January 25, 2023 - National Opposite Day | Library Shelfie Day

Welcome to January 25th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a study in opposites and sharing our love for books. Calvin Coolidge became our 30th United States President in 1923 upon the death of Warren G. Harding. He then ran for reelection in 1924 and won the Popular vote by a margin of 25.2, which is still considered a landmark victory. By 1928, Coolidge announced to the press, “I do not choose to run,” when commenting on the upcoming Presidential election. This statement caused widespread debate about whether or not he meant the opposite. But the President’s life had been touched by the tragedy of losing his son, and he felt it was time to retire. He is credited with restoring dignity and prestige to the office of President after the political landscape had reached an all time low. While some politician’s make a game of doing the opposite of their campaign promises, we celebrate a Commander in Chief who knew how to quit while he was ahead on National Opposite Day. In the early 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci kept a notebook to jot down his observations of the world around him. Among other things, he discusses why fossils of fish can be found in mountains and why the moon shines so brightly. It’s full of random notes and illustrations, and is written in Da Vinci’s famous backwards writing, which can only be read when viewed in a mirror. This simple 18 page book, known as the Codex Lester, was bought and sold several times over the years and became one of the most expensive books in the world. In 1994, Bill Gates bought it for just under 31 million dollars. On Library Shelfie Day, share your own love of books by taking a selfie in front of your prized editions. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices