startupdigest

May brings us International Space Day on May 3.   Check out the space-related organizations, groups and agencies holding celebrations, demonstrations and educational programs in your area. The Eiffel Tower opened to the public in May 1889. Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican heritage and pride. The 35th President of the United States, John F Kennedy, was born this month in 1917. Mother’s Day takes place on Sunday, May 12. And, in the words of Edwin Way Teale, “The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”

April brings us April Fool’s Day on the first day of the month. The first iPad was sold in the United States this month in 2010. On World Health Day, April 7, 2013, the World Health Organization and partners will focus on the global problem of high blood pressure. Artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci was born this month in 1452. For Earth Day 2013 on the 22nd of April, the Earth Day Network will tell the world stories of people, animals and places affected by climate change – and of those stepping up to do something about it. And, in the words of William Shakespeare, “Men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives.”

March brings us the Iditarod, the annual long-distance sled dog race that begins Saturday, March 2 and takes racers from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. United Nations World Water Day 2013 takes place on the 22nd and is dedicated to world water cooperation. Worldwide music sensation Justin Bieber was born this month in 1994. And, in the words of Charles Dickens, “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.”

February brings us Super Bowl XLVII, which will be held in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013 with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the San Francisco 49ers. We all know that Silicon Valley will be abuzz with 49ers mania on the first Sunday of February. Thefacebook.com, the first iteration of Facebook, was launched this month in 2004. International Polar Bear Day takes place on February 27, launching a new Save Our Ice campaign, which will include a “Two Up or Two Down” Thermostat Challenge, depending on where in the world you live. And, in the words of Suze Orman, “No one’s ever achieved financial fitness with a January resolution that’s abandoned by February.”

Happy New Year from the Rackspace Startup Program! January brings us Inauguration Day on January 20th, recognizing the swearing in to office of Barack Obama in his second term as the 44th President of the United States. The first Winter Olympics were held this month in 1924. January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads – one for looking back to the last year and one looking forward to the new one. And, in the words of Edgar Fawcett, “January is here, with eyes that keenly glow, a frost-mailed warrior striding a shadowy steed of snow.”

December brings us the Holiday season around the world. International Day of Person with Disabilities occurs December 3rd, with the theme of removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all. Texas became the 28th state in December 1845, and the phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison in December 1877. And, in the words of Helen H Moore, “Every year at just this time, in cold and dark December, families around the world all gather to remember, with presents and with parties, with feasting and with fun, customs and traditions, for people old and young.” Happy Holidays from the Rackspace Startup Program!

November brings us Election Day in the United States. More than 125 countries will officially participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) November 12through November 18. GEW offers nations opportunities to fuel a more robust startup culture, and gain exposure to entrepreneurs and programs outside their countries. The Jewish holiday Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah), begins in November and spans eight days of celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. And in the words of Guns N’ Roses from the song November Rain “So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way, ‘cause nothin’ lasts forever, even cold November rain.”

October brings us United Nations Day; celebrated internationally for the purpose of informing the people of the world as to the aims, goals and achievements of the UN. You can join the global movement to end hunger on October 16 during World Food Day. In 1931, World Animal Day was started at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. And, in the words of Robert Frost, “O hushed October morning mild, thy leaves have ripened to the fall.”

September brings us the first day of autumn, Hispanic Heritage Month and International Day of Peace, aka “Peace Day,” on Friday, September 21st with special activities and celebrations all across the world. Sir Robert Peel submitted the Metropolis Police Improvement Bill to the British Parliament in 1829 to curb the level of lawlessness in the streets of London. This was the birth of Scotland Yard. And, in the words of Lawrence S. Pertillar, “September arrives and autumn begins. The Summer then bows to fall.”

August marks Back to School; the debut of MTV in 1981; and in many European countries, August is the holiday month for most workers. The month of August was named after the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. Captain William Bligh was appointed to command a ship named the Bounty on the 16th of August, 1787. And, in the words of Joseph Wood Krutch, “August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.”