G.E. Nordell's
Topical & Holiday & Birthday Calendar
'Today In History' database at HistoryNet
Steve's 'Born Today' database
Steve's 'Died Today' database
Gone-Ta-Pott Directory of Holidays & Celebrations website
'On This Day - Birthdays' website [est. 2000]
January z February z March z April z May z June z July z
August
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September {just below}
z
October
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November
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December
- September is National Recovery Month [est. 1989] to promote recovery from substance use and mental disorders; sponsored by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [reorg 1980].
- September is National Mushroom Month [est. 1992], sponsored by The Mushroom Council [est. 1990].
- September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month [est. 1999]
- September is National Bourbon Heritage Month [est. 2007]
- September is Hunger Action Month [est. 2009] sponsored by Feeding America [est. 1979]
- September is International Podcast Month [est. 2018]
- September is National Honey Month
- September is National Literacy Month.
- National Clean Energy Summit [Sept 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada = #9.0]
- Saturday of Labor Day Weekend: International Bacon Day (National Bacon Day is in late December).
- Saturday of Labor Day Weekend: National Cinema Day [2022 = #1], sponsored by the Cinema Foundation nonprofit of National Association of Theatre Owners [est. 1965] - the intention is to get viewers in on a traditionally slow attendance day to see the previews; more than 3,000 movie theaters across the U.S. will offer a ticket to any movie or screening for $3 or less. (There are around 40,700 movie screens in the U.S., and at least 30,000 of them are participating.)
First Monday: Labor Day [U.S.A.]
- 1st = Birthday of author Edgar Rice Burroughs [1875-1950], creator of Tarzan, in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1st = World Letter-Writing Day [est. 2014]
- 2nd
- Birthday of author Allen Drury [1918-98], who won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel "Advise and Consent" [1960].
- The first test run of the internet took place as two computers at U.C.L.A connected by a 15-foot cable passed test data back and forth. [1969]
- 'Atlas Shrugged' Celebration Day in Ouray, Colorado.
- 3rd = The first day that the U.S. flag was flown [1777].
- 3rd = Birthday of Korean-American YA author Jenny Han in Richmond, Virginia [1980]; she is most famous for the "To All The Boys" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" novels series, both made into popular movies and streaming TV series.
- 4th
- Birthday of Eileen Mary Challans [1905-83] in Essex, England; she lived in Durban, South Africa from 1948 and wrote historical novels under the pen name Mary Renault.
- Birthday of movie director Edward Dmytryk [1908-99] in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada.
- Birthday of Afro-American author Richard Wright [1908-60] at Roxie Plantation, Mississippi.
- 5th = Birthday of philosopher Werner Erhard in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania [1935].
- 5th = Publication of Jack Kerouac's Beat Generation novel "On The Road" in 1957.
- 6th = Yesterday was 'National Be Late for Something Day', a holiday sponsored by the Procrastinators’ Club of America [est. 1956].
- 6th = National Read A Book Day
- 7th
- Birthday of independent movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn [1882-1974] in Warsaw, Poland.
- Birthday of television - the day that Philo T. Farnsworth [1906-71] demonstrated the first electronic TV system in San Francisco in 1927.
- Birthday of writer Jennifer Egan in Chicago, Illinois [1962]; her novel "A Visit From The Goon Squad" [2010] won the Pulitzer Prize.
- First Sunday after Labor Day (8th-15th): National Grandparents Day [USA; est. 1978]
- 8th
- Birthday of independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders [1941], who ran for President in 2015-2016 & 2019-2020.
- International Literacy Day was first celebrated in 1966; sponsored by U.N.E.S.C.O. and International Literacy Assn. [est. 1955]. { watch short video }
- Debut of the "Star Trek" TV series in 1966; it lasted only three seasons, but syndicated reruns were hugely successful, so Paramount followed with 14 feature films and several spin-off TV series.
- Iguana Awareness Day - first celebrated in 1998.
- World/National Ampersand Day [est. 2012]
- Second Saturday (8th-15th): Intl. Drive Your Studebaker Day - sponsored by the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana.
- 9th = Birthday of author Count Leo Tolstoy [1828-1910] in Tula Oblast, Russia.
- 9th = Wonderful Weirdos Day - first celebrated as Keep Austin [Texas] Weird Day in 2000.
- 11th
- Birthday of author William Sydney Porter [1862-1910] in Greensboro, NC; he used the pen name O. Henry.
- Birthday of author D.H. Lawrence [1885-1930] in England.
- Birthday of musician Leo Kottke, master of the 12-string guitar, in Athens, Georgia [1945].
- Birthday of blogger Markos Moulitsas in Berkeley, California [1971]; he founded the DailyKos cooperative blog in May 2002.
- New York World Trade Center attacked: 3,056 dead [9-11-01]; see headlines from Sept. 12th
- The non-profit 911day.org was set up in 2002 and got Congress to recognize the day
as a National Day of Service and Remembrance in 2009.
(Some events may be a day before or a day after, as on Friday 10 September 2021.)
- 12th
- Birthday of author / curmudgeon H.L. Mencken [1880-1956] in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Birthday of Canadian poet & author Michael Ondaatje in Sri Lanka [1943].
- National Day of Encouragement [2007], a day to uplift and encourage people to make a positive impact in their lives.
- 13th
- Birthday of movie producer Jesse L. Lasky [1880-1958]in San Francisco, California; he was co-founder of Paramount Pictures [est. 1912].
- Birthday of British children's author Roald Dahl [1916-90] in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales; celebrated as Roald Dahl Story Day since 2016, the 100th anniversary of his birth.
- Uncle Sam Day [est. 1989 by President Bush #41] honors Sam Wilson [1766-1854], a meat packer in New York; the nickname for the United States government came to exist during the war of 1812 and soon became popular. The long-legged Uncle Sam image was created by illustrator & political cartoonist Thomas Nast [1840-1902] and further defined by the World War I 'I want you' recruiting poster by artist James Montgomery Flagg [1877-1960].
- 14th
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks in Sydney, Australia [1955].
- National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day {origins unknown}.
- Global Climate Strike Day [2019] was renamed Fridays For Future {see just below}.
- Third Friday (15th-21st): Fridays For Future {formerly Global Climate Strike Day}. Supported in New Mexico USA by YUCCA (Youth United for Climate Crisis Action) [est. 2020].
- 15th
- Birthday of James Fenimore Cooper [1789-1851], most famous as author of The Leatherstocking Tales [1823-41].
- Birthday of humorist Robert Benchley [1889-1945] in Worcester, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of mystery author Agatha Christie [1890-1976] in Torquay, Devon, England.
- Birthday of movie producer-director Oliver Stone in New York City [1946].
- Birthday of mystery & Westerns author Loren D. Estleman in Ann Arbor, Michigan [1952].
- National Hispanic Heritage Month [est. 1968, expanded 1988], which runs to October 15th.
- International Day of Democracy [est. 2007] is sponsored by the United Nations General Assembly.
- National Linguine Day {origin unknown}.
- mid-September: The Mid-Autumn Festival aka the Moon Festival celebrates the annual 'harvest moon', the closest and largest full moon; origin in Ancient China.
- 16th
- Mexico Independence Day: The first event of the decade-long Mexican War of Independence, when Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
called for independence from Spain (1810); Spain conceded Mexico's independence in the Treaty of Córdoba on 24 August 1821. - Birthday of actress Lauren Bacall [1924-2014] in The Bronx, New York City.
- National Guacamole Day {origins unknown}.
- Mexico Independence Day: The first event of the decade-long Mexican War of Independence, when Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
- Third Saturday {15th-21st} = Oktoberfest [est. 1810 - 2023 = #188] begins in Munich, Bavaria, Germany - with local events around the world over the next six weeks.
- Third Saturday {15th-21st} = Batman Day [est. 2014]
- 17th
- U.S. Constitution Day & Citizenship Day: U.S. Constitution completed and signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [1787].
- Birthday of singer / songwriter Hank Williams [1923-53] in Mount Olive, Alabama.
