Canada Day commemorates the creation of the Dominion of Canada. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act established “one Dominion under the name of Canada” out of the colonies of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, dividing it into four provinces named Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Canada Day was so named by Parliament in 1982; previous names were First of July, July the First, Confederation Day, and Dominion Day.
Question of the Day
When is the best time to harvest okra?
Okra should be picked a few days after the flowers fall off. If you pick okra daily, the plants should produce until frost. Okra is in its prime when the pods are soft and the seeds are no more than half-grown. Cook okra at once, or freeze, can, or dry it promptly. Leaving the pods on the vine too long will make them woody.
Advice of the Day
Start root vegetables cooking in cold water, everything else in hot.
Home Hint of the Day
To store those unwieldy plastic gallon jugs on their way to being recycled, tie a length of string to the handle of one jug and thread the remaining jugs on the string. Make a loop in the other end and hang it on a nail.
Word of the Day
January
Named for the Roman god Janus, protector of gates and doorways. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other into the future.
Puzzle of the Day
How did the farmer count his cows?
With a “cowculator.”
Born
William Howard Brett(American librarian)–
Louis Blériot(first man to fly across the English Channel)–
Benjamin Oliver Davis(first African American general in U.S. Army)–
Walter Francis White(author)–
William Wyler(film director)–
Estée Lauder(cosmetics executive)–
Olivia de Havilland(actress)–
Jamie Farr(actor)–
Sydney Pollack(director)–
Dan Aykroyd(actor)–
Princess Diana of Wales–
Carl Lewis(athlete)–
Missy Elliott(hip hop artist)–
Liv Tyler(actress)–
Jarome Iginla(hockey player)–
Died
Michael Landon(actor)–
Robert Mitchum(actor)–
Walter Matthau(actor)–
Marlon Brando(actor)–
Luther Vandross(singer)–
Karl Malden(actor)–
Mollie Sugden(actress)–
Events
Battle of Gettysburg began–
Dominion of Canada was created by the British North America Act; the Dominion consisted of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Lower and Upper Canada–
John A. Macdonald became the first prime minister of Canada–
Prince Edward Island joined the Canadian Confederation–
First U.S. zoo opened, with bear pit and lion house, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–
Lincoln Highway Association formed to create first coast-to-coast U.S. highway–
First sales tax in U.S. began in West Virginia–
First Piano Concerto by Bela Bartok premiered in Frankfurt, Germany–
Bulova Watch company sponsored the first television commercial–
Intelligence and Security Branch of U.S. Army established–
Zip codes introduced for U.S. mail–
Medicare went into effect–
O Canada officially became the national anthem of Canada–
After a seven-year journey, NASA’s Cassini probe became the first spacecraft ever to orbit the giant ringed planet Saturn–
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, announced that she was retiring from the bench after 24 years–
Andy Pettitte broke Whitey Ford’s record for career strikeouts as a New York Yankees pitcher after striking out his 1,958th batter–
Weather
The temperature in Portland, Oregon, reached 107 degrees F–
