22nd July - On this Day

What does the 22nd July have to offer, well on this day...

Today is Rat catchers day a day to recognize the rat-catchers who labour to exterminate members of the genus Rattus, disease-carrying rodents that infest most of the world. Observed on the estimated anniversary of the legendary feat of the Pied Piper of Hamelin on the 22nd July 1376.

Today also marks Spooner's day, a day named for the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (born at London, England, 22nd July 1844, warden of New College, Oxford, 1903–24, died at Oxford, England, Aug 29, 1930), whose frequent slips of the tongue led to the coinage of the term spoonerism to describe them. A day to remember the scholarly man whose accidental transpositions gave us blushing crow (for crushing blow), tons of soil (for sons of toil), queer old dean (for dear old queen), swell foop (for fell swoop) and half-warmed fish (for half-formed wish).

To see this month's events, please visit 1st July.