fun, strange holidays grouped by month

Moby-Dick Marathon

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moby-dick marathonThe 24-hour Moby-Dick Marathon begins at noon today at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.

An actor portraying Herman Melville will recite the novel’s first chapter aboard the Seaport’s 1841 wooden whaler. Visitors can sign up to read a chapter aloud.

Hopefully, the reading will progress at a pace that will bring it to a conclusion at noon on August 1st, when revelers will celebrate the 206th anniversary of Melville’s birth and enjoy a tasty slice of great white cake.

While everyone is welcome to bring a picnic or purchase a meal at one of the museum’s restaurants, no food or drink, except bottled water, will be allowed on board the historic ship.

Happy Moby-Dick Marathon and happy birthday (just a bit early) to Herman Melville!

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Jimmy Hoffa Day

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Today is Jimmy Hoffa Day. On July 30, 1975,  James Riddle “Jimmy” Hoffa disappeared after leaving the Machus Red Fox Restaurant on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan.

jimmy hoffa day

A labor leader and union activist with strong ties to the Mob, Hoffa presided over the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1958 until 1971, when he was forced to resign in exchange for a pardon from President Richard Nixon.

He’d been in prison since 1967, convicted of attempting to bribe the jury on an extortion case he had ultimately won. To secure early release, Hoffa agreed to relinquish his position and refrain from participating in any union-related activities until 1980, when his full prison sentence would have been completed.

Once free, he refused to curb his ambitions and tried unsuccessfully to sue the government for infringing upon his rights. At the time of his disappearance, Hoffa was at work on an autobiography and fighting to regain the power he had ceded to his right-hand man, Frank Fitzsimmons.

On July 30, 1975, Hoffa went to the Red Fox Restaurant to allegedly meet with three men: a Detroit labor leader, a local mobster, and a major player in New Jersey Teamster politics. Hoffa arrived at 2:00 pm. He called his wife from an outside payphone 30 minutes later to complain that no one had shown up, and he would wait a few more minutes before giving up.jimmy hoffa day

Several sources report seeing him in the parking lot speaking with three men, then getting into a car. A truck driver claimed that a 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham nearly hit him as he was pulling in, drawing his attention to a man he recognized as Hoffa and something that may have been a rifle or shotgun.

Traces of blood and hair were found in the 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham owned by Chuckie O’Brien, Hoffa’s foster son. O’Brien’s father was killed on a picket line when the child was only three years old. Hoffa brought him home and raised him as a son.

At the time, DNA testing did not exist. In 2001, the FBI tested the evidence, matching it to hair taken from Hoffa’s hairbrush. O’Brien had previously denied that Hoffa had ever been in his car. He was questioned, but no charges were ever brought against him.

Hoffa was declared legally dead in 1982. Theories abound, but the case remains unsolved.

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Rain Day

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rain dayToday is Rain Day. Why? According to records kept since 1874, it has rained in the town of Waynesburg, PA, on July 29th in 118 of the last 151 years, more than 78% of the time, a statistical anomaly.

Every year, the town holds a festival, come rain or come shine. Events include a t-shirt design competition, umbrella and window decoration contests and the requisite beauty pageant.

Here’s a sample of the Miss Rain Day application and contractual agreement from 2022.

“I am of good character, have never been married, divorced, had a marriage annulled, given birth to a child or convicted of a crime.”

Picky, picky!

Happy Rain Day, Waynesburg!

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National Day of the Cowboy

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national day of the cowboyToday, July 26th, 2025, is the 20th annual National Day of the Cowboy, always observed on the fourth Saturday of July. On March 18, 2016, Idaho became the 11th state to pass a law recognizing the holiday.

The National Day of the Cowboy Organization created this day in 2005 to acknowledge the contributions of the cowboy (and cowgirl) to the history of America.

Celebrate today by watching a classic Western movie, taking in a rodeo, putting on a pair of boots and kicking up your heels, or learning how to throw a lasso.

Have a happy National Day of the Cowboy!

 

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