🗓️ On This Day - May 12th

We all scream for ice cream

On this day in 1777, the first known advertisement for everyone’s favorite dessert, ice cream, was published in the New York Gazette by Philip Lenzi! The ad read, "Ladies and Gentlemen may be supplied with Ice Cream every Day at the City Tavern by their humble servant, Joseph. He makes it himself."

The fight for civil rights took flight.

The second National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) conference was held in New York City on this day in 1910. The event aimed to address issues faced by African Americans, including voting rights and racial discrimination. Attendees included many activists such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett.

A pretty cool flight!

On May 12th, 1926, Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile, and their crew flew over the North Pole in an airship called the Norge. The journey took about 16 hours and covered a distance of over 3,000 km. This made the Norge the first vessel to fly over the North Pole and was an incredible achievement in aviation history!

A big step for Indian independence!

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, India's ambassador to the US, was the first foreign woman ambassador received in 1949. Pandit served as India's ambassador to several other countries, and was a distinguished figure in India's struggle for independence.

A win in the fight against cancer!

Today in 1991, a new cancer drug named Taxol was announced. This life-saving treatment had been extracted from the bark of the rare and endangered Pacific yew tree found deep in the heart of the US. Taxol became a breakthrough treatment for ovarian and breast cancer, and we now use synthesized versions to help save the trees!

International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on the birthday of the mother of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. These unsung heroes who help us, often on our worst days don’t get enough recognition, so this day is just for them. It’s the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of nurses who play a critical role in patient care! As mentioned, it’s also the end of National Nurses Week, too!

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Fibromyalgia is an illness that causes widespread pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. The day is dedicated to educating people about the condition, promoting research, and providing support for those affected by fibromyalgia. Do your bit and read up, or donate money wherever you can!

National Limerick Day

On a lighter note, we also celebrate National Limerick Day on May 12th each year! Celebrated on the birthday of Edward Lear, the famous author of "A Book of Nonsense," who popularized the limerick. If you’re not aware, a limerick is a humorous five-line poem with a distinctive rhyming scheme, such as:

There was a young fellow named Joe,
Who loved to put on a good show,
He juggled some balls,
And climbed up some walls,
Then cartwheeled away with a bow!