Thread:61Storm/@comment-29989042-20180310010918/@comment-29709319-20180816051418

August 16th: National Tell a Joke Day, National Roller Coaster Day, National Airborne Day, and National Rum Day.

National Tell a Joke Day will be filled with smiles and much laughter from morning till night as everyone shares their favorite jokes. Jokes have been a part of human culture since at least 1900 BC. A joke is described as something that is spoken, written or done with humorous intention. On National Tell a Joke Day, try a one-liner or a knock-knock joke if you aren’t comfortable with the whole comedic act that can be involved in the short story versions. Some simply rely on gestures to express humor. With humor, timing and delivery can be an essential element. Without it, the joke will fall flat. In moderation, laughter is healthy, uses the abdominal muscles and releases endorphins (natural “feel good” chemicals) into the brain.

National Roller Coaster Day. J.G. Taylor received one of the earliest patents for an inclined railway in 1872. In 1878, Richard Knudsen received a patent for an inclined-plane railway. For years, history has believed the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island on June 16, 1884. Thanks to the digital age and many archived news papers being digitized, and article was discovered reporting the anticipated excitement of J.G. Taylor’s elevated railway in 1872 at Rocky Point, Rhode Island. According to the Providence Evening Press from June 18, 1872, the reporter describes a ride of 400 feet where nine passengers are given a shove and gravity does the rest. The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called “Russian Mountains.” Built in the 17th century, these were specially constructed hills of ice that were located near Saint Petersburg, Russia. The slides were made to a height of 70 to 80 feet consisting of a 50-degree drop and were reinforced by wooden supports. A roller coaster consists of one or multiple cars on a track, similar to a specialized railroad system that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more vertical loops. National Roller Coaster Day has been celebrated since a 1986 proclamation by a national newspaper according to the website nationalrollercoasterday.com. However, we were unable to identify the newspaper or the reason for proclaiming the day on August 16. None of the patents issued either to Richard Knudsen, J.G. Taylor or any other inventor of their time were applied for or granted on that date. None of the roller coasters opened on that date. Whatever the reason, National Roller Coaster Day recognizes the amazing thrills the rides continue to provide as well as nostalgic feelings they stir up.

National Airborne Day was designated by the United States Congress, National Airborne Day honors the nation’s airborne divisions of the Armed Forces. National Airborne Day was created in 2001 by 43rd United States President, George W. Bush. August 16, 1940, marks the date of the first official Army parachute jump at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The successful jump validated the innovative concept of inserting United States ground combat forces behind a battle line by parachute. These sky soldiers represent some of the most prestigious and effectively trained forces in the United States Army. On August 3, 2009, the US Senate of the 111th Congress recognized National Airborne Day with Senate Resolution 235. President George W. Bush proclaimed National Airborne Day on August 14, 2002.

National Rum Day! Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of molasses production or made directly from sugar cane juice. After the fermentation and distillation process, most rum is aged in wooden oak barrels. The Sugar Act of 1764, which was a tax on sugar, molasses and rum by the British on the American colonies, helped start the unrest that finally became the American Revolution. Followed by the vodka and all the whiskeys combined, rum is the third most popular spirit in the United States. It stirs up images of sandy beaches and brightly colored umbrellas in fruity drinks. It is a sweet spirit and originated in sunny Papua New Guinea. It made its way to the Caribbean by way of the West Indies.

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