Barbershop Quartet Day
April 11
In the 1830s local barbershops in the U.S. were a common gathering place for average guys, the ones who couldn’t afford to join posh social clubs and who didn’t hang out in saloons. Sometimes to while away the hours on his feet, a barber would start crooning a tune. Eventually, patrons added their harmonies in a call-and-response type format. By 1890, barbershop-style singing as we know it today was a bona fide fad. The oversized mustaches, striped jackets and straw hats started with Vaudeville. Barbershop quartets were often used in front of the curtain to entertain while other acts were setting up. In order to be seen by those in the “cheap seats” they donned distinctive costumes.
National Pet Day
April 11
Nearly 80 million U.S. households have a pet, and 42 percent of those households have more than one. There are 77.8 million pet dogs in the U.S. and 85.8 million pet cats. One survey found that 81 percent of cat owners let their felines sleep on the bed, compared to 73 percent of dog owners. Goldfish have a reputation as short-lived creatures, but given proper care, they can live as long as 30 years in captivity. The oldest captive goldfish ever recorded was won at a fair in 1956 and died in 1999 at age 43. Parrots are the nation’s fourth most popular pet with an estimate 3.1 percent of U.S. households owning birds.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Ethel Kennedy – Widow of Robert F. Kennedy – born in Chicago, Illinois
Joel Grey – Actor & Dancer – born in Cleveland, Ohio
