May 31 - get that smoking big ship off of my lawn

 So it was on this day in 1911 that the ill-fated RMS Titanic left its home port of Belfast for the first time, almost a full year before it's first voyage.

It was a big ship.

And a big actor is Clint Eastwood, it's his birthday today.  He's 92 today.

92!

Now, in his early days he was the 'gunslinger' and was a rough and tough cowboy who always had a smoke.

Today, smoking isn't as 'cool' and we even have "World No Tobacco Day" as a day to recognize the harm it can do.

It started in 1987 from the World Health Organization with 2022's theme as "Threat to Our Environment"

May 27 - think a vampire ever drains a fish?

 Growing up I clearly remember the Hilarious House of Frankenstein, and periodically there would be a reading of some poetry, usually in that Edgar Allen Poe style by a creepy guy that I always thought was a vampire.

That guy was Vincent Price, wasn't a vampire, but he had done a bunch of 'creepy' roles that were pretty near unto it.

It's his birthday today, and had he not died in 1993 he would have been 111 (his eleventy-eleventh).

And for those of you with a bit of British in you, somehow you've developed a genetic taste for Fish & Chips.

I think it's a national dish, so only fitting they have a National Fish & Chip Day.

Usually it's first Friday (a #FRYday) in June, but this year it's in May.

May 25 - now there's a hoopy frood

 ...who always knows where his towel is.

A towel, the guide says, is an important tool for any intergalactic hitchhiker.

Towel Day is celebrated 2 weeks after Douglas Adams' death on May 11, 2001.

Do you know where your towel is?

May 24 - The Queen takes a day off with her brother

 Ask anyone in Canada what May 24th is and immediately it's "May two-four... that's a day off bro".  Which is funny because a) we get that day off in honour of Queen Victoria, her birthday was today in 1819, so we get the closest Monday to that day off as a long weekend.

And today is also Brother's Day

May 20 - Bee Savage

 It was on this day in 2011 that the wrestling world mourned the loss of "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

I remember growing up with the Hulk / Savage feud.  Or the Savage vs. Steamboat all out.

It's also World Bee Day.

They say that today was the day in 1734 that the pioneer of beekeeping was born, so they honour him by honouring bees on this day.

Speaking of bees... like the Bee Gees... 

It was on this day in 2012 that the world lost 1/3rd of the Bee Gees, Robin Gibb.

On the left

May 19 - Don't lose your head rocking out in the park

 So, I remember my mom mentioning how we were somehow distantly related to Anne Boleyn (I think most people are somehow related to some level of royalty). 

Unfortunately for Anne, she was one of those "Henry the VIIIth wives" and met her end.  If you remember the rhyme:  "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived".  Anne was the second wife so met her end in a beheading on this day in 1536.

From the crown to crown land, today also marks the day that Canada create "Parks Canada" in 1911.

There are almost half a milling square kilometers of some of the most amazing wilderness out there (tho' I will admit, in my neck of the woods we have mostly Ontario Parks, so I frequent those more often).

Lastly, if you're out for a relaxing time in the woods, chances are you're not looking to rock out with some electronic / dance music. Save that music for the nightclubs.

A nightclub where you might run into a fairly well known, but mysterious Marshmello.

Known for his bucket helmet that looks like a marshmallow, he's got some real catchy beats.  

And I believe the first DJ to perform virtually a concert in Fortnite.

The dude under the bucket is turning 30 today!

May 18 - have to visit the museum of spacecraft, blurgh

 Someone like Tina Fey never really gets the accolades she deserves.  She's written a TON of stuff that are just super hilarious that most people probably don't even realize.

Well, recognize.

Also recognize she's 52 as of today!

Her career ... well maybe not skyrocketed, but definitely 'took off'.  Almost like the Apollo 10 which took off on this day in 1969.

The F mission was a test for the moon landing.  It went up and orbited for a few days before coming back home.

Something like the records of the mission belong to history, and we often visit history by visiting museums.

Today is the day that the International Council of Museums choose to celebrate International Museum Day.

