Richter Scale Day celebrates the birth of the inventor of the Richter Scale. American seismologist Charles F. Richter (1900–1985) invented the Richter Scale in 1935.

The Richter Scale measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake by measuring the magnitude or seismic waves produced by an earthquake. The Richter Scale measures from 0 to 9. On the scale, each increase in number represents an earthquake 10 times more powerful. At 4.5 an earthquake can damage buildings and structures. At 7 on the Richter scale, severe and catastrophic damage can occur.

Deadliest/ Strongest Earthquakes:

87 AD - Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted burying both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Thousands were killed.

January 23, 1556 – In Shaanxi province China, the deadliest earthquake in history killed 830,000 people.

April 18, 1906 - The famous San Francisco earthquake and fire occurred California.  The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale.

September 1, 1923 – The Tokyo and Yokahoma earthquake occurred in Japan. This 8.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed 1/3 of Tokyo and most of Yokohama. Over 140,000 killed.

May 22, 1927 – In Xining, China an 8.3 magnitude earthquake killed approximately 200,000 people.

May 22, 1960 – The strongest earthquake ever was recorded at 9.5 magnitude.   This earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile.

In 1964, An Alaskan earthquake measured 8.4 in magnitude.

Feb. 9, 1971 - The Sylmar Earthquake measured 6.6 on the Richter scale.

Jan 17, 1994 – The Northridge Earthquake 6.7

December 26, 2004 - An earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale.  This quake occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.  It created the deadliest Tsunami in history. The waves reach numerous Asian and African countries. More than 225,000 people were killed.  Millions became homeless.

October 2, 2005 – In Kashmir, Pakistan, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed more than 80,000 people.

Origin of Richter Scale Day:  Our research did not find the creator or the origin of this day.

Richter Scale Day is celebrated on the birth day of the inventor of the Richter Scale. American seismologist Charles F. Richter (1900–1985) was born on April 26, 1900.

When:  Always the fourth Thursday in April.

Take Your Child to Work Day helps teach kids about the work-a-day world of their parents and it helps to get them dreaming about their own grown-up careers.

First begun in 1993 by the Foundation for Women as the "Take Our Daughters to Work Day", the annual program has since also included sons on the special day traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in April.

Take Your Child to Work Day is an opportunity to bring your child with you to work.

It is not a national holiday in the United States, however, many private companies and government agencies participate in this holiday.

Pretzel Day is always April 26th.

Pretzel Day celebrates pretzels of all shapes and sizes.

How do you like your pretzel? Thick or thin?  Straight or twisted?  Crisp & crunchy or soft?  Salted or unsalted?  Mustard flavored? There's no shortage of types of pretzels. If you are having trouble deciding which ones, we suggest you mix a bunch of different types of pretzels in a big bowl and grab a handful or two.

Did you know? Pretzels are believed to be the world's oldest snack. Pretzels date back to 610 AD in Southern France. Monks baked thin strips of dough into the shape of a child's arms folded in prayer.

Origin of Pretzel Day:  Bizarre Food Holidays proclaims this special day on their website.

The first Tai Chi & Qigong event began in 1999.  The first event inspired the global event that was held in Kansas City, Missouri in 1998. The Kansas City Tai Chi Club held a mass Tai Chi exhibition and teach-in involving nearly two-hundred people.  CNN Headline News covered the event.
 
The mission of this day is to expose people to the growing body of medical research related to traditional Chinese medicine and direct them to teachers in their home towns.

Origin of Tai Chi & Qigong Day: As specified above.

This year, Administrative Professional's Day April 25th.

National Secretary's Day was created in 1952 through the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of Young and Rubicam. Klemfuss recognized the importance and value of the position to a company or business. His goal was to encourage more women to become secretaries.
Using his skill and experience in public relations, Klemfuss, promoted the values and importance of the job of secretaries.

Today, the title is changing and evolving.  Today we celebrate "Administrative Professionals Day”.  The broader term encompasses more positions than the original secretary role.  The name change recognizes and acknowledges that the role has changed significantly since 1952.  

The most common ways of recognizing your Administrative Professional(s) today are:

•    Flowers
•    Assorted Gift Baskets
•    Candies
•    Cards, often with shopping gift certificates
•    Take them to lunch  

Administrative Professionals Day gifts are by far the most common way of giving recognition to these most important people on your staff. Giving flowers is
said to be the top gift.

The official Red Hat Society Day is April 25 each year.

The founder of the Society is artist Sue Ellen Cooper, who lives in Fullerton, California.

In 1997, Cooper gave a friend a 55th birthday gift consisting of a red fedora purchased a year earlier at a thrift store along with a copy of Jenny Joseph's poem "Warning." The opening lines of the poem read:  “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple.  With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me.”

Cooper repeated the gift on request several times, and eventually several of the women bought purple outfits and held a tea party.

Cooper never set out to ignite an international phenomenon. However, after spreading by word of mouth, the Society first received national publicity in 2000 through the magazine Romantic Homes and a feature in The Orange County Register.  Cooper then established a "Hatquarters" to field the hundreds of e-mail requests for help starting chapters. She now serves as "Exalted Queen Mother", and has written two best-selling books about the Society.

Penguin Day is a great opportunities to learn about and appreciate one of the few natives of Antarctica. On these days, spend a little time learning about them ... a pictorial book or internet site is fun. You can also watch a documentary of these cute and popular, grounded birds.

Penguins do not fly. They walk, or waddle their way to and from.

Did you know? Penguins are found in Antarctica, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, the Falkland Islands, and the Galapagos Islands. Elsewhere, they are only found in zoos.

These days are also a time to wear black and white --- penguin colors. However, wearing a tuxedo in their honor is optional. It is also popular today to tell a penguin joke or two.   

Origin of Penguin Day:  Penguin Day coincides with the annual northward migration of penguins. This happens each year on or around April 25th.

Pig in a Blanket Day is a day to eat a sausage wrapped in a pancake. Why? Because that's what a "Pig in a Blanket" is.

How does one go about celebrating Pig in a Blanket Day? Cook up some sausage. Make some pancakes. Wrap the sausage inside of the pancake. Add maple syrup. Then, chow down.

Origin of Pig in a Blanket Day:  Bizarre Food Holidays proclaims this special day on their website.