72 years ago today, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, making it the first full length animated film produced in America!
Despite being over 70 years old, the film has remained a favorite of fans and critics alike!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was one of only two animated films to make it into the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 American films of all time in 2007 — and in 2008, AFI named it the greatest animated film of all time!
Other AFI animated favorites? Check out their top 10:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Bambi (1942)
- The Lion King (1994)
- Fantasia (1940)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Shrek (2001)
- Cinderella (1950)
- Finding Nemo (2009)
To learn more, check out filmsite.org!
Alabama, our nation’s 22nd state, joined the Union 190 years ago today! This beautiful state is often known as the Heart of Dixie and is home to almost 4.6 million residents.
Those of you who have visited Alabama know it’s a beautiful state with a fascinating history. But for all of you out there who have never traveled down to Alabama, we’ve listed some facts about the state to share with you all! To learn more, visit 50states.com.
- Alabama introduced the Mardi Gras to the western world. The celebration is held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
- Alabama workers built the first rocket to put humans on the moon.
- The world’s first Electric Trolley System was introduced in Montgomery in 1886.
- Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel. It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products.
- Montgomery is the capital and the birthplace of the Confederate States of America.
- Baseball player Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron was born in Mobile in 1934.
- The word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language.
- Hitler’s typewriter survived from his mountain retreat and is exhibited at the Hall of History in Bessemer.
- Blount County was created on February 7, 1818 and is older than the state.
- The pecan is the Alabama’s official nut.
Anyone from Indiana? If so, today is your state’s 193rd birthday!
Indiana was the 19th state admitted to the Union and is now home to over 6.3 million people — and one of America’s biggest sporting events — the Indianapolis 500.
Ok, so under normal circumstances, I’m not really into race cars. But I have to say, you can’t ignore a competition as huge as the Indy 500.
The race is 500 miles long and cars can travel as fast as 240 mph! Sound crazy? Let me put that in perspective. At 238 mph, a driver would cover the size of a football field in one second and if he or she blinks an eye, they’ve missed 50 feet of track.
Don’t take it from me, check out Doc’sSports.com to learn more!
If you’ve ever been to our nation’s capital, you’ve seen it. In fact, it’s pretty hard to miss.
The Washington Monument stands over 555 feet and is D.C.’s tallest structure. The obelisk is near the west end of the National Mall and was built to commemorate President George Washington.
To learn more, I visited buzzle.com and picked up some interesting facts.
Facts About the Washington Monument
- The corner stone was laid on July 4, 1848. The same trowel was used that George Washington used to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol way back in 1793. Thousands gathered around the construction site to celebrate the moment.
- The walls of the monument are 15 feet thick at the bottom and 18 inches at the top.
- The walls are covered with white marble that was brought in from Maryland.
- While the monument is hollow on the inside, the inner walls are set with 189 memorial stones that are carved and were presented by individuals, cities, states, societies and other countries.
- The point at which construction was stopped in 1858 can be identified as the stones used above 152 feet have a darker tone of color when compared to the original ones.
- The Washington Monument is surrounded by flagpoles, each flag representing a flag of the state.
- The total cost of building the monument was $1,817,710.
- The construction of the monument was completed 30 years after the death of its architect, Robert Mills.
I’m sending birthday wishes to everyone from the great state of Illinois. Yes, it is the 191st birthday of our nation’s 21st state!
In some respects Illinois is a traditional Midwestern farm state, but it is also home to one of the most vibrant cities in the world — Chicago!
Chicago is the 3rd largest city in America and home to more than 2.8 million people! But it’s also home to many nicknames! According to The City of Chicago Blog:
One of the most popular Chicago monikers would be “The Windy City.” There has been much debate and confusion as to how Chicago got this monicker. Some say because Chicago is a naturally breezy area due to it’s proximity to Lake Michigan. Some say it came from former rival city Cincinnati, describing Chicago as “windy” or full of bluster. The most popular origin of this nickname is that it was coined by the editor of the New York Sun, Charles Anderson Dana, in 1890 in reference to the city’s claims for the World’s Columbian Exposition.
Another popular nickname for Chicago is “Second City.” Some people think that this nickname refers to Chicago being the second largest city, when in actuality it refers to Chicago’s rebirth after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Here are some more minor Chicago nicknames:
Chi-Town or Chitown
Chicagoland
The White City
City by the Lake
City of the Big Shoulders
City of Broad Shoulders
City of the Century
The 312
City on the Make
The City That Works
The Big Onion
City in a Garden
Hog-Butcher to the World
Beirut by the Lake
New York Done Right
Illville
I Will City
Paris on the Prairie
Sweet Home
Heart of America
The 773
The Alley Capital of America
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This weekend, my 12-year old daughter and her friends are hosting a surprise birthday sleepover for one of their friends whose mother lost her very short battle with lung cancer this past July. Each year, her Mom would have a huge sleepover birthday party for her which all the girls looked forward to. This will be the first birthday she will have without her Mom and it will probably be difficult for her and her Dad and brothers.
