January 18, 2022 - National Winnie The Pooh Day | National Michigan Day

Welcome to January 18th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate silly old bears and ZIP codes that float. Author A.A. Milne brought the adorable, honey loving bear, Winnie the Pooh to life in his 1926 book series. The stories were inspired by a black bear named Winnie who lived at the London Zoo. The author’s son, Christopher Robin, would visit the bear often and named his own teddy bear after her. That’s right, the original Winnie was a female. These tender stories featured friendship and characters that resonated with folks all over the world. And because they were written in the time between two world wars, their innocence became a prized touchstone. Today the books have been translated into more than 50 languages! On National Winnie the Pooh Day we celebrate Milne’s birthday and his classic legacy of gentle adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods. There are 41,692 ZIP Codes in the United States. But 48222 is one-of-a-kind. This is the only floating ZIP Code. It belongs to the J.W. Westcott II, a mail ship based out of Detroit. Founded in 1874 by John Ward Westcott, this company delivers mail to ships as they pass Detroit. The crews of freighters radio the Westcott Company, which then checks for mail and then sails out to deliver the mail. Westcott operates 24/7, 365 except when the Great Lakes freeze over. On National Michigan Day, we celebrate the Great Lake State. And if you don’t like it, talk to the hand. I’m Anna Devere and I’m John McClain. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices