National Baseball Card Day
August 8
During the mid-19th century in the United States, baseball and photography were both gaining popularity. As a result, baseball clubs began to pose for group and individual pictures. By early 1886, images of baseball players were often included on cigarette cards with cigarette packs and other tobacco products. This was partly for promotional purposes and partly because the card helped protect the cigarettes from damage. In the early 1930s, production soared. The popular 1933 Goudey Gum Co. issue, which included cards of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, best identifies this era. In 1952, Topps Chewing Gum began to produce large sets of cards. In February 2007, the hobby’s most expensive card, a near mint/mint professionally graded and authenticated T206 Honus Wagner, was sold to a private collector for $2.35 million. The card was sold again later that same year for a record-setting $2.8 million.
International Cat Day
August 8
While it is commonly thought the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, the oldest known pet cat was recently found in a 9,500-year-old grave on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The group of words associated with cat (catt, cath, chat, katze) stem from the Latin catus, meaning domestic cat, as opposed to feles, or wild cat. There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds. Cats are North America’s most popular pets: there are 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs. Over 30% of households in North America own a cat.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Roger Federer – Swiss Tennis Pro – born in Basel, Switzerland
Dustin Hoffman – Actor – born in Los Angeles, California
