to correct the harsher aspects of the government it had established the previous year. On March 2 it passed an act setting up a separate territorial government for upper Louisiana and created a government for the Orleans territory that was similar to that established for the Northwest Territory in 1787.

With these changes, the New Orleans government moved to consist of a house of representatives to be elected by the inhabitants of the territory; a legislative council whose five members were to be chosen by the president from among ten nominees presented by the elected house; and a governor, secretary, and judges of the superior court, who would be named by the president with the consent of the Senate. The 1805 act also provided that the territory be admitted to statehood as soon as its free population numbered 60,000.

The new government did not entirely please the inhabitants of the Orleans territory, and one official remarked that “the people of Louisiana complained that in this form, as in the preceding, their lives and property were in some degree at the disposal of a single individual.” In addition, the territory was plagued by external difficulties. In 1806 Spanish troops attempted to establish a post near Natchitoches in an area claimed by the United States. About the same time Aaron Burr, the former vice -president of the United States, who had shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, became involved in a plot which included a plan to detach an area of the Louisiana Purchase from the United States.

Fortunately, neither the Spanish raids nor the alleged Burr conspiracy developed into a major threat to the Orleans territory. Instead, the area continued to prosper, and by 1809 the territorial legislature petitioned Congress for statehood. William C. C. Claiborne, the territorial governor, forwarded the petition to Washington with a letter listing a number of reasons for denying the legislature’s request. Nevertheless, the Senate approved the petition in March 1810. The House of Representatives, however, sent it to a committee, and Congress adjourned before the House had voted on the question.

In December 1810, Louisiana’s request for admission to the Union again came before Congress. Opponents of the statehood bill cited the difficulties posed by the ill-defined boundaries between the territory and the possessions claimed by Spain in the Southwest, and the French culture of almost all the inhabitants. However, Congress had promised that the Territory of Orleans would be admitted to the Union when its population reached 60,000 free inhabitants, and the 1810 federal census showed the area to have 76,550 free residents. On February 11, 1811, Congress authorized the Orleans territory to draw up a state constitution. A convention meeting from November 1811 to January 1812 formulated the necessary frame of government for Louisiana and on April 8, 1812, Congress gave its approval to this work.

The new state of Louisiana was originally to have encompassed the area of the present state west of the Mississippi and the Isle of Orleans. However, only four days after Congress had approved Louisiana’s constitution, it passed an act that added the area of West Florida between the Mississippi and Pearl rivers (the so-called Florida Parishes) to the new state. Thus it was a substantially enlarged area that ended its territorial status and officially became the state of Louisiana on April 30, 1812.

Like other Southern states, Louisiana declared its secession from the Union shortly before the beginning of the Civil War. Its full rights of statehood were restored in July 1868, after the drafting of a new constitution that enfranchised black citizens. The state constitution of 1868 was succeeded by the far more restrictive one of 1898, and that in turn was succeeded by a number of others.

Today, the state of Louisiana remains unique, complex, and complicated. The racist problems of the traitorous Confederacy & Jim Crow remain, but so too does the complex legacy of the French & Spanish immigrants, the native peoples, and other Americans who have come to make Louisiana their home.

With that in mind, let’s salute Louisiana becoming the 18th state of the United States with our Drink Of The Day, the Ramos Gin Fizz, a great cocktail & mocktail that’s just as complicated as teh state it represents.

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On April 29, 2018, “The Simpsons” became the longest-running scripted American primetime television series with the airing of its 636th episode “Forgive and Regret” (Season 29, Episode 18).

The previous record holder was “Gunsmoke” (1955-1975) with 635 episodes. As of February 15, 2026, The Simpsons has aired 805 episodes. The show is currently in its 37th season, having officially celebrated its historic 800th episode on February 15, 2026 (Yes, they celebrated their 800th episode five episodes late, at the end of a season). The show currently holds the records for the longest-running American animated program, sitcom, and scripted primetime series.

It’s hard to imagine a time where “The Simpsons” was not a dominant part of American pop culture. Even if you haven’t seen a single episode you could probably name one of the characters or quote Homer’s famous catchphrase (D’oh!). Or when “The Simpsons” comes up in conversations you might think about one of the countless Simpsons clips and memes that are popular on the internet, like the Homer going into the shrub GIF. People even think the show has predicted the future.

Now that you can watch every Simpsons episode ever made on Disney+ new fans are discovering classic episodes that made the show what it is.

“The Simpsons” has graced our screens since 1989 (“Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”) and is just so ingrained within our television landscape that many people forget what made the show a hit in the first place. “The Simpsons” began as a series of 48 shorts on the sketch show “The Tracey Ullman Show” between 1987-89 created by Matt Groening. The very first appearance of the family was in the short “Good Night”

The cartoon re-popularized the adult animated primetime sitcom and would pave the way for numerous other shows like “King of the Hill” (1997-2010), “South Park” (1997-present),“Family Guy” (1999-2002, 2005-present) and “Futurama” (1999-2003, 2008-2013, 2023-present, also created by Groening). More recent examples of the show’s reach is apparent in “Bob’s Burgers” (2011-present), “Rick and Morty” (2013-present) and “Bojack Horseman” (2014-2020).

Creator of “Family Guy” Seth MacFarlane in a 2007 Vanity Fair “Simpsons Family Values” commented on the door “The Simpsons” opened.

“It’s like what sci-fi fans say about Star Trek: it created an audience for that genre,” said MacFarlane. “I think The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years. As far as I’m concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways—you could classify it as—a wholly new medium. It’s just wholly original.”

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie satirize the American nuclear family. We all know the archetypes: the house in suburbia, the housewife, the breadwinner father, a cat and dog and the troublemaker son, the precocious daughter, and the baby. These characters have existed throughout TVs long history in sitcoms including “Leave It to Beaver” (1958-1963) and “The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974).

These types of shows were still popular when “The Simpsons” first premiered. The top rated show of the 1989-1990 television season was “The Cosby Show” (1984-1992). Other top shows back then included “The Wonder Years” (1988-1993) and “Full House” (1987-1995).

In a typical comedy the dysfunction that has plagued the family will come to a resolution by the end of the half-hour and the kids will have learned a nice moral lesson that they will take with them throughout their life. “The Simpsons” subverts this status quo, and even though Marge and Homer love each other deeply they are still part of a totally dysfunctional family.

All the characters have flaws that are out in the open. Bart by the next episode will still be pulling pranks on the unsuspecting citizens of Springfield. Lisa will still be the teacher’s pet. Homer will still be a regular at Moe’s Tavern after working at the nuclear power plant. And Marge will always worry.

Yet the Simpsons still love each other deeply, as you can see in episodes like Season 9, Episode 3 “Lisa’s Sax” where in flashbacks the viewer learns that Homer used the air conditioner replacement money to buy Lisa a saxophone, an instrument that has become a staple of her character.

There’s also “The Way We Was” (Season 2, Episode 12) showing the first meeting of Marge and Homer in high school detention. For Homer, it was love at first sight and as Marge walks into the classroom he witnesses her walking in slow motion with The Carpenter’s version of “(They Long to Be) Close to You” playing, the moment he sets his eyes on her.

Even though it takes Marge a little longer to realize her feelings for Homer he still carries a torch for her and he says what has to be one of my favorite quotes from the show, “I got a problem once you stop this car. I’m going to hug you, and kiss you, and I’ll never be able to let you go. And I’ve never have.”

These tender moments of love between the family bring balance to the conflicts they get into. The characters have survived throughout the decades because the audience relates deeply to them.

As more shows have followed in “The Simpsons” footsteps the cartoon has found more ways to lampoon the absurdities of everyday life and they will probably be doing so for more years to come.

So here’s a salute to The Simpsons, with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Mr. Burns Cocktail!

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And yes - we’ve done grog drinks before, like Trader Vic’s Grog, or the Navy Grog, But this is a bit different.

Mutiny On The HMS Bounty

The ‘Mutiny on The Bounty’ wasn’t just a 1960s movie, but a real life naval mutiny, one of the most famous of its kind.

