Mule Day
If you know a stubborn person, don't worry; this holiday is not a celebration of their mule-like behavior. The first Mule Day was on the first Monday in April in 1840 and was called Breeders Day. People brought their mules into Columbia, Tenn., to trade or sell them. The event is now a four-day affair (March 29 to April 1) and has expanded to include a crafts fair, mule shows, a parade and a flea market.
Other locations celebrating Mule Day in 2012:
* May 22 to 27, 2012: Mule Days in Bishop, Calif.
* Sept 20 to 23, 2012: Benson Mule Days in North Carolina
* Nov. 2, 2012: Calvary Mule Day in Georgia
Lemon Chiffon Cake
The lemon chiffon cake was touted as the "first new cake in 100 years," according to Food Timeline. There's a persistent food legend crediting Harry Baker, an insurance salesman, with inventing the cake by replacing butter with salad oil. The Lemon Chiffon cake was popularized in recipe books between the 1940s and 1960s. The cake is light, fluffy, and gives you an alternative to dense chocolate dessert cake.
Coca-Cola Brewed for the First Time
If lemon is not one of your favorite flavors, try some recipes with Coca-Cola. On March 29, 1886, Dr. John Pemberton brewed the first batch of Coca Cola over a fire in a backyard in Atlanta. The mix was intended as a cure for "hangover," stomach ache and headache and he advertised it as a "brain tonic and intellectual beverage," according to the Today in Science.
Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day Anniversary
What on earth could have caused Niagara Falls to run dry on March 29, 1848? What stopped the 3,160 tons of water that typically flows over the falls every second?
An ice jam kept the water from flowing until April 1. Previously, water had stopped flowing over the American falls. What made this dry run stand out was that the American falls, the Horsehoe and the Bridal Veil were all affected.
Niagara Falls facts from Niagara Falls State Park:
* Close to 140 acres (out of 400 acres) of Niagara Falls State Park is under water.
* "The Falls are capable of producing over 4 million kilowatts of electricity."
* The same landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed both Niagara Falls State Park and Central Park in New York City, N.Y.
