28 June: Paul Bunyan Day

Today is Paul Bunyan Day. 10 things you might not know about Paul Bunyan:

1. Who is Paul Bunyan, anyway? He’s a North American folk hero, a giant lumberjack.

2. It’s possible he originated in tall tales French Canadian lumberjacks would tell around their camp fires.

3. One theory is that the name Bunyan derived from the French-Canadian slang word "Bonyenne", which was used to express surprise, a bit like “Good grief!” in English.

4. Paul Bunyan’s best friend is a Blue ox called Babe. Babe is blue, it’s said, because of the Snow in one particularly harsh winter.

5. The first time Paul Bunyan appeared in print was in 1910, in the writings of James MacGillivray. A few years later in 1916, William Laughead decided to use Bunyan as part of an advertising campaign, and it was he who decided to make him a giant.

6. According to legend, when Bunyan was born, it took three Storks to carry him. As a baby, he broke every Window in the house when he clapped or laughed.

7. Another legend states that Bunyan created the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind him.

8. Yet another claims that that Minnesota's 10,000 lakes were created by Paul Bunyan's footprints filling with water as he explored the state.

9. Several stories relate how the giant found a wife, who is referred to simply as “Mrs Paul,” although she is given the name Sylvia in one tale. Paul Bunyan dug the beautiful giant lady out of an avalanche, according to legend, and she fell in love with him on the spot and married him the same day.

10. A statue of Paul Bunyan is mentioned several times in the novel It by Stephen King.

Character birthday

Marksman, a member of Combat Team Gamma. He is an alien, who travelled to Earth after his wife left him soon after their son was born. While this is normal on his world, Marksman was in love with her and travelled to Earth to forget her. His team mates are unaware of his alien origins since his pale colouring, while unusual, is not unknown on Earth. He tells people he is an ex army officer and has adopted 28 June as his birthday. His power works by his mentally predicting if an opponent is going to dodge and in which direction, with the result that he never misses a target. He is also an accomplished pilot.