AUGUST 23, 2014 – NATIONAL RIDE THE WIND DAY – NATIONAL SPONGE CAKE DAY

                                     NATIONAL RIDE THE WIND DAY

Enjoy the last days of summer and the warm summer breezes on August 23 as you celebrate the annual National Ride The Wind Day.

National Ride The Wind Day commemorates the anniversary of the first human-powered flight to win the Kremer prize.  It was on August 23rd of 1977 that the Gossamer Condor 2,  flew the first figure-eight course specified by the Royal Aeronautical Society, at Minter Field in Shafter, California.  Slowly cruising at only 11 mph, it traveled a distance of 2,172 meters.

The Gossamer Condor 2 was built by Dr. Paul B MacCready and piloted by amateur cyclist and hang-glider pilot Bryan Allen.

The Gossamer Condor 2 aircraft is preserved at the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

We all know that  cooler air is right around the corner so take advantage of these nice days and be outside as much as possible.  The summer breezes allow us to fly human-powered aircraft, fly a kite, hang glide, go sail-boating, cool off in the heat, let the breeze blow through our hair and etc.

ENJOY THE BREEZE !

NATIONAL RIDE THE WIND DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Ride the Wind Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.
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NATIONAL SPONGE CAKE DAY

A food holiday celebrated each year on August 23 is National Sponge Cake Day.
Sponge cake is a firm, yet well aerated structure (similar to a sea sponge) which is a cake based on flour, sugar and eggs and is sometimes leavened with baking powder.

* The sponge cake is believed to be one of the first non-yeast cakes. *

Believed to have originated in the Caribbean, the earliest English printed recipe for sponge cake is in the 1615 book of English poet and author Gervase Markham entitled: “The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman”.