March 31st 2022 - Holidays and Observances

 

(click on the day for details)

• Cesar Chavez Day (United States)
• Christian feast day
  • Abdas of Susa
  • Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Anesius and companions
  • Benjamin
  • Balbina
  • John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran)
  • March 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
• Freedom Day (Malta)
• International Transgender Day of Visibility
• King Nangklao Memorial Day (Thailand)
• Thomas Mundy Peterson Day (New Jersey, United States)
• Transfer Day (US Virgin Islands)
• World Backup Day

 

Observances

National Crayon Day

Eiffel Tower Day

National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

Manatee Appreciation Day

National Clams on the Half Shell Day

National Farm Workers Day

National Prom Day

National Tater Day

 

Fun Observances

  Bunsen Burner Day

Bunsen Burner Day on March 31 celebrates the inventor of the Bunsen Burner, German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen.

The most important contribution of Robert Bunsen, one that changed chemistry labs all over the world, was the Bunsen Burner.

Revolutionized Chemistry

A staple in all chemistry labs, the Bunsen Burner is a device that uses a flammable gas to produce a hot flame.

The Bunsen Burner was the precursor to the gas stove many people used in their homes today.

Photochemistry

Born on March 31, 1811, Robert Bunsen is thought to be a trailblazer in the field of photochemistry. Photochemistry is a specialized branch of chemistry that looks at the chemical effects of light.

He was also well-known for his work on the chemistry of arsenic, a chemical element that is used for a variety of purposes including preserving wood, but is also toxic to human beings and animals in larger quantities.

How to Celebrate?

• Honor your chemistry teachers on this day. Thank them for all the knowledge they have imparted you.
• Introduce young adults and children in your life to the joys of chemistry.
• Learn more about the life of Robert Bunsen.

Did You Know…

…that Robert Bunsen also discovered cesium and rubidium with Gustav Kirchhoff? Cesium is one of 5 elements that are liquid at room temperature.

 

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I was teaching a life-skills class to my high school students one day, and we were discussing the various terms one might encounter in a restaurant. I asked, "What does the phrase 'à la carte' mean?"

"It means," a student said, "you're in the wrong restaurant."

 

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When employees of the restaurant where I work attended a fire-safety seminar, we watched a fire official demonstrate the proper way to operate an extinguisher. "Pull the pin like a hand grenade," he explained, "then depress the trigger to release the foam."

Later, an employee was selected to extinguish a controlled fire in the parking lot. In her nervousness, she forgot to pull the pin.

Our instructor hinted, "Like a hand grenade, remember?"

In a burst of confidence, she pulled the pin—and hurled the extinguisher at the blaze.

 

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When I bought my new Lexus Sport Coupe, my two sons asked me who would inherit it if I met my demise. I pondered the question, then told them if I passed away on an even day, the son born on an even day would get it. If it happened on an odd day, the one born on the odd day would get it.

A few weekends later, while river rafting with one of my sons, I was tossed out of the boat. As I floated in the rapids, I heard my son yelling, "It's the wrong day!"

 

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sandrewn