June 6 - Overlord was the 6th Village Person

 June 6 ... 1944 was a big day for the allied troops as they launched en masse to the beaches of France to push back the Nazis.

Also known as D-Day.  It's unimaginable to think about what the soldiers at the time went through, the movies you've seen probably don't do it really any justice.

100 years before that a group was founded in London for the Young Mens Christians Association, a place for establishing healthy bodies, minds and spirits.

Apparently, back then that included skills like drapery and embroidery as well as calisthetics.

December 22 - Nuts

 An interesting story here during World War II and the Battle of the Bulge, one Commander Anthony McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne was defending the village of Bastogne in Belgium.

During the battle the German sent a message suggesting they surrender.  McAuliffe replied with one word:  Nuts!

It's pretty good: 

To the German Commander.

NUTS!

The American Commander.

The German major was confused and asked the American colonel Harper who delivered it what it meant and Harper replied:  "In plain English?  Go to hell."

Speaking of nuts, it's also the National Date Nut Bread Day in the US.

Whether this has anything to do with it, or that a date nut bread is kinda like a fruitcake, or they wanted to memorialize McAuliffe's spunk... up to you.

On a special note, December 22 is also the birthday of my piping mentor, Alister Macdonald.  RIP 'Uncle' Al.

July 9 - the Enigma machine was cracked

 Funny, I just watched the Imitation Game the other day.

On July 9, 1941 British cryptologists cracked the code of the Germans Enigma machine.