April 27, 2021 – National Tell A Story Day | National Babe Ruth Day

You May Have Heard Of The Sultan Of Swat, But Did You Know He Inspired The Word “Ruthian?”

Welcome to April 27, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate amazing stories and the Sultan of Swat. 

Tomorrow is National BraveHearts Day.  John: Aye, “Every man dies, not every man really lives!” No John we’re not talking about the movie, this is the organization that helps kids with cancer and their families to find the best resources in their time of need.  Visit braveheartsforkids.org to find out how you can help.

It’s been said that we all have a story to tell. But none has ever been told in quite the way of Jean-Dominique Bauby. Jean-Do, as he was known, was a famous French writer and editor. In 1995, he suffered a stroke that left him awake but unable to move, a condition known as locked-in syndrome. The only part of his body he could control was his left eye. Somehow, simply by blinking, he was able to dictate an entire story by pointing out letters. This took approximately 200,000 blinks and gave us the book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, in which he talks about his life and the condition that left him in this state. On National Tell a Story Day, let your own story take flight.  You never know who you may inspire!

The word “ruthian” is used to describe a sports feat that is so incredible, it almost seems impossible.  The word is a tribute to the legendary Babe Ruth, who set the bar so high that everyone who came after is compared to him.  In 1920, when he joined the New York Yankees, the record for home runs in a season was 27.  That season he hit 54.  Over the next 14 years, he led the league in home runs 12 times.  And because of his all or nothing style, he also led the league in strikeouts 5 times as well.  The Sultan of Swat was honored on April 27, 1947 before a crowd of 60,000 with his very own National Day. He spoke briefly to the crowd, though he was already battling cancer.  On National Babe Ruth Day, we celebrate a true American icon, who taught us to go big or go home. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.


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