National Ampersand Day
September 8
The symbol or shape of the character “&” predates the word “ampersand” and came into being over 1500 years ago. In the first century, Roman scribes wrote in cursive, so when they wrote the Latin word et which means, “and,” they linked the e and t. Over time the combined letters came to signify the word “and” in English as well. The & symbol dates to 45 A.D., appearing on papyrus handwritten in the Roman cursive style. By 1837, the “&” sign had entered common English usage as the 27th character of the alphabet.
Iguana Awareness Day
September 8
Iguana is a genus of lizards from the herbivorous reptile category that comes from Central America, South America, Mexico and the islands around the Caribbean Sea. The name ‘iguana’ comes from the word Iwana which is the local name of the lizard in the Taino language. The longest iguana, the green iguana, can grow up to 6 feet long from nose to tail. However, the heaviest iguana is the blue iguana, which can weigh a hefty 30 pounds. Some lizards can detach their tails when caught by a predator to escape. Iguana tails usually grow back after detachment. Iguanas are herbivores, meaning they favor vegetation – flowers, fruits, and leaves, generally. Marine iguanas find food by scraping algae from rocks or by eating seaweed. On top of their heads, iguanas have what is called a parietal eye. While this eye can’t make out details, it can differentiate between dark and light. The eye regulates the circadian rhythms, and it helps to produce hormones for thermoregulation – meaning it helps control the body temperature of the iguana even when the temperature of the surrounding environment is different.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Patsy Cline – Singer – born in Winchester, Virginia
Peter Sellers – Actor – born in Portsmouth, England
