14 December: Events of the Days

1799
 George Washington born on February 22, 1732 in t he new style of calendar (which went into effect in 1752) or February 11, 1731 in the old style. He died on December 14, 1799.

Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded his birth as February 11, 1731. The provisions of the British Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, implemented in 1752, altered the official British dating method to the Gregorian calendar with the start of the year on January 1 (it had been March 25). These changes resulted in dates being moved forward 11 days, and for those between January 1 and March 25, an advance of one year.

23 November: Events of the Days

1814
Elbridge Thomas Gerry (one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the 5th Vice President of the United States)  dies on November 23, 1814. He is born on July 17, 1744.

30 October: Events of the Days

The Changes of 1752
In accordance with a 1750 act of Parliament, England and its colonies changed calendars in 1752. By that time, the discrepancy between a solar year and the Julian Calendar had grown by an additional day, so that the calendar used in England and its colonies was 11 days out-of-sync with the Gregorian Calendar in use in most other parts of Europe.
England's calendar change included three major components. The Julian Calendar was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, changing the formula for calculating leap years.  The beginning of the legal new year was moved from March 25 to January 1.  Finally, 11 days were dropped from the month of September 1752. 
The changeover involved a series of steps:

• December 31, 1750 was followed by January 1, 1750 (under the "Old Style" calendar, December was the 10th month and January the 11th)

• March 24, 1750 was followed by March 25, 1751 (March 25 was the first day of the "Old Style" year)

• December 31, 1751 was followed by January 1, 1752 (the switch from March 25 to January 1 as the first day of the year)

• September 2, 1752 was followed by September 14, 1752 (drop of 11 days to conform to the Gregorian calendar)

1735
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 (or in the old style, before the calendar was changed,  October 19, 1735)

19 October: Events of the Days

The Changes of 1752
In accordance with a 1750 act of Parliament, England and its colonies changed calendars in 1752. By that time, the discrepancy between a solar year and the Julian Calendar had grown by an additional day, so that the calendar used in England and its colonies was 11 days out-of-sync with the Gregorian Calendar in use in most other parts of Europe.
England's calendar change included three major components. The Julian Calendar was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, changing the formula for calculating leap years.  The beginning of the legal new year was moved from March 25 to January 1.  Finally, 11 days were dropped from the month of September 1752. 
The changeover involved a series of steps:

• December 31, 1750 was followed by January 1, 1750 (under the "Old Style" calendar, December was the 10th month and January the 11th)
• March 24, 1750 was followed by March 25, 1751 (March 25 was the first day of the "Old Style" year)
• December 31, 1751 was followed by January 1, 1752 (the switch from March 25 to January 1 as the first day of the year)
• September 2, 1752 was followed by September 14, 1752 (drop of 11 days to conform to the Gregorian calendar)

1735
John Adams was born on October 19, 1735 (when the calendar change of 1752 went into effect, his birthday was changed to October 30, 1735.)

Daughters of the American Revolution Promote Constitution Week

From Freestown County Times: http://www.freestonecountytimesonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7122:daughters-of-the-american-revolution-promote-constitution-week&catid=52:community

September 17, 2013, begins the national celebration of Constitution Week. The weeklong commemoration of America’s most important document is one of our country’s least known official observances. Our Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those inalienable rights to every American.

The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1955, the Daughters petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on August 2, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The aims of the celebration are to (1) emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution, preserving it for posterity; (2) inform the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life; and (3) encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

The United States of America functions as a Republic under the Constitution, which is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution.  Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.

"Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document which is the safeguard of our American liberties," states DAR President General, Lynn Forney Young. "We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to reflect on our heritage of freedom and come together to Celebrate America!"

DAR has served America for 123 years as its foremost cheerleader.  In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall. Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America.

Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, DAR has over 175,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 13 foreign countries. The DAR has long promoted patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants. For more information about DAR and its programs visit

www.dar.org or call (202) 628-1776 .

5 September: Events of the Days

1774
The First Continental Congress convenes on September 5, 1774.
It was a convention of delegates from twelve British North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. It was called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts (also known as Intolerable Acts by the Colonial Americans) by the British Parliament. The Intolerable Acts had punished Boston for the Boston Tea Party.

17 July: Events of the Days

1744
Elbridge Thomas Gerry (one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the 5th Vice President of the United States) is born on July 17, 1744. (He will die on November 23, 1814).

Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker From : Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4007499-74/jamison-gaffin-grave#ixzz2TwERuLYm Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

From Trib Live News; Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker

When Robert Jamison and his wife, Elizabeth, left Ireland to come to America in the 1700s, they looked for a place to settle as they raised their family in the promising new world.

When war broke out, Jamison quickly picked up his musket and joined the local militia to fight in the American Revolution.

On Saturday, ancestors of Jamison, local veterans and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution took part in the dedication of a grave marker for the soldier, who has been buried in the Middle Presbyterian Church cemetery just north of Mt. Pleasant.

“We didn't have a lot of information on his grave, but we knew it was in Westmoreland County,” ancestor Carl Gaffin said of his great-great-great-great-grandfather. “My aunt Betty Dumm had kept records, and we were able to get more information from there.”

