10 Things That Happened on April 23rd Because.

Birthdays. A measure of one’s abililty to continue successfully breathing from one year to the next. An odd ritual of marking time’s passage. When young, we mark the progression of growth from year to year, the excitement of finally reaching adulthood! Then after that we spend the remaining years trying to remember why we wanted to be adults in the first place.

So what happened on this glorious day throughout history? So many amazing, fascinating, and sometimes boring as heck events that changed everything, or nothing. So here we go!

1. 1516 – The German Beer Purity Law. That’s right. Germany made a law to make sure beer remains pure. Only water, barley, and hops. It was the law! None of that wheat beer.
2. 1597 – Shakespeare’ play “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was performed for the first time, with Queen Elizabeth I in attendence.
3. 1635 – Oldest US public institution, Boston Latin School, is founded. And yes it is still running today!
4. 1775 – The opera “Il Re Pastore” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is produced.
5. 1789 – President-Elect George Washington moves into the Franklin House in New York, the original presidential residence. Crazy to think this event happened so close to a Mozart opera!
6. 1851 – Canada issues its first postage stamp-a three-pence beaver!
7. 1860 – Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina is divided on the issue of slavery.
8. 1869 – 1st professional baseball exhibition game – the Cincinnati Red Stockings 24, the Cincinnati amatuers 15.
9. 1900 – First known use of the word “hillbilly”. Momenteous.
10. 1974 – The birth of an Anxious Breakfast Sausage.

Hope you had some fun with my April 23rd list of fun. Whatever you do today, whoever you are, have the best day you can. Peace!