Each month we will give you a list of special happenings in the UK, USA, and other English-Speaking countries, some serious, others not so much!
1: Global Day of Parents
It is observed annually every year on June 1st. It has a short history, being created by the United Nations in 2012. The UN described it as an event «to be observed annually, honoring parents throughout the world.” Here are some different parenting styles around the world:
- Scandinavians believe in the health benefits of the cold for little ones, so babies are put outside in freezing temperatures for their daytime naps.
- In the Polynesian Islands, it’s not uncommon for “older” children (4-6 years old) to take care of younger ones — even those who are not their siblings.
- Japan is so safe that parents let 7-year-olds ride the subway by themselves.
- Danish parents leave their kids sleeping in a stroller on the sidewalk while they go indoors to shop, drink, or eat.”
- In many African countries, child-rearing is a still communal effort, with extended family and neighbors playing a role in the upbringing of children.
- Vietnamese parents potty-train their babies using a whistle, enabling them to potty train their babies by nine months of age; almost a year faster than most “Western” children.
sheldonl, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
3: World Bicycle Day
It is a global celebration on this date every year. It is supported by the United Nations and aims to promote physical activity and the use of bicycles for transportation. Fun-Facts about bicycles.
- The first commercial bicycles were created in France in the 1860s.
- About 100 million bicycles are manufactured worldwide each year.
- There are over 1 billion bicycles in use all around the world! That’s twice as many as there are cars.
- 5% of all trips in the UK are made by bicycle, 30% in the Netherlands, and 1% in the US; although 10% of workers in New York City commute by bike.
- You can travel three times faster on a bicycle than you can walk, with the same amount of energy.
- The most expensive bike ever was Damien Hirst’s Trek Madone, or the Butterfly Bike, which was auctioned for $500,000 at Sotheby’s
- There are more bikes than people in the Netherlands: 9 million bicycles in the country compared to only 17.9 million inhabitants.
Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons
6: Drive-in Movie Day
It is celebrated on the anniversary of the opening of the first patented drive-in movie theater. On June 6, 1933, Richard Hollingshead opened a drive-in theater, close to Camden, New Jersey. He charged 25 cents per car and 25 cents per person, but made sure no group paid more than a dollar.
In 1946 there were still only 300 drive-ins in the United States, but in 1949 Hollingshead’s patent was overturned, which helped hasten the rise of drive-ins across the country. Between the late 1950’s and mid 1960’s drive-ins were at their zenith. By 1957, about 6,000 were in operation in the United States. Now there are less than 500 drive-in theaters remaining in the United States. This can be attributed to factors such as rising real estate rates in suburban areas, more walk-in theaters, and an increase in video rentals and streaming services.
RoyBuchanan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6: Yo-yo Day
It is celebrated in the US, as it is the birthday of Donald F. Duncan, Sr., an entrepreneur credited with bringing the Yo-yo to prominence. Variations of the yo-yo have been around since the time of Ancient Greece, where they were made out of wood, metal, and painted Terra Cotta. The word yo-yo appeared in a Filipino dictionary in the early 1860’s, and they were introduced to the United States when Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant, started manufacturing them in Santa Barbara, California, in 1928. By 1929, Flores had opened other factories in California and was making 300,000 Yo-yos daily. Shortly thereafter, Donald F. Duncan, Sr. bought out Flores and began manufacturing yo-yos. Duncan had exclusive rights to the name «Yo-yo» until 1965, when a federal court of appeals ruled that «the trademark had become part of common speech.» Yo-yos are popular all over the world, and many countries hold yo-yo contests. The World Yo-Yo Contest is the foremost of these. A typical yo-yo contest consists of two parts, a compulsory part where certain tricks are necessary, and a freestyle part where a contestant can do a routine of their choice.
Missouri Historical Society, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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15: Father’s Day
It is celebrated in the UK every year on the third Sunday of June—as it is in the US. But it is celebrated differently in the UK compared to other countries. For starters, Mother’s Day has been celebrated since the 16th century in the UK; whereas a celebration for poor old dad wasn’t made official until 1972! And, while the rest of the world celebrates Father’s Day with gifts, cards, and flowers, the Brits have a habit of giving their fathers socks and ties—the ultimate cliché! It is also common to celebrate Father’s Day with a pint of beer and a barbeque—I’m guessing that dad usually gets stuck for the drinks and also does the grilling!
StateStreet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
21: Summer Solstice
It will occur in the Northern Hemisphere this year on June 21, at 10:24 PM CET. It marks the longest day of the year and the arrival of the summer season. The summer Solstice generally occurs between June 20 and June 22. The solstice happens when the Earth arrives at the point where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt in relation to the sun. Fun Facts about the summer solstice:
- About 6,000-6,500 years ago, nomadic cattle herders in southern Egypt arranged stones that lined up with the path of the solstice sun. This was our first indication that people knew of the summer solstice.
- In India, mass yoga sessions take place, drawing hundreds of thousands of participants.
- Thousands also lay down their yoga mats in Time’s Square, NY to feel united with one another and the sun as it reaches its apex.
- Large crowds flock to England’s Stonehenge (below)—as they have for 1000s of years—to celebrate the sunrise, where rays of sunlight are channeled into the center of the monument though the Heel Stone—the ancient entrance to the Stone Circle.
- On a darker side, a recently discovered “German Stonehenge” in 2018 shows signs of human sacrifice, with uncovered pits full of the fractured skulls and broken bones of exclusively women and children alongside axes and drinking vessels. Some Teutonic celebrating?
21: National Selfie Day
It is celebrated in the US on this date. Rick McNeely, DJ at the Fishbowl Radio Network in Arlington, Texas, created National Selfie Day in an effort to get people to enjoy and take selfies in their own creative way. A selfie contest is held on this day, where people vote to choose the most fun and creative submitted selfie. Facts about “selfies”:
- «Selfie» was voted Oxford English Dictionary’s “Word of the Year” in 2013, beating out «twerk» and «Bitcoin.» The Selfie Stick was invented in 2015.
- Overall, women take 55% of selfies; in New York City, they take 62%; whereas, in Moscow, they take 82%!
- 3 billion selfies are taken daily, accounting for 4% of all photos each day.
- On the darker side, there is a mental disorder called “selfitis,” defined as the obsessive-compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them.
- And, since 2008, approximately 480 people have died taking selfies. Drowning, falling, and transport accidents are at the top of the list, followed by electrocution, fire, animal attacks, and firearms. The US, India, and Russia report the most deaths via selfie.
Stewart Nimmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
25: Global Beatles Day
It is a day to honor and celebrate the phenomenon and ideals of the Beatles, both collectively and individually. Fun Facts about the Fab Four:
- According to Paul McCartney, The Beatles were once called The Rainbows.
- In February of 1964, 73,700,000 people watched The Beatles first performance on American TV—the largest audience in the history of television!
- Lennon and McCartney wrote the Rolling Stones first hit song “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
- When The Beatles toured Australia in 1964, 300,000 fans lined the streets of Adelaide to watch them drive from the airport into the city. Hundreds of girls fainted and 50 people were admitted to hospital with broken bones from the crush of bodies.
- The Beatles played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool 292 times. Their first gig there on February 21, 1961, paid them six pounds.
- The Paul McCartney song “Yesterday” is the most covered song in the history of recorded music—by over 2,200 musicians!
Michael Cooper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
27: National Sunglasses Day
It is a commemorative day celebrating the importance of wearing ultraviolet (UV)-protective sun wear and eyewear and brought to life each year by the Vision Council. In other words, it’s a day to commercially promote the sales of sunglasses under the guise of eye protection. These are the top five selling brands and what they are each considered best for:
- Ray-Ban: classic look, daily wear
- Oakley: sports, cycling, running
- Gucci: luxury fashion
- Prada: elegant and minimalist look
- Versace: fashion statement
Historically, eye protection dates back to Inuit snow goggles carved from bone to prevent snow-blindness and 12th-century Chinese smoky quartz lenses worn by judges. But the first sunglasses sold commercially were in 1929, when Sam Foster sold the first pair of sunglasses on the Atlantic City boardwalk. In the 1930s, movie stars began wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the strong lighting on movie sets. Then, from the mid-20th century to the present, sunglasses have become a huge part of fashion and pop culture, with Hollywood icons, rock stars, models, and politicians sporting shades. John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Audrey Hepburn and Bono are just a few celebrities who have their own signature sunglass style.
Tee Cee from East London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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