- Birthday of mystery author Robert B. Parker [1932-2010] in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of author Ken Kesey [1935-2001] in La Junta, Colorado.
- National Apple Dumpling Day {origins unknown}.
- 18th = Birthday of actress & recluse Greta Garbo [1905-90] in Stockholm, Sweden.
- 18th = National Cheeseburger Day.
- 19th = Birthday of author Louis Joseph Vance [1879-1933] in New York City.
- 19th = International 'Talk Like A Pirate' Day {see also Magic Lantern's Pirate Film Festival Page}
- Third Tuesday (15th-21st): National Voter Registration Day [est. 2012] [USA]
is sponsored by The League of Women Voters.
See also the 'I will vote' easy registration website - 20th
- Birthday of 'muckraker' author Upton Sinclair [1878-1968] in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Birthday of animator Jay Ward [1920-89] in Berkeley, California; he was co-creator of 'Rocky & Bullwinkle'.
- Birthday of fantasy author George R.R. Martin in Bayonne, New Jersey
[1948]; he is most famous for writing the "Song of Ice and Fire" novels which were adapted
as the "Game of Thrones" TV series [2011-2019]; he currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. - Birthday of YA author Angie Thomas in Jackson, Mississippi [1988]; she is most famous for the award-winning novel "The Hate U Give" [2017].
- 21st
- Birthday of science fiction author Herbert George 'H.G.' Wells [1866-1946] in Bromley, Kent, England.
- Birthday of visionary auto-maker Preston Tucker [1903-56] near Capac, Michigan.
- Birthday of novelist & TV personality Fannie Flagg {nee Patricia Neal} in Birmingham, Alabama [1944].
- Birthday of best-selling author Stephen King in Portland, Maine [1947].
- Birthday of independent filmmaker Ethan Coen in St. Louis Park, Minnesota [1957].
- 22nd = Hobbit Day [est. 1978], a celebration of the birthdays of characters Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins; the calendar week containing Hobbit Day is celebrated as Tolkien Week.
- 23rd = Invention of all-electronic television in 1927 by Philo T. Farnsworth [1906-71].
- 23rd = Birthday of Bruce Springsteen in Long Branch, New Jersey [1949].
- Fourth Saturday: U.S. National Punctuation Day [Sept 2011 = #8]
- Fourth Sunday: World Rivers Day [est. 2005]
- Fourth Sunday: U.S. National Museum Day - free admission! [Sept 2010 = #6]
- late September: National Drive Electric Week [est. 2011] in support of plug-in electric vehicles
is sponsored by Plug-In America,
the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association. - 24th
- Birthday of author F. Scott Fitzgerald [1896-1940] in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Birthday of puppeteer Jim Henson [1936-90] in Greeneville, Mississippi; he created The Muppets for Sesame Street.
- National Public Lands Day [est. 1994] is sponsored by National Environmental Education Foundation [chartered by Congress in 1990] and is the nation's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands.
- 25th = Birthday of Pulitzer- & Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner [1897-1962] in New Albany, Mississippi.
- 25th = National Comic Book Day.
- 26th
- Johnny Appleseed Day, which celebrates the birthday of John Chapman [1774-1845] in Leominster, Massachusetts; he became the American legendary figure
known as Johnny Appleseed by planting apple tree nurseries across the Midwest United States from around 1800 until his death at age 70. - Birthday of Nobel Prize-winning British poet Thomas Stearns 'T.S.' Eliot [1888-1965] in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Birthday of philosopher Martin Heidegger [1889-1976] in Messkirch, Germany.
- Birthday of composer George Gershwin [1898-1937] in Brooklyn, New York.
- Arthur's Day [2009-2013] honoring Arthur Guinness [1725-1803], founder of Ireland's Guinness Brewery in 1759.
- Johnny Appleseed Day, which celebrates the birthday of John Chapman [1774-1845] in Leominster, Massachusetts; he became the American legendary figure
- 27th = Birthday of Nobel Prize-winning Italian author Grazia Deledda [1871-1936].
- 27th/28th = Traditional birthday of Chinese philosopher Confucius / Kong Qiu [551-479 BCE] in Qufu, Shandong, China.
- 28th = National Drink A Beer Day {origin unclear, but supposedly on the {inaccurate} birth date of Arthur Guinness [1725-1803], founder of Ireland's Guinness Brewery in 1759}.
- 29th
- Assumed birthday of Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra [1547-1616] in Castile, Spain; his enduring classic "Don Quixote" was published in 1605 & 1615.
- Birthday of mystery author Stuart M. Kaminsky [1934-2009] in Chicago, Illinois.
- International/National Coffee Day [est. 1983 in Japan, 2005 in U.S.A.]
- National Silent Movie Day [2021 = #1]
- Last Saturday: National Public Lands Day [est. 1994]
- Last Sunday (sometimes starts in October): Banned Books Week: Celebrating The Freedom To Read [Oct 2023 = #41] - sponsored by the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, the American Booksellers Association, the American Society of Journalists & Authors, the Association of American Publishers, the National Association of College Stores, and endorsed by the Library of Congress.
- Last Sunday: Gold Star Mother's Day was designated by Congress in 1936 to officially honor families who lost a child serving in the military during wartime; the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. support group was founded in 1929.
- 30th = Birthday of Persian poet & Sufi mystic Rumi [1207-73]. { browse books by Rumi at Amazon }
- October is Vegetarian Awareness Month [est. 1977], founded by the North American Vegetarian Society [est. 1974].
- October is National Pizza Month [est. 1984]
- October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month [est. 1985] in U.S.A.
- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month [est. 1987] • sponsored by the
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence [est. 1993]
and by the National Domestic Violence Hotline [est. 1996]. 
October is LGBTQ History Month [est. 1994], created by a high-school history
teacher in Missouri.
- October is Global Diversity Awareness Month [est. 1999], which is promoted by diversity resources
[est.1993]
and The Diversity Movement elearning website [launched 2019]. - October is National Popcorn Poppin' Month [official 1999] • see also Spirit of America Bookstore / Food Traditions / Popcorn Section
- October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month [est. 2004], sponsored by the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency [est. 2003],
within the Department of Homeland Security and by the nonprofit National Cyber Security Alliance [est. 2001]. - Sober October [est. 2014] is a worldwide movement that encourages people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month; began as a Macmillan Cancer Support fundraiser.
- October is Agent Orange Awareness Month to honor victims of the deadly toxin manufactured by Monsanto [est. 1901].
- October is National Book Month in U.S.A. (previously sponsored by The National Book Foundation 9/2017).
- October is National Pork Month in U.S.A.
- October is National Chili Month {origins are murky}.
- October (dates vary): Durin's Day is celebrated as the start of the new year on the moon-cycle-based Shire calendar of the elves in "The Hobbit" [1937].
- First Monday {1st to 7th) = U.N. World Habitat Day [est. 1985], which includes the World Habitat Awards [est. 1985].
- First Monday {1st to 7th) = World Architecture Day [est. 1985],
sponsored by The International Union of Architects [est. 1948];
see also Spirit of America Bookstore's Architects & Architecture Pages. - First Thursday {1st to 7th) = National Poetry Day [est. 1994] in U.K.
- First Saturday {1st to 7th) = Star Wars Reads Day [2013 = #2]: all day events at hundreds of venues across North America, many with authors of the official novelizations, etc.
- First full week in October is Nobel Prize [est. 1901] Week: announcement of Nobel Prizes for Physiology or Medicine (Monday), Physics (Tuesday), Chemistry (Wednesday), Literature (Thursday), and the Nobel Peace Prize (Friday) by Norway; The Sveriges Riksbank Prize In Economic Sciences, created in memory of Alfred Nobel in 1968, is announced the following week.
- usually Early October: The holiday of Sukkot begins on the 15th day of the 7th month in the Jewish calendar; the seven- or eight-day holiday originates from the Book of Leviticus, in which God instructs Moses “You shall live in booths seven days”; today, practicing Jews celebrate by building temporary dwellings {sukkahs} from wood, canvas, or aluminum, and praying inside of them.
