22 May: Wigs

Today is National Wig-Out Day: 10 facts about wigs

1. They’ve been around since ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian fashion was for people to shave their heads or have short, cropped Hair. They wore wigs to protect their bald heads from the Sun.

2. The word wig is short for periwig, which came from the French word ‘perruque’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, wigmakers were called perruquiers.

3. In the 16^th century, wigs were more hygienic than real hair. Head lice were extremely common, and it was easier to de-louse a wig than real hair – you could take a wig off and boil it to get rid of the nits.

4. Another nasty thing common around that time was syphilis. While today that disease is quickly got rid of with antibiotics, in those days people were forced to suffer the ultimate effects which as well as madness and nasty sores, included hair loss. Being bald became a source of shame so those affected took to wearing wigs. Samuel Pepys wrote when his brother contracted syphilis that if he survived, “he will not be able to show his head—which will be a very great shame to me.”

5. Pepys wore wigs himself, but was rather ambiguous about it. He wrote about the day he had his head shaved and tried on his new periwig for the first time, mentioning concerns that his headwear might have been made from the hair of someone who’d died of the plague.

6. Wigs were very fashionable with royalty. Queen Elizabeth I owned 150 individual hair pieces. Louis XIV started to go bald at 17 and hired 48 wig makers to save his image. Charles II of England, his cousin, had a similar problem and wore elaborate long wigs. Their courtiers copied them and hence wigs became everyday wear at court. Needless to say, these fashion accessories became very expensive. Even the most basic wig would cost a week’s salary for an ordinary man in the street. This is where the word “bigwig” comes from, a bigwig being a person who could afford a larger, more elaborate wig.

7. It takes six heads of hair to make a full human hair wig.

8. The most expensive wig ever sold at an auction was one that had belonged to Andy Warhol. It sold for $10,800.

9. Wigs, of course, are often used by actors as part of their costumes. Film studios are among a modern wig maker’s best customers. The second Lord of the Rings film, The Two Towers holds the record for the highest number of wigs used in one film.

10. Ironically, today, especially at Halloween, people with hair wear "rubber wigs" to make them look bald!

21 May: Harold Robbins Quotes

Today, 10 quotes from Harold Robbins, US writer, who was born on this date in 1912. Among his best known books is The Carpetbaggers.

1. Sometimes something happens and you find that all the people you knew are like nothing and someone you never saw before will reach out a hand to help.

2. The only thing of value on this earth is that each of us is an individual and not a cog in a machine. No man is better than another because of circumstance or fortune, but each important to his own.

3. Every man has his price. For some it's money, for some it's women, for others glory. But the honest man you don't have to buy – he winds up costing you nothing.

4. To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.

5. When I die, I don't want to leave any enemies, and I figure the only way to do that is to outlive them all.

6. People are not like a business. You can't buy and sell them like so much property. You can't lock them up in a vault and expect them to appreciate it.

7. Power, sex, deceit, and wealth: the four ingredients to a successful story.

8. A man is a thousand parts, All of them other people.

9. Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.

10. There is no sorrow that love does not precede.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

20 May: Socrates

This date in 467 BC was, according to astro.com, the birthday of Socrates. Some facts about him:

1. He was born in Athens, Greece. His father, Sophroniscus, was a stonemason and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife.

2. He learned the stonemasonry trade from his father and worked as a mason, too, as he didn’t have enough money to be a philosopher full time.

3. Socrates didn’t write any of his teachings down. We only know about him because some of his students wrote about his life and work. His students included Aristotle, Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes and Alexander the Great.

4. He was said to be extremely ugly, which might explain his belief that the mind was far more important than physical beauty. He’s described as being short with bulging Eyes, a snub nose and a pot belly.

5. He did his compulsory military service during which he served in Peloponnesian War, and was present at the battle of Amphipolis, and the battle of Potidaea. During the latter battle, he saved the life of a general called Alcibiades.

