“Manatees, Mermaids and UNICEF” - This Day in History – Jan 9th

Christopher Columbus’ Mermaid mistake

Back in 1493, Christopher Columbus, the Italian Explorer who set sail from Spain to the Americas or “New World,” noticed something in the water along his ships the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria – a mermaid.  Columbus described them as, "not half as beautiful as they are painted."  However, in reality the marine mammals were “manatees,” instead. 

According to history.com, “Mermaid sightings by sailors, when they weren't made up, were most likely manatees, dugongs or Steller's sea cows (which became extinct by the 1760s due to over-hunting). Manatees are slow-moving aquatic mammals with human-like eyes, bulbous faces and paddle-like tails.”

Videos related to this article:

http://youtu.be/FWWP1I84Yjc

http://youtu.be/NteMjf5HrBU

http://youtu.be/DUxmrjOHJTk

UNICEF concert merges music stars

Back in 1979, a fundraising concert to help global poverty was developed under the theme of "International Year of the Child."

With the help of the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the latest pop artists of the day such as Rod Stewart, John Denver, Donna Summer, Bob Dylan, Andy Gibb, ABBA, Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Eric Clapton performed their songs to a huge audience.

According to history.com, “It is not clear exactly how much money the Music for UNICEF concert actually raised, or whether all of the participating artists actually signed over all future royalties on the songs they performed. At the very least, the Bee Gees' contribution to the effort, "Too Much Heaven," would go on to be a #1 pop hit and raise more than $7 million for the charitable programs of UNICEF.”

Videos related to this article:

http://youtu.be/RTpvk7gqPwQ

http://youtu.be/uoL-vw49i4g

http://youtu.be/5IfYSQte-WU

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pop-luminaries-gather-at-the-un-for-the-music-for-unicef-concert?catId=13