odditudes-and-weirdities

Happy King's Ransom Day!  On this date in 1194 King Richard the Lionheart was freed to return to England after his (extremely high) ransom was paid. Richard had been on his way back home from crusading when he was first shipwrecked, then captured by the Duke of Austria , and then placed in the custody of the Holy Roman Emperor , who then negotiated a ransom with England. A king's ransom is typically considered a large sum of money, and Richard's ransom was certainly large. It was described as 3 times the annual income of the English Crown, and the entire country of England had to absorb a 25% tax (perhaps on top of any normal taxes) to raise the money. Today is a day to think big in financial matters, whether it's to spend big, roll over money into an IRA, rebalance your portfolio, commit to setting aside substantial income for savings, etc.  By Anonymous - https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/bl/global/highlights/manuscripts/royal%20genealogy%20from%20steven%20to%...

Combatting cancer, the United Service Organization (USO), expressing appreciation to your postal carrier, flamboyant pianist Liberace, stuffed mushrooms, homemade soup, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, and creating an empty vacuum are people/topics covered in today's observances: Create a Vacuum Day Homemade Soup Day King's Ransom Day Liberace Day National Stuffed Mushroom Day Rosa Parks Day Thank Your Mailman Day USO Day World Cancer Day Richard the Lionheart  was ransomed on this date in 1194 from the  Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI . Rosa Parks , the first lady of civil ri ghts, was born on this date in 1913. By Unknown author - USIA / National Archives and Records Administration Records of the U.S. Information Agency Record Group 306, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4344206