With the help of local DAR and SAR groups, the Gaffin family located the grave site of Jamison, who fought with the 1st Battalion, 1st Company of the Westmoreland County Militia, which was part of the Westmoreland Volunteers.

“In the honoring of Pvt. Robert Jamison, we also pay tribute to all men and women who have served our country with integrity and devotion,” Middle Presbyterian Church Elder David Lemmon said at the dedication. “We dedicate ourselves anew in a faithful stewardship of the blessings we enjoy today.”

The ceremony included a presentation of the colors by the Joint Revolutionary Color Guard of the Pittsburgh, Beaver and Greensburg chapters.

“I thought this was really nice,” Jamison's great-great-great-great-grandson Lance Gaffin said of the ceremony. “I really didn't know what to expect, and this was much more than I would have ever thought. It was really nice.”

“How many of us would have the courage and the fortitude to endure the hardships that our ancestors did?” asked Kathleen Roebuck, Braddock Trail Chapter of the DAR incoming regent. “We are proud to be here for him and our other ancestors.”

Gaffin gave the crowd a brief history of his ancestor, a frontier ranger who took up arms against both the Indians and the British.

“We are here to honor the sacrifice he made for his country,” Gaffin said.

11 May: Events of the Days

1814 Robet Treat Paine dies on May 11, 1814. Paine (March 11, 1731 – May 11, 1814) was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence as a representative of Massachusetts. He served as the state's first attorney general, and served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court.

Take your blood pressure medication!

Spent most of yesterday in the hospital, where my mother was admitted. Her doctor had changed her blood pressure medication a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't doing the job. Unfortunately her doctor was out of town and a home therapist said we should take her to the Emergency Room.

Bad idea, as far as I'm concerned. Put her back on her old medication which was working, just causing her to cough.

Instead we brought her to the emergency room, and since she's old and deaf, this got her more stressed out and scared than ever, because they were all gathered around her shouting questions and wanting to run tests and I'm sure she thought she was dying or something, which sent her blood pressure even higher.

She spent the night there, and is still in today for more tests, which I don't think she needs but I guess since they've got her in there they want to get their money's worth out of our insurance...  she's in a private room which must be costing a fortune....

The reason for my headline... she was about 40 when she was first diagnosed with high blood pressure...took pills for a couple of days but didn't like how they made her feel....so she stopped taking them and tried to do the "natural remedy" thing.

Result, 20 years later she had congestive heart failure, and now instead of taking 1 pill a day she has to take 4. And has to go into the hospital periodically on occasions like these.

Moral of the story - go get your blood pressure checked, and if you have high blood pressure make sure you take your meds, otherwise believe me you'll wish you had, when it is too late...

Ben Affleck tackles the American Revolution

From the Malay Mail: Ben Affleck tackles the American Revolution

AUTHOR Nathaniel Philbrick has announced on Twitter (@natphilbrick) that Ben Affleck will be at the helm of the adaptation of his upcoming historical novel "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution" set for publication on April 30.

The novel is based on historical events that took place in Boston in 1775 during the first years of the American Revolution, the war of independence against Great Britain.

The story will mainly focus on Bunker Hill which was the bloodiest battle during this period.

The adaptation of this chapter of American history will be undertaken by screenwriter Chris Terrio who won an Oscar for "Argo."

The film will allow Ben Affleck to return to Boston where he grew up with Matt Damon and where he set his first two films, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town."

The winner of the 2013 Oscar for Best Film is currently working on "Live By Night," a movie adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel that will also take place in the capital of Massachusetts during Prohibition.

Ben Affleck will act in the movie as well as direct and produce along with Leonardo DiCaprio. -AFPrelaxnews

11 March: Events of the Days

1731 Robet Treat Paine is born on March 11, 1731. Paine (March 11, 1731 – May 11, 1814) was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence as a representative of Massachusetts. He served as the state's first attorney general, and served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court.

Never get involved in a land war inAsia

and never agree to transcribe 20 hours of meetings from an Australian business meeting.

That's what I've been doing for the last 4 days...utter nightmare. Could NOT understand their accents. Making it worse were the bad audio levels and the fact that a lot of the people preesnt insisted on talking over each other from all around the room except in front of the microphone... I will never transcribe ANYTHING every again.

Anyway, so sorry to be MIA from my blogs.

22 February: Events of the Days

1732
 George Washington born on February 22, 1732 in t he new style of calendar (which went into effect in 1752) or February 11, 1731 in the old style. He died on December 14, 1799.

Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded his birth as February 11, 1731. The provisions of the British Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, implemented in 1752, altered the official British dating method to the Gregorian calendar with the start of the year on January 1 (it had been March 25). These changes resulted in dates being moved forward 11 days, and for those between January 1 and March 25, an advance of one year.

11 February: Events of the Days

1731
 George Washington born on February 22, 1732 in t he new style of calendar (which went into effect in 1752) or February 11, 1731 in the old style. He died on December 14, 1799.

Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded his birth as February 11, 1731. The provisions of the British Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, implemented in 1752, altered the official British dating method to the Gregorian calendar with the start of the year on January 1 (it had been March 25). These changes resulted in dates being moved forward 11 days, and for those between January 1 and March 25, an advance of one year.