Texas

National Near Miss Day:

A massive asteroid (4581 Asclepius) nearly hit the earth in 1989. This day is commemorated annually on March 23 as people across the nation celebrate National Near Miss Day.

On March 22-23, 1989, a mountain-sized asteroid came within 500,000 miles of colliding with the earth. “On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call,” said Dr. Henry Holt. Geophysicists estimate that collision with Asclepius would release energy comparable to the explosion of a 600 megaton atomic bomb. On March 31, 1989, nine days after its closest approach to Earth, the asteroid was discovered.

A collision would have had catastrophic effects on our planet.

There have been other “near misses” that have happened on an infrequent basis.

National Chia Day:

The Registrar of National Day Calendar® has designated March 23rd of each year as National Chia Day. This day recognizes the tiny, yet powerful chia seed that has earned its reputation as being one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. Revered by the Maya and Aztecs for their amazing healing powers and natural energy, chia seeds have become a trusted staple for people around the world and can be enjoyed in many foods and beverages!

High in Omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber and complete protein, chia seeds are neutral in flavor and can be added to virtually any recipe to boost the nutritional profile.

Nutrition Facts:

* 8x more Omega-3s than salmon
* 25% more fiber than flaxseed
* 30% more antioxidants than blueberries
* 2x more potassium than bananas
* 6x more calcium than milk

Add chia to your diet on this day (and every day) to enjoy the strength and vitality that these seeds bring to your life. Start your day with chia granola, power through the day with chia bars, and enjoy chia beverages anytime.

Submitted by Mamma Chia in February 2016 by the policies set forth to designate a National Observation Day, this proclamation has been certified by the Registrar at National Day Calendar®.

National Chip And Dip Day:

National Chip And Dip Day, an annual favorite food holiday, is observed every March 23rd. It celebrates a perfect combination loved by many across the country. Chips and dip are a popular party dish as it is not only favored by most but also quick and easy to prepare.

Just a few days earlier on March 14, we celebrate National Potato Chip Day, and now we add a partner, the dip. People have been dipping their food for centuries. Hummus-like recipes date back to the 13th century. These are some of the first “dip” recipes found.

Potato chips are not the only mode of celebrating the day. There are tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzel chips and even popcorn chips to name a few. After you have chosen your chips, there are dozens of dips to partner with them. There are a variety of dips usually made with sour cream, cheeses, salsas, and seasonings. The combinations are endless. Don’t hesitate to mix up your favorite or try something new!

National Corn Dog Day:

In March every year, a popular food of sports fans, concert and fairgoers alike are enjoyed with ketchup, mustard or even plain. It’s National Corn Dog Day.

The corn dog started out as a sausage or hot dog baked or deep fried in a cornmeal breading and served as a sandwich. In the late 1930s or early 1940s, this sandwich became a convenient fair food when the whole meal was put on a stick before being deep fried. Fairgoers could then eat their corn dog while taking in the exhibits.

The convenience of the corn dog and other fried foods on a stick continues today. From sports arenas to amusement parks, state fairs and concerts, Americans can get their corn dogs and dipping sauces to go and not miss out on a moment of the game.

Created in 1992 by Brady Sahnow and Henry Otley in honor of the saving grace of corn dogs and the March Madness that is basketball.

National Melba Toast Day:

March 23rd recognizes Melba Toast Day, a food holiday. Melba toast is a dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast. It is sometimes served with salad or soup or may be eaten plain or with a topping.

Melba toast was named after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of the Australian opera singer, Helen Porter Mitchell. The singer was quite popular with chef Auguste Escoffier of the Savoy. It is believed he created not just this “diet” toast for Ms. Melba, but a famous dessert as well.

Because Melba toast was such a firm toast, it was often given to infants as teething biscuits.

Texas History Month - Texas Government Code § 662.102:

(A) In honor of those Texans who helped shape the history of the State of Texas and in recognition of events throughout Texas' History
(B) Shall be regularly observed by appropriate celebrations and activities in public schools and other places to promote interest in and knowledge of Texas history.

Women's History Month - By Presidential Proclamation:

(A) I call upon all Americans to observe this month and to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor the history, accomplishments, and contributions of American women.

On This Day In History:

2018 A Sahara sandstorm turns snow in Sochi, Russia, orange in one of the largest-ever transfers of desert sand
2018 Peru's Congress swears in Vice-President Martín Vizcarra as the new President after Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned amid corruption scandal
2016 GPR investigation of Shakespeare's tomb at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford concludes the Bard's skull probably has been stolen
2006 The Federal Reserve discontinues publishing M3 money supply
2001 The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji
2000 NHL Legend Joe Sakic records his 400th career goal and becomes the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche all-time leading point scorer
1994 Richard Jacobs buys naming rights to Indians new ball park at Gateway for $13.8 million (renamed Jacobs Field)
1994 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 802 goals scored
1994 Russian Airbus A-310 crashes in Siberia
1994 Howard Stern formally announces his Libertarian run for NY governor
1993 NY Knicks & Phoenix Suns get into a major brawl
1993 Belgian government of Jean-Luc Dehaene resigns
1990 Former Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood ordered to help clean up Prince William Sound & pay $50,000 in restitution for 1989 oil spill
1987 Former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt resigns as chairman of the Social Democratic Party
1987 US offers military protection to Kuwaiti ships in the Persian Gulf
1985 Julian Lennon's 1st concert (San Antonio Texas)
1983 US President Ronald Reagan introduces Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars")
1981 US Supreme Court upholds law making statutory rape a crime only for men
1981 US Supreme Court rules states could require, with some exceptions, parental notification when teen-age girls sought abortions
1976 International Bill of Rights goes into effect (35 nations ratifying)
1973 Yoko Ono is granted permanent residence in USA
1972 Evel Knievel breaks 93 bones after successfully clearing 35 cars
1966 1st official meeting after 400 years of Catholic & Anglican Church
1965 Gemini 3 launched, 1st US 2-man space flight (Grissom & Young)
1964 UNCTAD 1 world conference opens in Geneva
1950 UN World Meteorological Org established
1937 LA Railway Co starts using PCC streetcars
1936 Physician Joseph G. Hamilton injects a leukemia patient with a sodium radioisotope, first intravenous injection of a human with a radioisotope
1929 1st telephone installed at the President’s desk under the Hoover administration at the White House
1922 1st airplane lands at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Aeroflot Flight 593: 23 March 1994 Russian Airbus A-310 crashes in Siberia

The plane that crashed was the Aeroflot Flight 593 and as an Aviation Enthusiast, Armchair/Flight Simulator Pilot and Armchair Accident Investigator, I will never forget this particular plane crash because the reason why this plane crashed was incredibly asinine. The relief pilot was Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky. Relief pilot Kudrinsky was taking his two children Eldar and Yana on their first international flight, and they were brought to the cockpit while he was on duty. He should not have allowed them to handle the controls but he did. His son Eldar caused the autopilot to partially disengage and that was what caused the crash.

What Happened To Aeroflot Flight 593:

On 23 March 1994, the jet aircraft was en route from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow to Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong with 75 occupants aboard, of whom 63 were passengers. Most of the passengers were businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan who were looking for economic opportunities in Russia.

The captain of Flight 593 was Andrey Viktorovich Danilov, 40, who was hired by Aeroflot in November 1992. He had accrued over 9,675 hours of flight time, including 950 hours in the A310, of which 895 hours were as captain. The first officer was Igor Vasilyevich Piskaryov, 33, hired by Aeroflot in October 1993, who had 5,885 hours of flight time, including 440 hours in the A310. The relief pilot was Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky, 39, who was hired by Aeroflot in November 1992; he had over 8,940 flying hours, including 907 hours in the A310. Kudrinsky also had experience in the Yakovlev Yak-40, Antonov An-12, and Ilyushin Il-76. There were nine flight attendants on board the plane.

With the autopilot active, Kudrinsky, against regulations, let the children sit at the controls. First, his daughter Yana took the pilot's left front seat. Kudrinsky adjusted the autopilot's heading to give her the impression that she was turning the plane, though she actually had no control of the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, Kudrinsky's son Eldar occupied the pilot's seat. Unlike his sister, Eldar applied enough force to the control column to contradict the autopilot for 30 seconds. This caused the flight computer to switch the plane's ailerons to manual control while maintaining control over the other flight systems. A silent indicator light came on to alert the pilots to this partial disengagement. The pilots, who had previously flown Russian-designed planes which had audible warning signals, apparently failed to notice it.