6. Which brings us to his sexuality. He was openly bisexual and attracted to men, and was said to have been in love with the general Alcibiades.

7. Nevertheless, he married a woman, albeit late in life, at the age of 50. Her name was Xanthippe and she was a lot younger than him. They had three sons, Menexenus, Lamprocles, and Sophroniscus who were said to be extremely boring people and nothing like their father at all. Socrates sometimes complained about his wife, but it's unclear if he was serious or not.

8. We already know he didn’t write books or treatises. He didn’t give boring lectures, either. He’d go to the town square on a busy market day and engage in conversation with random people, asking them questions and using biting wit and logic to trap them. He targetted people of all ages and social stations, both men and women, though his most popular discourses were the ones where he brought down high and mighty types. Crowds would gather to watch. Many of his “victims” would simply get annoyed but others had epiphanies. One such was a young poet called Aristocles who went home and burned all his writings. He would later be known as Plato.

9. Socrates got into trouble in the end for allegedly corrupting young people. It wasn’t so much about his sexuality but his rejection of the dominant religion of the time. He saw the widely worshipped Greek gods as no more than power hungry beings who meddled in society and needed to be constantly appeased with sacrifices. Just like politicians. That said, he wouldn’t have described himself as an atheist, either. He believed in a god called diamon, which was benevolent, rational and wise. What peed the authorities off was that he tried to turn young people away from the established gods towards one they’d never heard of.

10. His execution by drinking Hemlock is one of the most famous stories about him. Sentenced to death for his alleged crimes, he declared that he wasn’t afraid to die and refused to allow his friends to bribe the guards into letting him go. Trying to get out of his punishment, he said, was not something a true philosopher would do.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

19 May: 139

Today is day 139 of 2026. 10 139 fun facts.

1. There were 139 episodes of the American fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, and of 3rd Rock From The Sun.

2. 139 Juewa is a large main belt asteroid, the first asteroid discovered from China. It was discovered by the visiting American astronomer James Craig Watson in 1874 when he was in China to observe the transit of Venus. Watson asked Prince Gong to name the asteroid. He chose "Star of China's fortune" and Juewa is a rough translation of that, using the convention of the time.

3. The word 'begat' occurs 139 times in the KJV Bible.

4. The A139 is a road in England which runs from the A1305 Ring Road at Stockton-on-Tees to the A19 south of Billingham. It was previously allocated to a road between Ipswich and Felixstowe where a road ferry crossed to Harwich. This became the A45.

5. Camp 139 is a 2013 film directed by Matthew J. Adams and Benjamin James and starring Shane Dean, J. Lyle and Victoria Paege. It’s about four high school students who go on a camping trip in order to take drugs but it all goes wrong when a militant killing machine stalks them through the wilderness, luring them towards an abandoned Army hospital.

6. 139 is a toll free number in India for train related enquiries.

7. London bus route 139 runs from Golders Green Station to Waterloo Station.

8. 139 is the 34th prime number.

9. Psalm 139 in the Good News Bible begins: “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

10. In numerology, 139 energy is pragmatic and focused. People influenced by it are people who can be trusted to get things done.

18 May: Soufflé

Today is National Cheese Soufflé Day, so here are some facts about soufflé.

1. The word soufflé comes from the French verb souffler, which means to blow, inflate or puff. It is the past participle of that verb.

2. The earliest soufflé recipe appeared in 1742 is Vincent La Chapelle’s book Le Cuisinier Moderne. La Chapelle was Madame de Pompadour’s chef.

3. However, it was the famous French chef Marie-Antoine Carême who really made the dish popular in the early 1800s. He was known as the “King of Chefs and Chef of Kings,” and many of the techniques he developed for producing the perfect soufflé are still used today.

4. The word soufflé first appeared in English in Louis Ude’s The French Cook, 1813. By 1845 the soufflé had become standard fare in recipe books.

