National Tomato Day
April 6
The tomato plant originates from the family of Nightshade plants (potato, tobacco, chili peppers) from Central America. It is technically considered a fruit. The scientific name for tomato is Lycopersicon lycopersicum meaning wolf peach. Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene which is important for the health of the prostate gland in men. Tomatoes can keep longer if you store them with their stem down. 94.5% of tomato’s weight is water. Heaviest ever recorded tomato was 7 pounds and 12 ounces in weight. There are over 10,000 varieties of tomato, these come in a variety of colors including pink, purple, black, yellow and white.
National Tartan Day
April 6
Tartan Day is a North American celebration of the date on which the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. National Tartan Day originated in New York City when the mayor, Ed Koch, declared July 1, 1982 as Tartan Day. It was a one-time celebration of the 200th anniversary of repealing the Act of Proscription, which had forbidden Scots to wear tartan. Then in 2004, the National Capital Tartan Day Committee lobbied the US House of Representatives to designate April 6 as National Tartan Day. Although the word plaid is used in North America to describe a pattern, in Scotland, tartan is the pattern and plaid is a piece of clothing with a tartan pattern.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Raphael – Italian Painter – born in the Urbino, Italy
Merle Haggard – Country Singer – born in Checotah, Oklahoma
