Table of Contents April 23 Fun Facts, Trivia and History |
April 23 History Highlights |
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Saint George |
| The myth of Saint George (died April 23, 303) slaying the dragon originated in stories of his valiance and bravery brought back by the Crusaders who learned of him during the Middle Ages. Legend has it that George arrived upon a village where a dragon was terrorizing the local people. To appease the creature, they had begun to sacrifice a sheep per day to feed its hunger until they no longer had any sheep. The King then decreed that they must sacrifice the local children to keep the dragon at bay. Each day, the sacrifice was chosen by lottery until the King’s daughter was selected. As she was being led to the dragon, George happened by. Horrified by what he discovered, he offered to slay the dragon. During his battle with the dragon, George noticed a vulnerable patch of skin under its arm and charged forward with his sword, slaying the beast. (St. George Society) King Edward III made Saint George the country’s official saint shortly after ascending to the throne in 1327. The Knights of the Round Table had as their patron saint St. George because he was the only one of all the saints who was a horseman. He is the Patron Saint of cavalry from which the word Chivalry is derived, and the special saint of England. |
April 23 is… |
| English Muffin Day Impossible Astronaut Day Lover’s Day Picnic Day Take a Chance Day World Book and Copyright Day World Laboratory Day |
April 23 Birthday Quotes |
“There are moments in life where it gets so hectic that time becomes a blur. Keep calm and never give up.” “There are many of us who should be in a position to bring peace to the world.” “No particular race is the enemy. Ignorance is the enemy.” “Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.” “Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” |
April 23 Birthdays |
1621 – William Penn, English admiral and politician (died in 1670) |
April 23 History |
1516 – A Beer Purity Law was put into law still in effect today in Germany. It was decreed on April 23, 1516, by Munich’s Duke Wilhelm, protecting the country’s beer drinkers from contaminants, chemicals, and any other additives that unsavory merchants might have thought of adding. 1564 – William Shakespeare was born. He went on to write 38 plays and invent dozens of English words. 1635 – The first public school in the Americas, the Boston Latin School, was founded in Boston. 1916 – The Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field). 1940 – Rhythm Club Fire (or The Natchez Dance Hall Holocaust) Natchez, Mississippi killed 198 people. 1940 – A leak-proof flashlight battery (the Ray-o-Vac) was patented (#2,198,423) by Herman Anthony. 1961 – Judy Garland performed at Carnegie Hall, the performance is often called “the greatest night in showbiz history.” 1977 – #1 Hit April 23, 1977 – April 29, 1977: Thelma Houston – Don’t Leave Me This Way 1982 – The Sword and the Sorcerer was released in theaters. 1983 – #1 Hit April 23, 1983 – April 29, 1983: Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen 1985 – Coca-Cola changed its formula and released ‘New Coke’. 1988 – #1 Hit April 23, 1988 – May 6, 1988: Whitney Houston – Where Do Broken Hearts Go 1994 – Physicists at the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory discovered the subatomic particle called the top quark. 2004 – 13 Going on 30 was released in theaters. 2005 – First YouTube video was uploaded, titled “Me at the zoo”. #1 Hit April 23, 2022 – April 29, 2022: First Class – Jack Harlow |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
| Paul Desmond, the composer of the jazz classic, “Take Five” left all the profits from the song to the Red Cross after his death. People in 1996 would be really impressed by our technology today, but people in the 1950s would be really unimpressed because of their idea of the future. It is possible for some people to sneeze with their eyes open. #concentrate! TV Quotes… “Here it is, your moment of Zen” on “The Daily Show” 28 Days Later was filmed on a Canon XL-1 DV camera using mini-DV tapes instead of 35mm film. Every movie, book, television show, and game that deals with time travel stresses the importance of not changing the timeline. It’s like we’re being conditioned not to interfere should we fall back through time. The mechanical shark used in the movie ‘Jaws’ was nicknamed Bruce, after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer. Kids today are so coddled – Teddy Ruxpin, Elf on the Shelf, Toy Story. In my day, if dolls magically came to life, they murdered you and everyone you loved. The Capital of Togo is Lome “Have no fear of perfection- you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali “Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a result of something, hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.” – Roger Staubach “To be a better cook, cook more. To be a better writer, read more.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana |
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