On this historic 4th day of July in 1776, the 13 original colonies declared their independence from England and formed what is now called the United States of America. &nbsp;During the American Revolution, it was decided by the continental congress that the 13 colonies should not be ruled by the Great Britain and King George III and should be united and free. &nbsp;A Declaration of Independence was by drafted by Thomas Jefferson and four other members of the Second Continental Congress, which included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. Of course this didn't make the British too happy and the War of Independence ensued, ( also referred to as the American Revolutionary War ). Notable events during the war include the American and French Armies forcing British General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown into surrender. &nbsp; The confirmation of George Washington by the Second Continental Congress to create the Continental Army. &nbsp;George Washington and his army suffered greatly but fought heroically and never surrendered. &nbsp;One of the most remembered acts during the war was when in the middle of the Christmas night in 1776, Washington crossed the Delaware river for a surprise attack at the Battle of Trenton the next morning on December 26. &nbsp;In 1781 the British officially surrendered and the war was over and now we celebrate this independence every year on the 4th of July!

God Bless the USA!

Independence Day

Federal

Chocolate has an ancient and rich history of not only being used for health benefits, but for currency also dating as far back as 450 BC. &nbsp;All over the word dried and fermented cacao beans have been the source for cacao solids and cacao butter to be melted for use in hot chocolate beverages. After europeans returned with chocolate from their exploration trips and dealings with the Aztecs, ( who unlike the Mayans preferred to drink theirs cold ) chocolate became very much in demand. In the beginning the process was slower and tedious but as time went on, the industrial revolution ushered in new machines and techniques for producing chocolate not only for beverage consumption for as candy bars and other forms. &nbsp;In Switzerland, Lindt was one of the first companies to start producing solid chocolates also Cadbury in England and Hershey's in the United States were among the chocolate pioneers of our time. Western Africa supplies the modern day chocolate market with the majority of cocoa production. In the United States Hershey's is still a household name when it comes to chocolate, but the Mars company which is also the 6th largest privately held company in the USA, has the bragging rights of producing the worlds most sold and distributed chocolate bar "Snickers". &nbsp;Chocolate also remains hugely popular during Valentines Day, when men give boxes of chocolates as a traditional gift.

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” - Forrest Gump

World Chocolate Day

Foods & Beverages

Video games have been around since 1947, from a CRT display being able to simulate a missile firing at targets, to advance televisions with high refresh rates and computers with incredible graphic cards displaying adventure or sport games in high definition. &nbsp;The industry and culture have come along way since the days when kids had the Atari 2600, and were playing simple yet fun and addicting games such as Pac Man, &nbsp;Pitfall and Space Invaders. &nbsp;Today there is also many different platforms that kids and adults can play their favorite games. &nbsp;Some people prefer consoles such as the Xbox offered by Microsoft or its main competitor from Sony the Playstation, others prefer elaborate computer gaming setups complete with ultrafast processing speeds and high resolutions monitors. &nbsp;Also with the technological advances of today and the internet, people can play video games online with other people around the world at the same time. &nbsp;Video games have also become big business in the form of competitive gaming, complete with tournaments and corporate sponsorships. &nbsp;Some of the best video game players have even become celebrities among fans of certain games.

Game Over!

Videos Games Day

Arts & Entertainment

Being aware of sharks doesn't only mean, watch out for them for your own safety, but also represents the research that goes into protecting the endangered species and what humans can try and do to safely co-exist with them. &nbsp;Some of the most well know species of sharks, include the tiger shark, blue shark, great white shark, mako shark, thresher shark, and hammerhead shark. Many shark populations are threatened by human activities and since 1970, shark populations have been reduced by 71%, mostly because of overfishing. One of the most menacing creatures in history is the Megalodon, meaning "big tooth", &nbsp;it is an extinct species of shark that lived about 3 million years ago. Because most of the ancient sharks skeleton is made from cartilage which doesn't preserve well in the fossil record, there is no preserved skeletal example of the animal.

Is that a shark fin or a dolphin??

Shark Awareness Day

Animals

Snakes can be found just about everywhere in the world. Species of snakes every continent with the exception of Antarctica. &nbsp;Sea snakes are also widespread throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are more than 20 families, that make up about 520 genera and over 3,000 different species. &nbsp;Snakes are often depicted as evil and dangerous all the way back to serpents mentioned in Biblical times. &nbsp;Venomous snakes capture the imagination and fascination of many people, from the King Cobra found in India, to the Rattlesnakes found in Arizona to the giant Anacondas found in the tropical forests in South America.&nbsp;

Snakes on a Plane Anyone?

