Kool-Aid Day
August 14
MentalFloss.com tells us Edwin Perkins, the man behind Kool-Aid, was originally a mail-order merchant of all sorts of products. He peddled a sunburn salve of his own creation, medicine, cleaning supplies, foods, and whatever else he could find. After striking out on his own in 1920 to form the Perkins Products Co. in Hastings, Neb., Perkins expanded his offerings to include a fruity soft drink that quickly won customers over. Even if you’re not drinking it, Kool-Aid can be pretty handy. It’s famously used as a DIY hair dye, but the life hack applications don’t stop there. The citric acid in Kool-Aid makes it a handy toilet bowl cleaner if you leave the powder in overnight, or if you’re worried your toilet is leaking, an envelope of grape in the tank can test for you. If the water in the bowl turns purple before you flush, you’ve got a leak. A packet of lemonade Kool-Aid can even clean your dishwasher.
World Calligraphy Day
August 14
The word Calligraphy is from an Ancient Greek word kallos which means beauty and graphẽ which means writing. Muslims have always deemed calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, the noblest of the arts. The first chapters of the Qur˒an revealed to the prophet Muhammad in the early seventh century mention the pen and writing. Writing in Arabic script soon became a hallmark of Islamic civilization, found on everything from buildings and coins to textiles and ceramics, and scribes and calligraphers became the most honored type of artist.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Steve Martin – Comedian & Actor – 74 – born in Waco, Texas
Halle Berry – Actress –53 – born in Cleveland, Ohio
