Daily Calendar for Tuesday, May 16, 2023
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
Crow on the fence, rain will go hence. Crow on the ground, rain will come down.
Home Hint of the Day
Consider planting thyme between the stones of a walkway. It will yield a pleasing fragrance whenever you pass over it.
Word of the Day
Ceilometer
A cloud yardstick. A ceilometer measures the height of clouds.
Puzzle of the Day
What kind of fish only swims at night?
A starfish!
Born
- William Henry Seward (politician) –
- Henry Fonda (actor) –
- Studs Terkel (writer) –
- Theodore Holmes Bullock (neuroscientist) –
- Liberace (entertainer) –
- Pierce Brosnan (actor) –
- Olga Korbut (Olympic gold medalist/gymnast) –
- Debra Winger (actress) –
- Joan Benoit Samuelson (runner, Olympic gold medalist) –
- Janet Jackson (singer) –
- Tracey Gold (actress) –
- Tucker Carlson (television commentator) –
- David Boreanaz (actor) –
- Jim Sturgess (actor) –
- Thomas Sangster (actor) –
Died
- Andy Kaufman (comedian & actor) –
- Sammy Davis Jr. (entertainer) –
- Jim Henson (creator of The Muppets) –
Events
- Marie Antoinette (age 14) married future King Louis XVI of France (age 15)–
- U.S. Congress gave authorization to mint the nickel–
- Charles Elmer Hires invented root beer–
- Grand League of the American Horseshoe Pitchers Association was organized in Kansas City, Kansas–
- Joan of Arc was canonized–
- President John F. Kennedy began a 3-day visit to Canada–
- Fire broke out at tire dump, St-Amable, Quebec–
- In downtown Houston, Texas, large, black grackles, in an effort to protect their fallen offspring, attacked the heads, hair, and backs of pedestrians.–
- Canadian Victoria Cross unveiled–
- Discovery of 2.6-billion-year-old water in Ontario mine announced–
Weather
- Due to a dam break on the Mill River, a flash flood caused 143 deaths near Northampton, Massachusetts–
- Portland, Maine, received 4.88 inches of rain in 24 hours–
- The temperature in Blitzen, Oregon, was 108 degrees F, a record high for this date–
- Tornado in Portland, Maine–
- Sioux City, Iowa, set daily minimum and maximum temperature records within the same day—the low was 33 degrees F; the high was 91 degrees F–