December 14, 2020 – National Bouillabaisse Day | Monkey Day

Did Monkeys Pave The Way For Space Exploration?

Welcome to December 14th, 2020 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate monkeying around and things that make you go “mmmm.”

If I say fish stew, you say… but if I say bouillabaisse you say- Buyah.  That’s because the French have a knack for taking a handful of garden variety ingredients (think snails) and turning them into culinary delights.  Bouillabaisse was a soup created by the fisherman of Marseille who wanted a one pot meal at the end of a long day of work.  Rather than using the more expensive fish in their haul, they gathered up the bonier fish and shellfish left over in the net, added garlic, wine and fennel and voila – a classic that even Julia Child tried to imitate.  On National Bouillabaisse Day cook up your own favorite fish and remember that one man’s “eww” is another man’s “mmmmm.”

On May 28th, 1959, two of the greatest heroes of space travel returned to Earth after a 15 minute space flight. It may not sound like much, but it was the first time astronauts were able to survive a return trip from space. And did I mention that the astronauts were both monkeys? One was named Able, and the other was Miss Baker. These brave little primates paved the way for space exploration by helping scientists to understand the physical stress of spaceflight. Unfortunately, Able passed away only a few days later, but Miss Baker lived another 25 years. When she passed away in 1984, over 300 people attended her funeral, paying tribute to her part in the history of spaceflight. On Monkey Day, we celebrate this species and the few that made the leap forward for all mankind possible. 

If you’d like to know more, be sure to follow us on Facebook and check out our website TheNationalDailyShow.com. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! 


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