Daily Calendar for Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Question of the Day
Can you tell me why the ring finger is sometimes called the medical finger?
We can tell you why, but the theory no longer holds water. For centuries, it was believed that the ring finger had a nerve running through it that was connected to the heart. The Romans and Greeks used the medical finger for stirring mixtures, especially in alchemy, with the belief that anything noxious would be immediately detected by way of some warning sign at the heart. This direct connection — which years later was proved to be false — was why it was chosen as the ring finger, marking the heart’s sentiment. English superstition still holds that the ring finger should be used for applying ointments or salves or for scratching the skin.
Advice of the Day
Fickle drops sprinkle crops.
Home Hint of the Day
When you lime and fertilize your lawn, apply half the dosage in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction. This greatly reduces the likelihood of missing any strips or corners.
Word of the Day
Pineapple Express
A strong south-westerly wind off the Pacific Ocean. This wind can bring heavy rain and flooding to the Pacific Northwest during winter.
Puzzle of the Day
What reptile is the most mathematical?
The adder
Died
- Sandro Botticelli (artist; works include the painting Birth of Venus”“) –
- John Jay (first Chief Justice of the U.S.) –
- John Deere (American manufacturer) –
- Lawrence Welk (musician) –
- Joe Black (baseball player) –
- Tony Randall (actor; well known for his role as Felix Unger on the sitcom The Odd Couple) –
- Frank Gorshin (actor best known for role as the Riddler on the Batman television series) –
- Donna Summer (singer; Queen of Disco”“) –
Born
- Edward Jenner (physician) –
- Maureen O'Sullivan (actress) –
- Dennis Hopper (actor) –
- Bill Paxton (actor) –
- Sugar Ray Leonard (boxer) –
- Bob Saget (actor & comedian) –
- Enya (New Age singer) –
- Craig Ferguson (actor & television host) –
- Tony Parker (basketball player) –
Events
- Joliet-Marquette Mississippi River expedition began–
- The New York Stock Exchange established at Merchants Coffee House, New York City–
- Fire began that destroyed part of St. Louis, Missouri–
- First Kentucky Derby held–
- District of Alaska created–
- Clifton Fadiman hosted the NBC Blue network quiz show Information Please–
- First coin-operated mailbox, the Mailomat, installed–
- First U.S. cross-country helicopter flight ended–
- U.S. Supreme Court issued Brown v. Board of Education decision, ruling that segregated schools are unconstitutional–
- Senate Watergate Committee began public hearings–
- Massachusetts became the first state to process marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples–
- A team of rocketeers led by a Bloomington, MN, man claimed success in their goal of launching the first amateur rocket into space, sending a 21-foot rocket named GoFast an estimated 70 miles above the Nevada desert–
- Peter Phillips, son of British Princess Anne, wed Canadian Autumn Kelly–
- Allan Ganz honored for 67-year career (and counting) as ice-cream man–
Weather
- A hard frost covered southern New England–
- Portland, Maine, had 4.12 inches of rain in 12 hours–
- The worst May blizzard in seven years hit Denver, Colorado–
- Temperatures dipped to a mere 12 degrees F at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii–