Sourav Ganguly's Birthday

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly; natively spelled as Gangopadhyay; born on 8 July 1972, also known as Dada (meaning "elder brother" in Bengali), is an Indian cricket commentator and former cricketer. He is popularly called the Maharaja of Indian Cricket. He was captain of the Indian national cricket team and is regarded as one of India's most successful cricket captains. As captain, he led Indian national team to win the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and reach the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2004 Asia Cup.

Ganguly scored 11363 runs in his ODI career which stands at ninth position in the world for most runs scored in ODI matches. He was the third batsman to cross the 10,000 runs in One day cricket, after Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq. He holds the record for highest score in an innings (183) by an Indian batsman in the ODI Cricket World Cup. In 2002, the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ranked him the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008 and from all forms of cricket in 2012.

Ganguly was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award, Padma Shri in 2004. He was elected as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2019.

Body Painting Day/NYC Body Painting Day

 

Body Painting Day is an annual occurrence on July 8. It is also called NYC Body Painting Day, as it originated in New York City. This holiday celebrates the serious work of art and self-expression. Of painting on a nude or largely nude, live human body. Consider the art of body painting. First of all, while it is partially about nudity, it is not about sexuality. It is a 3-D artwork and a form of self-expression and body acceptance, that cannot be captured on a two-dimensional canvas. And, unlike a stone statue, body art captures a unique, live, and moving picture, that cannot be expressed in a piece of stone, no matter how good the artist is. 

New York City artist Andy Golub is the founder and promoter. Golub started the art of body painting on the streets of New York City in 2007. For this first public, non-commercial event, Golub used models in g-strings. In 2011, he used totally nude models, both male, and female, for the first time. The models are ordinary people, not professional models. Along the way, Golub was arrested, but ultimately charges were dropped, as this art was proven to be legal under the Constitution, and a legal expression of art, just like any painting or sculpture you will see on the streets of Rome, or in an art museum.

Body Painting has spread in popularity. Among the cities formally holding an annual Body Painting Day are: Amsterdam (2015), San Francisco (2016), and Berlin (2017) 

Other forms of artistic self-expression include body piercings and tattoos.  

History and Origin of Body Painting Day

This holiday originated in New York City. After holding several annual body painting events on this day, Artist Andy Golub formally created this special day in 2014. he continues to promote it.

 

National Blueberries Day (USA)

July 8th is celebrated as National Blueberry Day to spread awareness about the health benefits of this fruit.

In addition to their great taste, Blueberries are rich in fibre and loaded with antioxidants. From lowering cholesterol to promoting a healthy heart, various studies claim that eating blueberries every day can make a positive change to one’s lifestyle.

Blueberries are native to North America, and have been a food source for 13,000 years. Native Americans were the first to recognize the versatility and health benefits of blueberries, using them for medicinal purposes and as a natural flavouring.

The first highbush blueberry bush was successfully cultivated for commercial production in the early 1900s, and today, nearly 1 billion pounds of blueberries are grown in North America each year.

Blueberries are certified as heart-healthy through the American Heart Association (AHA)® Heart-Check Food Certification Program! 

National Video Game Day (USA)

On July 8 we celebrate National Video Game Day (not to be confused with National Video Games Day on September 12). All of us have played video games at some point in our lives, and thus are likely to have video games that marked and defined our childhood.

This is a day to commemorate the games that have played a big role in our lives, the art behind the making of such games, and the skill that professional video game players have. 

National Video Game Day Background

The earliest record of a Video Games Day can be traced to Frank Cifaldi. He was an employee of the Video Game History Foundation, back in 1991, when a Videogame Day first appeared in Chase's Calendar of Events. The day was established as July 8, and sponsored by someone named David Earle. Earle was the president of Kid Video Warriors.

In fact, it is very easy to put a date in Chase's Calendar. You simply need to submit it as a sponsor, which means that Video Games Day is an unofficial holiday. Eventually, in 1997, the date was changed to be celebrated on September 12, but video games are so popular that aficionados continue to commemorate them on both days. 

Vasco Da Gama departs on his first voyage in 1497

Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama was the first European explorer to reach India by sea, helping to establish Portugal as a colonial power and changing the previous dependence Europe had on trade overland.

On 8 July 1497, Vasco da Gama led a fleet of four sheets with a crew of 170 men from Lisbon, Portugal, on his first voyage. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope and travelled up the African coast. Arriving in the trading port of Calicut, India in May of 1498 he was warmly received, though failed to establish permanent relations.

After an arduous journey home, he returned to Portugal in August of 1499 to a hero's welcome, including the noble title of Dom.

 

Ferdinand von Zeppelin's Birth Anniversary

Ferdinand von Zeppelin, born on 8 July 1838, was a German general and aircraft manufacturer who is most famous for pioneering the development of the rigid airship, commonly known as the Zeppelin.

Born into an aristocratic family, von Zeppelin served as an observer during the American Civil War and later became a general in the German army. His exposure to ballooning during his military years sparked an interest in aeronautics, and he turned his focus to this area after his retirement from the army.

In 1899, von Zeppelin established the Zeppelin Foundation with the goal of developing his vision of an airship. Overcoming several setbacks, including early accidents and skepticism from authorities, he flew his first Zeppelin, LZ 1, in 1900. The flight was short and imperfect, but adequately demonstrated the technology was viable.

By 1909, the first Zeppelin airship to carry both passengers and mail made its debut. Von Zeppelin's airships were initially used for passenger travel, but during World War I, they were adapted for military purposes, including reconnaissance and bombings.

Though the Zeppelins were of limited value in warfare their impact on public morale was significant and they became symbols of German ingenuity. The use of Zeppelins would, however, decline after the war with the advent of more practical aircraft.