August 16 - National Tell A Joke Day

 

Happy National Tell A Joke Day! What happened to the comedian on August 16 during National Tell A Joke Day? Everyone stole his punchlines!  

 

All joking aside, get out there and laugh a little and tell some funny ones. Today will be filled with smiles and laughter from morning till night.  

 
Jokes consist of humorous stories either written or verbal that often end with a punchline. 

While slapstick includes props and even minor stunts on the part of the storyteller, usually the best jokes are short.  

 
They also involve a little misdirection and a well-delivered punchline. The more jokes you tell, the more fun you will have and so will those around you.  

 
Jokes have been a part of human culture since at least 1900 B.C. 

 
Since jokes come in many forms, try out your favorite. For some, that might a one-liner or a knock-knock joke. While many people groan at the sight of a pun, they bring on chuckles as well.  

 
If you aren’t comfortable with the whole comedic act, rely on your sense of irony. Use this approach like seasoning, however. You might have a tough crowd. Others simply rely on gestures to express humor.  

 
When telling a joke, timing and delivery can be an essential element. Without it, the joke will fall flat. Be sure to know the audience. For example, clown jokes may not go over well at a phobia convention.   

 
In moderation, laughter is healthy, uses the abdominal muscles, and releases endorphins (natural feel-good chemicals) into the brain. 

 
HOW TO OBSERVE 

 
How many jokes did the chicken tell? Just one, then it crossed the road. Splat… Tell a joke. While you’re at it, listen to a few, too. Be sure to laugh, celebrate, have fun and enjoy!   

 
Use #TellAJokeDay to post on social media. 

 
Are you looking for more ways to enjoy a good joke? Check out 5 Types of Jokes to Tell Your Kids for a dose of the humor medicine. 

 

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/5-types-of-funny-jokes-to-tell-your-kids/ 

 
Educators, visit the National Day Calendar Classroom® for ideas and projects designed for celebrating the day with your students. 

 

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/august-humor-in-the-classroom/ 

 
Enjoy infusing humor into your classroom while watching your students learn more than ever before! 

 
HISTORY 

 
National Day Calendar® was unable to find the creator or origin of National Tell a Joke Day. 

 
And they're literally not joking. 

 
What are your favorite kinds of jokes? 

 
#NationalTellAJokeDay 

#TheFunniestJokeInTheWorld 

@LaughLab 

@workmanpublishing 

@nichecinema 

August 16 - National Roller Coaster Day

 

Happy National Roller Coaster Day! Each year on August 16, people flock to amusement parks for a thrill, a few exciting screams, and to celebrate today. Take a ride on a roller coaster near you!  

The day commemorates the first dual-tracked vertical loop steel roller coaster Loop the Loop. It was designed by Edwin A. Green and manufactured and patented by Edwin Prescott on this day in 1898. 

The coaster operated on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, from 1901 to 1910. It was one of the first looping roller coasters in North America. 

A roller coaster consists of one or multiple cars on a track. 

While they are similar to railroad systems in design, the inclines and vertical loops incorporated in the structures aren’t for transportation. These elements boost the thrills rollercoaster enthusiasts seek! 

The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called “Russian Mountains.”  

Built-in the 17th century, these specially constructed hills of ice located near Saint Petersburg, Russia rose between seventy and eighty feet in height. Passengers faced fifty-degree drops. Wooden supports supplied reinforcement.   

Roller coaster designs existed since at least 1872 when J.G. Taylor received one of the earliest patents. He called his creation an inclined railway. 

Another patent granted for an inclined-plane railway was granted to Richard Knudsen in 1878. 

For years, history has believed the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island on June 16, 1884. However, tracing American inventor J.G. Taylor’s patent and newspaper articles tells us a different story.  

According to the Providence Evening Press dated June 1872, Taylor’s elevated railway at Rocky Point, Rhode Island extended four hundred feet and gave nine passengers a ride. It all started with a shove, allowing gravity to do the rest.   

While Prescott’s patent detailed ways to improve upon structures such as Taylor’s and that built at Coney Island, it was Prescott’s designs that led to the roller coasters we know today. 

It was his design gave riders a reason to scream and keep coming back for the rush of excitement. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Celebrate by visiting an amusement park near you. While enjoying a roller coaster ride or two, also check out some roller coaster history.  

Be sure to check out the science behind the structures and the gravity-defying curves. Seek out some of the most thrilling roller coasters in the country and world!  

If you cannot get to a roller coaster, make plans for your next roller coaster adventure! Use #RollerCoasterDay to post on social media. 

Since 1986, National Roller Coaster Day has been celebrated. American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) promotes the day across the country and through amusement parks with events.  

Visit the website below for list of participating roller coasters near you. 

https://www.national-roller-coaster-day-2.square.site 

What is your favorite roller coaster? 

#NationalRollerCoasterDay 

@coneyislandfun 

@WaltDisneyWorld 

@Disneyland 

@universalstudiosentertainment 

@cedarpoint 

@sixflags 

@SeaWorld 

@Hersheypark 

@BuschGardensVA 

@BuschGardensTampaBay 

@kingsdominionva 

@nichecinema