National Crayon Day

March 31 
Yearly Date: Always March 31st

When I was a kid, my mom insisted on buying my brother and me and biggest box of crayons that we could find. I guess she figured we needed all the help we could get. And, help me it did. On the second day of first grade I met my childhood “bestie” because I was the only one in the class that had a gray crayon, and she needed to borrow it to color her elephant. Susan and I have been friends for life, and it all started with a crayon.

So you bet I’m celebrating National Crayon Day.

Crayons have a colorful history that began in 1903 when Binney & Smith introduced their famous 8-pack of crayons that included Black, Brown, Orange, Violet, Blue Green, Red and Yellow. Pretty basic, huh? But this mix, along with their names remained unchanged for 45 years!

Since then there have been oodles of colors added, and retired. Normally Crayola does the adding and axing on, you guessed it, March 31st.

Here are a few trivia facts I think are interesting about this creative icon:

Crayola crayons were one of the original inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

It is estimated that by the time a child reaches his/her 10th birthday, he/she will have used 730 crayons.

Crayola makes over 3 billion crayons a year. Other manufacturers combined are just a small fraction of total annual production.

The world’s largest crayon was made by Crayola. It was 15’6″ and weighed 1,352 pounds.

The smell of crayons is the most recognizable scent for adults.

Over the years, Crayola has made over 237 billion crayons.


If you are a sap for nostalgia and Americana, like me, crayons will always have a special place in your heart.

After all, life is about using the WHOLE box of crayons. Thank you Mama. Thank you Susan. And, thank you Crayola.

Now get out your old coloring books and create a masterpiece!

 

Quote for the Day

Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8 color boxes, but what you’re really looking for are the 64 color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64 color box, though I’ve got a few missing. It’s okay though, because I’ve got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8 color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation. So when I meet someone who’s an 8 color type… I’m like, hey girl, Magenta! and she’s like, oh, you mean purple! and she goes off on her purple thing, and I’m like, no I want Magenta!”

John Mayer

Famous People Born in March

March 1, 1994 – Justin Bieber, Canadian singer-songwriter, dancer

March 2, 1779- Joel Roberts Poinsett, American Ambassador to Mexico brought Poinsettias to America.

March 2, 1904 – Theodore Seuss Geisel, “Dr. Seuss”

March 2, 1917- Desi Arnaz, “Ricky Ricardo” on “I Love Lucy”

March 2, 1931- Mikhail Gorbachev, Leader of USSR

March 2, 1950- Karen Carpenter, singer “We’ve Only Just Begun”

March 2, 1962- Jon Bon Jovi, singer, actor

March 3, 1847- Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone

March 3, 1920 – James Doohan,  actor, “Scotty” on TV Series and movies “Star Trek”

March 3, 1962- Jackie Joiner-Kersee,  Olympic gold medalist

March 4, 1888- Knute Rockne, Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” football coach

March 5, 1908- Rex Harrison,  actor

March 5, 1936- Dean Stockwell,  actor

March 5, 1958- Andy Gibb, member of “Beegees” band

March 5, 1989- Jake Lloyd, actor “Anakin Skywalker” in “Star Wars: Phantom Menace”

March 6, 1475- Michelangelo, Renaissance painter

March 6, 1906- Lou Costello, comedian, of Abbott and Costello

March 6, 1923- Ed McMahon, “Johnny Carson Tonight Show”

March 6, 1926- Alan Greenspan,  Chairman of Federal Reserve

March 6, 1945- Rob Reiner, actor, director

March 6, 1959- Tom Arnold, actor

March 6, 1972- Shaquille O’Neal, NBA star

March 7, 1934- Willard Scott, NBC weatherman

March 8, 1945- Mickey Dolenz, singer, actor, “Mickey” of the “Monkees”

March 9, 1934- Yuri Gagarin, Russian astronaut, first man in space

March 9, 1943- Bobby Fischer, World Chess champion

March 10, 1928- James Earl Ray,  assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.

