Today is...

[IceWizard]

21 Jun 2017


Daylight Appreciation Day



There’s a point during every year where we experience the longest period of sunlight we will experience throughout the entire year. With the exception of the extreme northern and southern portions of the planet, there will be no day longer than this pivotal day, the Summer Solstice. The sun will spend the longest time in the sky, and provide us with the greatest amount of light of any time of the year, and Daylight Appreciation Day is dedicated to celebrating this celestial event.

History of Daylight Appreciation Day

Since time out of mind mankind has been aware of the ever-changing pattern of the year, the cycling of long periods of night to long periods of daylight. In the past these events were assigned mystical elements, marking the transition of some great sun god from the land of the living to the land of the dead, to ultimately be reborn in deep winter when the days began getting longer again. In most cultures a great ceremony was held around both these events, commemorating the glory days of the Gods strength, and his ultimate passing into the dark to be reborn once again.

These days were marked with great feasts, as the ancients knew that the plants and animals that grew and thrived required the sun to grow, and thus was vital to humanities continued existance. Recently we’ve come to understand that this is all part of a natural cosmic dance and a result of the rotation of the Earth, it’s orbit around the sun, and the way it is angled on its axial tilt. All that aside, Daylight Appreciation Day marks the longest day of the year, and reminds us all to get out and celebrate while the sun is still with us.


And




World Music Day

”Music expresses that which cannot be put into words, and that which cannot remain silent.”
~ Victor Huge

There’s nothing in the world like the sound of your favorite song coming on, it just gets right into your head and your body and makes you move. Or maybe it takes you on a journey to a faraway place and time, where you languish in a memory of times gone by and people who are no longer present. Some of our favorite songs can lift us up out of depression and sorry, and make an otherwise horrible day suddenly seem like it’s not so bad. World Music Day celebrates music in all its forms and the impact it’s had on the world and the human spirit.

History of World Music Day

Music has existed for as long as mankind has found its voice, and quite possibly before. Every culture of the world has it’s own form of music, as distinct and unique to its area as language and cuisine. In the western world, we are familiar only with scale, that known as the diatonic scale which should be familiar to anyone who took music classes or choir in school. But this is not the only or even the first scale that music can use.

There’s the chromatic scale, which has 12 notes instead of the 7, and the octatonic scale, which has 8 notes, but these are just the beginning. In every part of the world, there are different scales and musical formats used, and these create a form of music that has its own signature. Then when you add in the cultural themes, the variety of instruments, and the forms of voice singing that can go along with it, music is a truly endless adventure. World Music Day celebrates this adventure and those that dare to take it.

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June 21 Birthdays




Prince William - 35




Edward Snowden - 34




David Morrissey - 53




Ray Davies - 73




Joey Kramer - 66




Don Airey - 68








June 21st

1993: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from John Fogerty, who hoped to recoup legal fees from a copyright lawsuit with the other surviving members of Credence Clearwater Revival.

1989: The Who kicked off their first reunion tour in Glen Falls, NY at the Glen Falls Civic Center.

1985: Motley Crue released their third album Theatre of Pain which went on to reach number six on the Billboard 200 Album Chart & sell four million copies in the U.S.

1981: Steely Dan announced that they were splitting up. They later reunited in 1993 & continue to record & tour to this day.

1975: Former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore announced the formation of his new group Rainbow, which featured Ronnie James Dio on vocals.

1975: Elton John headlined a bill at London’s Wembley Stadium which also featured The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Rufus & future Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh.

1970: The FBI searched Memphis International Airport after a bystander overheard Who guitarist Pete Townshend refer to their album Tommy as “the bomb” while describing its success. FBI agents thought it was a bomb threat.

1969: The first Toronto Pop Festival was held at Varsity Stadium & featured Chuck Berry, Procol Harum, Johnny Winter, Steppenwolf & The Band.

1966: Jimmy Page made his live debut with The Yardbirds at the Marquee Club in London.



Birthdays:

Ray Davies - Singer for The Kinks born in 1944

Don Airey - Keyboardist for Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake & Deep Purple born in 1948

Joey Molland - Guitarist for Badfinger born in 1948

Joey Kramer - Drummer for Aerosmith born in 1950

Nils Lofgren - Guitarist for Neil Young and The E Street Band born in 1951