| Thursday, July 2, 2009 |
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| Richard Petty |
SpotlightIt's been fifty years since NASCAR's most important race of the year — the Daytona 500 — was first held. Lee Petty came in first, driving at 135.52 mph/ 213.22 kmph. Scion of the stock car racing family, Richard Petty, went on to win a record 200 NASCAR races, including seven Daytona 500s (also a record). Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Petty's historic 200th win, Daytona International Speedway is kicking off this year's Coke Zero 400 Weekend — which begins today and runs through July 4 — with the opening of an exhibit of Petty artifacts and memorabilia, including several of the cars he drove to wins, his uniform and helmet, trophies, die-casts and photos from his amazing racing career. Happy birthday to stock car racing star Richard Petty, who turns 72 today.
Quote"No one wants to quit when he's losing and no one wants to quit when he's winning."
Question of the DayHow did Nascar get its name?
NASCAR is an acronym for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. A mechanic from Atlanta named Red Vogt came up with the acronym and the name. Red Vogt was the mechanic for Red Byron, NASCAR's first champion. He owned a garage on Hemphill avenue in Atlanta where moonshiners running shine from Dawsonville, GA, into Atlanta could get their cars "souped up" to outrun law enforcement. The owner of Red Byron's car was Raymond Parks, a known moonshiner who still owns a liquor store on Northside Drive in Atlanta. Parks, Byron and Vogt were NASCAR's first team. These men all met with Bill France in Daytona at a hotel on the beach. They all came together to form the organization that became known as NASCAR.
Word of the dayaequeosalinocalcalinosetaceoaluminosocupreovitriolic
also aequeosalinocalcalinosetaceoaluminosocupreovitriolic
Referring to the spa waters at Bath, this word was coined by Edward Strother, a doctor who lived at the turn of the 18th century. It is made up of these parts:
aequeo = equal [parts of]
salino = salt
calcalino = calcium
ceraceo = waxy
aluminoso = alumina
cupreo = copper
vitriolic = vitriol
Long words have a sesquipedalian charm all their own. Here are a week's worth to consider when you're in the mood to say a mouthful.
Previous words: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, honorificabilitudinitatibus , floccinaucinihilipilification
Today's History
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| Wal-Mart |
- Amistad: 53 African slaves rebelled and took control of their transport ship, La Amistad (1839)
- James A. Garfield: US president was shot by Charles J. Guiteau; he died on September 19 (1881)
- Amelia Earhart: disappeared with her navigator, Fred Noonan, while attempting the first round-the-world flight at the equator (1937)
- Wal-Mart: retail giant opened its first store, in Rogers, Arkansas (1962)
- Civil Rights Act: legislation that offered strong protection of minorities' rights was signed by US President Lyndon B. Johnson, who used over 75 pens (1964)
- Susan B. Anthony dollar: the 1st US coin to honor a woman was introduced (1979)
- artificial heart: first self-contained model was received by Robert Tools; he lived with it for 151 days (2001)
Today's Birthdays
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| Ashley Tisdale |
- Hermann Hesse (1877-1962): Nobel Prize-winning novelist and poet; Nobel laureate poet Wislawa Szymborska (85) shares this birth date
- Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993): first black US Supreme Court justice
- Vincente Fox (67): former president of Mexico; former heads-of-state Sir Alec Douglas-Home (1903-1995) and Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) were also born on this date
- Larry David (62): writer/director, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Ashley Tisdale (24): actress, High School Musical 3; actors Robert Ito (78), Polly Holliday (72), Ron Silver (1946-2009), Saul Rubinek (61), Jerry Hall (53) and Lindsay Lohan (23) share this birth date
