DUKE CANNON SAYS APRIL 15TH ISN'T ALL BAD
April 15th is Tax Day, so people don’t like that date. We get it; parting with your hard-earned coin stings (unless you are getting a refund, in which case, cheers). But Duke Cannon believes it’s high time we all stopped hating and fearing this arbitrary date. So we did some research, and lo and behold, discovered that plenty of good things have happened on April 15th over the years as well. Hang this on your refrigerator, and use it lift your mood this coming Monday.
THE FIRST McDONALD'S FRANCHISE OPENED
Fast-food pioneer Ray Croc opened the first franchise of this burgeoning hamburger shop in Des Plains, Illinois on April 15th, 1955. The very model of modern efficiency (after all, you don’t get to billions served without a rigorous process in place), this lone franchise store was only the beginning, and before you knew it the familiar golden arches would dot the landscape like pimples on the face of an adolescent handing you a Value Meal.
JACKIE ROBINSON ENTERED THE MAJOR LEAGUES
Jack Roosevelt Robinson broke major league baseball’s racial barrier when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15th, 1947. One of baseball’s greatest players, No. 42 endured many slings and arrows while racking up on-field accolades (six All-Star appearances, named to the MLB All-Century Team), influencing society and culture, and winning a World Series title in 1955, before taking his rightful place in baseball’s Hall of Fame. As always, we tip our cap to this catalyst, trailblazer, and leader.
THE FIRST RAND MCNALLY ROAD ATLAS WAS PUBLISHED
Rand McNally was the first to see the value in the numbered highway system, later adopted by many states and highway authorities. They began publishing road maps in 1920 for Gulf Oil, to be handed out for free at their service stations by polite young fellows in crisp uniforms, as was the style at the time. Originally called the Rand McNally Auto Chum, it debuted on April 15th, 1924, then became the Rand McNally Road Atlas, which thankfully still exists in glorious, spiral-bound form. No, you cannot borrow our copy.
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE OPENED
Opening on April 15th, 1926, this dual-span bridge was an engineering marvel: the world’s longest, continuous over-water steel structure. With its low guardrails and frequency of high winds, the bridge is also known as one of the scariest in the country. But not nearly as scary as getting a letter from the IRS, hey?
THE NFL CHANGED THE PENALTY FLAG FROM WHITE TO GOLD
No longer would angry dads seeking divine intervention shout “WHERE’S THE FLAG?!?” after a big play went against their chosen football team, because starting April 15th, 1965, the formerly white penalty flag would now be made from a highly visible, vibrant golden hue. Did this stop fathers across the country from howling in vain at their Zeniths? No, it did not.
THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SAN DIEGO CHICKEN
Rowdy sports mascots are as common as houseflies these days, but one cannot overstate the impact this feathered chap had upon the genre. Arriving like a red, blue, and yellow thunderclap on April 15, 1975, the chicken flapped his way into the heart of a nation (even earning his own Donruss baseball card at one point) while setting the standard for mascot shenanigans.
