World Seagrass Day, celebrated
on March 1st, is a day of awareness and celebration of the
role seagrass plays in creating healthier oceans, coastlines and its role as a
climate solution. It serves to highlight the importance of protecting seagrass
ecosystems and increasing their resilience to challenges such as climate
change, pollution and other human impacts.
National Pig Day, observed on March 1st each year, is a testament to the significance of these animals in our lives and their underappreciated role in society.
Origins of National Pig Day
The origins of National Pig Day date back to 1972 when two sisters, Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave, established March 1st as a day to recognize the importance of pigs in everyday life.
The goal was not just to designate a day for festivities, but rather to elevate the status of pigs in human consciousness. According to the founders, the pig deserves recognition for its intelligence and domestication – qualities that are often overlooked by many.
Celebrating pigs
National Pig Day is celebrated all over the world but is most commonly celebrated in the American Midwest, where the holiday holds special significance.
In Illinois, a state with a 1.9 billion dollar pork industry, communities come together to honour the pig’s contribution. Meanwhile, even urban centres like New York City embrace the spirit of National Pig Day, welcoming pot-bellied pigs into the Central Park Zoo for special events.
The purpose of National Pig Day
Despite the commercialization of pork products associated with National Pig Day, true enthusiasts of the holiday advocate for a more respectful approach. They believe that it is important to give pigs a break and refrain from eating pork products on this day.
According to Mary Lynne Rave the purpose of the National Pig Day is “to accord the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place” as one of the most intelligent domesticated animals.
Unique characteristics of pigs
Pigs are fascinating animals with many unique characteristics such as
intelligence, emotional depth, and surprising abilities that often go
unnoticed. Here are some special attributes and intriguing facts about pigs:
Intelligence
Pigs
are considered to be one of the smartest domestic animals, comparable to dogs
and even some primates. They can learn tricks, navigate complex
environments, and even play video games with more focus and success than some
primates.
Social animals
Pigs are highly social creatures. They form close bonds with other pigs and humans, communicate with each other through various noises, and show empathy for other pigs in distress.
Memory
Pigs have excellent long-term memories. They can remember objects, recognize other individual pigs and humans, and remember tasks they’ve learned for years.
Sensory skills
Pigs have an exceptional sense of smell. They can root in the ground with their snouts to find food buried deep underground, including truffles, a highly prized type of mushroom.
Cleanliness
Despite popular belief, pigs are quite clean. They keep their toilet area far away from where they eat and sleep. The misconception that pigs are dirty comes from their need to cool off in mud because they cannot sweat.
Swimming
Pigs are capable swimmers and enjoy water. There’s even a famous beach in the Bahamas known as “Pig Beach,” where wild pigs swim alongside tourists.
Versatile diets
Pigs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. In the wild, their diet can include leaves, roots, fruits, rodents, and small reptiles.
Medicine
Pigs are valuable in medical research due to their physiological similarities to humans. They have contributed to advancements in organ transplantation, dermatology, and cardiovascular research.
Pig communication
Pigs communicate using more than 20 different vocalizations, ranging
from grunts to squeals, each with its own meaning. They can convey alerts, food
signals, and mating calls among many other messages.
Emotions
Pigs display a wide range of emotions and have been observed to experience joy, sadness, and even grief. They enjoy playing, exploring, and can get bored, stressed, or lonely if not given adequate attention.
Economic value
Pigs are highly valued in many parts of the world for their agricultural and economic contributions.
They are efficient converters of feed into meat, and their meat (pork)
is one of the most widely consumed meats globally. Their by-products are also
used in various industries, from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics.
World Tailors Day is celebrated annually on February 28 to acknowledge the pivotal role of tailors in the clothing industry. The term "tailor" has a rich history, originating from the French word "tailler," meaning "to cut." This day coincides with the birth anniversary of William Elias Howe, the American inventor of the sewing machine, a technological marvel that revolutionised the garment trade.
Evolution of Tailoring: The art of tailoring dates back to the 12th century when clothing became a means to accentuate figures rather than merely conceal them. The Latin term "sartor," meaning a garment mender, contributed to the development of the English word "sartorial," emphasising tailored garments.
Importance of Tailoring: Tailoring is integral to fashion design, providing a means to achieve the perfect fit, flattering silhouettes, and enhancing garment quality. Tailors contribute to sustainability by reducing textile waste, offering personalised fits, and supporting slow fashion principles
Benefits of Tailoring
Custom Fit: Tailored
clothing provides a unique fit tailored to individual styles and needs.
Durability: Bespoke
garments are built to last, countering the fast fashion trend.
Affordability: Tailoring
is a cost-effective way to refresh your wardrobe with quality clothing.
Unique Design: Tailoring
allows for personalised designs reflecting individual style.
Environment-Friendly: Custom-tailored
dresses align with sustainability by reducing mass production waste.
Fast Fashion Alternative: Tailoring
supports slow fashion, prioritising ethical production and durability.
Supporting Local Tailors: Show
appreciation for local tailors by getting garments made from them, providing
both support and financial assistance.
