March 30, 2022 - National Pencil Day | National Doctors Day

Welcome to March 30th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate sharp pencils and doctors with a point. In 2007, writer Keith Eldred set out to write a novel. Specifically To Kill a Mockingbird. You’re thinking…what? That book was already written. But Eldred was trying to prove a point—he wanted to see how long he could write with one ordinary #2 pencil. He was able to rewrite the entire text to Harper Lee’s famous novel using only one. And when it got down to only a tiny nib, Keith had to splice it together with another pencil in order to hold it. He did manage to transcribe all 100,388 words. On National Pencil Day, celebrate the writing implement that can still go the distance. In ancient times, indigenous tribes believed that illness was caused by evil spirits or magic. They called on a medicine man to expel these spirits and this was the basis for healing. Hippocrates dispelled this myth and became the father of modern medicine in ancient Greece. He viewed illness as a physical, rather than a supernatural notion, and helped to move the needle forward. No pun intended. Another doctor made a significant stride on this day in 1842. Crawford Long M.D. administered the first ether anesthesia during a surgery and the patient reported feeling no pain. On National Doctors Day, we honor countless medical professionals for their contributions throughout the ages. 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