Hi Everyone,
The calendar keeps turning, and today’s lineup is all about strategy, legacy, and taking a well-deserved break.
Here is your April 13th Checklist:
- The Wordplay: Happy National Scrabble Day! Today marks the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts, the inventor of the game. Whether you’re a "Triple Word Score" master or just looking for a place to put your 'Q', today is for celebrating the power of language.
- The Power Break: It is National Make Lunch Count Day. We’ve all been guilty of the "desk lunch," but today is the day to step away. Whether it’s 15 minutes of fresh air or a sit-down meal with a friend, take your time back!
- The Sweetest Legacy: It is National Peach Cobbler Day. This dish goes back to the early American settlers, and it’s still the ultimate comfort dessert. Best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream—no debate necessary.
- The History Note: We recognize National Thomas Jefferson Day, marking the birth of the third U.S. President and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. It's a day to reflect on the foundations of our history.
- The Heroes: Today is National Borinqueneers Day, honoring the 65th Infantry Regiment—a segregated unit composed of Puerto Ricans who served with immense bravery in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. We salute their courage and sacrifice.
The April 13th Challenge: Don’t just eat lunch—make it count. Step away from the screen, grab a peach cobbler (if you can find one!), and maybe try to use a "Z" or a "Q" in a sentence today.
One Small Thought: In the spirit of Scrabble, we know that every word matters. We appreciate you being part of our community and for sharing your "letters" with us, whether they are high-scoring or just food for thought!
Coming on April 14, 2026
National Days
NATIONAL DOLPHIN DAY
NATIONAL GARDENING DAY
REACH AS HIGH AS YOU CAN DAY
LOOK UP AT THE SKY DAY
NATIONAL PECAN DAY
NATIONAL PAN AMERICAN DAY
NATIONAL EX-SPOUSE DAY
Notable Birthdays for April 13
Isaac Low (1735-1791) - Founder of the New York Chamber of Commerce, which was the first organization of it's kind in the U.S.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) - The third President of the U.S.
Eli Terry (1772-1852) - Clockmaker who received a patent shelf clock mechanism that would eventually lead to making clocks affordable for everyone.
Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919) - Founder the F. W. Woolworth Company, one of the first five and dime stores in the country.
Lucy Craft Laney (1854-1933) - Founder of the Haines Normal and Industrial School (GA).
Butch Cassidy (1866-1908) - Train and bank robber and the leader of the wild west gang the Wild Bunch.
Oswald Bruce Cooper (1879-1940) - Type designer and lettering artist who created the Cooper Black typeface.
Alfred Mosher Butts (1899-1993) - Creator of the game Scrabble.
Eudora Welty (1909-2001) - Short story writer and novelist who wrote The Optimist's Daughter, which awarded her to become the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America.
Edna Lewis (1916-2006) - Considered the "Mother of Soul Food."
Robert Orville Anderson (1917-2007) - Founder of the Atlantic Richfield Oil Co.
Jon Stone (1931-1997) - One of the original crew members on Sesame Street who also helped develop the characters Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.
Michael Stuart Brown (1941-Still Living) - Geneticist who was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for describing the regulation of cholesterol metabolism.
Tony Dow 91945-2022) - Actor fondly remembered for his role as Wally on Leave it to Beaver.
Max Weinberg (1951-Still Living) - Drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Memorable Events for April 13
1869 - George Westinghouse receives the patent for a steam power brake.
1796 - The first elephant arrives in U.S. from India.
1860 - The first Pony Express rider reaches Sacramento, California with mail.
1870 - The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded.
1904 - Congress authorizes a Lewis and Clark Exposition $1 gold coin for circulation.
1920 - Helen Hamilton becomes the first female Civil Service Commissioner.
1934 - Nearly 4.7 million families in the U.S. report they are receiving welfare payments.
1940 - Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam becomes the first man to pole vault 15 feet using a bamboo pole.
1943 - The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
1946 - White pitcher Eddie Klepp is signed by the Negro League champions Cleveland Buckeyes.
1949 - May Clinic physician Dr. Philip S. Hench makes an announcement that cortisone can treat rheumatoid arthritis.
1953 - CIA launches the mind-control program Project MKUltra.
1964 - Sidney Poitier becomes the first Black man to win an Academy Award for the Best Actor for the film Lilies of the Field.
1970 - The phrase "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here", is transmitted by Apollo 13 after a Beech-built oxygen tank explodes on its way to Moon.
1976 - The Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note.
1997 - Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament.
