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Discover the Top 7 Amazing Fun Facts About April 22: Uncover Hidden Gems and Unique Celebrations!

illustration of april-22
Get ready to dive into the wonderful world of April 22nd, where fascinating tidbits and amusing trivia await to make your day even more enjoyable!

1. Happy Earth Day Origins

Once upon a trash heap, Mother Earth mustered the courage to slide into society's DMs with an important check-in: Happy Earth Day! On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day swooped in like a superhero decked out in recycled fashion, marking the start of the modern environmental movement. Twenty million Americans joined forces to protest oily goodbyes to clean shores, the scenic loss of wilderness, and choke-hold pollution. Today, Earth Day brings the world a little closer, with global festivities preaching the gospel of loving our big blue marble.
Source => earthsky.org

2. Golden Comeback of the Sovereign Coin

In a blast from the past that would have even Marty McFly trading in his DeLorean for a coin pouch, the United Kingdom decided to go retro-chic in 1817 by reviving an iconic accessory for the dapper gentleman and fashionable lady alike: On April 22, 1817, the UK reintroduced the gold sovereign coin, a one pound sterling wonder weighing 7.988 grams, which originally debuted in 1489 under King Henry VII. The sovereign's comeback tour aimed to compete with fellow European currencies as the ultimate trade-swag, and it still rocks on today as a symbol of British national pride and one of the world's most famous gold coins.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

3. First Exoplanet Discovery

Boldly going where no grad student has gone before, Didier Queloz secured his place in the astronomers' hall of fame faster than the Millennium Falcon at light speed: On April 22, 1995, Queloz discovered the first confirmed exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star, named 51 Pegasi b, located about 50 light years away and boasting a mass similar to Jupiter's, ultimately receiving a cosmic high-five from fellow astronomer Geoff Marcy.
Source => astronomy.com

4. Canada's First Ice Hockey Game

Before Canadians got hip to the hockey stick, they went hurling and swinging: On April 22, 1876, the first indoor ice hockey game took place in Montreal, Quebec, featuring two teams of nine players each and a derivative of the Irish hurling stick as their weapon of choice; an event that set the puck rolling for the sport's icy domination in Canada.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

First Tank-versus-Tank Battle

5. First Tank-versus-Tank Battle

When the tank prankster meets their match, it's time for history to be made: The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux during World War I, starting on April 22, 1918, saw the first-ever recorded tank-versus-tank showdown, with a British Mark IV playing hide-and-seek & kaboom with a German A7V, eventually taking it down and making battleground robot wars a thing for generations to come.
Source => automotivehistory.org

6. Jack Nicholson's Rise to Fame

When the lights, camera, action turned Jack into a jolly good Joker: On April 22, 1970, Jack Nicholson leapt into the spotlight with "Five Easy Pieces," earning himself and co-star Karen Black their first Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Actress, respectively, and branding Nicholson as the "new American anti-hero."
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Elizabeth Taylor's National Velvet Debut

Hold your horses and saddle up for a cinematic masterpiece: On April 22, 1944, the timeless classic, National Velvet, starring a young and fearless Elizabeth Taylor, galloped onto the big screen, narrating the gripping tale of a girl and her wild steed on a quest to win England's Grand National Sweepstakes. This cinematic gem earned five Academy Award nominations, bagging two, and continues to neigh-impress to this day.
Source => imdb.com

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