Neither Rain Nor Snow Day
When : September 7th
Right now, we bet you're thinking "this special day is about a tranquil weather day with neither rain nor snow" ....wrong.
Here's the real scoop on this special day:
Neither Rain Nor Snow Day celebrates the opening of the New York Post Office building on this day in 1914.
This following inscription was inscribed on the building:
"Neither snow nor rain not heat nor gloom of night ,stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Here is the second misconception: A lot of people assume the inscription represents the Post Office motto. This assumption is incorrect. But, this inscription is very close to the old Pony Express rider's motto. Which leads to a third misconception.. ......The Pony Express was not a government funded predecessor to today's Post Office. The Pony Express was a courier and message delivery service. However, it was privately owned and funded.
Now that we have the history and trivia out of the way, let's go and enjoy the day. We hope you use Neither Rain Nor Snow Day to show your appreciation to your postal delivery people, especially those who walk their routes.
This Day in History September 7th
A Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem. (70)
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II landed in Acre, Palestine and started the Sixth Crusade, which resulted in a peaceful restitution of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. (1228)
According to American colonial reports, Ezra Lee makes the world's first submarine attack in the Turtle, attempting to attach a time bomb to the hull of HMS Eagle in New York Harbor (no British records of this attack exist). (1776)
American Revolutionary War: France invades Dominica in the British West Indies, before Britain is even aware of France's involvement in the war. (1778)
Mountain Meadows massacre: the first of a series of anti-Mormon pogroms takes place in southern Utah by the state's Territorial Militia. The massacres last for four days. (1857)
American Civil War: Atlanta, Georgia, is evacuated on orders of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman. (1864)
In Northfield, Minnesota, Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang attempt to rob the town's bank but are driven off by armed citizens. (1876)
Alberto Santos-Dumont flies his 14-bis aircraft at Bagatelle, France for the first time successfully. (1906)
Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City. (1907)
Eugene Lefebvre crashes a new French-built Wright biplane during a test flight at Juvisy, south of Paris, becoming the first 'pilot' in the world to lose his life in a powered heavier-than-air craft. (1909)
US federal employees win the right to Workers' compensation by Federal Employers Liability Act (39 Stat. 742; 5 U.S.C. 751) (1916)
In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first Miss America Pageant, a two-day event, is held. (1921)
The first fully electronic television system is achieved by Philo Taylor Farnsworth. (1927)
The last surviving member of the thylacine species, Benjamin, dies alone in her cage at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. (1936)
World War II: Australian and US forces inflict a significant defeat upon the Japanese at the Battle of Milne Bay. (1942)
Japanese forces on Wake Island, which they had held since December of 1941, surrender to U.S. Marines. (1945)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members. (1963)
Vietnam War: In a follow-up to August's Operation Starlight, United States Marines and South Vietnamese forces initiate Operation Piranha on the Batangan Peninsula. (1965)
Bill Shoemaker sets record for most lifetime wins as a jockey (passing Johnny Longden). (1970)
The Torrijos-Carter Treaties between Panama and the United States on the status of the Panama Canal are signed. The United States agrees to transfer control of the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century. (1977)
While walking across Waterloo Bridge in London, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov is assassinated by Bulgarian secret police agent Francesco Giullino by means of a ricin pellet fired from a specially-designed umbrella. (1978)
The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, better known as ESPN, makes its debut. (1979)
The Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for USD $1.5 billion to avoid bankruptcy. (1979)
Desmond Tutu becomes the first black man to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa. (1986)
Abdul Ahad Mohmand, the first Afghan in space, returns aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz TM-5 after 9 days on the Mir space station. (1988)
Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 hurricane hits Grenada, killing 39 and damaging 90% of its buildings. (2004)
The US Government takes control of the two largest mortgage financing companies in the US, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (2008)
Canada officially cuts diplomatic ties with Iran by closing its embassy in Tehran and ordered the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, over support for Syria, nuclear plans and alleged rights abuses. (2012)