Today is...

[IceWizard]

13 Apr 2017


National Thomas Jefferson Day



Thomas Jefferson Day celebrates the birthday of Thomas Jefferson, who was the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. Major events during his presidency include the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

As a political philosopher, Jefferson was a man of the Enlightenment and knew many intellectual leaders in Britain and France. He idealized the independent yeoman farmer as exemplar of republican virtues, distrusted cities and financiers, and favoured states’ rights and a strictly limited federal government. Jefferson also supported the separation of church and state and was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

A polymath, Jefferson achieved distinction as, among other things, a horticulturist, statesman, architect, archaeologist, author, inventor and founder of the University of Virginia. When President John F. Kennedy welcomed forty-nine Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House—with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

In his early life Jefferson practiced law and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1774, he wrote A Summary View of the Rights of British America, which was intended as instructions for the Virginia delegates to a national congress. The pamphlet was a powerful argument of American terms for a settlement with Britain. It helped speed the way to independence, and marked Jefferson as one of the most thoughtful patriot spokesmen.

As the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and a significant contributor to American political and civil culture, the Continental Congress delegated the task of writing the Declaration to a Committee of Five which unanimously solicited Jefferson to write the first draft, which underwent some alteration, but remained largely Jefferson’s work.



And




National Scrabble Day



By far the best way to celebrate Scrabble Day is with Oxyphenbutazone.

That’s right, Oxyphenbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug – you already knew that – but it’s also the word that, in a single play, can give the highest possible score on a Scrabble board. The chances of it ever coming up are similar to the chances of winning this week’s lottery, as you’d need to join all seven of your tiles with eight already on the board across three triple word scores. Still, it’d be worth waiting for, scoring 1,778 points.

You’d almost certainly win the game with that.

There’s no need to chase rainbows though; everyone loves Scrabble, so why not spend Scrabble Day with someone you like, in a friendly battle of words and wits? In the kingdom of Scrabble, the one ‘i’d man might be ‘king’, but the lady with the ‘q’ will definitely be queen.

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April 13 Birthdays



Thomas Jefferson - (1743 - 1826) (83)




Jonathan Brandis - (1976 - 2003) (27)




Kelli Giddish - 36




Al Green - 71




Ron Perlman - 67




Aaron Lewis - 45




Caroline Rhea - 53




Marc Ford - 51




Jack Casady - 73





April 13th

2012: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had five of their guitars stolen from the Soundstage in Culver City, CA where they were rehearsing for a tour.

1993: Then-Massachusetts Governor William Weld declared Aerosmith Day in Massachusetts.

1991: R.E.M. made their broadcast television debut as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live performing “Losing My Religion” & “Shiny Happy People”.

1979: During a Van Halen concert in Spokane, WA, David Lee Roth collapsed onstage due to heat exhaustion.

1974: Paul McCartney & Wings reached number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with Band on the Run which went on to sell three million copies in the U.S.

1973: During an appearance on ABC’s In Concert, The J. Geils Band was censored while performing “Give It to Me” due to the lyric “get it up”.

1973: The Who singer Roger Daltrey released his debut solo album Daltrey which went on to reach number forty-five on the Billboard 200 Album Chart & had most of its songs co-written by the then-unknown Leo Sayer.

1970: Led Zeppelin became the first band to sell out the Montreal Forum which drew an estimated 17,500 fans.

1965: The Who began recording “Anywhere, Anyhow, Anyway” at IBC Studios in London.



Birthdays:

Jack Casady - Bassist for Jefferson Airplane born in 1944

Lowell George - Singer and guitarist for Little Feat born in 1945

Max Weinberg - Drummer for The E Street Band born in 1951

Marc Ford - Guitarist for The Black Crowes born in 1966