May 17 - Don't fear a dirty family war

 It was on this day in 1756 that the power of Great Britain declared war on France as they decided to push into French territory in North America.

It ended after ... well, as it was known as the 7 Years War, after seven years.  It had lots of global impact as Brain and France's allies came to each other's aid throughout the globe.

War can be messy and dirty... and dirty is just how some comics are funny.  One I never knew was that 'blue' was Bob Saget, who was born on this day in 1956.

He was on a TV show all about a family and togetherness, and it was shattered when I watched the documentary "Aristocrats".  I thought it was funny.  Bob sadly died in 2022.

Something that isn't funny, no matter what is homophobia, and there is the International Day Against Homophobia that's observed today.

May 16 - The Maid of Orleans was a light peace

 Joan of Arc was probably one of the first 'female warrior prophets' people know of.  She claimed to have had a vision from God to drive out the English.

Ultimately, she was captured and put on trial for heresy (I mean, a woman wearing men's armour and hearing angels and saints?).  She was put to death by burning at the stake in May 30th 1431 but later found innocent just a mere 25 years too late.

On this day in 1920 she was canonized as a saint.

Speaking of saints and peacely things, today is International Day of Living Together in Peace, which may have come in handy on that time of Joan d'Arc.

It's also International Day of Light, so when it's peaceful, it can be sunny too!

May 13 - That guy in Cocktail flew a bird into a poem

 Aside from it being one of the few Friday the 13ths out there...

To get over some of that superstitious angst, might as well have a cocktail.  It is World Cocktail Day.

Do you want something with rum, or gin, or vodka.. or all 3 ... there's millions of options.  Just gotta try em all.

While you're at the pub, who doesn't love a little joke and rhyme.  It's National Limerick Day in the US.

The origins of limericks were hardly dirty and usually had a boring "oh that weird old man from York" or similar which is a callback from the opening line.

Now, the guy that was in a movie called Cocktail, Tom Cruise, was also in a movie called Top Gun.

That movie was screened May 12 (yesterday) in 1981, and the movie was 're-released' on this day last year (2021).  Somehow it's been translated into calling May 13 as Top Gun Day.

So, give the movie a watch.  But don't play that old NES game.

May 12 - D'oh biffed that landing

 The Simpsons, it seems timeless.  Even though as the season ages, none of the characters age... but canonically, Home Simpson does have a proper age.

He has shown his drivers license showing it was today in 1956.

That makes him 66 today.

So many people have been on the show making cameos, like Tony Hawk.

They fought each other in that episode, but they share a birthday (albeit, Hawk is 12 years younger)

May 11 - the rasta hiker

 On this day we lost two cool people.

In 1981 we lost Bob Marley to cancer, and then in 2001 my favourite author, Douglas Adams to a heart attack.

May 10 - Hulk and the Wolf

 It was on this day in 1962 that Stan and Jack launched a angry fella who, with the help of some gamma radiation, goes on to 'smash' the bad guys.

The Incredible Hulk was a bimonthly installment series way back then, but only lasted 6 episodes before the green dude was relegated to smaller stories for the next few years before coming back as a standalone in 1968.

Today is also World Lupus Day.

Lupus is a disease where your own body will attack itself.  Pretty scary.  And the day is to help raise awareness.

May 9 - European minors

 In Canada, the second week in May we call National Mining Week.

There are a lot of jobs tied up in the industry, so definitely worth celebrating it.

And since 1964 Europe has been celebrating today as Europe Day

May 6 - love your helium body

Initially starting in the UK back in 1992 via feminist groups and then now recognized by the National Organization for Women today marks International No Diet Day.

The idea being that you can love your body and have 'health at any size'.  Dieting for meet societal norms can lead to fat shaping or body dysmorphia.

So, go ahead, have that treat today... in proper portions tho'.

Speaking of blimps ... okay, that was wrong.

Zeppelins... today marks the day in 1937 when the Hindenburg tried to dock in New Jersey and then caught fire and was destroyed.