National Sock Day
December 4
A discovery along the Nile River of what archaeologists believe were the first socks dates them to 250-420 AD. The Greek word “sykkos”, meaning a thin shoe worn with sandals, is the root of our word “sock.” Originally, socks were used to keep feet clean and absorb sweating. The first fashion use of socks was around 1,000 AD. By the mid-1500s socks had become a necessity even though they were all knitted by hand. In 1583, William Lee invented the first machine to weave socks. The DuPont Company revealed the world’s first nylon stocking at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
World Wildlife Conservation Day
December 4
World Wildlife Conservation Day was established to center attention on the illegal slaughter and trafficking of wildlife. According to UC Davis research, “the world’s wildlife decreased by more than 50% between 1970 to 2010. About 30,000 species per year are being driven to extinction. Ninety-six elephants are killed each day in Africa for their ivory. Only 450,000 elephants and 25,000 rhinos remain on the African continent due to poaching. If this trend continues, both of these species will be extinct from their core habitat within the next 20 years. Poachers take more than 38 million animals every year from Brazil to meet global demand for illegal wildlife.”
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Jay-Z – Rapper – born in New York City, New York
Jeff Bridges – Actor – born in Los Angles, California
