August 5, 2020 – National Oyster Day | National Work Like a Dog Day
Do You Love What You Do? Maybe It's Time to Take a Cue From Your Dog. Welcome to August 5th, 2020 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a favorite shellfish and working like a dog. The Walrus and the Carpenter walked on a mile or so, and then they rested on a rock conveniently low: and all the little Oysters stood and waited in a row. “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax--of cabbages -- and kings-- and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. You know why I’m reciting from Alice in Wonderland? Because on National Oyster Day I know you would rather listen to poetry than to think about eating an oyster! If the phrase “working like a dog” sounds like some kind of torture that leaves you panting with your tongue out, consider the point of view of a working dog. Historically, most dogs were bred for specific jobs. And some of these jobs may surprise you. The ancestors of the Yorkshire Terrier once worked in mines to kill rats and mice, Dachshunds hunted badgers, and even Queen Elizabeth’s favorite breed the Corgi, once had an important job. They would bite the heels of any cows that tried to stray from the herd, and their short little legs came in handy when avoiding the kick of an angry cow. Today’s working dogs are some real K9 heroes. On National Work Like A Dog Day, consider the pride of your favorite pups and put some pep in your step for your own job.
On This Day in history - 5th August
642 The Battle of Maserfield (now widely identified as Oswestry), between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia. The battle ended in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment.
910 The last major Viking army to raid England was defeated at the Battle of Tettenhall by the allied forces of Mercia and Wessex, led by King Edward and Earl Aethelred.
1100 Henry I was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.
1305 Sir William Wallace, Scottish hero and champion of Scottish independence who beat Edward I at the battle of Stirling Bridge, was captured by the English and later executed as a traitor.
1583 English soldier and navigator Sir Humphrey Gilbert (half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh) established the first English colony in North America, at what is now St John's, Newfoundland and claimed it for Elizabeth I.
1620 The Mayflower departed from Southampton on its first attempt to reach North America but the sister ship, the Speedwell developed a leak. It had to be refitted at Dartmouth and, after further leaks (or possibly sabotage) the Mayflower made the 60 day crossing alone.
1729 The death of Thomas Newcomen. Newcomen created the first practical steam engine for pumping water from tin mines. Prior to his invention, flooding was a major problem, thus limiting the depth at which the mineral could be mined. The Newcomen engine at Elsecar in South Yorkshire was built in 1795 to extract water from the local colliery. It is the only one of its kind in the world to remain in its original location.
1792 The death of Lord Frederick North, British Prime Minister whose indecisive leadership led to the loss of the American colonies.
1816 Francis Ronalds built the first working electric telegraph in his garden on Hammersmith's Upper Mall. He offered his new invention to the Government, who dismissed it as being 'wholly unnecessary'. At this time the government was relying on a visual system (the semaphore) and it took a further 20 years for the electric telegraph to be commercialised.
1858 The first transatlantic cable was officially opened, with Queen Victoria sending a telegraphic message to US President James Buchanan.
1901 Britain's first cinema, the Mohawk, opened in Islington, north London. Films were accompanied by the 16-piece Fonobian Orchestra. At the height of their popularity in the 1940s, cinemas in Britain had average weekly attendances of 30 million.
1925 The political party Plaid Cymru was formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language which was, at the time, in danger of dying out.
1963 A Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in Moscow by Russia, the United States and Britain. Under the treaty, nuclear tests in the Earth's atmosphere, in space or under the sea were outlawed.
1975 Forestry Commission officials announced that Dutch elm disease, which had attacked more than three million trees in Britain, was spreading.
1976 The clock overlooking the Houses of Parliament stopped for the first time in 117 years.
1983 Twenty two members of the IRA were jailed for a total of more than 4,000 years following Northern Ireland's biggest-ever terrorist trial.
1984 The death of Richard Burton, Welsh actor, aged 58. Born at Pontrhydyfen, the Richard Burton sculpture is on the Richard Burton Trail in the Afan Forest Park in Neath - Port Talbot
1986 Princess Anne rode Gulfland to win the 3.45 at Redcar; her first victory as a jockey.
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