World Snake Day

Between the years 1955 and 1972 there was important and intense space exploration competition between the worlds two superpowers in Russia and the United States. &nbsp;It really started with the first successful launch of an earth satellite into space by Russia in 1957 and was followed up by and another astonishing accomplishment by the U.S. with the landing the first humans on the moon. &nbsp;Since those years, both the U.S. and Russia have worked together on many international space missions. &nbsp;In 1998 an artificial habitable satellite called The International Space Station (ISS) was established by 5 of the worlds space and exploration agencies. Most recently there has developed a sort of modern day space race and the quest to launch rockets, satellites and space tourism by private companies. &nbsp;The race is led by three Billionaires Elon Musk, (Space Ex) &nbsp;Richard Branson &nbsp; (Virgin Galactic) and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin. &nbsp;

Houston we have a problem!

Space Exploration Day

Special Interest

Lollipop's are a type of sugary hard candy mounted on a stick and consumed by sucking or licking. Lollipops are available in many flavors and shapes and are usually found in very exotic colors. Some lollipops are filled with bubble gum, sweet liquids, or even mealworms embedded.... yes mealworms! &nbsp;Some producers pride themselves on the variety of flavors such as Dum Dums famous 16 different flavors. Lollipops or candy on a stick have been created numerous times in numerous ways. The invention of the modern lollipop is not exactly known, although many different American companies and individuals have tried to take credit for it since the early 1900's. &nbsp;The first type of candy on a stick that we know about in history and the one that looks most like what we consider lollipops in modern times, go all the way back to the Middle Ages, when the nobles would lick boiled sugar with the help of sticks used as a type of handle. &nbsp;

How many licks does it take to get the center of a lollipop?

National Lollipop Day

In new and modern research, it has been reported that the Moon was formed 4.51 billion years ago, or maybe 100 million years earlier, 50 million years after the origin of the Solar System. &nbsp;In biblical reference to the moon, specifically in the book of Genesis Chapter 1 verses 14-16, we learn, &nbsp;"And God said, Let there be alights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. &nbsp;As for the composition of the moon, it is a differentiated body with a geochemical crust, mantle, and core. The Moon has a solid iron inside core with a radius about 150 miles and a fluid outer core made of liquid iron with a radius of about 190 miles. It can be best seen at night in its majestic beauty in places such as Moab, Utah where stargazing is a common hobby. &nbsp;

Bang Zoom ...You're Going to the Moon!

Moon Day

Amelia Earhart is best remembered as the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She became an inspirational woman as she continued to set many other records, and write best-selling books about her flying adventures. Born in a small town in Kansas, Amelia continued to pursue her passion for aviation and she reached celebrity status by becoming the first woman to fly as a passenger in a plane across the Atlantic Ocean. &nbsp;This new found status helped finance Amelia's flight adventures. &nbsp;Her tenacious will and never give up attitude to help her achieve milestones and accomplish great things for a woman in her time period. In modern times, hollywood has made several movies about her life and disappearance, such as the film "Amelia" in 2009. &nbsp;

I believe I can fly!

Amelia Earhart Day

Cause

Tequila is a distilled drink made from the blue agave plant, specifically in Tequila, Mexico and mostly in the Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands and central areas of western Mexican Jalisco. &nbsp;Also in Tequila, the red volcanic soils are perfect for growing the blue agave, over 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. &nbsp;Agave grows differently depending on the region. For example the blue agaves that grow in the highlands of the Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the lowlands have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. In recent years tequila has become a popular business venture among celebrities, and singers such as George Clooney and Sammy Hagar and both have had enormous success in the tequila brands they have become involved with. Because of its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. The beverage has also been the subject of several pop and countries songs in the U.S.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Tequila!!

National Tequila Day

Tigers have a special attraction among humans, we are very fascinated by the animal and respect and fear them for the way the look and handle themselves in the animal kingdom. &nbsp;We name our sports teams after them, dress up like them for halloween, make movies and songs about them, and keep them captive in zoos so that many people get the opportunity to see them up close and in real life, safely without the need to travel to Africa for a safari. &nbsp;Tigers live in a variety of geographies, including the Siberian taiga, grasslands, and rainforests. They can also be found anywhere from the Russian Far East to parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southwest Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tigers have a wide appeal in films such as the "Jungle Book" where a tiger is depicted as the villain. In recent years tigers have been the focus of conservationists and wildlife biologists trying to restore their breeds to healthy numbers and avoid being and endangered species.&nbsp; &nbsp;

“Better to live one year as a tiger, than a hundred as a sheep.”

International Tiger Day

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