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By Micki Rosen, resident of Four Seasons Beaumont Did You Know? 30 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | JANUARY 2018 | DID YOU KNOW THAT JAN. 1 IS BLOODY MARY DAY? There are three versions of the story of where the Bloody Mary was first made. Fernand Petiot, a bartender originally from France, claimed to have invented the drink in 1921 when he was working at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, which was popular with Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates at the time. Veterinarian-turned-writer James Rollins claimed that the Bloody Mary was invented in the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris. And New York's 21 Club claims that the Bloody Mary was first made there, though they have their own two versions of the story: one is that it was invented in the 1930s by a bartender named Henry Zbikiewicz, and another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club. Where did the name come from? No one knows for sure. DID YOU KNOW THAT JAN. 30 IS CROISSANT DAY? The legend of how the croissant came to be is that in 1863, the Turkish Empire laid siege on Vienna, Austria. The Turks made several attempts to conquer the city by force but were unsuccessful, so they decided to try underground tunnels. The bakers of Vienna, who worked in basement storerooms, heard the sound of digging and alerted the city's army; thus the Turks were outwitted and defeated. In celebration, the bakers baked their bread in the shape of a crescent moon, the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. It became the custom to serve morning coffee with the crescent- shaped pastry. The legend says that over a hundred years later, Marie Antoinette introduced the pastry to the French, who named it "croissant." DID YOU KNOW THAT JAN. 29 IS BUBBLE WRAP APPRECIATION DAY? OK, so it's not intentionally a toy, but the truth behind Bubble Wrap is perhaps even stranger. It was originally formed from two shower curtains being sealed together, and the inventors tried to market it as wallpaper. This wasn't the only misstep on its way to its true calling. The next thing they tried was to market it as greenhouse insulation, which was also largely unsuccessful. A year later they discovered its perfect purpose, and Bubble Wrap packaging came to pass. IBM was the first Bubble Wrap customer, shipping the IBM 1401 in air-cushioned comfort out to its many customers. DID YOU KNOW THAT JAN. 17 IS CABLE CAR DAY? In early 1871 British- born, U.S. resident Andrew Smith Hallidie received the first patent in relation to the cable car. Hallidie's design for cable-propelled transit emerged when he witnessed horses falling, and even dying, while attempting to pull cars up San Francisco's steep Jackson Street. Two years after receiving his cable car patent, Hallidie set up the world's first cable car railroad on Clay Street. None of the original line survives but grip car #8 is preserved in Mason Street's Cable Car Museum. DID YOU KNOW THAT JAN. 8 IS ARGYLE DAY? The argyle pattern comes from the tartan of the Clan Campbell, which originated in Argyll in western Scotland. While this pattern was used by members of the Clan Campbell for kilts and plaids, the argyle pattern has been worn in the form of patterned socks by various clans in Scotland from the 17th century. After WWI, the pattern became popular first in Britain and then in the United States because of its association with the Duke of Windsor. The Duke used the argyle pattern for his golf clothing, incorporating it for both his jerseys and the long socks that were commonly used as part of golf costumes during that period. Dig out your argyles and wear them today!

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