Monday, October 4, 2010

nepotism (NEP-uh-tiz-uhm) noun:

• Favoritism shown to relatives and friends, especially in business or political appointments.

From Italian nepotismo, from Latin nepos (grandson, nephew). Ultimately from the Indo-European root nepot- (grandson, nephew) that is also the source of the words nephew and niece.

pre-festive

• The state of premature holiday celebration by means of decorations, singing, or costume.

The Smith family, with their Christmas lights up in October, are quite pre-festive.

Trivia

What gift did Pope Paul VI give Mother Teresa at the conclusion of his 1964 visit with her in India?

• A white Lincoln Continental, which she auctioned off to raise money to establish a leper colony in West Bengal.

History

• Gregorian calendar: was proclaimed by Pope Gregory XIII; this date, October 4, was followed immediately by October 15 in Spain, Portugal, Poland and most of Italy (1582)
• US Open golf tournament: was played for the first time; the $150 prize was won by Horace Rawlins (1895)
• Sputnik: the space race began when Russia launched the first man-made satellite into orbit (1957)
• Pope Paul VI: became the first pontiff to visit the US when he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York (1965)

Birthdays

• Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893): 19th US president; other world leaders born on this date include Louis X (1289-1316) and Charles IX (1550-1611)
• Frederic Remington (1861-1909): painter of the Wild West
• Anne Rice (69): author of Interview With The Vampire; writers Damon Runyan (1884-1946), Roy Blount Jr. (69) and Lee Blessing (61) were also born on this date
• Liev Schreiber (43): stage and screen actor, Defiance, Taking Woodstock; also, actors Buster Keaton (1895-1966), Charlton Heston (1924-2008), Felicia Farr (78), Clifton Davis (65), Susan Sarandon (64), Armand Assante (61), Alan Rosenberg (60), Abraham Benrubi (41), Alicia Silverstone (34) and Rachael Leigh Cook (31)