- First or Second Sunday: Lower East Side International Pickle Day Festival [est. 1999] in New York City.
- First double weekend (10 days Friday to Sunday) = Albuquerque [NM] International Balloon Fiesta [Oct 2023 = #51].
- 1st
- Birthday of historian Daniel J. Boorstin [1914-2004] in Atlanta, Georgia; he served as Librarian of Congress, 1975 to 1987.
- World Vegetarian Day [est. 1977] kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month; originated by
the North American Vegetarian Society [est. 1974]
and endorsed in 1978 by the International Vegetarian Union [est. 1908]. - International Day of Older Persons [est. 1991 by United Nations].
Mensa Pride Day in U.S.A. (begun in 2012).
- International Coffee Day [est. 2015] is sponsored by the International Coffee Organization [est. 1963] in
London, England;
the intention is to promote coffee in general and also free trade coffee.
- 2nd
- Birthday of peace activist Mahatma Gandhi [1869-1948] in Porbandar, Gujarat, India.
- Birthday of Julius Henry 'Groucho' Marx [1890-1977], member of 'The Marx Brothers' comedy team.
- Birthday of author Graham Greene [1904-91] in Hertfordshire, U.K.
- 3rd
- Birthday of author Thomas Wolfe [1900-38] in Asheville, North Carolina.
- Birthday of author Gore Vidal [1925-2012] in West Point, New York.
- 4th
- Birthday of Western painter Frederick Remington [1861-1909] in Canton, New York.
- Birthday of Edward L. Stratemeyer [1862-1930] in Elizabeth, New Jersey; he wrote 1,300 juvenile novels and published them and others at Stratemeyer Syndicate [1897-1987].
- Birthday of writer Damon Runyon [1884-1946] in Manhattan, Kansas.
- Birthday of film comic Buster Keaton [1895-1966] in Piqua, Kansas.
- Birthday of author Anne Rice [1941-2021] in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- National Cinnamon Roll Day was created in Sweden & Finland in 1999.
- National Taco Day
- National Vodka Day
- 5th
- Birthday of Larry Fine [1902-75], member of 'The Three Stooges' comedy team.
- World Teachers’ Day [est. 1994], sponsored by U.N.E.S.C.O. and Education International [est. 1992].
- National Do Something Nice Day! {origin unknown}
- 6th
- Birthday of business tycoon George Westinghouse, Jr. [1846-1914] in Central Bridge, New York.
- National Mad Hatter Day [est. 1986], so you can dress and act silly in honor of the tea parties in "Alice In Wonderland" [1865].
- National Noodle Day {origin unknown}
- 7th
- Birthday of Afro-American writer Leroi Jones [1934] in Newark, New Jersey; he has used the pen name Amiri Baraka since the late 1960s.
- Birthday of author Thomas M. Keneally [1935] in Sydney, Australia.
- Official launch of the 1950s Beat Movement: The seminal "Six Gallery" reading in San Francisco, California which featured Michael McClure, Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia, Kenneth Rexroth, and Philip Whalen, and was attended by Jack Kerouac; Allen Ginsberg recited his epic poem "Howl" for the first time publicly. [1955]
- 8th
- Birthday of movie director Rouben Mamoulian [1897-1987] in Tiflis/Tbilisi, Russian Georgia.
- Birthday of sci-fi author Frank Herbert [1920-86] in Tacoma, Washington; he is most famous for the six novels of the Dune Saga.
- Birthday of children's horror author Robert Lawrence 'R.L.' Stine [1943] in Columbus, Ohio.
- World Octopus Day [est. 2006] is sponsored by The Octopus News Magazine Online [est. 2000].
- 9th
- Birthday of filmmaker Jacques Tati [1907-82] near Paris, France.
- Birthday of The Beatles band member John Lennon 1940-80] in Liverpool, England; he was assassinated at age 40 in New York City.
- Norse explorer Leif Erikson Day [est. 1964]
- Second Week: Chicago Ideas Week [Oct 2011 = #1] in Chicago, Illinois
- Second Monday (8th to 14th): the U.S. Columbus Day holiday celebration was fixed to the Second Monday in October in 1971; Indigenous Peoples' Day [est. 1989] has been gradually replacing the Columbus Day holiday. President Biden declared Indigenous Peoples' Day to be a federal holiday in 2021 (without eliminating Columbus Day): "We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations."
- Second Monday (8th to 14th): Thanksgiving Day in Canada [est. 11/1879], a federal statutory holiday.
- Second Tuesday (8th to 14th): Ada Lovelace Day [est. 2009] is an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) and is named for Ada Byron Lovelace [1815-52], the British mathematician considered to be the first computer programmer.
- Second Saturday (8th to 14th): National Indie Author Day [2016 = #1] at your local library
- 10th
- Publication of philosopher Ayn Rand's magnum opus novel "Atlas Shrugged" [1957].
- (10/10) = National Metric Day, as part of National Metric Week [est. 1976]
- World Mental Health Day [est. 1992] - a time to raise awareness and to mobilize
efforts in support of mental health - is sponsored by
World Federation for Mental Health [est. 1948] and supported by World Health Organization [est. 1948]. - (10/10) = National Minimum Wage Day, declared in 2014 to promote raising the U.S. federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
- National Banh Mi Day [] celebrates Vietnamese street food.
- mid-October: Amazon's exclusive shopping event for Prime members – Prime
Big Deal Days! [10-11 Oct 2023 = #1]; renamed from 48-hour Amazon Prime Day Fall event
[2020 = Oct 13-14]; Prime members are offered a million one-time pre-holiday deals such as 60% off specific items; includes time-sensitive, small quantity Prime Day Lightning Deals that quickly disappear or sell out. - 11th
- Birthday of mystery & Western author Elmore Leonard [1925-2013] in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Birthday of mystery author Margaret Coel [1937] in Denver, Colorado; she lives in Boulder, Colorado.
- National Coming Out Day [est. 1988] to celebrate and
embrace our friends, relatives, colleagues, and community members who are coming out
as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. - United Nations International Day of The Girl Child [est. 2011] is 'a hundred-percent
youth-led movement for gender justice and youth activism';
celebrated in the U.S.A. as Day of The Girl [est. 2013].
- 12th
- Discovery of the New World in 1492 by Christopher Columbus [1451-1506], long celebrated as Columbus Day; the U.S. holiday celebration was fixed to the Second Monday in October in 1971. Over time, scholars revealed the terrible actions by Columbus as Governor of The Indies, 1492-99 and Native Americans continue to work to reduce celebrations in his honor. One result is that states & cities & counties are now celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day instead (South Dakota was first in 1989); another small movement wants to change the holiday's name to Discovery Day.
- Birthday of Western author Gen. Charles King [1844-1933] in Albany, New York; he wrote over 60 books and 260+ stories & articles and died at age 88.
- Birthday of author Lester Dent [1904-59] in La Plata, Missouri; he originated the Doc Savage pulp stories.
- Birthday of Afro-American actress & author Alice Childress [1916-94] in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Birthday of prize-winning author (Martin) Robert Coles [1929] in Boston, Massachusetts.
- National Farmer's Day
- National Pulled Pork Day: declared in 2016 and celebrated at all Sonny's Barbecue restaurant locations
in partnership with the National Pork Board and the National BBQ Association.
- 13th
- Birthday of Afro-American poet Arna Bontemps [1902-73] in Alexandria, Louisiana.
- Birthday of Leonard Alfred Schneider [1925-1966] in Mineola, New York; he became famous (and infamous) as the comic Lenny Bruce.
- Birthday of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [since 2019; Dem] of The Bronx, New York City; she was born there in 1989.
- 14th
- Birthday of poet E.E. Cummings [1894-1962] in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of economist W. Edwards Deming [1900-93] in Sioux City, Iowa.
- First publication in book form of "Winnie The Pooh" in 1926 by author A.A. Milne [1882-1956].