The short version of the story? Three weeks into a journey from Tahiti to the West Indies, the HMS Bounty was seized in a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian, the master’s mate - effectively, the highest level enlisted man on the ship. Captain William Bligh, a notoriously cruel and abusive captain and 18 of his loyal supporters were set adrift in a small, open boat on the ocean, while the mutineers took the Bounty and set a course for a small island south of Tahiti, where the could get away from the monstrous captain - and evade responsibility for their crime of mutiny.

The complete version of the story is a bit longer.

In December 1787, the HMS Bounty left England for the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific, where it was to collect a cargo of breadfruit saplings to transport to the West Indies. There, the breadfruit would serve as food for enslaved passengers. After a 10-month journey, the Bounty arrived in Tahiti in October 1788. It had been a long and difficult voyage and discipline had been a problem. The Bounty was overcrowded and there were no marines on board to enforce the captain’s authority. To make things worse, when they reached Tahiti, it was the wrong season to collect the breadfruit, so they were forced to stay on the island for more than five months.

On the island of Tahiti, the crew enjoyed an idyllic life, reveling in the comfortable climate, lush surroundings, and the hospitality of the native Tahitians. Fletcher Christian even fell in love with a Tahitian woman named Mauatua. It was a much more comfortable life than they could ever expect to return to back in Britain. Still, they had a job to do, as Captain Bligh insisted.

On April 4, 1789, the Bounty departed Tahiti with its store of breadfruit saplings. On April 28, twenty-three days out to sea and 1300 miles from Tahiti, Christian and his men woke Bligh in the middle of the night, pointed a bayonet at him and forced him on deck. No blood was shed; instead the mutineers ordered Bligh and 18 of his loyal followers to board the Bounty’s launch, a small boat most often used to ferry people and supplies from ship to shore.

Of the 42 men onboard, apart from Bligh and Christian, 18 joined the mutiny, two were passive, and 22 were loyal to Bligh, though four of them were forced to stay aboard the ship to keep it operational.

Bligh was an oppressive commander and insulted & abused those under him. His monstrous nature would eventually cause a total of three mutinies in his career. By setting Bligh & 18 of his men adrift in an overcrowded 23-foot-long boat in the middle of the Pacific, Christian and his conspirators thought they had handed Bligh a death sentence they felt he and those loyal to him deserved.

They were wrong.

Bligh may have been an a-hole, but he was also a skilled navigator. Armed with a magnetic compass, a 10-inch sextant, a quadrant, and two books containing mathematical, astronomical, and geographical information, he and his 18 men managed to navigate their tiny dinghy west across the Pacific.

They headed first for the island of Tofua to replenish their meager supplies, then went on for a further 47 days to the island of Timor, south-east Asia, a voyage of 3618 nautical miles in a tiny boat. Once recovered, the men returned to England to report the mutiny. Bligh returned to England, and soon sailed again to Tahiti, from where he successfully transported the breadfruit trees to the West Indies, as he was initially contracted to do.

Meanwhile, Christian and his men attempted to establish themselves on the island of Tubuai. Unsuccessful in their colonizing effort, the Bounty sailed north to Tahiti, and 16 crewmen decided to stay there, despite the risk of capture by British authorities. Christian and 8 others, together with six Tahitian men, a dozen Tahitian women, and a child, decided to search the South Pacific for a safe haven. In January 1790, the Bounty settled to Pitcairn Island, an isolated and uninhabited volcanic island more than 1,000 miles east of Tahiti. The mutineers who remained on Tahiti were captured and taken back to England where three were hanged. A British ship searched for Christian and the others but did not find them.

In 1808, an American whaling vessel was drawn to Pitcairn by smoke from a cooking fire. The Americans discovered a community of children and women led by John Adams, the sole survivor of the original nine mutineers. According to Adams, after settling on Pitcairn, the colonists had stripped and burned the Bounty, and internal strife and sickness had led to the death of Fletcher and all the men but Adams. In 1825, a British ship arrived and formally granted Adams amnesty, and he served as patriarch of the Pitcairn community until his death in 1829.

