August 27th: National & International Days, Celebrations and Observances

Looking ahead to August 27? Worth planning a few good moves.

• Trade that burger for something plant-based - honestly, veggie patties taste amazing now.
• Maybe grab some extra bananas from that local stand and surprise your coworkers.
• Can't agree on lunch plans? Just go old-school with Rock Paper Scissors.

You know what makes a real difference? Ditching those disposable bags and bottles. Feels weird at first, but you get used to it fast. And speaking of changes - while International Petroleum Day rolls around, take a minute to brush up on wind farms and solar tech.

Be Kind to Humankind Week makes you think.

• Pack a second lunch if you can manage it - there's always someone who could use the help.
• When you're shopping anyway, look for those fair-trade labels on bananas and local stuff.
• Farmers deserve a fair shot.

The neighborhood could probably use a quick cleanup. Or maybe start with a few herbs on your windowsill - basil's pretty hard to mess up. And sometimes, when the weather's decent, just walk instead of driving. Not every good deed needs a reason.

Three major scientific events share August 27th as their date.

• In 1859, Edwin Drake's persistence led to the first American oil strike in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Working alongside Bill "Uncle Billy" Smith, he found oil at 69.5 feet below ground. Their well output reached 20 to 40 barrels daily, setting off the U.S. oil boom.
• The Krakatoa volcano erupted in 1883, producing one of history's most violent explosions. The blast expelled debris measuring seven million Olympic pools in volume. Sound from the explosion traveled 3,100 miles - matching the width of North America.

The impact spread far beyond Indonesia. Earth cooled by 0.4 degrees Celsius. Red sunsets glowed in skies worldwide through 1886.

Mars created its own record in 2003, moving within 34.6 million miles of Earth. This marked the shortest distance between the planets in 60,000 years. Such close proximity won't happen again until 2287.

Five scientific pioneers share an August birthday. Back in the 1930s, Carl Bosch won the Nobel Prize for work that would shape modern agriculture. His nitrogen fertilizer process now helps feed about 4 billion people - though it uses a staggering 1-2% of global energy.

The story of Katharine McCormick takes an interesting turn. Instead of settling into a comfortable life with her International Harvester wealth, the determined MIT graduate spent the early 1900s opening doors for women in science. Until her death in 1967, she put her money behind what many considered controversial research into birth control.

Few know about Denis G. Lillie's contributions to Antarctic science. Yet his careful observations aboard the Terra Nova Expedition laid essential groundwork. Current scientists still reference his baseline data when studying changes in polar ecosystems.

The writings of Joel Kovel sparked intense debates about environmentalism and society. His 1936-2018 career produced thought-provoking works like "Capitalism Nature Socialism" and "The Enemy of Nature," pushing people to think differently about human effects on the natural world.

These days, MacArthur winner Daphne Koller tackles medical research challenges at Insitro. Building on her success with the education platform Coursera, she now leads teams using AI to find faster ways to develop new drugs.