All - Leep Calendar

We’re unable to determine why today is International Dog Biscuit Day, but we suspect it might relate to the day the first patent on dog biscuits was filed in 1860 as it is not tied to a birth or death of the inventors. Unfortunately the UK Historical Patent Office only has patents going back to 1890 in their database, so we’ll have to leave proving that theory for another year. Dog Biscuits: a Short History Back to the time of the Romans people have been feeding dogs scraps from the table, stale bread and other treats. The term dog biscuit actually originated during the 16th or 17th Century in Europe. It wasn’t until 1809 that a man named Filt Bennett mixed milk, minerals and meat together and the dog biscuit was born. He did sell them, but nowhere on a scale that would be noticed. Bennet doesn’t get the credit for the biscuits we know today. Credit, rather, goes to James Spratt of Cincinnati Ohio, who whilst in England during 1960 introduced the first commercially produced dog biscuit: Spratt's Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes made of wheat, beetroot, vegetables and beef blood. Yum… In 1907 things change again. F. H. Bennett repackaged the dog biscuits into the shape of a bone, calling them 'Maltoid Milk-Bones’. They were a tremendous success and he went from pauper to millionaire rather quickly…just by reshaping the end product. In 1931, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) bought his company. Innovative packaging can propel a product and satisfying a dog’s treat tooth can make you a fortune. No bones about it! We've included a couple of dog treat recipes as well as a short video on the history of biscuits...people biscuits that is!

Africa

Feb

Single-tasking Day: February 23

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Forget multitasking. Go for single-tasking. National Single-tasking Day will be much easier for right handed men. Why? Women and left handed men have larger corpus callosum than right handed men. This means women and left handed men can both think and feel at the same time, something essential for multi-tasking and analyzing multiple sources of information including emotional IQ. It's also evolutionary. Women multitask because if the children were to survive in caveman days up to the present, she needed to be able to watch them and do other things. Got a problem that needs someone to juggle a bunch of different things? Put a woman or a left handed man on it. They can watch tv, read a book, watch the children and cook all at the same time. However, if you need absolute focus, no deviations and no distractions, a right handed man is your best choice. He is purpose driven and will not stop until he completes whatever he is doing. He is a single-tasker. This is why many men can't deal with someone talking over the game on TV. They'll talk, or they'll watch the game...but don't make them do both. You'll drive them crazy. Evolutionarily, this worked. He needed to protect and bring home food. This is also why men can go for 30-45 days after a break-up and not appear phased. They usually get thumped by emotions between 6-8 weeks. Until then, they can think it away by focusing on something else. If you've broken up with a right handed man, give him 60 days to reconnect. If he loves you, he will reconnect by then. If he doesn't, he'll move on to another task. If you'd like to learn more about this, read Dr. Pat Allen's book 'Getting to I Do'. There are times when we all have to multi-task or single-task. It's just easier for the above explained to do what they need to do. Doesn't mean your smarter. You just operate differently. God made us that way for a reason.

Africa

Feb

Tennis Day, Ntl. Play (1874): February 23

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On February 23, 1874, Walter Wingfield (October 16, 1833 – April 18, 1912), of England patented a “New and Improved Court for Playing the Ancient Game of Tennis”. These are the same balls, rackets, net and posts currently used in the game of Tennis today. He called it lawn tennis and packaged the various elements together along with an instruction book. Prior to this, Tennis had been an indoor sport, one that could only be enjoyed by the gentry. An example of the original game can be seen in the Showtime Series “The Tudors”, Season one, Episode 1, minutes 8 & 9. Wingfield took the game outdoors, and made it something that could be played on any large grassy area, by anyone. Today celebrates that patent and the game.

Africa

Feb

Tile Day, Ntl: February 23

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Honoring the beauty and durability of tile, National Tile Day is an initiative of the tile and stone exhibition host, Coverings. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness on tile's key benefits including durability, sustainability, versatility and affordability. Tile is one of the first decorative building materials ever used and dates back thousands of years. This event first ran in 2017.

Africa

Feb

Bartender Day, World: February 24

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Bartending originated in Rome, Greece and Asia. It is a profession that in its infancy required the bar keeper know how to brew their own spirits, ales and wines. Beginning in the 20th Century, cocktails became popular. Prohibition increased the popularity of these mixed drinks, and by the time the United States emerged from the stranglehold of the Volstead Act, bartending had been elevated to a highly skilled profession. World Bartender Day recognizes the achievements and craft of bartenders worldwide. This event first ran in 2018.

Africa

Feb

Flag Day (MX)(1984): February 24

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Green to represent Independence, white to honor the purity of the Roman Catholic faith and red representing the blood of national heroes and Spanish ancestry, the Mexican flag includes an emblem of an eagle on a cactus with a snake honoring the Aztec people indigenous to the area. This became the official flag of Mexico, honoring its heritage and people. It was adopted 1821. The flag of today is similar, with the colors slightly brighter and the insignia more complex. The current flag was adopted for use officially on February 24, 1984. Flag Day, (El Did de la Bandera) is a national holiday in Mexico.