- National Fossil Day [est. 2010] is sponsored by the National Park Service [est. 1916].
- National Dessert Day: many chain & independent restaurants offer free goodies, mostly if you are a member of their rewards club.
- 15th
- Birthday of Arthur B. Reeve [1880-1936] in Patchogue, Long Island, New York; he wrote the Prof. Craig Kennedy mystery novels & stories.
- Birthday of Sir Pelham Grenville 'P.G.' Wodehouse, KBE [1881-1975] in Guildford, Surrey, England.
- Birthday of Willard Huntington Wright [1888-1939] in Charlottesville, Virginia; he wrote the Philo Vance mystery novels under the pseudonym S.S. Van Dine.
- Birthday of economist John Kenneth Galbraith [1908-2006] in Ontario, Canada.
- Opening of the first birth control clinic in the U.S. in Brooklyn, NY by Margaret Sanger [1879-1966] in 1916; the name of the American Birth Control League was
changed
to Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1942. - Birthday of Mario Puzo [1920-99] in New York City; he created the 'Godfather Saga' novels & films.
- Birthday of Italian writer Italo Calvino [1923-85] in Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba.
- Celebration of National "I Love Lucy" Day, which debuted on CBS-TV on 15 October 1951.
- College students Huey P. Newton [1942-89] and Bobby Seale [b. 1936] founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California; the party shut down in 1982.
- National Mushroom Day, which seems to be sponsored by The Mushroom Council [est. 1990].
- Third work week [M-F]: National Buddy Check Week [est. 2019] sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs [est. 1989], American Red Cross [est. 1881],
The American Legion [1919], and others; volunteers are asked to make contact with ten American military veterans and suggest support as needed. - Mid-October = 3-day annual Future Investment Initiative [est. 2017], nicknamed 'Davos in the Desert', in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is hosted by the Saudi government.
- Third Saturday = Southwest Baconfest [2013-2018] outdoors at the Albuquerque [NM] International Balloon Museum.
- 16th
- Birthday of British writer & poet Oscar Wilde [1854-1900] in Dublin, Ireland.
- Birthday of of playwright Eugene O'Neill [1888-1953] in New York City.
- Birthday of Western author Frank O'Rourke [1916-89] in Denver, Colorado.
- Founding of the Walt Disney Company by Walt and his brother Roy. [1923]
- October 16 (or nearest working day): National Boss’s Day [created 1958].
- 17th
- Birthday of early Afro-American poet Jupiter Hammon [1711-1806?] in Lloyd Harbor, Huntington, New York.
- Birthday of author / playwright Arthur Miller [1915-2005] in New York City.
- Birthday of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico in Fallon, Nevada. [1971]
- Canadian Networking Day
- National Pasta Day - restaurants nationwide offer delicious freebies and discounts.
- 18th
- British publication of "Moby-Dick: or, The Whale" [1851] by American author Herman Melville [1819-91].
- Birthday of Afro-American author Terry McMillan [1951] in Port Huron, Michigan.
- National No Beard Day
- 19th = Birthday of French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos [1741-1803] in Amiens, France; he is best known for the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" [1782].
- 19th = Birthday of David John Moore Cornwell [1931-2020] in Dorset, England; he wrote two dozen spy novels under the pseudonym John Le Carré.
- 20th
- Birthday of pragmatist & educator John Dewey [1859-1952] in Burlington, Vermont.
- Birthday of silent movie comedy star Charley Chase [1893-1940] in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Birthday of movie director Jean-Pierre Melville [1917-73] in Paris, France.
- Birthday of Democratic candidate for President Kamala Devi Harris (Emhoff) in Oakland, California [1964];
she was elected
U.S. Senator in 2017 and then elected U.S. Vice President with President Joe Biden in November 2020.
- 20th-26th: United Nations Week, which includes United Nations Day [est. 1948 & 1971] on the 24th.
- 21st
- Birthday of English Romantic poet Samuel T. Coleridge [1772-1834] in Devon, England.
- Birthday of Alfred Nobel [1833-96], inventor of dynamite and creator of the prestigious Nobel Prizes.
- Birthday of fantasy & science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin [1929-2018] in Berkeley, California; she died at age 88 in Portland, Oregon.
- Wonder Woman Day, commemorating the debut/birthday of superheroine Wonder Woman in All Star Comics issue #8 (1941).
- International Day of The Nacho [est. 1975] in Mexico; the snack food was invented by Ignacio Anaya late one night in 1943 at a restaurant in Piedra Negras, Mexico.
- 22nd
- Birthday of Curly Howard [1903-52], member of 'The Three Stooges' comedy team.
- Birthday of Doris May Tayler Wisdom Lessing [1919-2013] in Kermanshah, Iran; moved to London in 1949
and began writing as Doris Lessing;
awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007. - Birthday of counterculture visionary Dr. Timothy Leary, PhD [1920-96] in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- National Nut Day (the food kind).
- Fourth Friday {22nd to 28th} = Global Champagne Day, sponsored by The Comité Champagne of France.
- Fourth Saturday {22nd to 28th} = Make A Difference Day [2013 = #23]
- 23rd
- Birthday of Milton 'Gummo' Marx [1892-1977], member of 'The Marx Brothers' comedy team.
- Birthday of techno-thriller author Michael Crichton [1942-2008] in Chicago, Illinois.
- National Boston Cream Pie Day - actually a cake, invented in 1856 at Boston’s Parker House Hotel {holiday origins unknown}.
- 24th
- Pioneer Dutch microbiologist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek [1632-1723] was born in Delft, Dutch Republic.
- Publication in 1859 of "On The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin [1809-82] in which he set out his theory of natural selection.
- 'Take Back Your Time' Day [est. 2005].
- National Baloney Day {origin unknown}.
- 25th
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Anne Tyler [1941] in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Birthday of pop singer Katy Perry [1984].
- World Opera Day [est. 2019].
- 26th
- The Gunfight at The O.K. Corral [1881] in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, an essential element of the legends of lawman Wyatt Earp [1848-1929] and 'Doc' Holliday [1851-87].
- Birthday of author Pat Conroy in Atlanta, Georgia [1945].
- Birthday of Hillary Rodham Clinton in Chicago, Illinois [1947]; married
to Bill Clinton since 1975; she was nominated by the Democratic Party
in July 2016 for election as President of The United States.
- 27th
- Birthday of Theodore Roosevelt [1858-1919] in New York City; he was the 26th President of The United States.
- Birthday of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas [1914-53].
- Navy Day in the U.S.A. [est. 1922] is sponsored by the Navy League [est. 1902]
- Birthday of American poet & posthumous Pulitzer Prize-winner Sylvia Plath [1932-63] in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of author Fran Lebowitz [1950] in Morristown, New Jersey.
- World Tourism Day [est. 1980], sponsored by the United Nations World Tourism Organization [est. 1975].
- 29th = Birthday of animator Ralph Bakshi in Haifa, Israel [1938]; he lives in New Mexico.
- 29th = First operational run of the pre-internet as a computer at U.C.L.A connected to a computer at Stanford Research Institute. [1969]
- 30th
- Birthday of author Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky [1821-81] in Moscow, Russia.
- Birthday of expatriate American poet Ezra Weston Loomis Pound [1885-1972] in Hailey, Idaho Territory.
- Birthday of author Rudolfo Anaya [1937-2020] in Pastura, New Mexico.
- International Day of Political Prisoners - began as general hunger strikes by prisoners in the Soviet Union in 1974, recognized by U.S. Congress in 2022.
- 31st
- Hallowe'en
- Birthday of British Romantic poet John Keats [1795-1821] in Moorgate, London, England.
- Birthday of Juliette Gordon Low [1860-1927] in Savannah, Georgia; she founded the Girls Scouts of the U.S.A. in 1912.
- Birthday of jockey & mystery author Richard Stanley 'Dick' Francis, CBE [1920-2010] in Wales.
- Birthday of mystery author H.R.F. Keating [1926-2011] in Sussex, England.
- World Magic Day: began in 1927 as a memorial to escape artist Harry Houdini [1874-1926]; moved to October 31st (anniversary of Houdini's death) in 1938; later renamed National Magic Day; may be called International or World Magic Day when celebrated outside the U.S.A.; sponsored in U.S.A by The Society of American Magicians [est. 1902].
- Diwali or Deepavali Festival of India, a widespread celebration in October or November (Hindu lunisolar month Kartika): five days of events include worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity & wealth, and other gods; primary symbols are diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circles), fireworks, and family feasts.
- November is National Native American Heritage Month [est. 1990] in U.S.A. - as established by Congress.
- November is Puerto Rican Heritage Month: Celebrated in Springfield, Massachusetts since 1989, by the Nuyorican Movement,
by the Yonkers Public Library, and proclaimed for New York City by then-Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in November 1998. - November is National Adoption Month [est. 1995] in U.S.A.
- November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, sponsored by N.I.H./N.I.D.D.K. and the American Diabetes Association [est. 1939]
- 1st
- Birthday of Stephen Crane [1871-1900] in Newark, New Jersey; he is most famous for the novel "The Red Badge of Courage" [1895].
- Birthday of sportswriter Grantland Rice [1880-1954] in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- Birthday of conservative columnist James J. Kilpatrick [1920-2010] in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- National Authors Day - founded in May of 1929 by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs [est. 1890]; recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1949.
- World Vegan Day [est. 1994].
- National Family Literacy Day [est. 1996].
- Cleanup Hallowe'en Day
- 1st & 2nd = Dia de Los Muertos (Day of The Dead): The festival originated in Mexico to
celebrate and honor deceased relatives and others, with some elements documented as originating with pre-Columbian Aztec society. Elements include face painting,
sugar skulls, altars of food for the departed, all-night dances, costumed children knocking on doors and asking for candy, and skeletons as costumes or
decorations. (Local celebrations are often moved to the weekend before or after Hallowe'en.)
- First Saturday {1st to 7th}: National Bison Day [est. 2012] - Bison
were named the official North American mammal in May 2016,
but legislation to designate Bison Day keeps stalling in Congress. - 2nd = Birthday of English mathematician & philosopher George Boole [1815-64] in Lincolnshire; he is most famous for creating Boolean algebra in 1847, which is the basic concept that underlies all modern electronic digital computers.
- 2nd = Birthday of writer Thomas Mallon in Glen Cove, New York [1951].
- 3rd
- Birthday of Elizabethan playwright Thomas Kyd [1558-94] in London, England.
- Birthday of acclaimed American playwright Terrence McNally in St. Petersburg, Florida [1938].
- World Sandwich Day is celebrated on the birthday of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich [1718-92] who invented the eating of a meal of meat between two slices
of bread
(he liked card games and this avoided getting grease on the cards). - Birthday of former football quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Rand Kaepernick [1987]; he is most famous for kneeling during the national anthem at a football game to protest police brutality in America.
- National Cliché Day [started circa 2000], a good day to grab the bull by the horns, think outside the box, and avoid trouble like the plague, then you'll discover that every cloud has a silver lining.
- First or Second Tuesday {1st to 8th}: U.S. National Election: visit Working Minds U.S. Politics & Elections Page or the current Working Minds Election Page
- 4th = Birthday of American humorist Will Rogers [1879-1935] in Oologah, Indian Territory {Oklahoma}; he died at age 55 in a plane crash at Point Barrow in Alaska Territory.
- 4th = Birthday of Peruvian writer Ciro Alegría Bazán [1909-67].
- First Sunday: Clocks in the USA are changed one hour backward to end Daylight Savings Time, which starts in early March each year.
- 5th
- Guy Fawkes Night, which celebrates the occasion in 1605 when British revolutionary Guy Fawkes [1570-1606] was captured and prevented from using a stash of gunpowder to blow up Parliament in London. The festivities usually include bonfires and the burning of effigies of various people.
- Birthday of labor leader Eugene V. Debs [1855-1926] in Terre Haute, Indiana.
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning philosopher Will Durant [1885-1981] in North Adams, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of Leonard Franklin Slye [1911-98] in Cincinnati, Ohio; he later became famous as singing cowboy Roy Rogers.
- National Doughnut Day {see also First Friday in June}: The June celebration [est. 1938] honors the Salvation Army volunteers who brought doughnuts to British and American soldiers on the front lines during World War I; the November celebration first appears in the 1930s, but origin is unknown.
- Birthday of American actor & playwright Sam Shepard [1943-2017] in Fort Sheridan, Illinois.
- 6th
- Birthday of American bandleader John Philip Sousa [1854-1932] in Washington, DC.
- Birthday of movie producer & studio head Thomas H. Ince [1882-1924] in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Birthday of novelist James Jones [1921-77] in Robinson, Illinois.
- Birthday of feminist writer Diana E.H. Russell in Cape Town, South Africa [1938].
- National Nachos Day; the snack food was invented by Ignacio Anaya [d. 1975] late one night in 1943 at a restaurant in Piedra Negras, Mexico.
- 7th = Birthday of existentialist philosopher Albert Camus [1913-60] in Algeria.
- 7th = Birthday of scifi/fantasy author Rafael 'R.A.' Lafferty [1914-2002] in Neola, Iowa.
- 8th
- Birthday of Bram Stoker [1847-1912] in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland; he is most famous for the 1897 Gothic novel "Dracula".
- Birthday of Margaret 'Peggy' Mitchell [1900-49] in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; she wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1936 bestseller "Gone With The Wind".
- Birthday of author & playwright Peter Ulrich Weiss [1916-82] in Germany; he lived in Sweden from 1939.
- Birthday of British author Kazuo Ishiguro in Nagasaki, Japan [1954]; his family moved to England in 1960.
- National S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. Day [est. 2015] was created to inspire kids to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math thru play; founded by M.G.A. Entertainment [est. 1979], the world's largest private toy company and creators of S.T.E.A.M.-based TV show "Project Mc²" [Netflix 2015-2017]. {Date chosen based on acronym NOV8 - pronounced 'innovate'}
- 9th = Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton [1928-74] in Newton, Massachusetts.
- 9th = International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism [est. 1992] in Europe on the anniversary of the Nazi 'Kristallnacht' attacks in 1938.
- 10th
- Birthday of Britain's King Charles III in 1948; he has reigned since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022.
- Birthday of British author Neil Gaiman [1960].
- National Unfriend Day, declared in 2010 by Jimmy Kimmel on his nightly talk show.
- Early in November or December: The McDonald's fast food chain offers the
McRib sandwich for a short time each year in the U.S.A., lasting around
two weeks;
the sandwich is offered at about half of U.S. locations and is on the permanent menu in Germany. - 11th
- Holiday celebrating the end of World War I in 1918, as Veterans Day [U.S.A.] or as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day elsewhere.
- Birthday of author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. [1922-2007] in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Birthday of Mexican author Carlos Fuentes Macías [1928-2012].
- National Coming Out Day is an annual LGBTQ awareness
& support day founded in 1988 by Human Rights Campaign [est. 1980].
- Singles Day holiday: began at Nanking University in China in 1993; date based on 1·1 + 1·1 symbolism; has become biggest shopping day of the year for Alibaba and other sites.
- Holiday celebrating the end of World War I in 1918, as Veterans Day [U.S.A.] or as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day elsewhere.
- 12th
- Harper & Brothers, New York published the novel "Ben-Hur" by Gen. Lew Wallace [1827-1905] in 1880.
- Birthday of songwriter-musician Neil Young in Toronto, Ontario, Canada [1945].
- Birthday of feminist writer Naomi Wolf in San Francisco, California [1962].
- 13th
- Birthday of author Robert Louis Stevenson [1850-94] in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Birthday of crime novelist George V. Higgins [1939-99] in Brockton, Massachusetts.
- 13th to 19th: Transgender Awareness Week, leading up to Transgender Day of
Remembrance on November 20th. {NOTE: Only 0.6% (that is 6 tenths of 1 percent) of people in the United States 13 and older identify as transgender – there
is NO 'trans epidemic'.}
- 14th
- American publication of "Moby-Dick: or, The Whale" [1851] by author Herman Melville [1819-91].
