A Year of Blogging: August 24, 2011

August 24 is Vesuvius Day. On August 24 in the year 79 A.D, Mount Vesuvius exploded. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in the ash. The cities were never rebuilt. It is estimated that 3,500 people were killed in the volcano. Vesuvius has erupted many times since then, including in 1631 when an estimated 3,600 people were killed. Today 3,000,000 people live nearby, making it the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. It is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of it's history and the amount of people who live around it. If there were to be another eruption of the magnitude of the one in 79 A.D. or even 1631, it would be catastrophic. August 24 is also 'Waffle Day'. This seemed like a repeat, so I went back through and found we had a waffle day in March. Turns out March 25 is 'International Waffle Day' and August 24 is 'National Waffle Day'. On August 24, 1869 the waffle iron was patented by Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, NY. For those who don't know, Troy, NY is the county seat of Rensselaer County- where I grew up. Troy is about half an hour from my hometown. I am always amazed at the industriousness and inventiveness that came from the area. If you are interested, I encourage you to do some research on Troy, NY. While it's not much today, in the 1800's Troy was an epicenter of industry, fashion, and culture. I always feel a stab of pride when I find something that originated in Troy.