Whitsunday, or Pentecost, is the seventh Sunday after Easter. For Christians, this commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit in tongues of flame upon the apostles. Because the disciples were said to have begun baptizing thousands of people soon afterward, Whitsunday or Pentecost became the traditional time for baptisms. Whit, a corruption of white, refers to the white baptismal garments worn on this day. It is also a time of spring festivals throughout Europe, with echoes of pagan spring rites such as morris dancing and dressing a young boy in greenery (Jack-in-the-Green) and marching him through the village.
Daily Calendar for Sunday, May 28, 2023
Question of the Day
What do ducks do in the rain?
Ducks just love rain. They are quite happy to stay out in it, and they often preen their feathers and poke around in puddles. (The British refer to a rainy day as “a lovely day for ducks.”) They don’t even seem to mind snow or sleet, but they dislike cold and windy weather.
Advice of the Day
It is unlucky to bring an umbrella aboard ship.
Home Hint of the Day
Because it is an excellent seal against dirt and can be washed repeatedly, enamel finish paint (either oil or latex) is especially good for kitchens, baths, and laundry rooms. Its glossiness will look best on smooth surfaces.
Word of the Day
Iowa
The state of Iowa may have received its name from a Native American word meaning “beautiful land.”
Puzzle of the Day
My first is a verb; add to me one letter, and I become an insect; add another, and I become a kind of vegetable; add two more letters, and I become the name of another insect.
Be-e-t-le
Born
- Thomas Moore (poet) –
- Ian Fleming (writer) –
- Frank Drake (American astronomer) –
- Rudy Giuliani (politician) –
- Gladys Knight (singer) –
- Hunter "Patch" Adams (doctor) –
- Christa Miller (actress) –
- Kylie Minogue (singer) –
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck (The View co-host) –
- Jesse Bradford (actor) –
- Michael Oher (football player) –
- Cameron Boyce (actor) –
Died
- Noah Webster (writer) –
- Phil Hartman (actor) –
- Mildred Wirt Benson (original author, under the pen name Carolyn Keene, of the Nancy Drew mystery books) –
- Maya Angelou (poet) –
Events
- French West India Company secured royal grant of all French colonies in America–
- First stamp auction in the U.S.–
- The Sierra Club, dedicated to the conservation of natural resources, was founded–
- Patent application for John B. Gruelle’s Raggedy Ann doll filed–
- R.H. Macy & Co. was incorporated–
- On With the Show, the first all-color talking picture, premiered in New York City–
- Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicles–
- When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge topped charts–
- Mars 3 orbiter and lander was launched–
- An unidentified soldier killed during the Vietnam War was buried with military honors in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Virginia. (He was later identified via DNA testing, and exhumed.)–
- The cover of Vanity Fair featured a photo of President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan kissing–
- Hubble Space Telescope photographed unknown object TMR-1C–
- Baby Jessica McClure, who held the attention of the nation when she fell into an abandoned well at 18 months old, graduated from Greenwood High School in Texas–
- In Germany, several people reported seeing what seemed to be UFOs. A police investigation found that it was a 29-year old man proposing to his girlfriend accompanied by glowing paper lanterns–
Weather
- Three tornadoes tore through Cincinnati, Ohio–
- It was 97 degrees F in San Francisco, California–
- Mother Nature dumped up to 10 inches of snow on parts of Wisconsin–
- 100 degrees F in Portland, Oregon–
- Large hail hit areas of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey–