January 5, 2022 - National Bird Day | National Whipped Cream Day

Welcome to January 5th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate an exotic species and sweet inventions. The Hooded Pitohui is a colorful songbird that lives in the forests of New Guinea. The bird’s black and orange coloring is reminiscent of its cousin the oriole. But there’s something about the Pitohui other than its coloring that makes this bird stand out in the crowd—it’s poisonous. There are many toxic species of reptiles and fish in the world, but there are only a handful of birds who fit this description. This Pitohui’s poison was discovered when a scientist accidentally cut his finger on the bird’s claw. When he licked the cut, his mouth started to go numb too. Luckily, the poison wasn’t deadly, but it is for predators and that’s exactly why these birds evolved this way. On National Bird Day, we celebrate our feathered friends from a safe distance. The first recipes for whipped cream date back to 1549 when they used a willow branch to beat the cream into “snow milk.” This technique lasted for the next few centuries until a clothing salesman from St. Louis changed all of that. During WWII when cream was rationed, Aaron “Bunny” Lapin began pedaling Sta-Whip, a substitute made of light cream and vegetable oil. Then in 1946 Crown Cork and Seal Company made the first seamless aerosol canister. Lapin used the technology, changed the name to Reddi-wip and with an army of milkmen to deliver it, he made a fortune in only a few short years. On National Whipped Cream Day celebrate Bunny Lapin’s birthday with a little extra on the top. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices