October 11, 2022 - Squirrel Awareness Month | General Pulaski Memorial Day

Welcome to October 11, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate crafty critters and an uncommon hero. In 1979, one of America’s smallest and weirdest celebrities made her debut, Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel. Chuck and Lou Ann Best rescued a baby squirrel that had fallen out of its nest. As a joke, Chuck built her a pair of Styrofoam skis and attached them to his daughter’s remote controlled boat. But Twiggy surprised everyone by taking to this sport so quickly. Word got out and soon Twiggy was making appearances on news shows around the country. For nearly 40 years, this tiny performer and her offspring have entertained audiences across the country. During Squirrel Awareness Month, celebrate these crafty little critters by giving them the right of way on the road and on the water. Many brave Americans fought in the Revolutionary War, but the colonists did not fight alone. Other European nations, who were not fond of the British, were willing to lend a helping hand. One of the most prominent was Polish General Casimir Pulaski. After being exiled from his homeland, where he fought against the Russian army, Pulaski made his way to Paris. Here Benjamin Franklin recruited him for the war against Great Britain. He became one of General Washington’s most valuable field commanders and went on to save hundreds of troops before he was fatally wounded in Savannah, Georgia. On General Pulaski Memorial Day, we celebrate the hero who stepped up for a country that wasn’t even his own. 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