National
Strawberry Day falls on February 27 every year,
adding an extra aphrodisiac to this month of love. Devilishly sweet, and also
delightfully low in calories, they’re the perfect food to make you feel naughty
and nice at the same time. Grown both around the U.S. and around the world
almost year-round, you’re never far from a supplier of this tasty
tongue-tickler to help you celebrate National Strawberry Day!
History of National Strawberry Day
Strawberries have grown in the wild for thousands of years, and it was the French who first brought this delicious red berry into their gardens for cultivation in the 14th century. Not long afterward, English Archbishop Thomas Wolsey created the winning combination of strawberries and cream for Henry VIII’s court that so many people still enjoy today.
However, the early species of strawberries were very different from those we feast on now. It wasn’t until 1712 that a French excursion to Chile resulted in the mixing of different types of strawberry plants, and the garden strawberry we know today was born.
In the early 19th century, love for strawberries spread quickly when strawberries and cream were seen as a luxury, and the invention of the railroad meant that they could be transported quickly all around the country. New York produced bumper crops and farms also sprang up in Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, and Tennessee. Now, 75% of U.S. strawberries are grown in California, but they are still grown in every state.
The berry’s name may be due to a number of reasons: some argue that it comes from the Old English “streawberige” because of its straw-like fronds. Others suggest that they’re so called because of farmers mulching them with straw, and there are also accounts that the berries were sold on straw skewers at markets.
The origins of National Strawberry Day are unclear,
but it has been celebrated since at least 2013. Its heart-shape and bright red colour
make it a symbol of love that is perfect for the romantic month of February.
The widespread popularity of Pokémon is more than children trading cards in schoolyards or watching an animation on television. It's about bringing generations of fans together to collect, trade, and play with fellow Trainers. Due to its enduring fandom around the world, Pokémon has had a significant impact on pop culture and entertainment with a unique ability to connect people across different cultures and backgrounds. In addition, the brand is always introducing innovative ways to engage with Pokémon, such as the release of Pokémon GO in 2016, which has allowed fans to encounter and catch digital Pokémon in real-world locations through augmented reality.
5 Popular Pokémon
Pikachu immediately discharges the energy stored in the pouches in its cheeks
when angered.
Bulbasaur uses the nutrients that are packed into the seed on its back in
order to grow.
Charmander has a flame on its tail that shows the strength of its life-force.
If Charmander is weak, the flame also burns weakly.
Squirtle sprays a potent foam from its mouth, and after birth, its back
swells and hardens into a shell.
Eevee has the ability to evolve into many forms that allow it to adapt
smoothly and perfectly to any environment.
Giulio Natta, born on 26 February 1903, was an Italian chemist who contributed to the development of high polymers useful in the manufacture of films, plastics, fibres, and synthetic rubber. Along with Karl Ziegler of Germany, he was honoured in 1963 with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the development of Ziegler-Natta catalysts.
Natta took his doctorate in chemical engineering at Milan Polytechnic
(1924) and held chairs in chemistry at the universities of Pavia, Rome,
and Turin before returning to the Polytechnic as professor and research
director of industrial chemistry (1938). His earlier work formed the basis of
modern industrial syntheses of methanol, formaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and
succinic acid. In 1953 he began intensive study of macromolecules. Using
Ziegler’s catalysts, he experimented with the polymerization of
propylene and obtained polypropylenes of highly regular molecular structure.
The properties—high strength, high melting points—of these polymers soon proved
very commercially important.
John Harvey Kellogg, born on 26 February 1852, was an American physician and health-food pioneer whose development of dry breakfast cereals was largely responsible for the creation of the flaked-cereal industry.
Kellogg received an M.D. from Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York City, in 1875. A Seventh-day Adventist and vegetarian, Kellogg became superintendent in 1876 of the Seventh-day Adventist Western Health Reform Institute, which then became the Battle Creek Sanitarium, located in Battle Creek, Michigan. (The sanitarium was renamed the Percy Jones Army Hospital in 1942, the Battle Creek Federal Center in 1954, and Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in 2003.) Kellogg developed numerous nut and vegetable products to vary the diet of the patients, including a flaked-wheat cereal called Granose and cornflakes. Although cornflakes were not new, they had never before been presented as a breakfast food. In 1898 Kellogg and his brother W.K. Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Company to handle the production of cornflakes and other foods for sanitarium patients. In 1906, after a dispute over the distribution of their cornflake cereal, W.K. Kellogg formed his own cereal company, the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company (later renamed Kellogg Company), and one of the sanitarium patients, C.W. Post, also founded a cereal company that became well known.
Kellogg was a co-founder of the Race Betterment Foundation, an
organization that promoted eugenics and racial segregation. He also
was founder and first president (1923–26) of Battle Creek College, and in 1931
he opened Miami–Battle Creek Sanitarium at Miami Springs, Florida. He was the
author of numerous medical books.
August 24 is the Independence Day of Ukraine, marking the anniversary of the nation's declaration of independence from the Soviet Un...
