On February 21, 1948, the National Association for Stock Car
Racing, —or NASCAR, as it will come to be widely known—is
officially incorporated. NASCAR racing will go on to become
one of America’s most popular spectator sports, as well as a
multi-billion-dollar industry.

The driving force behind the establishment of NASCAR was
William “Bill” France Sr. (1909-1992), a mechanic and auto-
repair shop owner from Washington, D.C., who in the mid-
1930s moved to Daytona Beach, Florida.

William Henry Getty France
(September 26, 1909 – June 7, 1992)

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (L), founder of the March
of Dimes to fight polio, is shown at the White House with
Basil O’Connor, who worked with the president in forming
the charity.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an adult victim of polio, founded the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which he later renamed
the March of Dimes Foundation, on January 3, 1938. A predominantly childhood disease in the early 20th century, polio wreaked havoc
among American children every summer. The virus, which affects
the central nervous system, flourished in contaminated food and
water and was easily transmitted. Those who survived the disease
usually suffered from debilitating paralysis into their adult lives. In
1921, at the relatively advanced age of 39, Roosevelt contracted
polio and lost the use of his legs. With the help of the media, his
Secret Service and careful event planning, Roosevelt managed to
keep his disease out of the public eye, yet his personal experience inspired in him an empathy with the handicapped and prompted
him to the found the March of Dimes.

Roosevelt talking with two young fellow polio patients at
Warm Springs.

Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks owned since 2008 by the
American company Keurig Dr Pepper. For over 100 years,
Canada Dry has been known mainly for its ginger ale, though
the company also manufactures a number of other soft drinks
and mixers. Although Canada Dry originated in Canada, it is
now produced in many countries.

Annie Oakley is a Western television series that fictionalizes the life
of the famous Annie Oakley. (Except for depicting the protagonist
as a phenomenal sharpshooter of the period, the program entirely
ignores the facts of the historical Oakley’s life.) Featuring actress
Gail Davis in the title role, the weekly program ran from January
1954 to February 1957 in syndication. A total of 81 black-and-white
episodes were produced, with each installment running 25 minutes
in length. ABC aired daytime reruns of the series on Saturdays and
Sundays from 1959 to 1960 and then again from 1964 to 1965.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Gail Davis (born Betty Jeanne Grayson)
(October 5, 1925 – March 15, 1997)

Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and lifelong friend and political advisor,
Basil O’Connor counting dimes sent in to the White House for the
March of Dimes, 1944. O’Connor helped establish the foundation.         

   

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an adult victim of polio, established the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which he later renamed
the March of Dimes Foundation, on January 3, 1938. A predominantly childhood disease in the early 20th century, polio wreaked havoc
among American children every summer. The virus, which affects
the central nervous system, flourished in contaminated food and
water and was easily transmitted. Those who survived the disease usually suffered from debilitating paralysis into their adult lives. In
1921, at the relatively advanced age of 39, Roosevelt contracted
polio and lost the use of his legs. With the help of the media, his
Secret Service and careful event planning, Roosevelt managed to
keep his disease out of the public eye, yet his personal experience inspired in him an empathy with the handicapped and prompted him
to the found the March of Dimes.

What is the birthday of the Army National Guard? The official birth
date of the Army National Guard as a reserve component of the
Army is December 13, 1636. On this date, the Massachusetts
colonial legislature directed that the colony’s existing militia
companies be organized into three.

When the National Guard’s oldest regiments met for their first drill
on the village green in Salem, Massachusetts, they were barely
three months old, organized on December 13th, 1636, the date
we now celebrate as the National Guard birthday.