Daily TWiP Archives

Something interesting has happened on (just about) every day of the year, and Daily TWiP provides the proof. An offshoot of my local events column The Week in Preview (affectionately known as TWiP), Daily TWiP was published April 2008-Aug. 2011 and is still giving readers reasons to celebrate.

Daily TWiP – Oct. 23: National Mole Day

If you’re feeling resentful that we’re asking you to celebrate that bothersome creature that spent the summer systematically digging up your garden, don’t worry – it’s not that kind of mole. National Mole Day is a celebration of Avogadro’s number, … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – June 18: International Picnic Day

Break out the blankets and the Tupperware containers – today (June 18) is International Picnic Day. Show your solidarity with alfresco aficionados the world over by sharing a meal outdoors in your backyard or other favorite outdoor location. The word … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – June 30, 1859: The Great Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope

Dressed in pink tights and a yellow tunic, world-class funambulist Jean-Francois Gravelet (better known as The Great Blondin due to his fair hair) became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope June 30, 1859. This extraordinary feat … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – Dec. 1, 1761: Famed wax sculptor Madame Tussaud born

On Dec. 1, 1761, Madame Tussaud, perhaps the world’s best-known creator of lifelike wax sculptures, was born Anna Maria Grosholtz in Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg is close to the German border, which may account for Tussaud’s not-entirely-French-sounding birth name. Tussaud’s father … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – Dec. 4: National Cookie Day

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – food holidays are among our favorites to celebrate because we get to eat something tasty. National Cookie Day (Dec. 4) is no exception. It also happens to fall during Cookie … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – Oct. 8: National Fluffernutter Day

Nothing makes us feel quite so silly as attempting to explain the concept of a Fluffernutter to someone who has not had the pleasure. We are therefore most pleased to raise awareness of this tasty sandwich by celebrating National Fluffernutter … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – Sept. 7, 1936: “Benjamin,” the last thylacine, dies

The word “thylacine” conjures up images of a sleekly-named antibiotic, but it’s actually a now-extinct carnivorous marsupial. “Benjamin,” the last of the thylacines (commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger) died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania on Sept. … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – Nov. 12, 1933: First photograph of the Loch Ness Monster taken

On Nov. 12, 1933, Hugh Gray spied an “object of considerable dimensions – making a big splash with spray on the surface” of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland while he was walking home from church. He just happened … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – April 1, 1957: The BBC pulls off its infamous spaghetti tree hoax

April Fools’ Day just wouldn’t be April Fools’ Day without a prank or two. The BBC pulled off one of the most memorable hoaxes in holiday history April 1, 1957 when they featured a segment on the Swiss spaghetti harvest … Continue reading

Daily TWiP – April 11, 1954: The most boring day of the 20th century

Here at Daily TWiP, we know for a fact that something interesting has occurred on almost every day in history – the key word here being “almost.” April 11, 1954, for example, has been scientifically determined to have been the … Continue reading