All - Leep Calendar

Donkey Welfare Day is observed in Kenya each year on May 17. It celebrates the contribution to Kenyan life and agriculture by the 1.8 million donkeys. These hardworking animals are essential to transportation, farming, and commerce. The purpose of the day, as outlined by its sponsor, is: a) Distributing advice and information on donkey welfare, management, and husbandry to owners and users; b) Providing veterinary treatment to donkeys in need; c) Sharing ideas about donkey welfare; d) Engaging participants, including the general public, groups, and local councils encouraging local county officials to adopt welfare-friendly by-laws; e) Promoting a positive image of donkeys in society through local and national media. Most festivities occur in the Kenyan counties of Kisumu, Nyandarua, Kajiado, Nakuru, and Kitui.

Africa

May

Employee Health & Fitness Day, Ntl.: May 17

06:20 AM | -

Employee Health & Fitness Day is part of Employee Health & Fitness Month (EHFM), a national observance promoting health and fitness in the workplace. Two non-profit organizations created it, the National Association for Health and Fitness and ACTIVE Life. EHFM aims to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments

Africa

May

Hoarders & Pack Rats Day: May 17

06:20 AM | -

Hoarders & Pack Rats Day addresses hoarding issues and aims to raise awareness about the seriousness of the problem. When most people hear the word "Hoarder," they view it as funny, and few people manage to recognize hoarding as the obsessive-compulsive disorder that it is. The most famous pack rat of the 20th century is artist Edward Gorey. He collected everything from mummy's heads to salt shakers. Gorey died in 2000.

Africa

May

Homophobia & Transphobia, Intl. Day Against (1990): May 17

06:20 AM | -

Africa

May

Pizza Party Day, Ntl: May 17

06:20 AM | -

National Pizza Party Day provides the excuse to enjoy two of life's best things: pizza and parties. What better way to end the school year than having a pizza party at home or in the park? It is brought to you annually by Garlic Jim's Gourmet Pizza in Mill Creek, Washington.

Africa

May

Ride of Silence, Intl.: May 17

06:20 AM | -

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and killed. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. During National Bike Month, the ride aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police, and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those killed or injured. As of 2010, this has become an international event, with riders worldwide joining in solidarity to honor those who have died in bicycle accidents. This event occurs on the third Wednesday in May unless rained out, and the alternate day is the Saturday following the third Sunday.

Africa

May

Telecommunications & Information Society Day, World (1865): May 17

06:20 AM | -

World Telecommunications & Information Society Day (WTISD) is promoted by the ITU, the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies. WTISD celebrates the telecommunication and information achievements of society, its importance in keeping us apprised of happenings throughout the world. The day marks the anniversary of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865, in Paris, France.

Africa

May

Word Pain Day: May 17

06:20 AM | -

Dictionary.com celebrates its birthday (May 14, 1995) with a week-long event called #DictionaryWeek. The event includes various themed days: Wordplay Day (Monday): Participants are encouraged to share their favorite puns on Twitter, with the chance to be featured in the Pun Hall of Fame. There are also wordplay quizzes and games to enjoy. Word Love Day (Tuesday): A Word Giveaway takes place on Twitter, featuring favorite words selected by the Dictionary.com team. Limited edition virtual word certificates are available. The Word Love collection, curated for word lovers, is also featured. Word Pain Day (Wednesday): A Misspelling Bee occurs on Twitter, where participants share misspelled words that haunt them. There are spelling quizzes, games, and tips for getting words right. Word Curiosity Day (Thursday): A Twitter event allows users to ask questions about words, dictionary additions, language inclusivity, and more. Experts from Dictionary.com participate in answering the questions. Quizzes and strange-but-true word facts are also featured. Word Inspiration Day (Friday): Participants share the one word they would want their name to appear next to in the dictionary. Dictionary.com chooses one of these words as the Word of the Day, crediting the person who shared it. Throughout the week, participants are encouraged to follow Dictionary.com on Twitter and engage in various activities and events.

Africa

May

AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day: May 18

06:20 AM | -

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is an annual observance recognizing and thanking the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate communities about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research.

Africa

May

Ascension Day (C): May 18

06:20 AM | -

Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter and is a traditional feast day in the Christian faith. Christians believe Jesus Christ ascended to heaven on this day after his resurrection, which Easter marks. Ascension Day was first observed in 68 AD

Africa

May

Dirty Dishes Day, (No): May 18

06:20 AM | -

No Dirty Dishes Day probably arose out of frustration in some office cafeteria. Have you ever noticed that people tend to put dishes in the sink until they pile up when you don't live there? In the office lunchroom, this happens even faster. Dirty dishes in the sink can be an annoying and unhealthful problem if left unattended. Dirty dishes, counters, and floors attract disease-carrying scavengers, including roaches, ants, flies, mice, and rats. Unattended dirty dishes can grow bacteria and mold, leading to allergies and sickness. But even simply washing dishes is only sometimes enough. Most home dishwashers cannot sanitize dishes, which means even though they may be clean to the eye, they still have germs and bacteria. To disinfect dishes, they must be rinsed with a disinfectant (like bleach or industrial chemical) or rinsed (or exposed to heat) for at least 10 seconds in water above 82 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Whether it is in your office break room or at home, pledge today to leave no dirty dishes in the sink or elsewhere. After all, it is the best way to celebrate the day.

Africa

May

Mental Health Action Day: May 18

06:20 AM | -

Created in 2021, Mental Health Action Day is supported by over 1,300 organizations, brands, government agencies, and cultural leaders. May is also Mental Health Month in the United States, and this day is intended to drive the conversation from mental health awareness to mental health action. Mental Health Action Day comes at a critical time. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the mental health and well-being of people of color, young people, and LGBTQ+ communities. Studies have found: Four in ten adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, compared to one in ten before the pandemic. Fifty-six percent of young adults ages 18-24 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic. Forty-eight percent of Black people reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic versus 42% of all Adults and 40.9% of white people. Communities of color, who have experienced disparate impacts of COVID-19 and the ongoing trauma of systemic racism from police brutality to anti-Asian violence, are also facing more significant mental health challenges than ever before but continue to face challenges accessing mental health care. The cross-sector collaboration calling attention to the great need for support and action to address mental health in the same way we treat physical health needs is groundbreaking. Today's actions are only the beginning, from media and tech companies to nonprofits, consumer brands, government agencies, and cultural leaders. Coalition partners will host a series of activations, from public events featuring experts and activists to employee engagement activities. They will empower people to take initial action to support their mental health needs, whether for themselves or others.

Africa

May

Mount Saint Helens Eruption (US-WA)(1980): May 18

06:20 AM | -

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Mountain range of the northwestern region of the United States, erupted, unleashing 24 megatons of thermal energy, removing the north side and shrinking the mountain's height by about 1,300 feet (400 m). It left a crater one by two-mile (1.6 X 3.2 km) gash in its wake. The blast cloud enveloped the 17 miles north of the volcano. The landslide traveled about 14 miles west down to the North Fork of the Toutle River, where debris eventually wiped out the bridge on Interstate 5, the main north-south highway between Mexico and Canada in the United States. Prevailing winds blew 520 million tons of ash east across the United States and caused complete darkness in Spokane, Washington, 250 miles from the volcano. Fifty-seven people died due to the eruption, in addition to over 7000 large game animals and around 12 million salmon. The plinian eruption was in the same category as the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD and ranked five on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. That index measures volcanos on a scale of 1-7. Seven would match the volcanic eruption 600,000 years ago that created the Yellowstone Caldera when over 100 cubed kilometers of earth were extracted by its force. By contrast, Mount Saint Helens blew out 2.79 cubed kilometers. Experiencing the eruption My family had just moved to Portland, Oregon, from Silicon Valley in January 1980 when rumblings began registering on the mountain in February and March. We traded earthquakes for volcanos, it seemed. On May 18, the mountain completely exploded. I don't recall hearing it or seeing anything, but you could see the cloud from Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. That first significant explosion blew east rather than west where we lived. In the weeks following, one could follow the ash cloud spread in a large funnel shape from its origin, over the Rockies and into the Dakotas. The cloud was so large and dense in ash visible from outer space. I remember my father loading us in the FIAT and taking us to the top of Skyline Drive, which runs along the hills separating where we lived from the city of Portland and the Willamette River. It seemed to go on and on, as high as the eye could see. The mountain seemed to cough up billow after billow of gas and hot ash. We'd never seen anything like it and would later discover that the blast removed the mountaintop. Over the next several months, the mountain continued to erupt, with the wind not always in our favor. One particular Saturday, my parents held a garage sale. When we walked outside, it looked like it was snowing. It wasn't. It was ash, falling from the sky and covering it in several inches of grey, flaky dusk. That dust got into everything, turning into a thick paste when it rained. We had to walk around for days with monkey masks (my word at the time for the masks so standard now after COVID-19), which as a young teen, I detested. But the air was too thick to breathe. One of the aspects I remember fondly was when my father allowed me to help him take apart the engine of the FIAT and clean it. Every part of the car was caked in ash dust. Thank heaven Rosey's engine wasn't as complicated as today's. She had a manual choke, manual clutch, and no radio. It was a great learning experience and a tremendous father-daughter project. Little did I know that car would be mine in a few years. For those of us who witnessed Mount Saint Helens and her eruption, it is something we'll never forget. For us, far away, it was curiosity. For those close, fifty-seven people died, most from inhaling scalding ash. Round about the 25th anniversary, I found myself in Oregon again. Now in my thirties, I drove my car up to the mountain, which had reopened. The forest was beginning to come back. Animals had returned, and for a moment, it was nearly impossible to believe the event had ever happened. Then I glanced skyward toward the crater where a rounded dome once stood, and the reality returned. Oh yes, now, I remember. I remember it well.

Africa

May

Museum Day, Intl.: May 18

06:20 AM | -

International Museum Day first ran in 1977 and has continued each year since. It is a day to celebrate the world's museums, no matter how big or small, and their contribution to science, culture, and heritage. Currently, over 30,000 museums in 120 countries participate in this event. ICOM Advisory Committee decides each year's theme.

Africa

May

PGA Championship (US-NY): May 18-21

06:20 AM | -

The PGA Championship began in 1918. This major golf tournament draws the world's best professional golfers and is the year's final major. The US PGA was an offshoot of the United States Golf Association (USGA), the first official golf organization in the country, formed in 1894. Its advocacy played a crucial role in making golf one of the most popular sports in the US. The PGA was established in February 1916 following a luncheon hosted by Rodman Wanamaker at the Wykagyl Country Club. The first tournament was held at the Siwanoy Country Club in New York in October 1916. The winner, Jim Barnes, was awarded a gold medal with diamond studs and $500 in cash.

Africa