14 May 26

Lewis and Clark started on their exploration of the "Louisiana Purchase" on 14 May 1804. My tie (from Mystic Seaport, CT) shows several compasses, and my large tie tack is a working compass! Although Lewis and Clark are usually pictured as pioneering into the great unknown West, they had several earlier maps and drawings to guide them.

13 October 23

On 13 October 1884, a global conference convened by U. S. President Chester Arthur adopted the meridian passing through Greenwich, England as the global standard for time and navigation. "Prime Meridian Day" can be celebrated on 13 October or 1 November every year. My tie from Mystic Seaport Museum (in Connecticut) shows many compass faces.

16 October 22

On this date twelve years ago we helped celebrate the wedding of Ben Kleppinger and Amanda Wheeler! Their jobs and houses have kept them within about 30 miles of us! They asked me to wear my compass navigation tie today because they enjoy the outdoor recreational "game" of geocaching, including special events this weekend sponsored by the Berea Chanber of Commerce.

30 September 21

Near the end of September the United Nations designates a Thursday as World Maritime Day, to celebrate the contribution of the maritime industry to the global economy. My tie celebrates navigational compasses!

21 September 20

I'm wearing one of my two compass-navigation ties to honor Ferdinand Magellan's voyage in 1519-1522, the first circumnavigation. He and his ships left Spain on 20 September 1519. He died in 1521 but his ships returned safely. Magnetic compasses have been known since at least the thirteenth century; in Magellan's day they were constructed as metal rods on cards, floating in bowls of water.

13 June 19

Hmm. While researching this date to select a tie, I found a reference to "Henry the Navigator," born on 13 June 1820. On the strength of that entry, I jumped at the chance to wear this nice compass navigation tie. But it turns out that the person cited by "On This Day" was actually Prince William Frederick Henry of the Netherlands (1820-1879), with a note that he is "sometimes called Henry the Navigator." There is very little information published about Dutch Prince Henry, and there's nothing to justify his title as "the Navigator." The truly famous Henry the Navigator was a 15th century Portuguese duke/prince (1394-1460) who is often credited as one of the pioneers in the "Age of Discovery." He was born in March. I'll have to be more perspicacious with my own navigation of the Web!

19 August 18

Happy Serendipity Day! By a happy coincidence my EKU-faculty friend Paula Kopacz was recently at the Mystic Seaport Museum (CT), where she spotted a nice tie and wondered "who might wear such a tie?" And then she thought of me! Her mother happens to be a resident of the nursing home (Telford Terrace) where I visit every Sunday, so getting the tie to me was no problem. By the way, Serendipity Day is celebrated annually on 18 August, but I figure it's OK to adjust the date as events transpire.