On this day in 1578, William Harvey of England discovered blood circulation. So you mean with all the public beheadings that people went to watch, up until 1578 nobody asked, “What’s that red stuff shooting out of his neck?”
On this day in 1778, a man named Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans businessman, created the “$” symbol. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve used that doodle of Henry’s I’d have a lot of zeroes with Henry’s doodle at the front.
On this day in 1868, Canadians celebrated their first April Fools Day or as they call it in Quebec, Poisson D’avril which means “Fish of April”. I kid you not. So I wish that whatever happens to you today, you don’t end up smelling like a fish.
On this day in 1891, the Wrigley Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois. That was where it all started and I know where it all ended, under my desk at school.
On this day in 1929, toy company owner Louis Marx introduced the Yo-Yo. The amazing thing about the Yo-Yo is that, unlike other toys, it never went through the up and down years.
On this day in 1942, Mexico changed from three time zones to two and, lo and behold, the afternoon siesta went from one hour to two hours. Clever folks those Mexicans!
On this day in 1946, Weight Watchers started up in Brooklyn, New York, and suddenly it became fashionable to be a loser.
On this day in 1952, the Big Bang Theory was first proposed in a periodical called “Physical Review” by Alpher, Bethe & Gamow. This was a huge moment in physics because up until then people believed that the universe started when Adam and Eve realized they were naked and the snake had run off with their apple.
On this day in 1961, future televangelist and future convicted fraudster Jim Bakker married Tammy Faye. That was actually the first of his many mistakes. He told her how much he enjoyed her eye shadow.
If your birthday is April first, you share it with actor Lon Chaney who was born on this day in 1883. Lon Chaney is best remembered in the starring role as Quasimodo in the silent film, “TheHunchback of Notre Dame”. That movie scared people so much that Notre Dame had to change the position from Hunchback to Half Back. However, the Half Back is still just as hard to bring down.
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