President John F. Kennedy was born on May 29 in 1917. The 35th president of the United States was also an avid sportsman, an author (”Profiles in Courage,” among other titles), a WWII hero, and a recipient of a Purple Heart Medal. Unfortunately, he died way too young, at age 46 on that tragic day in Dallas after having served less than three years as president.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

^{(photo of JFK and his brothers, Robert and Ted © Newscom)}

May 28 is National Hamburger Day. In honor of one of my favorite foods, here are some fun hamburger facts:

• Several people claim to have invented the hamburger. Among them are the Menches Brothers of Akron, Ohio in 1895;New Haven, Connecticut lunch counter owner, Louis Lassen, also in 1895; and Oscar Weber Bilby of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• White Castle, founded in Wichita in 1921 is the oldest hamburger chain restaurant.
• Burgers account for 40% of all sandwiches sold.
• The Hamburger hall of fame is located in Seymour, Wisconsin
• The hamburger “debuted” to the American public at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.
• The first McDonald’s restaurant opened in DesPlaines, Illinois (fashioned after a California restaurant owned by a couple named McDonald). Today there are more than 25,000 McDonald’s in 125 countries.
• According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Council, more beef is consumed on Memorial Day than any other day of the year. Fourth of July and Labor Day typically tie for the second.

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May 27 is Children’s Day in Nigeria. It was created in 1964, inspired by the United Nations children’s efforts, and it’s a school holiday for children in Nigeria.

Nigeria holds many challenges for children. According to the CIA Fact Book, 42 percent of Nigeria’s more than 138 million residents are children. Seventy percent of them live below the poverty line, despite Nigeria being one of the world’s leading oil producers. Nigeria also has a very high infant mortality rate–93.93 per 1000 births. (This compares to 6.3/1000 in the United States.) The nation is also plagued by rampant HIV/AIDS infections and drug trafficking.

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If you live in the US, I hope you are enjoying your extra day off work and the “first day of summer.” All over the b5media system, bloggers are talking about Memorial Day. Here’s a sampling:

At “DC Traveler,” they are talking about Washington DC’s Memorial Day parade.

At “Kettle and Cup,” Marye shares a plethora of Memorial Day Links.

At “Baking Delights,” she shares some yummy ideas for your Memorial Day meals.

Mary Emma, at “Quilting and Patchwork,” shares a Memorial Day memory.

“The Denver Traveler” talks about honoring those who have served.

“Brew Ha-Ha” offers beer and brats for the holiday.

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May 23 is World Sea Turtle Day. The day, initiated in 2000, celebrates this fascinating, yet endangered creature and seeks to shed light on its condition. According to The Humane Society of the United States, sea turtles face threats from pollution, commercial fishing, the exotic pet trade, and coastal development. They offer a list of Twelve Things you can Do to for Turtles and Tortoises.

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May 21 is a popular festival day in Greece. Not only is today the feast day for Greece’s patron saint (and mother of Emperor Constantine I), Helen. It’s also the date of five regional festivals. Being celebrated in Greece today are:

May 21st - Throughout Greece - Feast of Saints Constantine and Helen
May 21st - Corfu - Unification of the Ionian Islands
May 21st - Rethymnon - Battle of Crete
May 21st - Kassos - Vrisi - festival with songs and dancing.
May 21-23rd - Agia Elleni near Serres - Anasternaria fire walking.
May 21-23rd - Langada near Thessaloniki - Anasternaria fire walking.

^{(photo of Sts. Constantine and Helen © G. Stworzt/cc license)}

It’s difficult to believe that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to the summer season. However, Memorial Day is much more than an occasion for cook-outs, ballgames, and family get-togethers.

Memorial Day began as “Decoration Day” on May 31, a day to honor the Union soldiers killed in the Civil War. The first Memorial Day observance was in 1866 in Waterloo, New York. During World War I, in 1911, the holiday was expanded to included all of America’s fallen soldiers from all conflicts and the name was changed to “Memorial Day.” The date was later changed to allow for long, three-day weekends.

Many people use the day to visit the graves and tidy-up the graves of loved ones as well as decorate the gravesites with flags and flowers.

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May 20 is Blue Jean Day in the United States. It marks the day in 1873 that Levi Strauss received the first patent for blue denim pants, with seams reinforced with copper rivets. Strauss’ pants were extremely popular with Northern California gold miners and launched the Levi Strauss Company, which still thrives today.

^{(photo © Levi Strauss Co.)}

There’s one more holiday today. Heather, over at “Chocolate Bytes,” reminds us that May 19 is also National Devil’s Food Cake Day. She shares a traditional recipe for this dessert that was invented in 1906. Be sure to take a look.

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The last Monday in May before May 24 is Victoria Day in Canada and other parts of the former British Empire. It commemorates the birthday of England’s Queen Victoria on May 24, 1854 and well as the birthday of the current British monarch. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to rule over a unified Canada.

The day is marked by parades, fireworks (particularly in the namesake city of Victoria), and other civic ceremonies. It is a public holiday in Canada, parts of Scotland, and in the Cayman Islands.

^{(photo © Kvasir/cc license)}