March 10, 1940 Chuck Norris, , martial arts, “Walker” in TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger”

March 10, 1957- Osama Bin Laden, , Al Queda terrorist leader

March 10, 1958- Sharon Stone, , actress, “Basic Instinct”

March 10, 1983- Carrie Underwood, , American Idol winner

March 11, 1903- Lawrence Welk, , bandleader

March 11, 1934- Sam Donaldson, TV Journalist

March 12, 1923- Wally Schirra,  astronaut

March 12, 1941- Barbara Feldon,  actress

March 12, 1946- Liza Minnelli,  actress, singer

March 12, 1948- James Taylor,  American singer-songwriter

March 12, 1962- Darryl Strawberry, baseball player

March 13, 1855- Percival Lowell, astronomer

March 13, 1911- L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer

March 13, 1939- Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter

March 14, 1864- Casey Jones, railroad engineer

March 14, 1879- Albert Einstein, physicist

March 14, 1912- Les Brown, and his “Band of Renown”

March 14, 1920- Hank Ketcham, cartoonist, created “Dennis the Menace”

March 14, 1928- Frank Borman, astronaut, airline executive

March 14, 1933- Michael Caine, actor

March 14, 1947- Billy Crystal, actor, comedian

March 15, 1767 – Andrew Jackson, 7th U.S. President(1829-1837), hero of the War of 1812

March 15, 1933- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice

March 15, 1935- Judd Hirsch, actor, TV series “Taxi”

March 15, 1941- Mike Love, singer, musician, Beach Boys

March 15, 1961- Fabio, actor, model

March 15, 1975- Eva Longoria, actress, TV series “Desperate Housewives”

March 16, 1751 – James Madison, 4th U.S President(1809-1817)

March 16, 1822- Rosa Bonheur, French painter

March 16, 1906- Henny Youngman, comedian

March 16, 1912- Pat Nixon, Wife of Richard M. Nixon, First Lady

March 16, 1926- Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian

March 16, 1949- Erik Estrada,  actor

March 17, 1902- Bobby Jones, golfer

March 17, 1919- Nat “King” Cole, singer

March 17, 1938- Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer

March 17, 1945- Tony Dow, actor, brother “Wallie” on TV series “Leave it to Beaver”

March 17, 1949- Patrick Duffy, actor “Bobby Ewing” on TV Series “Dallas”

March 17, 1951- Kurt Russell, actor

March 17, 1964- Rob Lowe, actor

March 18, 1782- John C. Calhoun, statesman, vice president

March 18, 1837- Grover Cleveland, 22d and 24th U.S. President(1885-1889, 1893-1897)

March 18, 1869- Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister

March 18, 1926- Peter Graves, actor

March 18, 1939- Charley Pride, singer

March 18, 1941- Wilson Pickett, singer, songwriter

March 18, 1963- Vanessa Williams, singer, actress

March 18, 1964- Bonnie Blair, Olympic speed skating champion

March 18, 1970- Queen Latifah, rap singer, actress

March 19, 1589- William Bradford, , Pilgrim/Governor of Plymouth Colony

March 19, 1813- David Livingstone, , physician, explorer

March 19, 1848- Wyatt Earp, , Wild West lawman

March 19, 1891- Earl Warren, chief justice of the Supreme Court

March 19, 1906- Adolf Eichmann, Nazi leader

March 19, 1936- Ursula Andress, actress

March 19, 1947- Glenn Close, actress

March 19, 1955- Bruce Willis, actor

March 20, 1811- Napoleon Bonaparte II, Emperor of France and King of Rome

March 20, 1906- Ozzie Nelson, Actor, “The Nelsons”

March 20, 1922- Carl Reiner, actor, comedian

March 20, 1928- Fred Rogers, actor Children’s show “Mr. Rogers”

March 20, 1931- Hal Linden, actor, singer

March 20, 1939- Brian Mulroney, Canadian Prime Minister

March 20, 1948- Bobby Orr, hockey player

March 20, 1957- Spike Lee, director, filmmaker

March 21, 1685- Johann Sebastian Bach, , German musical composer

March 21, 1910- Julio Gallo, , California wine vintner

March 21, 1944- Timothy Dalton, , actor

March 21, 1962- Matthew Broderick, actor

March 21, 1962- Rosie O’Donnell, TV personality, actress

March 22, 1887- Chico Marx , of Marx Brothers

March 22, 1913- Karl Malden, actor

March 22, 1919- Werner Klemperner, actor

March 22, 1923- Marcel Marceau, French mime

March 22, 1930- Pat Robertson, , evangelist, presidential candidate

March 22, 1931- William Shatner, , actor James T. Kirk, on Star Trek

March 22, 1934- Orrin Hatch, , senator

March 22, 1943- George Benson, , singer, musician

March 22, 1948- Andrew Lloyd Webber, , English composer

March 22, 1952- Bob Costas, sportscaster

March 22, 1959- Matthew Modine, actor

March 23, 1904- Joan Crawford, Oscar winning actress

March 23, 1900- Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst

March 23, 1912- Werner von Braun, rocket pioneer, scientist

March 23, 1929- Roger Bannister, runner, first person to break 4-minute mile

March 23, 1953- Louie Anderson, comedian, actor

March 23, 1953- Chaka Khan, singer

March 24, 1855- Andrew Mellon, financier, industrialist

March 24, 1874- Harry Houdini, magician

March 24, 1893- George Sisler, baseball player

March 24, 1930- Steve McQueen, actor

March 24, 1970- Lara Flynn Boyle, actress

March 24, 1973- Jim Parsons,  American actor, “Sheldon” on TV show “Big Bang Theory”

March 24, 1976- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts All Star Quarterback

March 25, 1871- Gutzon Borglum, sculpted Mt. Rushmore

March 25, 1918- Howard Cosell, American Sportscaster

March 25, 1934- Gloria Steinem, author

March 25, 1942- Aretha Franklin, singer

March 25, 1922- Paul Michael Glaser, actor, director

March 25, 1947- Elton John, English singer, songwriter, musician

March 25, 1965- Sarah Jessica Parker, actress

March 25, 1982- Danica Patrick, American NASCAR race car driver

March 26, 1874- Robert Frost, poet

March 26, 1911- Tennessee Williams, playwright

March 26, 1930- Sandra Day O’Connor, Supreme Court justice

March 26, 1931- Leonard Nimoy, actor, director, “Spock” in “Star Trek”

March 26, 1934- Alan Arkin, actor

March 26, 1939- James Caan, actor

March 26, 1940- Nancy Pelosi, American Democratic party congresswoman, Speaker of the House

March 26, 1944- Diana Ross, singer, actress

March 26, 1950- Martin Short, actor, comedian

March 26, 1960- Marcus Allen, NFL running back, sportscaster

March 26, 1962- John Stockton, basketball player

March 27, 1845- Wilhelm Roentgen, scientist, discovered X-rays

March 27, 1899- Gloria Swanson, actress

March 27, 1931- David Janssen, actor, “The Fugitive”

March 27, 1940- Cale Yarborough, auto racer

March 27, 1963- Randall Cunningham, NFL Quarterback

March 27, 1963- Quentin Tarantino, actor, director

March 27, 1970- Mariah Carey, American singer and actress

March 28, 1899- August Anheuser Busch Jr.,Beer baron

March 28, 1921- Dirk Bogarde, actor

March 28, 1944- Ken Howard, actor

March 28, 1955- Reba McEntire, country western singer

March 28, 1981- Julia Stiles, actress

March 28, 1986- Lady Gaga, American singer, songwriter, actress

March 29, 1790- John Tyler, 10th U.S. President (1841-1845)

March 29, 1867- Cy Young, baseball pitcher

March 29, 1916- Eugene McCarthy, senator, presidential nominee

March 29, 1918- Pearl Bailey, singer, entertainer

March 29, 1918- Sam Walton, founded Wal-Mart

March 29, 1945- Walt Frazier, basketball player

March 29, 1955- Earl Campbell, football player

March 29, 1963- M. C. Hammer, rap singer

March 29, 1964- Elle MacPherson, Australian actress, super model

March 29, 1968- Lucy Lawless, actress

March 29, 1976- Jennifer Capriati, tennis player

March 30, 1853- Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter

March 30, 1929- Richard Dysart, actor

March 30, 1930- John Astin, actor

March 30, 1937- Warren Beatty, actor, director

March 30, 1945- Eric Clapton, musician, singer, songwriter

March 30, 1957- Paul Reiser, actor

March 30, 1962- M.C. Hammer, rapper

March 30, 1968- Celine Dion, singer

March 31, 1596- René Descartes, philosopher, mathematician

March 31, 1732- Franz Joseph Haydn, composer

March 31, 1811- Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, invented the Bunsen Burner

March 31, 1878- Jack Johnson, first Afro-American boxer to win heavyweight crown

March 31, 1927- Cesar Chavez, labor leader

March 31, 1928- Gordie Howe, hockey player

March 31, 1929- Liz Claiborne, fashion designer

March 31, 1932- John Jakes, author

March 31, 1934- Shirley Jones, actress, singer

March 31, 1935- Herb Albert, musician

March 31, 1935- Richard Chamberlain,  actor

March 31, 1943- Christopher Walken, actor

March 31, 1948- Al Gore Jr., vice president , presidential candidate

March 31, 1948- Rhea Perlman,  actress

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