A Facebook friend of ours had a status update revealing she’s received bad news on ‘this’ day the last two years in a row.  How ironic that she would have horrible news delivered the same day each year.  I hope this year her day was blessed with a small miracle.

She made me curious about “this day in history.”  What newsworthy events had happened on this day?  I GoodSearched it. (of course I’ve set Habitat for Humanity – Bend Area as my recipient non-profit on GoodSearch) here’s a list:

• 1902 The United States ended its occupation of Cuba.
• 1927 Charles Lindbergh took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
• 1932 Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
• 1939 Regular trans-Atlantic air service began as a Pan American Airways plane took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Europe.
• 1969 U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Apbia Mountain, referred to as Hamburger Hill by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.
• 1970 Some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street district in support of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia.
• 1996 The Supreme Court struck down a Colorado measure banning laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination.
• 2002 East Timor became an independent nation.
• 2006 San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career list with his 714th home run.
• 2010 A large group of Costco employees volunteered at the BAHfH construction site to celebrate United Way’s Day of Caring, doing their part in helping someone achieve their dream of homeownership.

According to the list, this day seems to be an important day in aviation.  It appears to be a good day to let your voice be heard. But what the list really tells us is that this day is neither better nor worse than any other day.  What this list tells us is that we need to live in the moment and do what is important and worthy now, while we have this day. 

What have you been putting off under the guise of waiting for a more convenient time? What might you have accomplished by now, had that step already been completed? How much of a difference would you have made if you’d stop making excuses and just done it?  Maybe you would end up on this list “on this day in history” like the Costco employees did. 

For our Facebook friend, we truly do hope this day was uneventful and we applaud you for your strength and spirit. Against the odds, you rallied and continue to make a difference in lives and to inspire others. 

To all our other friends, we encourage you to continue to reach out to those who need an arm to lean on or a friendly ear.  You don’t need to get your name on a list to impact this day in history.