July 14th was my youngest son’s 40th
birthday (Cameron). We had a small family get-together at his house.
My standard gift
for “milestone” birthdays is a commemorative book of newspaper articles
from the day of the person’s birth that includes articles forward through the years.
The one I gave
Cameron is a collection from the LA Times. These collections are available in a
variety of newspaper choices: New York Times, The Washington Post, Dallas
Morning News, Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, and so forth.
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| As part of the order, the person's name and birthday are added to the cover. |
As we browsed the book, Cameron wondered what other
memorable events happened on his birthday before he was born (1980). So we
investigated. Here are a few interesting events.
1973 – The Everly Brothers announced they were breaking up during
a performance at Knott’s Berry Farm.
1967 – The Who began a U.S. tour opening for Herman’s Hermits.
1968 – Easy Rider was released.
1946 – Dr. Benjamin Spock’s book Common Sense Book of Baby
& Child Care was published.
1912 – Woody Guthrie was born.
1911 – Harry Atwood, an exhibition pilot for the Wright
Brothers, landed his airplane at the south lawn of the White House.
1882 – Johnny Ringo, gunfighter who once challenged Doc
Holliday, was found dead in Turkey Creek Canyon, Arizona. Click HERE to read
more about him.
Doc Holliday meets Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.
1881 – Fort Sumner in the New Mexico Territory, William H.
Bonney Jr., aka Billy the Kid, was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.
Since we can never have too much Marty Robbins in our
lives…
1865 – First ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and
party.
(Aside: The young adult novel Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey
Ullman is somewhat of a retelling of this event. It’s well worth your time to
read it.)
1864 – Gold was discovered in Helena, Montana
1860 – Owen Wister, author of The Virginian, was born.
1850 – The first public demonstration of ice made by
refrigeration was presented.
1845 – The first postmasters’ provisional stamps were issued
in New York City.
1795 – French National Convention declares La Marseillaise
by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, as France’s national anthem.
Because this scene gives me goosebumps, here’s
the La Marseillaise
scene from Casablanca.
1789 – Bastille Day – The French Revolution began with the
fall of the Bastille Prison.
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Stay in contact with Kaye—
Kaye, what a great idea for a gift! I would never have thought of that! That's so different, and something I'm sure he really enjoyed. When I was growing up I was so disappointed that I didn't know ANYONE who had my birthday. Some of my friends could boast about having another friend or relative or someone famous who shared their special day. Mine was July 28, and I was so thrilled to learn that Jackie Kennedy was born on July 28th, too! I had a few "close, but no cigar" events that "almost" were on my birthday--my cousin's birthday is July 22, and we've been close all these years, and my childhood best friend's birthday was July 23--she was a year older than me. Great post--we can NEVER get enough Marty, you are so right! XO Happy birthday to Cameron!
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
DeleteI've given the New York Times collection for several birthdays. I randomly chose the LA Times for Cameron. It is a neat gift. There is a drawback, though. The print is really tiny. For my bifocal-eyes, it's difficult to read without a magnifying glass, which is annoying. lol
I seem to recall doing that, I think for my first son's birth and a few other events, but for the life of me I don't know where they are now. I am a newspaper and magazine clipper of things I find interesting, especially historical events. I'm terrible at organizing, though. What a wonderful and unusual gift. My youngest turned 40 this year as well, in May. I love anything by Marty and watch his videos quite often on YouTube. You put a lot of research into this blog and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
DeleteMy older two kids (Robyne 42 and Heath 44) each received the New York Times book (for no particular reason). lol I gave one to my son-in-law and one of my daughters-in-law on their 40th. My other daughter-in-law will be 40 in November, so she'll get one, too. The books run $99, which is a bit steep if you ask me, but what the heck. It is a nice gift.
Ah... Marty... ;-)
I see you were a busy mom, too, with little ones two years apart, just like I was except my second pregnancy, also unexpected, was twins, so I had four in four years lol. But they never lacked playmates . My youngest, though, was always in a hurry to catch up. Now he's the tallest of the four at 6'4"
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteMy oldest is 6'4". lol I never had ultrasounds when I was pregnant, because doctors didn't do them back then unless there was a serious medical concern. My doctor told me he heard two heart beats early on in my first pregnancy. Since I didn't end up having twins, it was very likely the situation of one fetus not thriving and being absorbed. I did some research on this. Apparently it isn't all that uncommon. It's called Vanishing Twin Syndrome (sounds like a Twilight Zone story or a Perry Mason episode: Case of the Vanishing Twin). I've known younger women who have had ultrasounds early on that showed twins one month and only one baby the next. Poof! Just gone. So odd.
This is the kind of information I thrive on. Thanks! Doris
ReplyDeleteDoris,
DeleteAh, thanks. Glad it hit the spot. lol
What a wonderful gift for your son. Giving such a book for a milestone birthday is a great idea. I will have to steal it. Our son turns 40in two years. The girls will have to wait until their 50th which are a few more years away. I had forgotten about the scene from Casablanca. It does give goosebumps. Now I need to find my copy and watch it.
ReplyDeleteThat scene from Casablanca is so good. I have to re-watch it from time to time, also. Thanks for stopping in.
Delete