1 March: 60

1 March is the 60^th day of any non-leap year. Here are 10 fun facts about the number 60.

1. The ancient Babylonian number system had a base of 60 inherited from the Sumerian and Akkadian civilizations. It’s speculated that part of the reason for that is 60 has a lot of divisors.

2. This is the reason why there are 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute.

3. The same is true of angles: there are 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in a degree.

4. In older literature, 60 may be called threescore, meaning three times 20 (a score).

5. It’s the atomic number of Neodymium, a chemical element with the symbol Nd. It is the fourth member of the lanthanide series and is considered to be one of the rare-earth metals.

6. A Hindu man who turns 60 celebrates a ceremony called Sashti (60) Abda (years) Poorthi (completed) in Sanskrit.

7. In the west, a couple who have been married for 60 years celebrate their Diamond wedding anniversary.

8. Gone in 60 Seconds is a 2000 film starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, in which a reformed car thief has to steal 50 supercars in less than three days in order to save his brother’s life.

9. Talking of cars, the number of miles per hour a car can accelerate to from rest (0-60) is one of the standard measurements of performance.

10. London bus 60 runs from Oasis Academy to Streatham Station.

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/

28 February: Spades

In the French Revolutionary calendar, today is Bêche (Day of the Spade). Given the nature of the French Revolutionary calendar, celebrating plants, animals and tools, we must be talking here about the garden implements rather than the Playing card suit. So here are 10 facts about spades.

1. The word comes from the Old English "spadu", which, like similar words in other languages, meant a digging implement.

2. Before the advent of metalworking, people used spades made from riven wood or the shoulder blades of animals.

3. Parts of a spade are the metal blade, which is sometimes referred to as the spit, the shaft shaft, which is usually made of wood, and a handle.

4. Is it a spade or a shovel? The words are often used interchangeably but a spade and a shovel are actually two different things, with different uses. Spades are usually straight and push force directly down, making them good for digging, while a shovel often has a curved or scooped blade, because its function is to move stuff around, like Snow or sand or loose dirt.

5. Hence, when you’re at the seaside and buy a bucket and spade, you are actually buying a bucket and shovel. In North America, these are called shovels with pails.

6. Spade blades were used as currency in ancient China.

7. Some Ice cream scoops are also called spades, because of their shape.

8. The English expression, to call a spade a spade means saying something “as it is”, speaking directly and often to the point of rudeness. The expression ultimately comes from a line in a work in ancient Greece by Plutarch. Who actually said "calling a Fig a fig, and a trough a trough". It’s thought this expression in itself was made up of double entendres and therefore quite rude. Later, Erasmus translated Plutarch’s text and it was he who altered it to be about spades. It’s thought it was a deliberate choice for dramatic effect rather than a mistake in translation. Nicholas Udall translated Erasmus in 1542 and the phrase entered the English language, and was used by many famous writers including Charles Dickens, W Somerset Maugham, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Browning, Jonathan Swift, and Oscar Wilde.

9. The phrase has also been seen as borderline racist, as in the late 1920s “spade” became an insulting term for a black person.

10. Spades today usually have footrests on both sides of the blade so both left and right footed people can use the same tool. This wasn’t always the case, however. Traditionally, a spade only had a footrest on one side. This was notably the case in rural Ireland. In due course, the English introduced spades with two footrests to the north of Ireland while farmers in the south retained the old type. This is the origin of a slur which you may have heard on Downton Abbey: the Protestants in the North would say that a person “dug with the wrong foot” or was “left-footer” meaning a Catholic person who still used the old style of spade.

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/

27 February: John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck, US novelist and author of Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men Was born on this date in 1902. 10 facts about him.

1. He was born in Salinas, California, which became a setting for many of his books. Not that the people of the town appreciated it much, at least not while he was alive. At least twice, residents staged public burnings of his books.

2. Unlike most writers, he wasn’t much of a reader as a child. In fact, he hated reading and called books “printed demons”. The book that changed his mind was a simple version of Le Morte d’Arthur which his aunt gave him when he was nine. His fascination with the knights of the round table became the gateway to the world of reading. Arthurian legend was an influence on his writing, too, as he used some of the plots and themes. He even started writing a modern version called The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, but never finished it.

3. He went to Stanford University, most likely to please his parents. He took as many writing classes as he could but his other choices were somewhat random. He tried to take a course in human dissection, because he “wanted to learn about people” but was turned down. He didn’t see the point of exams and dropped out without taking his finals.

4. He then took a job as a caretaker at the luxe Cascade Estates on the California side of Lake Tahoe near Mount Tallac. It was here that he wrote his first book, Cup of Gold.