In 1831, the Pitcairn islanders were resettled on Tahiti, but unsatisfied with life there, they soon returned to the main Pitcairn island community of Adamstown. In 1838, the Pitcairn Islands, which also includes three nearby uninhabited islands, was incorporated into the British Empire. By 1855, Pitcairn’s population had grown to nearly 200, and the two-square-mile island could not sustain its residents.

In 1856, the islanders were removed to Norfolk Island, a former penal colony nearly 4,000 miles to the west. However, less than two years later, 17 of the islanders returned to Pitcairn, followed by more families in 1864. Today, just a few dozen live on Pitcairn Island, and all but a handful are descendants of the Bounty mutineers. Meanwhile, 4,000 miles to the West, about a thousand residents of Norfolk Island - half its population - trace their lineage from Fletcher Christian and the eight other original mutineers of The Bounty.

While we don’t generally recommend mutiny, we do recommend rebelling against fascistic monsters. So with that in mind, we give you today’s Drink Of The Day, Mutineers’ Grog.

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According to sports lore, the “Heavens to Betsy” - a potent, gin-heavy version of a Tom Collins - was often ordered by Babe Ruth. Legendary sportswriter Jimmy Breslin wrote the definitive account of Ruth slamming a “Heavens to Betsy” on a hot afternoon at the Bayside Golf Club in Queens, that in typical Breslin fashion, is a story worth reading.

History of Babe Ruth Day

Babe Ruth Day was first celebrated in 1946, inaugurated by Albert B. Chandler, an American politician and Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951. Ruth was diagnosed with throat cancer in late 1946 after experiencing pain in his eye and having trouble swallowing. The next year, in 1947, April 27 was declared as Babe Ruth Day.

Who Was ‘The Great Bambino’ Babe Ruth?

George Herman Ruth Jr. was born February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland to George Sr. & Kate. George Jr. was one of eight children, but only he and his sister Mamie survived. George Jr.’s parents worked long hours, leaving little time to watch over him and his sister. The lack of parental guidance allowed George Jr. to be a bit unruly, often skipping school and causing trouble.

When George Jr. turned seven, his parents realized he needed a stricter environment. They sent him to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, run by a brotherhood of Catholic laymen from an order of the Xaverian Brothers, reknowned for their high quality schools.

St. Mary’s provided a regimented environment which shaped George Jr.’s future. Not only did George Jr. learn vocational skills, but he also developed a passion for baseball.

Brother Matthias took an interest in George Jr. And became a role model and father-figure, helping George Jr. refine his baseball skills, and working tirelessly with him on hitting, fielding, and pitching. George Jr. became so good that the Brothers invited Jack Dunn, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, to watch George Jr. play. Dunn offered a contract to George Jr. in February 1914, when George was barely 19, after watching him for less than an hour.

Since George Jr. was only nineteen, Dunn had to be George’s legal guardian to complete the contract. Seeing George Jr. for the first time, the Orioles players referred to him as “Jack’s newest babe” and the most famous nickname in sports history was born. Thereafter, George Herman Ruth Jr. was known as “The Babe.”

The Babe performed so well for Dunn and the Orioles, they sold his contract to the Boston Red Sox.

While Babe is most known for his prodigious power as a slugger, he started as a very good pitcher. In 1914, Babe appeared in five games for the Red Sox, pitching in four. He won his major league debut on July 11, 1914; however, due to a loaded roster, Babe was optioned to the Red Sox minor league team, the Providence Grays, where he led them to the International League pennant.

Babe became a fixture in the Red Sox rotation in 1915, accumulating an 18-8 record with an ERA of 2.44. He followed his successful first season with a 23-12 campaign in 1916, leading the league with a 1.75 ERA. In 1917, he went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and a staggering 35 complete games in 38 starts. By then, Babe had displayed enormous power in his limited plate appearances, so it was decided his hitting was too good to be left out of the lineup on a daily basis.

