Truman Day is celebrated in Missouri on May 8 to honor the birthday of Harry S Truman, the 33rd U.S. president. Truman was born in 1884 in Lamar, Missouri. His parents couldn’t decide whether Truman’s middle name should honor maternal grandfather Solomon Young or paternal grandfather Anderson Shipp Truman, so they chose the letter “S” as the name instead. Truman usually signed his name with a period after the “S,” however.
Daily Calendar for Sunday, May 8, 2022
Although the custom of setting aside a day to honor mothers has ancient roots, our observance of Mother’s Day originated in 1907 with the efforts of a devoted daughter, Anna M. Jarvis of Philadelphia, who conceived the idea of an annual nationwide celebration. The public and the press quickly embraced the idea, and villages, towns, cities, and states soon began unofficial Mother’s Day observances. On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day, and within a few years, the idea gained worldwide prominence. The day is now characterized by gift giving, sending greeting cards and flowers, and giving mother a “day off” by taking the family out to eat.
Question of the Day
What does “philom.” stand for, as seen in old books?
It’s an abbreviation of philomath, a student of mathematics and philosophy. The word was popularly applied to astronomers and astrologers and was used by old almanac makers. It is rarely used today, and not by The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Advice of the Day
To remove dried paint from glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth.
Home Hint of the Day
Pound short, heavy stakes in the corners of your garden beds. That way, next time you’re dragging a hose around the garden, it will come up against the stakes rather than mowing down all your seedlings.
Word of the Day
Bollix
Make a mess of, destroy or ruin.
Puzzle of the Day
Where do sheep go to get their hair cut?
To the baa-baa shop!
Born
- Harry S Truman (33rd U.S. president) –
- Red Nichols (musician) –
- Roberto Rossellini (director) –
- Sloan Wilson (writer) –
- Don Rickles (comedian) –
- Sir David Attenborough (naturalist) –
- Ricky Nelson (singer) –
- Toni Tennille (singer) –
- Beth Henley (dramatist) –
- Melissa Gilbert (actress) –
- Enrique Iglesias (singer) –
Died
- Rudolf Serkin (pianist) –
- George Peppard (actor) –
- Bandit (billed as the world’s heaviest raccoon, died. He lived with his owner in Palmerton, PA. Bandit tipped the scales at nearly 75 pounds, three times the average for his breed. Bandit was born with a bad thyroid gland. When he hit 52.5 pounds in 1999, his girth garnered him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records) –
- Dom DiMaggio (baseball player; holds the record for the longest consecutive game hitting streak in Boston Red Sox history) –
- Maurice Sendak (children’s books author and illustrator) –
- Jeanne Cooper (actress) –
Events
- Coca-Cola went on sale–
- Bill Miner robbed train near Kamloops, British Columbia–
- First Catholic mass in an airship (Hindenburg) over ocean–
- The German High Command surrendered unconditionally to the Allies (WW II - VE Day)–
- The Beatles’ album Let It Be, was released in the U.K.–
- Nancy Mace became the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel military college–
- Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was named MVP for the 2004-05 basketball season. He was the first Canadian to receive the honor–
Weather
- Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, saw hailstones as big as grapefruits–
- Midland, Texas, saw a temperature of 103 degrees F–
- Asheville, North Carolina, saw a temperature of 26 degrees F–
- A large water spout twisted the waters on Barnegat Bay between Toms River and Seaside Heights, New Jersey, at about 2:30 pm.–