5. He married three times. His first wife was Carol Henning, of whom he said, “The girl isn’t wonderful at all or awfully beautiful at all, or anything, but I’m in love with her. And she is clever.” She stayed with him while he struggled as a writer, although it was rumoured she had affairs. Steinbeck certainly did – he took up with a nightclub singer called Gwyn Conger and married her when his first marriage ended. They were married for five years and had two sons before getting divorced. His third wife was Elaine Anderson, to whom he remained married until his death.

6. He wrote a story specifically for Alfred Hitchcock to make into a film, at Hitchcock’s request. The film was called The Lifeboat. Steinbeck, however, had issues with the way Hitchcock portrayed one of his characters. He claimed they had turned his black character, who Steinbeck has written as having “dignity, purpose, and personality” into a stereotype. He asked 20th Century Fox to remove his name from the credits. They refused.

7. He had a pet Rat called Burgess. While married to Gwyn Conger, he bought home the baby rat, much to her delight. They took Burgess everywhere and he’d often sit on Steinbeck’s shoulder when he was driving. It’s said Steinbeck had a bit of a mean streak and he’d sometimes let Burgess loose when they had guests because he’d make the women scream. He loved that rat, though. When it got sick and the vet refused to treat it, he had to put the rat to sleep himself in the gas oven. In her memoirs, his wife wrote that this was the only time she saw him cry.

8. He had a Dog, too, an Irish setter called Toby who famously once ate the first half of the manuscript for Of Mice and Men, so Steinbeck had to spend two months re-writing it. He wrote, “I was pretty mad but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically.”

9. During the second world war he was hired by the New York Herald Tribune to go to Europe and report on the war. Rather than write about battles and tactics, Steinbeck focused on the human stories, such as a soldier who feared his wife would no longer love him because of his injuries.

10. Steinbeck’s favoured method of writing was to use a Pencil. Every day he’d sharpen 24 pencils before he started writing and could use as many as 100 during the course of a day’s work. He was fussy about his pencils, too. They had to be long, round and Black – he hated the Yellow ones.

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/

26 February: Cinderella

Today is Tell a Fairy Tale Day, so here are ten facts about the fairytale Cinderella.

1. The story of Cinderella is a rags to riches tale that originates in folklore. Variations of it appear in folklore from all over the world.

2. The earliest example is from Ancient Greece, which could date back to as early as 7BC. In this version the protagonist is called Rhodopis, which means "Rosy-Cheeks". She is a slave girl who ends up marrying the king of Egypt.

3. The story we are most familiar with comes from a retelling of an Italian version of the story, by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales from 1812, and the 1950 Disney film which was an adaptation of that.

4. In the Brothers Grimm version, the protagonist is called "Aschenputtel" which means "The Little Ash Girl".

5. Cinderella doesn’t wear glass slippers in all versions. Some say it was a fur slipper and the Glass one came about as a mistranslation as the French words for fur and glass sound similar. In some versions, it’s not a Shoe at all, but an anklet, ring or bracelet. Whatever it may be, the point is that Cinderella is the only woman it will fit. In some versions, the ugly sisters actually mutilate their Feet in order to make the slipper fit. In the original Disney movie, the wicked stepmother smashes the glass slipper in a bid to ruin Cinderella’s chances of winning her prince. However, she hadn’t bargained for the fact that Cinderella still had the matching shoe.

6. In some versions, there isn’t even a ball. Instead, Cinderella goes to church. Nor is there always a midnight deadline, but she leaves the ball, or church, simply because she is tired and wants to go home.

7. There’s not always a fairy godmother, either. Sometimes the help comes from a wishing tree, or Cinderella’s mother who has been turned into a Cow, or been reincarnated as one.

8. Disney’s 1950 Cinderella may actually have saved Disney from going bust. The studio was in financial trouble back then, and took a gamble on this film. Luckily for them it paid off.

9. Cinderella’s voice in this film was provided by Ilene Woods, who beat 300 other hopefuls when Walt Disney fell in love with her voice.

10. Cinderella’s name has become an analogy for a person or a sports team that achieves recognition or success after being plucked out of obscurity.

For a short story called The Cinderella Syndrome:

Sweet Karma

More murder and mayhem along with moving statues, Ancient Egyptian magic pebbles, a World War II evacuee's diary and a bathtub full of marshmallows.

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25 February: That'll Be the Day

On this date in 1957 Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded That'll Be the Day. 10 facts about the song:

1. That'll Be the Day was written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison.

2. It was inspired by a film called The Searchers, starring John Wayne. Wayne used the line several times in the movie. Later, when they were hanging out at Jerry's house, Buddy said that it would be nice to record a hit record one day. “That’ll be the day,” Jerry replied, remembering the line from the film. The rest is history.

