All - Leep Calendar

Before the 1970s, rice wasn't common in the United Kingdom. That changed as more people from Asia immigrated, and with them came the food traditions and flavors from their own countries. Today, rice is a popular grain in the UK, and Rice Week encourages discovering all the different varieties and cooking something new. Tilda and The Rice Association champion National Rice Week.

Africa

Sep

Sexual Health Week (UK): September 9-15 (est)

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United Kingdom's Sexual Health Week aims to raise awareness of sexual health, whether avoiding diseases, mitigating porn, or increasing sexual pleasure and well-being. Each year has a different theme. The charity Family Planning Association of the United Kingdom sponsors the event.

Africa

Sep

Teddy Bear Day: September 9

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Teddy Bear Day honors the teddy bear, a plush toy in the form of a cute bear. The Teddy Bear is the invention of Morris Michtom's wife, Rose. Michtom petitioned President Theodore Roosevelt for permission to use his nickname, Teddy, for the bear. The president agreed The Michtoms, a Jewish family, immigrated to the United States in 1887 to escape religious persecution in Russia. The inspiration for the toy came from a 1902 political cartoon in the Washington Post featuring then President Theodore Roosevelt demonstrating compassion for a bear cub he was hunting. The toy was so successful that the Michtom's soon incorporated, and the Ideal Toy & Novelty Company was born. Today, most children in the United States grow up with at least one teddy bear, and Teddy remains one of the most popular toys ever produced.

Africa

Sep

Wiener Schnitzel Day: September 9

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National Wiener Schnitzel Day or Wienerschnitzel Day celebrates a fried German sausage. Schnitzel is a cooking style in which meat is tenderized through pounding, coated in bread crumbs or batter, and deep-fried. Schnitzel can be any meat: chicken, beef, lamb, ground meat, or sausage, and it can be served in a bun or bare. Each year on National Wiener Schnitzel Day, the fast food chain Wienerschnitzel in the United States offers sandwich specials and other goodies in celebration.

Africa

Sep

Wonderful Weirdos Day: September 9

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Today is when being different and slightly strange is encouraged and applauded. Wonderful Weirdos Day celebrates what makes us unique—brought to you by Wellcat.

Africa

Sep

First DUI Issued (1897): September 10

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On September 10, 1897, the first citation for driving under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol was issued in England. George Smith, a 25-year-old cab driver, slammed his car into a building while intoxicated, which later led to a fine of 25 shillings. In the United States, the first laws against operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol went into effect in New York in 1910. It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving increased, and lawmakers and police officers began to get tougher on offenders due to one angry mother. In 1980, Candy Lightner from California founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, after her 13-year-old daughter Cari was killed by a drunk driver walking home from a school carnival. Despite the stiff penalties and public awareness campaigns, drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs remains a serious problem in the United States and worldwide.

Africa

Sep

Hurricane Season Peak: September 10

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The peak of the Hurricane Season is on September 10. By then, the worst storms of the year have usually passed, averaging three heavy hurricanes hitting the US before this date. It's common for strong storms to also hit in the second half of September. Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are nature's most powerful and destructive phenomena. They're the same thing, with location determining which word is used to describe it. Hurricane is the word for these storms in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific Ocean near Japan and SE Asia. If it occurs in the northwest Pacific Ocean, we call it a typhoon. If it occurs in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, it is called a cyclone.

Africa

Sep

Ideas Day, Swap: September 10

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Today is a day to come together to solve problems. Idea Swap Day originated with Robert Birch, who passed away in 2005, and it continues in his memory.

Africa

Sep

OPEC Founded (1960): September 10

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September 10 marks the anniversary of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) creation in 1960. This organization aims to coordinate and unify the policies on petroleum among its member nations to create fair trade and prices of oil and its derivatives; create a regular supply of petroleum to consuming countries, and provide a reasonable return on capital for petroleum-producing nations. For the first five years, its headquarters were in Geneva. On September 1, 1965, it moved to Vienna, Austria. Five countries founded OPEC: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Venezuela. Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, and Gabon joined later. OPEC originated in Baghdad in September 1960 following changes in the international economic and political arena and the creation of newly independent states. The organization promoted a unifying vision and shared objectives. During the 1950s, the oil market was dominated by large multinational companies and the Soviet Union. OPEC changed that, focusing on the needs of the supplier nations rather than the corporations. Within a decade, the member countries achieved dominance over their domestic petroleum production and collectively impacted the price of petroleum on the world market. OPEC's collective power became apparent after the Yom Kippur War of 1973. In protest of the United States and its allies arming Israel, OPEC embargoed the nations, cutting off the supply of oil and banning the export of petroleum products. The effect was immediate. Americans and others worldwide found themselves waiting in hours-long lines to fill their gas tanks. Prices soared. The embargo lasted six months, and consumers worldwide learned a harsh lesson. Not only was the world dependent upon petrol, but OPEC was a power. The actual cost of the oil embargo continues to resonate in America. Consider the auto industry. Though not the only cause, the embargo escalated events and provided opportunities that may have required several decades to occur without it. During the fall of 1973, Americans were in shock. With petrol's scarcity and expense, the large American-made cars with massive engines and little fuel efficiency suddenly became undesirable. Though considered lower quality at the time, Japanese cars were less expensive, smaller, and fuel efficient. Brands including Datsun (Nissan), Honda, and Toyota rapidly stole market share from American manufacturers, forcing the closing of factories and the movement of supporting companies overseas. By 1980, US manufacturers were in a tailspin, and the high-paying blue-collar jobs supported by the industry were in jeopardy, sending entire regions of the nation into despair. Many of these areas never recovered. Today, Toyota is the top-selling auto brand in the United States, and Ford is number two. *** The shift in automobile markets is one example of the fallout from the 1973 oil embargo and illustrates OPEC's power in influencing current and future events. The organization continues to protect its members' interests, which is its purpose. Thankfully, it hasn't used its embargo power again.

Africa

Sep

Sewing Machine Day, Intl. (1790): September 10

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International Sewing Machine Day honors the anniversary of Thomas Saint of England's first patent on a sewing machine, September 10, 1790.

Africa

Sep

St. Georges Caye Day, (BZ)(1798): September 10

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The Battle of St. George's Caye (September 3-10, 1798) marked a significant conflict in the wider Anglo-Spanish War. The Spanish had previously attempted to expel the British Baymen from the area in the 18th century, but those attempts had largely failed. By 1798, the Spanish had gathered a fleet to remove the British from the area. Aware of the impending attack, the Baymen held a public meeting to decide whether to defend their settlements or evacuate. Historical accounts note that the evenly split decision came down to a single vote, that of Thomas Barrow, who voted in favor of fighting. The Baymen requested assistance from Jamaica, which sent a force to assist them. The deciding battle for the Baymen occurred on September 10, when the Baymen, bolstered by British naval support, engaged the Spanish fleet, ultimately forcing Spain to retreat. This victory solidified the British presence in the region, and it was a significant step towards the eventual establishment of British Honduras, which became the modern nation of Belize. In Belize, the Battle of St. George's Caye is commemorated annually on September 10 as a national holiday.

Africa

Sep

Suicide Prevention Day, World: September 10

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World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). This awareness campaign highlights individuals and organizations with the tools and knowledge necessary to support those who have lost hope and see death as the only way out.

Africa

Sep

Teachers' Day, (CN): September 10

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Observed in China for over 2500 years, Teachers' Day allows students to show their appreciation to educators through gifts and gratitude. September 10 became the official date in 1985.

Africa

Sep

Television 'TV' Dinner Day (1944): September 10

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TV Dinner Day marks the anniversary of the introduction of William L. Maxson's prepackaged meals, first served on airplanes on September 10, 1944. The idea of providing prepackaged meals that could be heated and served coincided with the popularization of television in the late 1940s and early 1950s. C.A. Swanson & Sons seized the opportunity and successfully created and marketed the first TV dinner, namesaked as people would heat them, place them on fold-down trays and eat them while watching television. Initially, the meals were packaged in aluminum trays and heated in the oven. Today these meals are microwaveable with plastic or organic trays replacing aluminum. Rather than dinner, today's meals frequently pass for lunch. A typical TV dinner contains an entrée, vegetables, starch, and dessert.

Africa

Sep

United Nations General Assembly (US-NY): September 10-24

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As of this writing, 193 nations, the Holy See, and Palestine make up the United Nations. Each year in September, member nations gather in New York City to discuss issues affecting the global community. The largest country in terms of population is China, with 1.45 billion people, and the smallest is the Holy See, with just 800 citizens. Currently, the following states are not recognized as separate nations at the UN: Kosovo, Taiwan, Western Sahara, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus

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