National Science Fiction Day celebrates, what else, Science Fiction, aka SF. It has also been called sci-fi, but many authors seem to object to that. It is also, it seems, hard to define and it is harder yet to establish the first work that could qualify for the name. Wikipedia, which itself seems to veer off into fiction now and then, discusses the subject at some length, and, in passing notes that some consider Lucian's second century CE work A True Story to be the first science fiction novel, and notes that it does possess many themes and tropes characteristic of modern science fiction. The article ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction ) also notes that;
Some scholars assert that science fiction had its beginnings in ancient times, when the line between myth and fact was blurred.
I think that I'll just leave it at that before I go and start offending people, since that was really Zappa's vocation anyway.
It's also National Buffet Day, National Creampuff Day, Swiss Cheese Day, and National Weigh-In Day. What exactly is the point of that last one? Go thou and gorge yourself and then check your weight? Whuffo?
Lastly, it is World Introvert Day. Would all you introverts kindly stand up and tell us all about yourselves. Thanks.
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On this day in history:
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0366 -- The Alemanni invaded the Roman Empire.
0533 -- Mercurius became "Pope John II", the first pope to use an alias
1492 -- The Emirate of Granada surrendered, note the year.
1900 – John Hay announced the Open Door Policy to give latecomer US a piece of the action in the exploitation of China.
1920 -- The 2nd Palmer Raid saw 6,000 lefties arrested without cause and held without trial.
1921 – The world premiere of R.U.R. by Karel Čapek
1967 -- Ronald Reagan was sworn in as governor of California, alas
1975 – The Federal Rules of Evidence were approved by the US Congress
2016 -- Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr & 46 others were executed by the Saudis for demanding rights for Saudi Shias.
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Some people who were born on this day:
in intellect there is no sex.
~~ M. Carey Thomas
1822 – Rudolf Clausius, physicist and mathematician
1827 – Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, geographer and statistician
1836 -- Queen Emma of Hawaii
1857 – M. Carey Thomas, educator and activist
1870 – Ernst Barlach, sculptor and playwright
1878 – Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, social reformer and freedom fighter
1891 – Giovanni Michelucci, architect and urban planner
1900 – Una Ledingham, physician and researcher
1901 -- Bob Marshall, co-founder of The Wilderness Society
1904 – Walter Heitler, physicist and chemist
1913 – Juanita Jackson Mitchell, lawyer and activist
1914 -- Kenny Clarke, drummer and composer who popularized the ride cymbal for keeping time.
1918 – Willi Graf, physician and activist (White Rose Society)
1919 -- Beatrice Hicks, engineer & co-founder of the Society of Women Engineers
1920 -- Isaac Asimov, chemist, author, and academic
1936 – Roger Miller, singer, songwriter, musician, and actor
1938 -- Lynn Conway, transgender activist, engineer, inventor and computer scientist
1938 -- Dana Ulery, computer scientist
1943 – Janet Akyüz Mattei, astronomer, director of AAVSO
1949 – Iris Marion Young, political scientist and academic
1956 -- Lynda Barry, cartoonist and author
1972 – Shiraz Minwalla, theoretical physicist and string theorist
1986 -- Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty, musician & composer
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Some people who died on this day:
I get ideas from everything. A big color, the sound of water and wind, or a flash of something cool. Playing is like life. Either you feel it or you don't.
~~ Erroll Garner
1543 – Francesco Canova da Milano, composer
1726 – Domenico Zipoli, organist and composer
1892 -- George Biddell Airy, mathematician and astronomer known for his disks.
1951 – Edith New, militant suffragette
1974 – Tex Ritter, country singer and actor
1977 – Erroll Garner, pianist and composer
2005 – Maclyn McCarty, geneticist and physician
2012 -- Larry Reinhardt, guitarist
2016 -- Nimr al-Nimr, Saudi Arabian Shia Cleric
2019 – Daryl Dragon, musician (Captain)
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Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
National Science Fiction Day (US)
National Creampuff Day (US)
National Buffet Day (US)
Swiss Cheese Day
World Introvert Day
National Weigh-In Day
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Today's Tunes
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National Buffet Day
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Karel Čapek's R.U.R.
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Kenny Clarke
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Roger Miller
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Trombone Shorty
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Francesco Canova da Milano
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Domenico Zipoli
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Tex Ritter
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Errol Garner
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Larry Reinhardt
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Daryl Dragon
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Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
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Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com