In 1918, Babe became an everyday player - which gave him many more chances to improve his stats. Ruth tied for the major-league lead in home runs with 11, and followed that up by setting a single-season home run record of 29 dingers in 1919. Little did he know that the 1919 season would be his last with Boston.

On December 26, 1919, Babe’s contract was sold to the New York Yankees. The two teams would never be the same again.

After joining the New York Yankees, Babe became a full-time outfielder. Thereafter, Babe dominated baseball, achieving never-seen-before stats. He changed baseball from a grind-it-out style to one of power and high-scoring games. Babe Ruth re-wrote the record books from a hitting standpoint, combining a high batting average with unbelievable power. The result was an assault on baseball’s hallowed records.

In 1920, he bested the home run record he set in 1919 by belting a staggering 54 home runs, a season in which no other player hit more than 19 and only one team hit more than Babe did individually. But Babe wasn’t done, as his 1921 season may have been the greatest in MLB history. That season, he blasted a new record of 59 home runs, drove in 171 RBI, scored 177 runs, batted .376 and had an unheard of .846 slugging percentage. Babe was officially a superstar and enjoyed a popularity never seen before in professional baseball. With Babe leading the charge, the Yankees became the most recognizable and dominant team in baseball, setting attendance records along the way. When the Yankees moved to a new stadium in 1923, it was dubbed “The House that Ruth Built.”

Babe’s mythical stature grew in 1927 as a member of “Murderer’s Row,” when he set the home run record (60) which would stand for 34 years. With the Yankees, Babe ignited what some call the greatest dynasty in all of sports. Prior to his arrival, the Yankees had never won a title of any kind.

After joining the Yankees before the 1920 season, Babe helped the Yankees capture seven pennants and four World Series titles. The 1927 team is still considered by many the greatest in baseball history. Upon retiring from the Boston Braves in 1935, Babe held an astonishing 56 major league records at the time, including the most revered record in baseball: 714 home runs.

In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame was inaugurated and Babe Ruth was one of its first five inductees.

During the fall of 1946, it was discovered that Babe had a malignant tumor on his neck. His health deteriorated quickly.

On June 13, 1948, Ruth’s jersey number “3” was retired by the Yankees during his last appearance at Yankee Stadium.

Babe lost his battle with cancer on August 16, 1948. His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium, with his funeral two days later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Over 100,000 people lined up and paid their respects to the Babe.

Babe remains one of the greatest figures in major league baseball, and one of the greatest icons in American history.

The Babe helped save baseball from the ugly Black Sox scandal, and gave hope to millions during The Great Depression.

He impacted the game in a way never seen before or since. He continues to be the benchmark by which all other players are measured.

Despite retiring in 1935, Babe is still to this day widely considered one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history.

So let’s raise a glass to Babe Ruth with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Heavens To Betsy cocktail!

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On March 13, 2016, Seoul National University (SNU) College of Veterinary Medicine acknowledged that the world’s first cloned dog, Snuppy, had died in May of 2015 after celebrating his 10th birthday.

Snuppy, whose name is a combination of”SNU” and”puppy,” was born on April 24, 2005, as the result of the research led by Hwang Woo-Suk, a former SNU professor of biotechnology. The male Afghan hound was created through two years and eight months of research that began in August 2002. When Hwang’s previous works on stem cell research were revealed to be fabricated, Professor Lee Byeong-Cheon (College of Veterinary Medicine) replaced his position as team leader, after other scientists confirmed that Snuppy was authentically cloned.

The somatic cell cloning technique used to create Snuppy was similar to the one that created Dolly, the cloned sheep, in 1996. A team of 45 scientists took a piece of tissue from the ear of a three-year-old Afghan hound, manipulated it into 1,095 embryos, which were implanted into 123 surrogate mothers. Such efforts led to three pregnancies, but one ended in a miscarriage and the other died of pneumonia shortly after its birth. As a result, Snuppy was the only successfully cloned dog that lived a normal lifespan.