Eldar was the first to notice a problem, when he observed that the plane was banking right. Shortly after, the flight path indicator changed to show the new flight path of the aircraft as it turned. Since the turn was continuous, the resulting predicted flight path drawn on screen was a 180-degree turn. This indication is similar to those shown when in a holding pattern, where a 180-degree turn is required to remain in a stable position. This confused the pilots for nine seconds, during which time the plane banked past a 45-degree angle to almost 90 degrees, steeper than the design allowed. The A310 cannot turn this steeply while maintaining height, and the plane started to lose altitude quickly. The increased g-forces on the pilots and crew made it extremely difficult for them to regain control. The autopilot, which no longer controlled the ailerons, used its other controls in order to compensate, pitching the nose up and increasing thrust; as a result the plane began to stall; the autopilot, unable to cope, disengaged completely. A second, louder indicator light came on to alert the pilots of the complete disengagement, and this time they did notice it. At the same time, the autopilot's display screen went blank. To recover from the stall, an automatic system lowered the nose and put the plane into a nosedive. The reduced g-forces enabled Kudrinsky to re-take his seat. Piskaryov then managed to pull out of the dive, but over-corrected, putting the plane in an almost vertical ascent, again stalling the plane, which fell out of the sky into a corkscrew dive. Although Kudrinsky and Piskaryov regained control and leveled out the wings, they did not know how far they had descended during the crisis and their altitude by then was too low to recover. The plane crashed at high vertical speed, estimated at 70 m/s (14,000 ft/min). All 75 occupants died from the impact.

The aircraft crashed with its landing gear up, and all passengers had been prepared for an emergency, as they were strapped into their seats. No distress calls were made prior to the crash. Despite the struggles of both pilots to save the aircraft, it was later concluded that if they had just let go of the control column, the autopilot would have automatically taken action to prevent stalling, thus avoiding the accident.

The wreckage was located on a remote hillside in the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain chain, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Mezhdurechensk, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia; the flight data recorders were found on the second day of searching. Families of western victims placed flowers on the crash site, while families of Chinese victims scattered pieces of paper with messages written on them around the crash site.

The events of Flight 593 were featured in "Kid in the Cockpit", a Season 3 (2005) episode of the Canadian TV series Mayday (called Air Emergency and Air Disasters in the U.S. and Air Crash Investigation in the UK and elsewhere around the world). The flight was also included in a Mayday Season 6 (2007) Science of Disaster special titled "Who's Flying the Plane?"

Short Investigation Video:
Aeroflot Flight 593 - DISASTER BREAKDOWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc50kWJBcx4

Investigation / Findings:

2 Hours after the crash the search was begun to locate the crash of Flight 593. It was soon clear there were no survivors of the crash putting the total of fatalities to 75 people. Initial speculation was that it was a form of terrorist act, but was soon ruled out after the analysis of the cockpit voice recorder. The Russian government authorities conducted the investigation and determined that the main cause of the crash was due to pilot error.

-The poor decision made by the Captain to allow his children to be at the controls and manipulate the aircraft even though the aircraft was on autopilot was a key factor that leads to the crash.

-The lack of authority shown when the aircraft was beginning to lose its direction was another element that should have been addressed.

-Complacency with the condition of the flight as well as not following protocols in the situation experienced further doomed the flight.

-The crew’s unfamiliarity with the foreign built Airbus A310, the crew of Flight 593 was not aware of an aspect to the aircraft, that when force was enforced on the controls that the auto pilot will partially disengage, without a warning sound.

Morals of the Story/Lessons from this Incident:

1. Children do not belong in the cockpit of an aircraft and should therefore not be allowed to be there.
2. Do not allow your children to pretend to fly the plane if you are the pilot.
3. If you are piloting a new type of plane and are unfamiliar with it, you must learn everything you can about the plane and become familiarized with the controls before the scheduled flight.

In Memory of Aeroflot Flight 593:
May everyone who perished when Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed Rest In Peace. Amen.

References:

1. Wikipedia. Aeroflot Flight 593. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_593

2. Aviation Safety Network. ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A310-304 F-OGQS Mezhduretshensk. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940323-0&lang=en

3. The Seattle Times. Tape Reveals Kids Got Flying Lesson Before Crash. Retrieved from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940928&slug=1933132