5. Soufflés were savoury dishes in the beginning, flavoured with vegetables, herbs or Cheese. Sweet soufflés became popular during the Victorian era. Fruit, jam and Chocolate are popular sweet soufflé flavourings.

6. There are two main components to a soufflé. One is the sauce used to flavour it and the other is Egg whites which is what makes the dish light and fluffy.

7. The majority of soufflés are wheat free so suitable for people with gluten intolerance, although some flavourings may be less so. They depend on eggs, though, so vegans had better steer clear.

8. May 18th is National Cheese Soufflé Day, but people who prefer the sweet ones can celebrate on 28 February, which is National Chocolate Soufflé Day.

9. The most expensive soufflé sold for US $2,500 (UK £1,889, EUR €2,223). It has been made by Chefs Richard Farnabe and Alexandre Petrossian at their restaurant in New York, since September 2016. The ingredients include quail eggs and royal reserve caviar. The dish is topped with gold leaf and flambé Hennessey Richard.

10. If you’re looking more for quantity, Palestine is the place to be as it was home to the largest soufflé ever: 3,891 pounds (1,765 kg) and 243 feet long, produced in Nablus. The tallest was created by chef Jean-Michel Diot, in the year 2000 and was over 52 inches tall (approx. 1.32 meters).

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

17 May: Godspell

On this date in 1971, the Musical Godspell opened at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. 10 things you might not know about it.

1. The music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz and it’s based on a book by John-Michael Tebelak.

2. John-Michael Tebelak was a drama student in Pittsburgh who’d thought about becoming a minister before deciding to study drama. He was inspired to write Godspell after attending an Easter service and thinking the joy and energy of the teachings of Jesus were lacking.

3. The show is based on the Gospel of Matthew.

4. It began as a project for drama students which eventually moved to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan.

5. There are ten characters – Jesus, Judas and eight non-biblical characters who act out the parables. The names of the latter characters vary, often taking the names of the actors playing them. In the original script, Jesus and Judas were known as David and Stephen, after the actors in the roles.

6. All ten actors are on stage throughout the whole of the production.

7. The biggest hit song from the show was Day by Day. It has been covered by Cliff Richard, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, The New Seekers, Judy Collins and many more. Other numbers include Learn Your Lessons Well, Turn Back, O Man and By My Side.

8. In the original production, members of the audience were encouraged to go up onto the stage during the interval to drink Wine and dance with the cast.

9. Godspell opened in London in November 1971 and was on at the same time as Jesus Christ, Superstar. It was made into a film in 1973.

10. Needless to say there was some criticism from religious groups, because Jesus was shown wearing a Superman t-shirt and the resurrection wasn’t included. The cast answered the latter by saying that of course Jesus rose from the dead – how else could He appear for the curtain call?

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

16 May: 136

On the 136^th day of the year, 10 fun facts about the number 136.

1. The Roman numeral for 136 is CXXXVI.

2. It’s 10001000 in Binary.

3. 136 Austria is a main-belt asteroid discovered by Johann Palisa in 1874. It was his first asteroid discovery and named after his homeland.

4. The A136 is a road in England which runs between the A120 in Harwich and Harwich International Port.

5. The year 136 was a leap year starting on Saturday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Commodus and Civica. In this year, Pope Hyginus succeeded Pope Telesphorus as the ninth pope, and Hadrian dictated his memoirs at his villa near Tivoli.

6. Psalm 136 begins “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.” (NIV).

7. London bus number 136 runs from Elephant & Castle/Newington Causeway to Grove Park Station.

8. 136 was the name of a talk show in Greece which began in 2012.

9. Section 136 of the Mental Health Act allows the Police in England & Wales to detain somebody in a public place who appears to be mentally disordered and in need of immediate care and/or control – this includes suicide attempts.

10. In numerology the energy of this number resonates with new beginnings and creativity. A person under its influence may explore new places/ideas or invent things.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/