Daily Chronicles January
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THE FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021 On This Date 1851 – The Canadian government abolished primogeniture, wherein Quote of the Day the eldest son inherited all of the “We will open the book. deceased father’s property. Going Its pages are blank. We are forward, if there was no will, all property would be divided equally going to put words on them among the children. ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first 1899 – Canada agreed on the chapter is New Year’s Day.” Imperial Penny Postage. Using this stamp, a letter could be delivered ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce anywhere within the British Empire for two cents. 1947 – Canadian citizenship, as a status separate from British nationality, Happy New Year! was created by the Canadian New Year’s Day was originally Citizenship Act. observed on March 15, since this was 1975 – Product labeling using the considered the beginning of spring. metric system was introduced. It The date was changed to January was one more step in a transition to 1 in 153 BC when metric that began in 1970. Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and the guardian of Daily Trivia doors and entrances, was placed at the The song “Auld Lang Syne” head of the calendar. was composed by Robert Burns Pictured looking in sometime in the 1700s. The both directions, Janus symbolizes term means “old long ago.” the progression of the past to the future. ©ActivityConnection.com – The Daily Chronicles (CAN) RIDAY ANUARY F , J 1, 2021 Today is First Foot Day. The first foot is the first person to enter your home in the new year, a visitor considered to bring good fortune. In Scottish tradition, a tall, dark-haired male is considered the be the luckiest first footer. Root of the Matter 50 Years Ago Today Cutting corners On this day 50 years ago, the If someone is caught cutting corners, last cigarette commercials were then they have attempted to reach broadcast on television. Seconds their goal in the cheapest, quickest, before midnight, during a commercial easiest, and often most unreliable break for Johnny’s Carson’s Tonight way possible. This expression Show, an ad aired for Virginia Slims. originated in the 1800s In April of 1970, Congress passed and referenced the the Public Health Cigarette Smoking driving of horses and Act, which banned cigarette ads carriages. Horses that on TV and the radio. The tobacco cut corners, or turned too quickly industry had spent more than around a corner and ended up pulling $150 million per year on television the carriage onto the curb, were in advertising. The ban was a financial danger of overturning their carriage blow to the tobacco industry and and causing an accident. Here, haste the networks that relied on tobacco was equated with a dangerous ad revenue. practice. The phrase was later applied to automobiles. Word Scramble E U N T B E L R C U Punny Business Coffee has a rough time in our A state of agitated or tumultuous movement TURBULENCE house. It gets mugged every ANSWER: single morning! ©ActivityConnection.com – The Daily Chronicles EXTRA! THE SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 On This Date 1492 – The Spanish forces of King Quote of the Day Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I captured the province of Granada “Now, God be praised, from the Moors. This “re-conquest” I will die in peace.” ended 781 years of Moorish rule. ~ James Wolfe 1813 – In York, England, Ned Ludd and his followers were placed on trial for destroying automated looms used in textile factories. They Happy Birthday! blamed their unemployment on the James Wolfe (1727–1759) was a use of such machinery. In modern British general who captured Québec usage, Luddite is a term describing in the French and Indian War. In those opposed to technology. September 1759, he led his army of 4,400 up a steep cliff to the Plains of Abraham above Québec. The British Did You Know? troops surprised the French, who had considered the cliff unclimbable, and Because of its high altitude, nearly defeated them in an open battle, now non-existent cloud cover, dry air, known as the Battle of the Plains and lack of light pollution and radio of Abraham. Wolfe and the French interference, the Atacama Desert in commander were both killed during northern Chile is the site of several the battle. Wolfe’s premier astronomical observatories. body was returned to The Atacama will be home to Britain and interred the Giant Magellan Telescope in the family vault in (GMT), which is currently under St. Alfege Church, construction and will be the largest Greenwich. He is optical telescope in the world when known as “the Hero it is completed in 2025. of