- Birthday of actress Louise Brooks [1906-85] in Cherryvale, Kansas.
- Birthday of children's author Astrid Lindgren [1907-2002] in Sweden; she is most famous for her six books featuring Pippi Longstocking.
- Birthday of anti-communist demagogue Sen. Joseph McCarthy [1908-57] in Grand Chute, Wisconsin.
- Birthday of libertarian humorist P.J. O'Rourke [1947-2022] in Toledo, Ohio.
- National Pickle Day was first celebrated in 1949, initiated and supported by the Pickle Packers Association [est. 1893].
- Birthday of Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China [1950].
- National American Teddy Bear Day {origins unclear}
- Second or Third Week {Mon-Sun} = Global Entrepreneurship Week [est. 2007] and Global Entrepreneurship Week USA [est. 2007].
- 15th
- Birthday of painter Georgia O'Keeffe [1887-1986] near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; she moved to Ghost Ranch, north of Abiquiú, New Mexico in 1940 and died in Santa Fe, NM at age 98.
- Birthday of poet Marianne Moore [1887-1972] in Kirkwood, Missouri.
- Sadie Hawkins Day [est. 1935] in Dogpatch, USA
- America Recycles Day [Texas 1994, USA 1997] is also known as National Recycling Day; sponsored by Keep America Beautiful [est. 1953].
- Third Monday {15th to 21st}: National Animal Shelter Week [est. 1996] sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States [est. 1954].
- Third Thursday {15th to 21st}: The Great American Smokeout [est. 1976], sponsored by the American Cancer Society [est. 1913]; tobacco users are invited to refrain for the day and donate the savings to charity.
- Third Thursday {15th to 21st}: World Philosophy Day [est. 2002], sponsored by U.N.E.S.C.O..
- 16th
- Birthday of American composer W.C. Handy [1873-1958], who described himself as the 'Father of the Blues'.
- Birthday of Portuguese writer José de Sousa Saramago [1922-2010], recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- National Check Your Wipers Day [est. 9/2021] - see also May 16th for Latin American countries; both originated & sponsored by Michelin [est. 1889].
- 17th
- Birthday of historian & novelist Shelby Foote [1916-2005] in Greenville, Mississippi.
- Birthday of movie director Martin Scorsese in Queens, New York [1942].
- The Screen Actors Guild voted to make its officers swear a pledge asserting that each was not a Communist. [1947]
- World Vasectomy Day [est. 2013].
- 18th = Birthday of cartoon character Mickey Mouse in 1928; he was created by animator & studio head Walt Disney [1901-66].
- 18th = Birthday of Canadian author Margaret Atwood in Ottawa, Ontario [1939]; she is most famous for writing "The Handmaid's Tale" [1985].
- 19th
- Birthday of Western author Jack Schaefer [1907-91] in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Execution by firing squad of labor leader Joe Hill [1879-1915] in Utah.
- Birthday of actress-director Jodie Foster in Los Angeles, California [1962].
- Red Shawl Day: a day of remembrance - for the relatives who are impacted by the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis - and of commitment
to continue the quest for justice; sponsored by the U.S. National Park Service. { view poster }
- 20th
- Birthday of outlaw William Bonney aka 'Billy the Kid' [1859-81] in New York City.
- Birthday of South African author Nadine Gordimer [1923-2014], recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Birthday of U.S. President #46 Joseph Robinette 'Joe' Biden, Jr. in Scranton, Pennsylvania [1942].
- International Children’s Day [est. 1960] is celebrated worldwide on the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of The Rights of The Child; lesser Children’s Day [est. 1925] is celebrated in many countries on June 1st.
- Transgender Day of Remembrance [est. 1998] honoring the memory of the transgender
people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. {second website}
- 21st = Birthday of philosopher François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire [1694-1778] in Paris, France.
- 21st = Birthday of writer Jim Bishop [1907-87] in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- 22nd = Birthday of Mary Ann Evans [1819-80] in Warwickshire, England; she wrote using the pen name George Eliot.
- 22nd = Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
during a motorcade thru Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. [1963]
- Tuesday Before Thanksgiving: Turkey Pardons Day at the U.S. White House; each year, two large birds receive 'pardons' from the President; since 1947, the National Turkey Federation lobbying group has staged a P.R. stunt by providing turkeys to each president; the turkeys were initially intended to be eaten, but in 1963 President Kennedy became the first on record to 'pardon' them.
- Wednesday Before Thanksgiving: Green Wednesday [est. 2016] is the Black Friday of the American cannabis industry; laws vary by state, but sales have been heavy on CBD edibles for use during Thursday's often-dreaded family feast.
- Fourth Thursday: Thanksgiving [U.S.A.] was officially established in 1863 by President Lincoln.
- Day After Thanksgiving
- The giant Xmas shopping day where many retailers slip into proverbial black ink (profit) for the year, thus called 'Black Friday'.
- Fur-Free Friday [est. 1986] to raise awareness and educate retailers & shoppers on the horrors of the fur trade.
- Native American Heritage Day [est. 2008].
- Saturday After Thanksgiving: Good citizens visit their local small retailers
to shop for Xmas gifts; event established in 2010 by American Express and called . . .
- Monday After Thanksgiving: Called 'Cyber Monday' [est. 2005] because online consumers purchase lots of Xmas gifts
that they were unable to find in stores during Black Friday.
- Tuesday After Thanksgiving: Created as 'a new day for giving back' and called 'Giving Tuesday' [est. 2012]; sponsored
by New York City's 92nd Street Y [est. 1874] in partnership with The United Nations Foundation [est. 1998].
- Tuesday After Thanksgiving: 'Travel Tuesday', during which flights, hotels, cruises, and more see discounted prices
for a limited time; started in 2017 by Hopper [est. 2007], a travel platform used by millions globally.
- 23rd
- Birthday of Arthur Adolph 'Harpo' Marx [1888-1964], member of 'The Marx Brothers' comedy team.
- Doctor Who Day, based on the air date of the first episode 23 November 1963.
- Fibonacci Day: 1-1-2-3 {explained at Wikipedia}.
- National Cashew Day.
- 24th
- Birthday of medieval poet Charles of Orléans [1394-1465].
- The House Un-American Activities Committee cited a group of writers, producers & directors –
later known as the 'Hollywood Ten' – for contempt of Congress
for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in the motion picture industry. [1947] - National Espresso Day in the U.S.A.
- 25th
- Birthday of Spanish Baroque playwright & poet Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio [1562-1635].
- Birthday of author W.R. Burnett [1899-1982] in Springfield, Ohio.
- The first public expression of the Hollywood Blacklist, when Association of Motion Picture Producers President Eric Johnston issued a 2-page press release - known today as the Waldorf Statement - which said that the Hollywood Ten would be fired or suspended without pay and not re-employed until they were cleared of contempt charges and had sworn that they were not Communists. [1947]
- 26th
- Birthday of lawman & reporter William Barclay 'Bat' Masterson [1853-1921] in Quebec, Canada.
- Birthday of American mathematician & philosopher Norbert Wiener [1894-1964] in Columbia, Missouri.
- Birthday of French avant-garde playwright Eugène Ionesco [1909-1994] in Romania.
- Birthday of Charles M. Schulz [1922-2000] in Minneapolis, Minnesota; he created the Peanuts® comic strip in 1950.
- 27th = Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer & critic James Agee [1909-55] in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- 27th = Birthday of cinema historian Robert Youngson [1917-74] in Brooklyn, New York.
- 28th
- Birthday of English poet & painter William Blake [1757-1827] in Soho, London, U.K.
- Hawaiian Independence Day, commemorating Hawai'i being recognized as a sovereign kingdom in 1843.
- Birthday of mystery novelist & LGBTQ activist Rita Mae Brown in Hanover, Pennsylvania [1944].
