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February 12 Saints of the Day – Alexis Metropolitan of Moscow and Julian the...
On this day in 1994, four men broke into the National Gallery of Norway and stole Edward Munch’s iconic painting “The Scream.” The thieves eventually returned the painting, saying it was keeping them...
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February 16 Saints of the Day – Romanos the New Martyr and Juliana of Nicomedia
On this day in 1859, the French Government passed a law to set the A-note above middle C to a frequency of 435 Hz, in an attempt to standardize the pitch, after complaints by sopranos that the...
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February 26 Saint of the Day – Porphyry of Gaza
On this day in 1975, the Today Show featured the first live, televised kidney transplant. Over 20,000 people, two cows, and a confused chicken named Smedley called in after the show, offering to donate...
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March 16 Saints of the Day – Ambrose the Confessor of Georgia and Abraham...
On this day in 1881, the combined Barnum & Bailey Circus debuted. Hailed as “the Greatest Show on Earth,” it had more clowns under one roof than any other circus in the world, save the U.S....
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March 17 Saint of the Day – Patrick of Ireland
On this day in 1845, Henry Jones of Bristol patented self-raising flour, freeing hundreds of foster bakers to adopt other meals. Today both Churches hail Patrick (Pádraig) of Ireland (ca. 387 – ca....
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March 19 Saints of the Day – Chrysanthus & Daria and Joseph the Husband of Mary
On this day in 1962, Bob Dylan released his eponymous first album. It was a total flop. It would be discourteous to say this was because it was primarily traditional songs and covers, and thus depended...
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March 23 Saints of the Day – Nikon of Sicily and Gwinear
On this day in 1929, the first telephone was installed in White House. It was a wrong number. Easterlings today venerate Nikon of Sicily (d. ca. 250). Nikon grew up unbaptized but secretly instructed...
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April 12 Saints of the Day – Isaac of Spoleto and Sabas the Goth
On this date in 1831, soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, caused it to collapse. In shame, the engineers who designed the bridge moved to Tacoma, Washington....
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April 13 Saints of the Day – Artemon the Hieromartyr and Margaret of Castello
On this date in 1742, George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah made its world premiere in Dublin, Ireland. Every O’Malley would be elated. E-la-ted. Ela-aaa-aaa-aated. Artemon the Hieromartyr (d. 303)...
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May 5 Saints of the Day – Irene of Thessalonica and Hilary of Arles
On this date in 1862, troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico. To celebrate, the troops went to a cheap Tex-Mex restaurant and drank Dos Equis and...
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May 16 Saints of the Day – Theodore the Sanctified and Brendan the Navigator
On this date in 1770, 14-year old Marie Antoinette married 15-year-old Louis-Auguste, who later became king of France. Immediately after the ceremony, young Marie was heard to say, “Let us eat cake!”...
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May 18 Saints of the Day – David & Terichan of Georgia and Pope John I
On this date in 1910, the Earth passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet, producing two long meteor showers. There were rocks around the clock, all right. David & Terichan of Georgia (d. 693) lost...
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May 21 Saints of the Day – Constantine the Great and Godric of Finchale
On this date in 1927, Charles Lindbergh touched down in Paris, becoming the first man to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic. Also on this date in 1932, Amelia Earhart landed in Ireland, becoming the...
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May 28 Saints of the Day – Heliconis of Thessalonica and Margaret of Salisbury
On this date in 1503, a Treaty of Everlasting Peace was signed between Scotland and England. It lasted ten years. Heliconis (d. 244) moved from her hometown of Thessalonica to Corinth just in time to...
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May 29 Saints of the Day – Theodosia of Tyre and Theodosia of Constantinople
On this date in 1913, Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” debuted in Paris, provoking a riot. Twenty-seven years later it was used in the soundtrack to a Disney cartoon. Remember this next time you...
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May 31 Saints of the Day – Hermias of Comana and Petronilla of Rome
On this date in 1678, Lady Godiva made the first of her famous bare—um—back rides through the streets of Coventry. It is thought that she rode side-saddle, and the cheers of the onlookers were the...
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June 1 Saint of the Day – Justin Martyr
On this date in 1974, the Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims was published in the journal Emergency Medicine. Prior to this it had been known only in the oral tradition. Justin Martyr (ca....
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June 3 Saints of the Day – Dmitry of Uglich and Clotilde
On this date in 1953, Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge while practicing for the Olympics. His death was later ruled a suicide by people who missed the issues of “Divers...
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June 5 Saints of the Day – Constantine of Kiev and Boniface of Crediton
On this date in 1956, Elvis Presley introduced his new single, “Hound Dog”, on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements. The knees, they didn’t so much mind....
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June 15 Saints of the Day – Doulas of Egypt and Vitus
On this date in 1844, Charles Goodyear received a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber. You might say vulcanization allows rubber to live long and prosper. Doulas of Egypt (no date...
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