Québec.” ©ActivityConnection.com – The Daily Chronicles (CAN) ATURDAY ANUARY S , J 2, 2021 Today is World Introvert Day, so if you’re an introvert, feel free to celebrate by staying at home by yourself. Studies show that introverts make smart, savvy, and confident leaders, despite their reputations as timid homebodies who shun others. Who Am I? Only Human At age eight, I was kidnapped from my Time might fly when you’re having home in West Africa and shipped to fun, but it can also drag slowly. Boston on a slave ship. A family Scientists believe that purchased me for use as a servant, but our sense of time they also taught me history, literature, might be related to and how to read and write in Latin and how tired our brain cells are. When Greek. My first poem was published in people are sleep deprived, some a local newspaper when I was 13 years neurons in the brain slow down, old. In 1773, I published an entire leading to delayed responses to things book of poems, with a preface written going on around us. Researchers by John Hancock. In doing so, I observed neuron activity in became the first African American and volunteers. As neurons slowed down, first enslaved person in America to participants estimated that things felt publish a book of poetry. George like they took a lot longer than they Washington even invited me to visit actually did. In their perception, time Wheatley Phillis him. Who am I? ANSWER: was crawling by slowly. Time might not be objective at all, but a subjective experience based on the perceptions Buy a Vowel of the individual. S _ R _ N _ Riddle Me This Calm and peaceful What animal has more lives times. of SERENE ANSWER: ANSWER: than a cat? Frogs. They croak millions millions croak They Frogs. ANSWER: ©ActivityConnection.com – The Daily Chronicles EXTRA! THE SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2021 On This Date 1863 – The first covered skating Quote of the Day rink in Canada opened in Halifax’s “A room without books is like Horticultural Gardens. a body without a soul.” 1938 – U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the March ~ Cicero of Dimes to fight polio. Roosevelt himself had suffered with the disease. 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company Happy Birthday! introduced the world’s first electric Marcus Tillius Cicero (106 BC–43 BC) watch, the Hamilton Electric 500. was a celebrated Roman philosopher, “The watch that never needs winding” lawyer, and statesman from the final was an instant hit. years of the Roman Republic. Born into a wealthy family in Arpino, Italy, Cicero’s legendary oratory skills were well-known in Rome. He was also prominent in many 1992 – After 46 years, the Miss other fields, including politics, Canada Pageant was canceled. writing, and law. His success in the Organizers cited changing times and courtroom, particularly for taking on escalating costs. and winning difficult Daily Quiz cases, made him a very popular figure Q: What is the difference between in his time. He was bronze and brass? elected consul of the A: Bronze is an alloy of copper Roman government and tin. Brass is an alloy of copper in 63 BC and soon and zinc. Bronze dates back to after helped thwart a coup, which about 3500 BC. Brass dates earned him the title Pater Patriae, back to about 500 BC. or “Father of the Country.” ©ActivityConnection.com – The Daily Chronicles (CAN) UNDAY ANUARY S , J 3, 2021 Today is J. R. R. Tolkien Day, celebrating the birthday of the renowned fantasy author on this day in 1892. Lovers of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings can join the Tolkien Society, a group dedicated to promoting Tolkien’s life and works. Centennial Memories 25 Years Ago Today On this day 100 years ago, the very On this day 25 years ago, the very first weather report was broadcast first clamshell “flip” phone went on over the radio on the University sale for $1,000. At the time, Motorola’s of Wisconsin’s 9XM radio station. StarTAC was the smallest mobile In 1915, the U.S. Department of phone available on the market, and Commerce granted the university an it quickly became the experimental radio station license industry standard. Motorola with the call sign 9XM. In 1916, the was so sure that consumers station began transmitting weather would love the clamshell reports in Morse code, requiring design that its initial farmers to translate the dots and magazine ad campaign featured an dashes into meaningful information. actual-sized cardboard pullout that In 1921, after the invention of readers could detach from the page to a “radiotelephone,” the first see for themselves how small the weather broadcast was sent using phone was. The StarTAC sold spoken words. 60 million units, and the clamshell design became the model for many Word Wise competing mobile phones.