July Archives - Worldwide Weird Holidays

July 18 is Insurance Nerd Day

July 9, 2018/5 Comments/in Holidays by Month, July

July 18th is Insurance Nerd Day, created in 2016 to celebrate everyone employed in the insurance industry. It originated as a social media campaign to dispel the myth that insurance is a “boring” career path and to attract young people entering the workforce. Since then, the movement has been gaining momentum and, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of self-described insurance nerds, has become an annual holiday.

What is an Insurance Nerd?

Insurance Nerd
\in-ˈshər-ən(t)s \ˈnərd\
noun: A term of endearment for a person who is enthusiastic and passionate about working in insurance. Hobbies may include talking about insurance in his or her free time, convincing others to join the insurance industry, reading insurance publications for fun, collecting insurance company memorabilia and posting about insurance on social media to their non-insurance friends.

History of Insurance Nerd Day

According to a recent study conducted by McKinsey and Co., 25 percent of insurance professionals will reach retirement age by 2018. Another study by Griffith Insurance Education Foundation found that only 5 percent of college students indicated they were “very interested” in pursuing a career in the insurance industry. As a result, the field is facing a critical talent gap.

To call attention to this issue, Pioneer State Mutual Insurance Company declared July 18, 2016, Insurance Nerd Day and took to social media to celebrate its employees and encourage other insurance professionals to get involved in breaking the stereotype that the industry is boring.

How to Observe Insurance Nerd Day

Dress up like an Insurance Nerd to show your pride and honor those who work in the insurance industry. Check out more photos on Pioneer’s Facebook page. Use #InsuranceNerdDay to join the fun on Twitter, snap and share pics on Instagram, and spread the word.

Have a happy and healthy Insurance Nerd Day and always remember to be as nerdy as you want to be, every day of the year!

July 31 is the Moby-Dick Marathon

July 31, 2017/0 Comments/in July

The 24-hour Moby-Dick Marathon begins at noon today at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.

An actor portraying Herman Melville will recite the novel’s first chapter aboard the Seaport’s 1841 wooden whaler. Visitors can sign up to read a chapter aloud.

Hopefully, the reading will progress at the proper pace, to conclude at noon on August 1st, when revelers will celebrate the 198th anniversary of Melville’s birthday and have a tasty slice of great white cake.

While everyone is welcomed to bring a picnic or buy a meal at one of the museum’s restaurants, no food or drink except bottled water will be allowed on board the historic ship.

Happy Moby-Dick Marathon and happy birthday (just a bit early) to Herman Melville!

July 30 is Jimmy Hoffa Day

July 30, 2017/0 Comments/in July

Today is Jimmy Hoffa Day. On July 30, 1975, James Riddle “Jimmy” Hoffa disappeared after leaving the Machus Red Fox Restaurant on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan.

A labor leader and union activist with strong ties to the Mob, Hoffa presided over the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1958 until 1971, when he was forced to resign in exchange for a pardon from President Richard Nixon.

He’d been in prison since 1967, convicted of attempting to bribe the jury on an extortion case he had ultimately won. To secure early release, Hoffa agreed to give up his position and refrain from taking part in any union-related activities until 1980, when his full prison sentence would have ended.

Once free, he refused to curb his ambitions and tried unsuccessfully to sue the government for abridging his rights. At the time of his disappearance, Hoffa was at work on an autobiography and fighting to regain the power he had ceded to his right-hand man, Frank Fitzsimmons.

On July 30, 1975, Hoffa went to the Red Fox Restaurant to allegedly meet with three men: a Detroit labor leader, a local mobster and a major player in New Jersey Teamster politics. Hoffa arrived at 2:00 pm. He called his wife from an outside payphone 30 minutes later to complain that no one had shown up and he would wait a few more minutes before giving up.

Several sources report seeing him in the parking lot speaking with three men, then getting into a car. A truck driver claimed that a 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham nearly hit him as he was pulling in, drawing his attention to a man he recognized as Hoffa and something that may have been a rifle or shotgun.

Traces of blood and hair were found in the 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham owned by Chuckie O’Brien, Hoffa’s foster son. O’Brien’s father was killed on a picket line when the child was only three years old. Hoffa brought him home and raised him as a son.

At the time, DNA testing did not exist. In 2001, the FBI tested the evidence, matching it to hair taken from Hoffa’s hairbrush. O’Brien had previously denied that Hoffa had ever been in his car. He was questioned but no charges were filed.

Hoffa was declared legally dead in 1982. Theories abound but the case has never been solved.

July 29 is Rain Day

July 29, 2017/0 Comments/in July

Today is Rain Day. Why? According to records kept by the town of Waynesburg, PA, it has rained there on July 29th in 114 of the last 142 years, a statistical anomaly.

Every year, the town holds a festival, come rain or come shine. Events include a t-shirt design competition, umbrella and window decoration contests and the requisite beauty pageant.

Here’s a sample of the Miss Rain Day application and contractual agreement. “I am of good character, have never been married, divorced, had a marriage annulled, given birth to a child or convicted of a crime.” Picky, picky!

Happy Rain Day, Waynesburg!

Archive for category: July

What is an Insurance Nerd?

History of Insurance Nerd Day

How to Observe Insurance Nerd Day