Africa

Feb

Gregorian Calendar Day (1582): February 24

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February 24, 1592 Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian Calendar via a Pappel Bull, the primary calendar used in the world today and the calendar underlying international commerce. The new calendar went into effect on October 4, 1582. It would not be until 1752 that it became the official calendar throughout most of Europe and the colonies. The Julian Calendar, which the world was using, was created by Julius Cesar. It had a problem though. It wasn’t accurate. Every year it was off by 11.5 minutes. Over the course of centuries, 11 minutes per year can add up. The Julian Calendar has 13 fewer days than the Gregorian and doesn’t follow a complete solar rotation of the earth. The Gregorian calendar addressed this issue and split time into two eras: before the birth of Jesus Christ (BC) and after the nativity (AD). Of course non-Christian religions didn’t like this so they changed it to Before the Common Era and Common Era. No matter what you call it, the demarcation point is still the same: the Birth of Jesus Christ. The Julian Calendar is still used by Orthodox Christians as their religious calendar, which is why you’ll find two different celebrations of Easter and Christmas each year. Other religions use their own calendars, most of which follow the movements of the sun, moon and/or stars. These calendars are shorter than the Gregorian Calendar, which is now the international standard. The oldest calendar in the world is the Byzantine Calendar, which has been marking time over the past 7,500+ years.

Africa

Jan

24 Karat Day (1848): January 24

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International 24 Karat Day marks the anniversary of the discovery of gold January 24, 1848 by James W Marshal at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Dubbed the California Gold Rush in 1849, this single event was responsible for massive migration in the United States across the country to the Western States. The people chasing gold in California were affectionately referred to as Forty-niners.

Africa

Jan

55-MPH Speed Limit Day (1974): January 2

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Today is the anniversary of the enactment of the 55 mile per hour speed limit in the United States in 1974. Speed limits have been with us since 1757, the first of which was passed in Boston. The 55 mile per hour speed limit became the maximum speed limit in the United States for a period of 12 years beginning in 1974 and ending in 1986. It was thought to force fuel economy and came into being after the 1973 oil embargo. Experts believed the law would force fuel consumption to fall by 2.2%. In reality it only fell between .5 and 1.1%, depending upon the study. As Sammy Hagar famously states in his song “I Can’t Drive 55” (see below), the double nickel speed limit was not popular, especial on rural highways in western states. In 1987 the US Congress raised the national speed limit to 65 MPH. By the end of 1995, National Highway Designation Act permanently killed the idea of a national speed limit, transferring authority to the individual States. We’ve included a few fast songs from the era for your enjoyment below.

Africa

Jan

Adopt a Rescued Bird Month: January

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If you live in West Los Angeles, you may have seen the flock of green parrots that lives there. Conventional wisdom is a few birds escaped from a pet store fire sometime in the 1980s and now they number in the 100s. It’s quite a sight the first time you see them. Parrots are not native to North America, but exotic birds are popular pets and sometimes they get lost, their owners pass away or their owners are forced to give them up. This means they end up in shelters and need to find new homes. Adopt a Rescue Bird Month came about to highlight the fact that animal rescue helps all types of animals, including birds. If your dream is to own a bird, before you purchase from a pet store, check with your local shelter and bird rescue. You just might be able to give a bird the forever home it’s been waiting for!

Africa

Jan

Adult Entertainment Expo, Las Vegas (US-NV): January 22-25

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The Adult Entertainment Expo is the largest gathering of products and services related to the adult entertainment and the adult products industries in the world. It is both an awards program for those in the industry, and a trade show of products and services within the legal adult industries.

Africa

Jan

AFC Championship Game (Football): January 19

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Created in 1970 after the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) became one, the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game, or AFC Title Game, determines which team from the American AFC will play in the Super Bowl against the winner of the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game. The Super Bowl, played between the top team in the AFC and the top team in the NFC. It is the final professional football contest of the year. The winner is considered the World Champion. PLEASE NOTE: All televised and venue specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) should be treated as estimated, even if the dates are set. Several factors can cause an event to change dates at the last minute including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor prior to committing resources. In many cases we must estimate the dates based upon previous years' schedules, as the final dates are not set until a few months or weeks prior to the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa

Jan

Africa, 3rd Decade of Industrial Development: 2016- 2025

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The vision for implementing IDDA III is to firmly anchor Africa on a path toward inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The achievement of this vision requires the transformation of African countries into locations of competitive industrial production.

The necessary enabling framework conditions for this industrial transformation include strengthening key elements of industrial productive capacity, such as infrastructure, innovation and technology transfer, industrial financing, industrial knowledge and skills, and support from public and private sector institutions that regulate and advocate industrial development. Various development interventions and broad-based partnerships are required to improve the enabling framework and encourage productive industrial investment ventures in Africa.

Africa

Jan

African, Intl. Decade for People of African Descent: 2015- 2024

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The International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 68/237 and to be observed from 2015 to 2024, provides a solid framework for the United Nations, Member States, civil society, and all other relevant actors to join together with people of African descent and take effective measures for the implementation of the program of activities in the spirit of recognition, justice, and development.

Africa

Jan

ALA Youth Media Awards: January 27

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This event is estimated. The date for this event is set in December or early January. Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media. PLEASE NOTE: All televised and venue specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) should be treated as estimated, even if the dates are set. Several factors can cause an event to change dates at the last minute including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor prior to committing resources. In many cases we must estimate the dates based upon previous years' schedules, as the final dates are not set until a few months or weeks prior to the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa