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Give me Liberty or give me Death!
Patrick Henry, American statesman, born on May 29, 1736

I do benefits for all religions – I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.
Bob Hope, comedian, born on May 29, 1903

If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf.
Bob Hope

I grew up with six brothers. That's how I learned to dance – waiting for the bathroom.
Bob Hope

I love to go to Washington, if only to be nearer my money.
Bob Hope

People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy.
Bob Hope

Bob Hope quotes at Wikiquote

If it is a shame to be the second man on Mount Everest, then I will have to live with this shame.
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, born on May 29, 1914; on being persistently asked by journalists which man was the first one to step on the summit of Everest Source

Charles II hides in the oak, Boscobel

We stand today on the edge of a new frontier.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35^th President of the USA, born on May 29, 1917

The war against hunger is truly mankind's war of liberation.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Speech to World Food Congress, June 4, 1963

If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all – except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.
John F Kennedy; Saturday Review, October 29, 1960 Source

There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.
GK Chesterton, born on May 29, 1874; Heretics

For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad.
GK Chesterton; from The Ballad of the White Horse' Source

We made seats for ourselves in the snow, and sitting there in reasonable comfort we ate with relish a bar of mintcake.
Edmund Hillary, describing his actions with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on reaching the summit of Mt Everest, May 29, 1953

Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off.
First words of Edmund Hillary to his lifelong friend, George Lowe, upon his descent from Everest. Lowe had climbed up to meet Hillary and Norgay with hot soup.

May 29 is the 149^th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (150^th in leap years), with 216 days remaining.
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Oak-apple Day (Royal Oak Day; Shick-shack Day; Nettle Day), England

Not only is May 29 the birthday (1630) of King Charles II of England (d. 1685), it is the day when he entered London at the Restoration of the monarchy in England in 1660, putting an end to Puritan rule.

Today was commanded by an Act of Parliament in 1664 to be observed as a day of thanksgiving, and a special service (expunged in 1859) was put in the Book of Common Prayer. English people wore sprigs of oak with gilded oak-apples (oak galls caused by larvae of the wasps Amphibolips confluenta, Biorhiza pallida and others) on that day.

It remembers Charles II's concealment with Major Careless (or Major or Colonel Carlos, sources vary) in the 'Royal Oak' (thus escaping the Roundhead army) at Boscobel, near Shifnal, Salop, after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. As Commonwealth troops approached Boscobel House, searching for Royalists, the King and Careless spent a day hidden in the Royal Oak in the grounds, and the next day hid in a priest hole at the house. After this, Giffard and the Pendrills were able to smuggle the King and Carlos to France.

Oak-apple Day tended to supplant the May Day festivities of earlier times. May-poles were danced around; children would go into woods at dawn to bring back branches of oak and hawthorn and may (hawthorn) blossoms. A prize was awarded to the girl who made the best garland. Girls bathed their faces in May dew for beauty and streets were hung with oak branches.

There was rivalry amongst publicans to see who could have the largest oak-bough at his door – they purchased them from children. Bunting and ribbons, and gilded oak apples hung in the streets, along with strings of hundreds of birds' eggs. There was blowing of horns all day. Oak-apple Day was still celebrated in some out-of-the-way places in the 19^th Century.

At Tiverton, Devon, there was still in the 19^th Century a procession of armed young men, led by one in black face and wearing black, called 'Oliver' (Cromwell), bound by a rope. After these, another troop, carrying a 'throne' of oak boughs, bore a child. Oliver would act foolishly, and then the children would throw dirt and stones at him.

Another name for Oak-apple Day is Shick-shack Day. The origin of the name is obscure, say Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, but others state that the oak tree is known in some parts of the country as a shick-shack, but this article on the possible etymology of shick-schack ('shit-sack') is far more fascinating.

It is still celebrated in some parts of the United Kingdom, notably at Castleton in Derbyshire, Upton-upon-Severn, Northampton, the Grovely Forest near Salisbury and Great Wishford in Oxfordshire. It is likely that Oak-apple Day is a continuation of pre-Christian nature worship rituals. In London, there is a statue of Charles II at the Royal Exchange, and he is dressed with oak boughs, commemorating his famous hideout.

From Wikipedia: The original Royal Oak no longer stands in Boscobel, but a descendant has been planted on the site. Another oak sapling was planted near the site of the original Royal Oak in 2001 by Prince Charles.

The name Royal Oak has been given to several Royal Navy ships, including the first battleship to be lost in the Second World War at Scapa Flow on October 14, 1939.

Also, today, hundreds of pubs bear the name Royal Oak, many of which bear a sign featuring an image of an oak tree and crown.

"The wearing of a sprig of oak on the anniversary of Charles' crowning showed that a person was loyal to the restored king. Those who refused to wear an oak-sprig were often set upon, and children would challenge others to show their sprig or have their bottoms pinched. Consequently, this day became known as Pinch-Bum-Day. In parts of England where oak-apples are known as shick-shacks, the day is also known as Shick-Shack Day. It is also likely that the royal association conceals a pagan tradition of tree worship.

"These days it is traditional to decorate the house with oak branches on 29th May. In All Saints Church in Northampton, a garland of oak-apples is laid at Charles II's statue. Whereas, in Grovely Forest, Salisbury, a procession takes place at first light, accompanied by the sound of horns. It is also traditional to drink beer and eat plum pudding - especially at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which was founded by Charles II on this very day.

"On or near this date, a curious figure called the Garland King rides through the streets of Castleton, Derbyshire, at the head of a procession. His head and the upper part of his body are completely hidden by a 'garland' - a heavy wooden construction, shaped like a beehive and covered with flowers and greenery. On top of the garland is a small posy of flowers, which is called the 'queen'. Behind the king rides his woman (at one time played by a man in woman's clothes), accompanied by a band and children dressed in white. After pausing to dance at various points along the way, the procession arrives at the church and the garland is pulled up to the top of the church tower and fixed to a pinnacle. The 'queen' posy is then placed on the town war memorial." Source

Customs at Great Wishford Picture of an Oak Apple

Royal Hospital Founder's Day, Chelsea, UK

Observed annually since 1692 by the Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, this special day is held in honour of the birthday of its founder, King Charles II.

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Festival of the goddess Diana, Roman Empire (May 26 - 31, 17 BCE)

Runic half-month of Odal commences

Feast day of St Conon and his son, martyrs, of Iconia in Asia

Feast day of St Cyril, martyr
(Blue bottle, Centauria montana, is today's plant, dedicated to this saint.)

Feast day of St Eleutherius

Feast day of St Felix

Feast day of St Gerald

Feast day of St Gerardesca

Feast day of St John

Feast day of St John de Atarés

Feast day of the Martyrs of Toulouse

Feast day of St Maximinus, Bishop of Thiers

Feast day of St Restitutus

Feast day of St Richard Thirkeld

Feast day of Ss Sisinnius, Martyrius, and Alexander, martyrs, in the territory of Trent

Feast day of St Theodosia

Feast day of St Votus

Feast day of St William Arnaud

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Strawberry Festival, Iroquois
Source: The Phoenix and Arabeth 1992 Calendar

Arbor Day, Aston-on-Clun, Shropshire, UK
"A Poplar tree in the town is bedecked with flags, they are left on the tree all year round." Source

Castleton Garland, Derbyshire, UK
"A Garland King and Lady ride around the parish boundary on white horses. A garland, which is a large cone of flowers, is placed over the king topped with a posy of flowers called the queen. After the tour the garland is placed on the church tower. The ceremony has ancient origins." Source

Ascension of Bahá'u'llah, Bahá'í Faith

National Reconciliation Week, Australia (May 27 - Jun 3)

Democracy Day, Nigeria
Nigeria returned to a democratic form of governance after 16 years of military dictatorship.

Tree Day, Venezuela

Army Day (yawn), Argentina

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

On which day of the week were you born? Find out here

1594 Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, general (d. 1632)

1630 King Charles II of England (d. February 6, 1685).

Born under a noonday-star
It was said that a star appeared at mid-day on the day he was born. His restoration took place on his 30^th birthday when he rode triumphantly into London, to a rejoicing people. By royal proclamation, it was a day for church commemoration for fully two centuries until about 1860 when it faded away.

1736 Patrick Henry (d. June 6, 1799), US Quaker lawyer and patriot, who spoke his famous words "Give me liberty or give me death" (March 23, 1775; a paraphrase of "It is not now time to talk of aught/But chains or conquest, liberty or death", Act II, Scene 4, Cato by Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719)

1830 Louise Michel (d. January 9, 1905), French anarchist, school teacher and medical worker. She sometimes used the pseudonym, 'Clémence', and was also known as 'the red virgin of Montmartre'. Michel was active in the Paris Commune and was a Freemason. On May 1, 1946, the Parisian métro station 'Vallier' was renamed 'Louise Michel'.

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1833 George Gordon McRae (d. August 15, 1927), Australian poet. He contributed to the Bulletin, the Australasian and other papers, and gradually became acquainted with all the literary men of his period including Adam Lindsay Gordon, Henry Kendall and Marcus Clarke.

"Some of these he met at Dwight's second-hand bookshop in Bourke-street, Melbourne, and it was Dwight who published in 1867, McCrae's two little volumes, The Story of Balladeädro and Mämba, both based on aboriginal legends. He had hoped to publish a third book with an aboriginal setting, Karakorok, but it remained in manuscript. He became very friendly with Gordon, who praised his verse, and Kendall, whom he was able to help during his troubled days in Melbourne. In 1873 appeared a long poem in blank verse, The Man in the Iron Mask, from which Longfellow selected some lines for an anthology of sea poems. McCrae was always fond of the sea and by saving up his leave was enabled to visit Great Britain, and to make two voyages to the Seychelles in which islands he became very interested. He did much preliminary work for a history of the Seychelles which was never completed, and began to work on a novel, John Rous, a badly arranged but readable story of the reign of Queen Anne, which was not published until 1918. He also wrote a poem, Don César, in ottava rima, as long as Don Juan, several extracts from which appeared in the Bulletin. In 1915 a small selection of his poems was published, The Fleet and Convoy and Other Verses. This little volume is full of misprints and scarcely represents the poet at his best. An opportunity was lost to include some of McCrae's more distinguished work, such as 'A Rosebud from the Garden of the Taj', now buried in old papers and journals. He died at Hawthorn, Melbourne, on 15 August 1927, in his ninety-fifth year, his mind still quite unimpaired. Of few men has it been so truly said that he was universally loved and regretted. He married in July 1871, Augusta Helen Brown, who predeceased him. He was survived by a son and three daughters. Another son was killed in the 1914-18 war.
"McCrae was well over six feet in height and in his youth strikingly handsome. He had a gift for writing musical verse, often charming and at times rising into poetry. He was apparently quite incapable of self-criticism, and never realized how much his work might have gained by pruning and condensation. His son, Hugh Raymond McCrae, born in 1876, became the author of Satyrs and Sunlight, and other volumes which proclaimed him one of the finest poets produced in Australia. He also published some volumes in prose of which My Father and My Father's Friends gives a very pleasant picture of his father's associates. One of McCrae's daughters, Dorothy Frances McCrae, also published verse." Source

Lawson & Co: associations with Henry and Louisa Lawson

1860 Isaac Albéniz (d. 1909), Spanish composer

1874 GK Chesterton (d. 1936), English author, creator of the fictional priest-detective, Father Brown

1880 Oswald Spengler (d. 1936), philosopher (The Decline of the West)

1893 Max Brand, author, war correspondent (d. 1944)

1894 Joseph von Sternberg, Austrian film director and actor (The Blue Angel; Shanghai Express)

1903 Bob Hope (Leslie Townes Hope; d. 2003), English-born American comedian

1906 TH White (d. 1964), author

1914 Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (d. 1986; see also below: 1953 On this day in history)

1917 John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35^th President of the United States (d. November 22, 1963).

According to the US Senate Church Committee, Kennedy carried on an affair with Judith Campbell Exner, who was simultaneously having an affair with Sam Giancana, the boss of the Chicago Mafia, while Giancana was conspiring with the CIA to assassinate Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

1922 Iannis Xenakis (d. 2001), composer

1932 Professor Paul Ehrlich, author on population issues (The Population Bomb)

"Paul R. Ehrlich received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. Co-founder with Peter H. Raven of the field of coevolution, he has pursued long-term studies of the structure, dynamics, and genetics of natural butterfly populations. He has also been a pioneer in alerting the public to the problems of overpopulation, and in raising issues of population, resources, and the environment as matters of public policy." Source

"Global human population is threatening our future. This fact isn't obvious to us Americans because our system doesn't report such "non-economic" trends. Yet worldwide, nearly a billion people are not getting enough to eat, evidence that we have already passed the human population Earth can sustain. And worse, as we attempt to feed our growing numbers, we are jeopardizing Earth's ability to sustain any life at all." Source

Population Timeline

1940 Farooq Leghari, former President of Pakistan

1944 Maurice Rupert Bishop (executed at St George's, Grenada, October 19, 1983), Grenadan politician whose New Jewel Movement overthrew the Eric Gairy regime on March 13, 1979 with Bishop assuming the role of Prime Minister of Grenada. His government put into effect many Leninist policies and sought closer relationships with Fidel Castro's Cuba, the Soviet Union and other Communist bloc nations.

1946 Fernando Buesa (d. 2000), Basque politician

1953 Danny Elfman, composer, musician (Oingo Boingo)

1958 Annette Bening, actress

1959 Rupert Everett, actor

1961 Melissa Etheridge, musician

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May

27 International Jazz Day
27 Bridge Day
28 Whale Day
29 Mount Everest Day
29 Wisconsin Day
30 Compact Disc Day
31 Poetry Day
31 World No Tobacco Day

June

1 Children's Day (China)
3 Love Conquers All Day
3 Egg Day
3 Family Day
3 Tattoo Day
3 Repeat Day
3 Strawberry Festival (New Jersey, USA)
3 Blueberry Festival (Florida, USA)
4 Cheese Day
5 World Environment Day
6 Applesauce Cake Day
6 D-Day Anniversary
7 Boone Day
8 Best Friends Day
8 Ice Cream Day
8 World Ocean Day
9 Cuddle Up Day
9 Profess Your Love Day
10 Iced Tea Day
10 Great Turtle Races Day
10 Strawberry Festival (West Virginia, USA)
10 Tomato Festival (Louisiana, USA)
10 Mourn For Your Money Day
10 Tomato Festival (Texas, USA)
11 Red Rose Festival
11 King Kamehameha Day (Hawaii)
12 Diary Day
13 Kitchen Klutzes Of America Day
13 Lobster Day
14 Flag Day
15 Sneak A Kiss Day
15 Smile Power Day
15 Electricity Day

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