Answer The Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day
Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day is a fun, unofficial holiday celebrated on December 18. It’s inspired by a memorable scene from the holiday movie Elf (2003), where Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, answers the phone with infectious enthusiasm. If you want to make it even more interactive, you could host a contest for the most creative or funniest “Buddy the Elf” phone greetings! Let me know if you’d like ideas for a themed event or related activities.
Historical Events
1538 – Pope Paul III Excommunicates King Henry VIII
Following Henry VIII’s establishment of the Church of England, Pope Paul III excommunicated him, deepening the rift between the Catholic Church and England.
1777 – France Recognizes American Independence
France became the first foreign nation to formally recognize the independence of the United States, setting the stage for crucial military and financial support during the Revolutionary War.
1903 – Wright Brothers’ First Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully conducted the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville piloted the flight, which lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet.
1939 – Premiere of Gone with the Wind
The iconic film Gone with the Wind premiered in Atlanta, Georgia, becoming a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
1969 – Project Blue Book Ends
The U.S. Air Force officially closed Project Blue Book, its study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), after concluding that no reported sightings posed a threat to national security.
1989 – Simpsons Debut on TV
The first full-length episode of The Simpsons, titled “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, aired, marking the start of the longest-running American scripted TV series.
2010 – Mohamed Bouazizi’s Self-Immolation
In Tunisia, the act of self-immolation by street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world.
Notable Birthdays
1778 – Sir Humphry Davy
British chemist and inventor known for isolating several elements and inventing the Davy lamp for miners.
1863 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 triggered World War I.
1908 – Willard Libby
American chemist who developed radiocarbon dating, earning the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1936 – Pope Francis
The first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, known for his focus on humility, social justice, and interfaith dialogue.
1945 – Chris Matthews
American political commentator, journalist, and former host of Hardball with Chris Matthews.
1975 – Milla Jovovic
Ukrainian-American actress and model, famous for her roles in the Resident Evil film series.
Notable Deaths
1830 – Simón Bolívar
Venezuelan military leader who liberated much of South America from Spanish rule.
1907 – Lord Kelvin (William Thomson)
Influential physicist and mathematician who formulated the absolute temperature scale.
2011 – Kim Jong-il
Leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011, known for his authoritarian regime.
2016 – Henry Heimlich
American surgeon and inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, a life-saving technique to prevent choking.
2020 – Jeremy Bulloch
British actor best known for portraying Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy.