- National French Toast Day {origins unclear}
- 29th
- Birthday of American novelist and poet Louisa May Alcott [1832-88] in Germantown, Pennsylvania; she is most famous for writing the "Little Women" books.
- Birthday of British author C.S. Lewis [1898-1963] in Belfast, Ireland;
he is most famous for the seven 'Narnia Chronicles' novels [1950-56];
he died at Oxford, England in 1963 at age 64. - Birthday of Italian writer & activist Carlo Levi [1902-75].
- Birthday of author Madeleine L’Engle [1918-2007] in New York City; she is most famous for the "Wrinkle In Time" Quintet fantasy novels for children.
- Birthday of Shintaro Katsu [1931-97], producer-actor-director of the Zatô-Ichi Samurai Films Series, in Tokyo, Japan.
- Birthday of filmmaker Joel Coen in St. Louis Park, Minnesota [1954].
- 30th
- Birthday of Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift [1667-1745] in Dublin, Ireland; he is most famous for "Gulliver's Travels" [1726].
- Birthday of author / humorist Mark Twain [1835-1910] in Hannibal, Missouri.
- Birthday of author L.M. {Lucy Maud} Montgomery [1874-1942] of Canada; she is most famous for the "Anne of Green Gables" Novels & Stories.
- Birthday of Sir Winston Churchill [1874-1965] at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England; he died in London at age 90.
- Birthday of historian Jacques Barzun [1907-2012] in France; he died in San Antonio, Texas at age 104.
- Birthday of Shirley Chisholm [1924-2005] in Brooklyn, New York; she was the first Afro-American woman elected to Congress, the first Afro-American candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination (in 1972).
- Birthday of American cinema auteur Terrence Malick, location unclear [1943].
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet in Chicago, Illinois [1947].
- NOTE: Dates of religious events may vary due to local lunar observations.
- December is 'Read A New Book' Month
- December is U.S. National Fruit Cake Month (see also December 27th)
- December is National Necktie Month.
- December is Central European Day of Energy [Dec 2022 = #7] online+live in Brussels, Belgium is sponsored by Central Europe Energy Partners [est. 2011].
- 1st
- Birthday of mystery author Rex Stout [1886-1975], creator of detective Nero Wolfe, in Noblesville, Indiana.
- Birthday of comedian & cinema auteur Woody Allen in Brooklyn, New York [1935].
- In 1955, Rosa Parks [1913-2005] refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama public bus.
- World AIDS Day [est. 1988], partly sponsored by (RED)™ [est. 2006].
- 2nd
- Birthday of horror-fiction writer Brian Lumley in County Durham, England [1937].
- Birthday of author Elizabeth Berg in Saint Paul, Minnesota [1948].
- Birthday of author Thomas Coraghessan 'T.C.' Boyle in Peekskill, New York [1948].
- Birthday of Deb Haaland in Winslow, Arizona [1960]; she [Dem NM-01] and Sharice Davids [Dem KS-03] were the first Native American women elected to Congress (in November 2018) and Deb became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary (U.S. Interior Dept.) in March 2021.
- Birthday of author Ann Patchett in Los Angeles, California [1963].
- 3rd
- Birthday of author Joseph Conrad [1857-1924] in Berdychiv, Ukraine.
- Birthday of cinema auteur Jean-Luc Godard [1930-2022] in Paris, France.
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed in 1992, by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 47/3.
- Local Hack Day sponsored by Major League Hacking [est. 2013].
- 4th
- Birthday of Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle [1795-1881] in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
- Birthday of author Samuel Butler [1805-92] in Nottinghamshire, England.
- Birthday of poet & novelist Rainer Maria Rilke [1875-1926] in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary {present-day Czech Republic}.
- National Cookie Day in the U.S.A. - started by "Sesame Street" in 1976.
- 5th
- Birthday of poet Christina Georgina Rossetti [1830-94] in London, England.
- Birthday of movie director Fritz Lang [1890-1976] in Vienna, Austria.
- Birthday of movie mogul Walt Disney [1901-66] in Chicago, Illinois.
- Birthday of Afro-American author John A. Williams [1925-2015] in Jackson, Mississippi.
- Birthday of novelist & literary journalist Joan Didion [1934-2021] in Sacramento, California.
- Birthday of mystery author James Lee Burke in Houston, Texas [1936].
- Birthday of John Berendt in Syracuse, New York [1939]; he is most famous for the Pulitzer Prize finalist book "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" [1994].
- World Wildlife Conservation Day [est. 1973] is sponsored by The United Nations and other organizations.
- 6th
- Birthday of silent movie cowboy star William S. Hart [1864-1946] in Newburgh, New York.
- Birthday of writer Alfred Joyce Kilmer [1886-1918] in New Brunswick, New Jersey; he was killed by a sniper during the Second Battle of the Marne in France.
- Birthday of lyricist Ira Gershwin [1896-1983] in New York City.
- 7th
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning Western author Willa Cather [1873-1947] in Gore, Virginia.
- Birthday of Japanese poet Akiko Yosano [1878-1942] in Osaka.
- Birthday of philosopher-activist Noam Chomsky in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [1928].
- Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii at dawn: 2,340 military personnel & 48
civilians were killed;
declared the next day by President Roosevelt to be 'a Day of Infamy' [1941]. - National Letter Writing Day
- 8th
- Birthday of humorist James Thurber [1894-1961] in Columbus, Ohio.
- Birthday of poet & writer Delmore Schwartz [1913-66] in Brooklyn, New York.
- Birthday of eco-activist Bill McKibben in Palo Alto, California [1960].
- Birthday of rock music legend Jim Morrison [1943-71] in Melbourne, Florida; he was lead vocalist & lyricist of The Doors rock band
before his untimely death at age 27 in Paris, France. - The Beatles band member John Lennon [1940-80] was assassinated at age 40 at the Dakota Apartments in New York City.
- Second or third Saturday: National Wreaths Across America Day [est. 1992] which decorates graves at Arlington and other veterans cemeteries during the year-end holiday season.
- 9th
- Birthday of poet John Milton [1608-74] in London, England; he is best known for his epic poem "Paradise Lost" [1667], written in blank verse.
- Birthday of Joel Chandler Harris [1848-1908], author of the 'Uncle Remus' Tales.
- Birthday of writer Lucius Beebe [1902-66] in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
- Birthday of [blacklisted] screenwriter Dalton Trumbo [1905-76] in Montrose, Colorado.
- Birthday of actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. [1909-2000] in New York City.
- Birthday of writer & poet Sarah Elizabeth Wright [1928-2009] in Wetipquin, Maryland.
- Birthday of Georgia political activist Stacey Abrams in Madison, Wisconsin [1973].
- 10th
- Birthday of Ada Lovelace [1815-52], the first computer programmer.
- Birthday of American poet Emily Dickinson [1830-86] in Amherst, Massachusetts; she died there of Bright's disease at age 55.
- Birthday of mystery author Philip R. Craig [1933-2007] in Santa Monica, California.
- Intl. Human Rights Day [est. 1948], celebrating the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Dewey Decimal System Day, celebrating the birthday of Melvil Dewey [1851-1931]; he created the famed Dewey Decimal System (published 1876)
which classifies mostly non-fiction books and resources in libraries around the world. - 11th
- Birthday of Nobel-laureate Naguib Mahfouz [1911-2006] in Cairo, Egypt.
- Birthday of Nobel-laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn [1918-2008] in Kislovodsk, Russia.
- International Mountain Day [est. 2003] is sponsored by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization to educate the public on the sustainable management of mountain ecosystems and to mobilize political will and resources to address global issues concerning mountain ecosystems.
- 12th
- Birthday of French novelist Gustave Flaubert [1821-80] in Rouen, France.
- National Poinsettia Day: Long celebrated in Mexico as 'La Flor de Nochebuena' around Dia de La Virgen on December 12. Unofficially celebrated in U.S.A. in remembrance of U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Joel Roberts Poinsett [1779-1851] who was instrumental in bringing the species to the U.S.A. and coincidentally died on that date in 1851. In July of 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives officially declared December 12 to be National Poinsettia Day.
