September 5, 2017
While September 5, 1882, marks the first Labor Day celebration, there was, in fact, a much more momentous occurrence on this date. It was on September 5, 1698 that Russian Tzar, Peter the Great, decreed a tax be collected on all men who bore a beard.
In 1698 Russia that was, well, pretty much every man who lived there. Peter’s goal was to modernize his country but those pesky peasants – and more than a few merchants, civic leaders and courtiers – believed there was a religious component to the growing and wearing of facial hair.
Not to be deterred, he put the tax in place and then commanded the police to enforce it. From the infallible Wikipedia:
“To enforce the ban on beards, the tsar empowered police to forcibly and publicly shave those who refused to pay the tax. Resistance to going clean shaven was widespread with many believing that it was a religious requirement for a man to wear a beard. The tax levied depended upon the status of the bearded man: Those associated with the Imperial Court, military, or government were charged 60 rubles annually; wealthy merchants were charged 100 rubles per year while other merchants and townsfolk were charged 60 rubles per year; Muscovites were charged 30 rubles per year; and peasants were charged two half-kopeks every time they entered a city.”
Once the tax was paid the man received a beard token as proof he had complied with the law. The coin bore the Russian double eagle on one side and the lower part of a face featuring nose, mouth, whiskers and beard on the obverse. A variety of tokens were minted during the years the tax was in place. It was not lifted until 1772, seventy-four years after institution!
As to Peter the Great’s original goal – to make Russia a more modern nation by the standards of his time – he was largely successful. He established compulsory education, strengthened the military, increased Russia’s land holdings, and European dress and customs were adopted.
For more information on the beard tax and on Peter The Great, click on these links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard_tax
Although the group had tremendous success, no doubt Michael eclipsed his 9 siblings when his solo career started in 1971. His first single “Got To Be There” reached the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his next single “Ben” which sent him to the top of the charts.
If you happened to miss The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 on August 21, take heart. Solar eclipses happen once every 18 months or so, on average. And if you want to see one on August 22nd… well, you also missed that opportunity as the last time there was an eclipse on this date was in 1998 and it crossed over the south Pacific.
“Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” – so asked Glinda of Dorothy when the latter dropped a house into Munchkinland during the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”
Nominated for six Academy Awards it lost out to Gone With the Wind for best picture. It did win two other awards, however, including best song for the instantly recognizable “Over The Rainbow.”
This invention, which was patented on August 8, 1899, ranks right up there with my two most favorite inventions: electricity and flushing toilets.
No doubt July 25th is an extremely important day for ice cream lovers everywhere. Yes, it’s the ‘official’ National Hot Fudge Sundae Day!
One of my favorite memories of Farrell’s (I think it was Farrell’s) was when one of our adult advisors taught us all how to balance a fork on our nose. That was the sort of silliness we enjoyed. This photo of her doing just that is probably from the last time I went to a Farrell’s.
There cannot be found a more momentous day in history than July 18, 1936. For it was on that day when a universally recognized symbol of American marketing debuted.
It is rare to find a writer whose impact on both children and adults is so pronounced but E.B. White – who was born on July 11, 1899 – was such a writer.
The book is one of the most widely read books by elementary aged children. Somewhere in a dusty box in my parent’s basement is a copy of this wonderful book. A book which I read over and over again, falling in love with a pig named Wilbur and his friend, the spider Charlotte.
Anyone who grew up in the 1960’s no doubt sees the names Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren and knows immediately that they were the gold standard in advice columnists. The two, also, were twin sisters born on July 4, 1918 in Sioux City, Iowa.
No doubt each could have penned letters seeking advice from Ann Landers and Dear Abby. From 1956 on their relationship with each other was strained. Reconciliation was attempted in 1964 but the competition between them persisted until Esther’s death in June 2002.
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