Another week of summer ahead of us – and this one at manageable temperatures! We hope you’re having a wonderful time with family, friends, or (as some of us prefer!) enjoying peace & quiet in solitude. Whatever the case, you might enjoy these few bits of geek trivia to carry you through.
July 21 – A week after the highest recorded temperature, we recall the lowest recorded temperature. This seems especially appropriate as western Washington moves (at least for now) into more comfortable summer weather. That lowest temperature was recorded today in 1983 at Vostok Station in Antarctica – a frigid negative 128.6 degrees fahrenheit. Read a little about it at Wikipedia.
July 22 – In Catholic and Orthodox Christian tradition, today is the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. Given the title of ‘Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal to the Apostles’ in Orthodox tradition, she is celebrated for her perseverance in faith – it was she who first encountered Jesus after His resurrection and, after He revealed Himself to her, announced His resurrection to the Apostles. Read about her at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral website (Saint Sophia, located in Washington DC).
July 24 – On this day in 1969, Apollo 11 – carrying Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin Jr (the first astronauts to land on the moon) – made a safe return to earth. Successfully splashing down around 11:49 CDT, the command module was picked up by the USS Hornet just over 800 miles southwest of Hawaii. Read about Apollo 11’s triumphant return at the NASA website.
July 25 – Today’s feast day of Saint James the Elder – one of the twelve Apostles – is celebrated by Catholic and Orthodox Christians alike. Here in the Seattle region, there are special celebrations to be had for those in the Catholic faith, as Saint James is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Seattle. The cathedral in downtown Seattle is named after him! Many will also recognize his name as the patron of El Camino de Santiago – a popular devotional pilgrimage path in Spain leading to the cathedral where his remains are venerated. Read about the Camino and Saint James at CaminoWays (a Camino tours group) website.
July 26 – On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin Postmaster General of what is now the United States Postal Service. Though its unofficial motto would not come to be associated with the USPS until the early 1900s, its history of reliable service across the vastness of the country speaks to the reality that “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”! Read about his service to the USPS at their website.
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