- Birthday of French dramatist Charles Maurice Donnay [1859-1945] in Paris, France.
- Birthday of cinema master Yasujiro Ozu [1903-63] in Tokyo, Japan.
- After several attempts at various locations, brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald re-opened the first McDonald's hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California with the central concepts in place: self-service at the counter; hamburgers and fries and shakes; and an assembly-line kitchen. [1948]
- National Gingerbread House Day: many local & national sponsors including Enchanted Gingerbread® [est. 1991] in Nashville, TN.
- 13th
- Birthday of poet & wit Heinrich Heine [1797-1856] in Düsseldorf, Prussia; many of his works were banned by authorities in Germany & Prussia,
and he spent the last half of his life in Paris, France. - Birthday of mystery author Ross Macdonald [1915-83] in Los Gatos, California.
- Birthday of pop star Taylor Swift in West Reading, Pennsylvania. [1989]
- Birthday of poet & wit Heinrich Heine [1797-1856] in Düsseldorf, Prussia; many of his works were banned by authorities in Germany & Prussia,
- 14th
- The real-life events occurred in Japan in 1702 that have become the 47 Rônin / Chüshingura legend, enshrined over the last 100 years in over 80 films.
- Birthday of author Shirley Jackson [1916-65] in San Francisco, California.
- Birthday of Afro-American poet & jazz critic Stanley Lawrence Crouch [1945-2020] in Los Angeles, California.
- Free Shipping Day [est. 2008], a chance to shop at participating online stores and not pay a dime to ship your package - participating stores & websites include Aeropostale, Best Buy, Cabela's, Children's Place, Dillard's, J.Crew, Kohl's, Macy's, Overstock, PetSmart, Reebok, Sephora, Sears, Staples, Target, TOMS, Under Armour, Wal-Mart, and Zales.
- 15th
- Birthday of American author Elisabeth Wehner 'Betty' Smith [1896-1972] in Brooklyn, New York; she is most famous for her first novel "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" [1943].
- Birthday of novelist Edna O'Brien in County Clare, Ireland [1930].
- International Tea Day [est. 12/2019] is sponsored by U.N.E.S.C.O. {see also May 21st}.
- 16th
- Birthday of British author Jane Austen [1775-1817] in Hampshire, England.
- Birthday of American philosopher George Santayana [1863-1952] in Madrid, Spain.
- Birthday of French silent movie comedy star Max Linder [1883-1925] in France.
- Birthday of science fiction writer & futurist Sir Arthur C. Clarke, CBE, FRAS [1917-2008] in Somerset, England; he moved to Sri Lanka in 1956 and died there at age 90.
- Birthday of author Philip K. Dick [1928-82] in Chicago, Illinois.
- 17th = The Wright Brothers (Orville & Wilbur) flew the first successful powered & manned heavier-than-air aeroplane flights at Kitty Hawk, NC [1903] { link }
- 17th = Debut of the "The Simpsons" animated TV series in 1989; the hit Fox Network series developed by cartoonist Matt Groening has continued for 750 episodes and in October 2023 became the longest-running prime-time scripted show with its 35th season.
- 18th
- Birthday of American science fiction author Alfred Bester [1913-1987] in New York City.
- Birthday of Afro-American actor & activist Raiford Chatman 'Ossie' Davis [1917-2005] in Clinch County, Georgia.
- Birthday of science fiction & fantasy author Michael Moorcock in London, England [1939].
- 19th
- Birthday of Italian writer Aron Ettore Schmitz [1861-1928] in Trieste, Austrian Empire; his pen name was Italo Svevo.
- Birthday of American writer & anthropologist Oliver Hazard Perry La Farge II [1901-63] in New York City; he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1933 and died there at age 61.
- Birthday of French writer & political activist Jean Genet [1910-86] in Paris, France.
- Third Friday {15th to 21st} = National Ugly Sweater Day: Two men from Vancouver came up with the idea in 2002 to throw the first official tacky holiday sweater party to raise money for their friend’s cancer treatment; the party was a hit, leading the way for similar events to show up all over the northern hemisphere; ugly sweater parties went from small holiday get-togethers to huge events, sometimes in support of charity. { find yours at Amazon }
- Third Sunday = World Snowboard Day [Dec 2011 = #6].
- 20th = Birthday of American novelist Hortense Calisher [1911-2009] in New York City.
- 21st
- Winter Solstice may occur on December 21st or 22nd.
- Birthday of American musician Frank Zappa [1940-93] in Baltimore, Maryland; he died in Los Angeles, California at age 52.
- National Crossword Puzzle Day [est. 2002] celebrates the first 'word cross' which was released in a New York World newspaper edition on 21 December 1913.
- National Short Story Day takes place on the shortest day of the year.
- 21st to 23rd: Chinese Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival - one-day celebration based on lunar calendar.
- 22nd = Birthday of author Myron Brinig [1896-1991] in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- 22nd = First day of the Existential Season [est. 2023] which occurs on the day after Winter Solstice; intended to increase awareness of the existential nature of the Universe and to remind existentialists, practitioners of zen & mental yoga, objectivists, and stoics to refresh their commitment to objective reality.
- 23rd
- Birthday of mythopoet Robert Bly [1926-2021] in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota.
- Birthday of author Edward Irving Wortis in New York City [1937]; he has written more than 75 books under the pen name Avi.
- Secular Festivus holiday: Conceived by author Daniel O'Keefe [1928-2012] in the 1960s and
popularized by his TV writer son on
the December 1997 "Strike!" episode of "Seinfeld" [NBC-TV 1989-98] • official website [est.2006]
"Festivus: The True Story": TarcherPerigree 7¼x5 pb [2005] for $65.01 {sic}
"Festivus: The Complete Guide": CreateSpace 9x6 pb [7/2015] for $16.95
- 24th
- Birthday of King John Plantagenet of England [1167-1216] at Beaumont Palace, Oxford.
- Birthday of Nobel-laureate Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez [1881-1958] in Andalucia, Spain.
- Birthday of movie director Michael Curtiz [1886-1962] in Budapest, Austria-Hungary.
- Birthday of billionaire aviator Howard Hughes [1905-76] in Houston, Texas.
- Birthday of fantasy, horror & science fiction writer Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. [1910-92] in Chicago, Illinois.
- Jolabokaflod [est. 1944], Iceland’s "Yule Book Flood" Day for buying and giving books to others.
- 25th
- Christmas Day [est. 336 C.E.], which carries many traditions, including the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story".
- Birthday of actor Humphrey Bogart [1899-1957] in New York City.
- Birthday of author, playwright & TV host Rodman Edward 'Rod' Serling [1924-75] in Syracuse, New York.
- Birthday of anthropologist Carlos Castañeda [1925-98] in Peru.
- 26th = Birthday of 'literary innovator' Henry Valentine Miller [1891-1980] in Yorkville, New York City.
- 26th = Birthday of entertainer Steve Allen [1921-2000] in New York City.
- December 26th to January 1 = Kwanzaa Holiday [est. 1966]
- 27th
- Birthday of French scientist Louis Pasteur [1822-95].
- Birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning author & conservationist Louis Bromfield [1896-1956] in Mansfield, Ohio.
- U.S. National Fruitcake Day {origins unknown}.
- 28th
- Birthday of Dr. Mortimer J. Adler [1902-2001] in New York City; he was co-creator of 'The Great Books of The Western World' [1952 & 1990].
- National Chocolate Candy Day {origins unknown}.
- Birthday of Argentine author Juan Manuel Puig Delledonne [1932-90].
- Birthday of award-winning actor Denzel Washington in Mount Vernon, New York [1958].
- 30th
- Birthday of British author Joseph Rudyard Kipling [1865-1936] in Mumbai, British India.
- Birthday of children's book writer & illustrator Mercer Mayer in Little Rock, Arkansas [1943].
- National Bacon Day (International Bacon Day is in early September).
- 31st = New Year's Eve - the day before New Years Day
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