3. The first recording didn’t involve The Crickets at all but another band called The Three Tunes, who recorded it with Buddy in 1956. Decca records didn't like the result and refused to release it.

4. Holly recorded it again with the crickets and a new producer, Norman Petty. With the addition of backing vocalists and a key change so it better fitted Holly’s voice, and it became a massive hit.

5. The B-side was I'm Looking for Someone to Love.

6. A few months later, Decca records decided to release the first recording after all. The B side for this version was Rock Around with Ollie Vee.

7. That’ll be the Day was the first song John Lennon learned to play on guitar, and was also the first song recorded on a demo tape by his band the Quarrymen, which would later evolve into The Beatles.

8. Another significant cover version was by Linda Ronstadt who recorded it for her 1976 album Hasten Down the Wind.

9. The song appeared in the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti.

10. It also inspired a British film called That’ll be the Day about an aspiring rock star.

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/

24 February: Carnival floats

On this date in 1868, the first parade to feature floats took place in Mobile, Alabama, to celebrate Mardi Gras. Here are 10 things you might not know about carnival floats.

1. A float is defined as a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle like a truck or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades.

2. They date back to the middle ages when they had religious themes. They were used as mobile scenery for passion plays, especially during Feast of Corpus Christi, which would feature 48 floats, one for each play in the Corpus Christi cycle. Artisans would build them to feature their particular skills.

3. Floats got their name because the very first ones were barges on the River Thames, decorated for the Lord Mayor's show.

4. In 1890 Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club organised a parade featuring Horse-drawn carriages covered in Flowers as part of a festival. This festival became known as the Tournament of Roses and it continues to this day.

5. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras was celebrated with small street processions until 1857 when a larger parade was organised. The first floats were simple, built on wooden wagons with paper, fabric, and gas lanterns. Like the passion play floats, they were designed to tell a story, as floats still do today. As people from Europe migrated to New Orleans, they brought skills with them and in time, the floats became more elaborate and artistic.

6. The largest float ever exhibited in a parade was 116-foot-long (35 m) and took part in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade. It featured a skateboarding Bulldog surfing in tank of water which held 5,500 imperial gallons (25,000 litres) of water, was 80 feet (24 m) long and included a wave machine which created a wave every minute.

7. When is a float not a float? When it’s a cart. In South West England there is a carnival parade in November connected with Guy Fawkes night. Floats here are known as carts and the parade takes place after dark. There are about 40 large floats which are illuminated with up to 22,000 lightbulbs. It tours various locations in Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset including Exmouth, Trowbridge, Bridgewater, Weston Super Mare and Glastonbury.

8. It can take several months to build a float. Once a theme has been decided upon the float will need a metal frame, hydraulic motors to make parts of it move, and the details added in wood, papier mache, fibre glass and clay. Costumes for the people riding on the float also have to be designed and made.

9. Themes of floats include children’s books and films, historical scenes, musical trends such as dance crazes or popular musicals, transport such as trains, cars and space travel and scenes from around the world.

10. In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ferris jumps onto a float during a parade and sings several karaoke numbers to the crowd.

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/

23 February: Horlicks

Born this date in 1846 was William Horlick, food manufacturer and the original patent holder for malted Milk. 10 things you might not know about his product, Horlicks:

1. For anyone who doesn’t know what it is, it’s a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by James and William Horlick.

2. The brothers emigrated to the USA, William in 1860 and James in 1873, and it was in that year that they they founded the company J & W Horlicks in Chicago.

3. Horlicks was originally a food for babies and invalids.

4. The Horlicks brothers invented a condition called 'night starvation' for their advertising campaign. The cure, as you may already have guessed, was to have a mug of Horlicks before bed.

5. Horlicks was later made and marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as a nutritional supplement.

6. Horlicks in the UK is currently owned by Aimia Foods.

7. What is this stuff made of? In the UK at least the ingredient list is The main ingredient in the United Kingdom formulation is a mixture of Wheat flour, malted wheat, malted Barley, dried whey, Calcium carbonate, dried skimmed milk, Sugar, palm oil (certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), Salt, Anti-Caking Agent (E551), and a mixture of vitamins and minerals.

8. In South Africa, you can get Honey and Horlicks flavoured milkshake.

9. In Hong Kong, it’s a popular drink in cafes and can be served hot or cold, with ice.

10. Horlicks was the sponsor for Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, a serial broadcast on Radio Luxembourg in the 1950s.

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/