National Mascot Day
June 17
The first recording of the original French word ‘mascotte,’ which means lucky charm, was in 1867. It was derived from the Provencal ‘mascoto’ which meant charm or amulet. Yale was the first with a mascot, which was a bulldog named “Handsome Dan” who was adopted in 1889. Although most mascots today are people in costume, a few teams still have live mascots, like USC’s Traveler (a horse), University of Colorado’s Ralphie the Buffalo, Texas A&M’s Reveille the Collie, University of Georgia’s bulldog named UGA, and University of Texas’ Bevo the Longhorn. The Olympics’ mascot changes every time because it must symbolize the host city. The first Olympics mascot, although unofficial, was in 1968 at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. A man on skis names Schuss made up the first mascot for the Olympic Games.
National Apple Strudel Day
June 17
Apple strudels are believed to have originated in the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and they were being made by the 1800s, while various strudels were produced as early as the 1500s. Apple strudel’ is also known as ‘Apfelstrudel’, which is the German term for the dessert, while ‘strudel’ is German for ‘swirl’ or ‘whirl’. Apple strudels consist of a light and very thin unleavened pastry, rolled and filled with an apple mixture that commonly includes cinnamon, raisins, sugar and breadcrumbs, with the crumbs helping to soak up excess liquid during the cooking process.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Barry Manilow – Singer & Songwriter – born in Brooklyn, New York
Venus Williams – Pro Tennis Player – born in Lynwood, California
