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Daily Calendar for Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Question of the Day

Why are these hot, humid days of August called Dog Days?
These days are named for the Dog Star, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major. This star starts shining brightly at this time of year. It rises in the east at about the same time as the Sun. The ancient Egyptians thought that the star was responsible for the heat and blamed it for any droughts, sickness, and discomfort that occurred. The Dog Days traditionally start on July 3 and end on August 11, which may or may not be when the hot, humid weather ends.

Advice of the Day

Try drinking nettle tea to relieve hay fever.

Home Hint of the Day

Squirt lemon juice on windowsills and the bottoms of doors to keep ants from coming into the house.

Word of the Day

Barograph
A recording barometer.

Puzzle of the Day

The Pelican State.(Name the U.S. state!)
Louisiana

Born

  • Benjamin Harrison (23rd U.S. president) –
  • Edgar Guest (poet) –
  • Don King (boxing promoter) –
  • Isaac Hayes (singer) –
  • Connie Chung (journalist) –
  • Robert Plant (singer) –
  • Al Roker (co-anchor and TV weatherman) –
  • Joan Allen (actress) –
  • Billy Gardell (actor) –
  • Amy Adams (actress) –

Died

  • Pope Pius X (religious leader) –
  • Sir Fred Hoyle (astronomer) –
  • Somporn Saekow (founder of first Thailand monkey-training school) –
  • Joe Rosenthal (photojournalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for the image of World War II servicemen raising an American flag over Iwo Jima. The photo became the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial) –
  • Leona Helmsley (hotel magnate) –
  • Phyllis Diller (comedienne & actress) –
  • Elmore Leonard (author) –
  • Jerry Lewis (comedian) –

Events

  • The 1812 Overture debuted in Moscow–
  • Strowger firm applied for a patent for the first telephone rotary dial–
  • The Plant Quarantine Act came into effect, placing restrictions on the entry of plants into the U.S.–
  • German forces occupied Brussels–
  • Project Manhigh II completed–
  • 563-lb. 8-oz. giant sea bass caught near Anacapa Island, California–
  • The unmanned U.S. planetary probe Viking 1 was launched on a journey to Mars. After nearly a year in space, it became the first vehicle to land on that planet–
  • Jellyfish invaded the beaches of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Long Island–
  • Parade of 83 tow trucks set a world record in Wenatchee, Washington–
  • Talk show host Regis Philbin achieved the Guinness World Record for most hours on camera–

Weather

  • Salt crystals fell from the sky over Switzerland–
  • The town of Indianola, Texas, was completely destroyed by a hurricane and fire–
  • Deadly tornado hit Sudbury, Ontario–