Before Snuppy’s birth, scientists worldwide had already succeeded in cloning other animals such as cats, pigs, horses and sheep, with Dolly being the first cloned mammal. However, a the time of Snuppy’s birth, dogs were considered very difficult to clone because a female canine ovulates only twice a year and canine egg cells are not mature at the time of ovulation. Hwang’s research team was able to overcome this difficulty by determining the exact period and location of egg cells as they mature inside the body, as well as devising a method to mature canine embryos outside the ovary.

Snuppy’s creation was met with much praise in science & academia, with the cloning technology receiving public recognition as the ”most amazing invention of 2005” according to Time magazine. Scientists believed because dogs have many illnesses in common with humans, successful canine cloning, as demonstrated through Snuppy, would allow scientists to eventually be able to develop scientific models to cure human diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, Snuppy’s relatively long lifespan proved that cloned animals can live as long as natural-born ones.

Snuppy also sired ten puppies through an artificial insemination procedure with two other cloned female dogs, thereby demonstrating that cloned animals have normal reproductive functions. And to take it one step further, the scientists who cloned Snuppy also created clones of him, proving that you can clone a clone.

In a salute to Snuppy - and to science - let’s have a round of today’s Drink Of The Day. a Hair of the Dog Cocktail & Mocktail!

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William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on April 23, which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.

Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems also remain popular to this day.

Shakespeare’s Family Life

Records survive relating to William Shakespeare’s family that offer an understanding of the context of Shakespeare’s early life and the lives of his family members. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, and together they had eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as infants, so William became their eldest child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove-maker, but he also became an important figure in the town of Stratford by fulfilling civic positions. His elevated status meant that he was even more likely to have sent his children, including William, to the local grammar school.

William Shakespeare would have lived with his family in their house on Henley Street until he turned eighteen. When he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was twenty-six. It was a rushed marriage because Anne was already pregnant at the time of the ceremony. Together they had three children. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after the wedding and was later followed by twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died when he was just 11 years old.

The recent Oscar-winning film Hamnet actually focuses on this time in the lives of William & Anne Shakespeare. And as this recent BBC piece notes, it might be close to the real story - but we have no way to truly know.

Shakespeare in London

Shakespeare’s career jump-started in London, but when did he go there? We know Shakespeare’s twins were baptized in 1585, and that by 1592 his reputation was established in London, but the intervening years are considered a mystery. Scholars generally refer to these years as ‘The Lost Years’.

During his time in London, Shakespeare’s first printed works were published. They were two long poems, ‘Venus and Adonis’ (1593) and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ (1594). He also became a founding member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company of actors. Shakespeare was the company’s regular dramatist, producing on average two plays a year, for almost twenty years.

He remained with the company for the rest of his career, during which time it evolved into The King’s Men under the patronage of King James I (from 1603). During his time in the company Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous tragedies, such as King Lear and Macbeth, as well as great romances, like The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s Works

Altogether Shakespeare’s works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays are known to exist today. It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare’s company that we have about half of the plays at all. They collected them for publication after Shakespeare died, preserving the plays. These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio (’Folio’ refers to the size of the paper used). It contained 36 of his plays, but none of his poetry.

Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures. His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film. His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems. William Shakespeare continues to be one of the most important literary figures of the English language.

New Place: A Home in Stratford-upon-Avon

Shakespeare’s success in the London theatres made him considerably wealthy, and by 1597 he was able to purchase New Place, the largest house in the borough of Stratford-upon-Avon. Although his professional career was spent in London, he maintained close links with his native town.

Recent archaeological evidence discovered on the site of Shakespeare’s New Place shows that Shakespeare was only ever an intermittent lodger in London. This suggests he divided his time between Stratford and London (a two or three-day commute). In his later years, he may have spent more time in Stratford-upon-Avon than scholars previously thought.

On his father’s death in 1601, William Shakespeare inherited the old family home in Henley Street, part of which was then leased to tenants. Further property investments in Stratford followed, including the purchase of 107 acres of land in 1602.

Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52. He is buried in the sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.

All the world’s a stage /And all the men and women merely players. / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts.

— As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 7normal

Happy birthday to The Bard! Let’s salute with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Merchant of Venice Cocktail & Mocktail

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