In 1893 the Supreme Court rendered a judgment in a case involving tariffs on fruits and vegetables. The central issue was the classification of tomatoes, and on 10 May, the Court decided that the tomato counted as a vegetable, not a fruit! My tie celebrates Bob the Tomato, from Veggie Tales.
Vincent Van Gogh entered the hospital at Saint-Remy on 8 May 1889. This was during the last two years of his life, when he produced many of his most famous works. Four years ago Beth and I visited the fantastic event called Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, where you can walk right into and through wonderful displays of his paintings. I especially enjoyed sitting in the recreation of his famous Bedroom in Arles (wearing the tie!).
While working at Eastern Kentucky University, I served many years on the ADA Awareness & Accessibility Committee. One of our major duties was to help the administration identify and deal with all of the physical barriers for mobility around the campus. National Barrier Awareness Day, observed annually on May 7, aims to eliminate physical, social, and economic obstacles preventing people with disabilities from fully participating in society. My tie's design features the official tartan for EKU.
The first Wednesday in May is always the Great American Grump Out, or National Grump-Out Day. It means "no grumpiness for 24 hours"! If you missed celebrating this time, you can certainly use tomorrow. Remember, no complaints or frowns! I brightened the day for several people today(including my dentist and dental hygienist) with my smiley faces tie.
May the Fourth Be With You, on Star Wars Day! My tie shows the plan for the Millennium Falcon. It first appeared in Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, where it was named the Stellar Envoy. Following the end of the Clone Wars and the formation of the Galactic Empire, the Envoy was refurbished and passed between multiple owners until it ended up in Lando Calrissian's possession, where it was renamed the Millennium Falcon. Lando Calrissian lost it to Han Solo in payment of a gambling debt. In Episode IV, A New Hope, its awesome speed and maneuverability proved quintessential for the survival of the Republic. And further Falcon adventures are recorded in the later episodes.
On this date in 1830: First regular steam train passenger service in the U.S. starts in South Carolina, with U.S.-built locomotive “The Best Friend of Charleston." My tie shows steam locomotives, circa ??
Bugs Bunny first appeared in animation on this date in 1938, as a "Happy Bunny" in a cartoon titled Porky's Hare Hunt. He got his own story in July 1940. My tie's image focuses on the movie Space Jam, starring Bugs and Michael Jordan, which premiered in 1996. Warner Brothers and AMC Theaters are sponsoring special events this May to celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary.
Kaunda Day is an annual celebration in Zambia, on 28 April (yesterday). It marks the birthday of Kenneth Kaunda (1924-2021), the "Father of His Country." He was the first president of Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) upon its independence in 1964. My own interests in Zambia trace back to childhood memories of church visits by missionaries who were based at the Jembo Mission of the Pilgrim Holiness Church, and of family friendships with some Zambians who were students at a local Bible college. My tie scrambles the letters Z-a-m-b-i-a; it was gifted to me by Beth's parents after their short-term mission trip there in 2000.
Gummi Bear Day! The Haribo Company began making gummi bears on this date in 1922. My tie shows them in large scale, but my tie tack comes very close to their "actual size."
Today - 26 April - is a wild mixture of occasions: National Pretzel Day, National Richter Scale Day, National Dissertation Day, and World Intellectual Property Day. My tie's design mixes up flowers, stripes and scallops.
Among the billions of people born on this day: Carol Burnett (1933), David Hume (1711-1776), Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), John James Audubon (1785-1851), Frederick Law Olmstead, Sr. (1822-1903).
It's a rare Saturday when I wear a tie. Today's special occasion is celebrating 3 grandchildren's April birthdays, in Hyden, KY. All 3 like LEGO but it's especially important to Nate (now 11). Yes, the tie bar is made from LEGO bricks.
The last Friday in April is always Arbor Day in the United States. I'm wearing my "falling leaves" tie today, but of course those leaves have to grow from early spring. Earlier this week I planted two new silky dogwood trees (Cornus amomum), near where two old apple trees had stood for twenty-some years.
Samuel B. Fay received the first known patent for a "bent wire paper clip" on 23 April 1867, 159 years ago today. The design we are most familiar with, commonly called the Gem clip, emerged in the 1870s-1880s. My "Tools For Learning" tie shows several paper clips along with scissors, pencils and a composition book.
For Earth Day 2026 I've chosen one of my most "earthy" ties, featuring moose in their environs. Moose are not native to Kentucky; the nearest stable wild moose populations are far to the north, often in the New England or northern Great Lakes regions.
National Kindergarten Day, on 21 April, celebrates the birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel (1782-1852), who created the concept of the kindergarten and coined the word, which soon entered the English language as well. We meet our own kindergartner granddaughter almost every weekday! She's very familiar with everything on my tie.
