Science-based Holidays?

[Pharaoh Cat]

What would be some good things to celebrate and when during the year would you celebrate them?

First Living Thing Day would be cool, I think, with January 6 a good date.  (I figure we'll leave New Year's Eve and New Year's Day as they are, since they're secular already.  By the 6th we should be recovered from our hangovers.)

Mass Extinction Day might be cool in late October around Hallowe'en.

Cambrian Explosion Day would be cool in early May when the spring is in full swing.

Apollo 11 Day on July 21 would be a must-do.

HMS Beagle Day on December 27 would seem mandatory too, no?

Ideas?

[Tank]

Darwin Day 12th February
Space day, 12th April. The day Yuri Gagarin made it into space.
Newton day, 25th December, celebrated by dropping apples on children's heads. (Ok it would be the 4th Jan on a technicality but WTF)
Marie Curie day, 7th November 2067 just once, celebrated by the detonation of the last working nuclear weapon on the Moon.

[fester30]

Darwin Day 12th February
Space day, 12th April. The day Yuri Gagarin made it into space.
Newton day, 25th December, celebrated by dropping apples on children's heads. (Ok it would be the 4th Jan on a technicality but WTF)
Marie Curie day, 7th November 2067 just once, celebrated by the detonation of the last working nuclear weapon on the Moon.

I thought Superman sent all the nuclear weapons to the Sun?

Let's keep in mind that currently there aren't any Federal holidays in March, April, June, or August.  It would be nice to put a couple of holidays in those places just in case we ever get enough atheist-friendly Congress persons to add one or two to the federal holiday roster.

[The Magic Pudding]

February 17, Heliocentric Theory Incontrovertibly Disproven Day, we can all burn  Giordano Bruno effigies in celebration.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Festivus for the restifus? 

[Buddy]

Festivus for the restifus? 

Not sure whats worse; the pun, or the fact that I took me a full five minutes to get it. 

[DeterminedJuliet]

Festivus for the restifus? 

Not sure whats worse; the pun, or the fact that I took me a full five minutes to get it. 

It's from Seinfield! It's a thing!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

[Tank]

Festivus for the restifus?  

Not sure whats worse; the pun, or the fact that I took me a full five minutes to get it.  

Your brain's still not recovered from the horse kick  

[Whitney]

Earth Day
Solstice (while celebrated by pagans; it's also science related)

[Buddy]

Festivus for the restifus?  

Not sure whats worse; the pun, or the fact that I took me a full five minutes to get it.  

Your brain's still not recovered from the horse kick  

Or I'm just slow in the morning. 

[keithpenrod]

I think, since we already celebrate birthdays of famous people, that celebrating birthdays for Gauss, Riemann, Newton, Turing, Einstein, etc would be lots of fun.

[Pharaoh Cat]

I think, since we already celebrate birthdays of famous people, that celebrating birthdays for Gauss, Riemann, Newton, Turing, Einstein, etc would be lots of fun.

I agree.  Plus you made me think of something: "Wheel Day," on which we would celebrate the invention of the wheel! 

"Wheel Day" could be positioned near the summer solstice, so as to be associated with the wheel of the year.  June 28th might be good.  In the USA that would be right smack in the middle between the summer solstice and Independence Day (July 4th).

[not your typical...]

Festivus for the restifus? 

I'm getting my friend that shirt!

[Buddy]

I agree.  Plus you made me think of something: "Wheel Day," on which we would celebrate the invention of the wheel! 

"Wheel Day" could be positioned near the summer solstice, so as to be associated with the wheel of the year.  June 28th might be good.  In the USA that would be right smack in the middle between the summer solstice and Independence Day (July 4th).

Wheel day... Would we have to go around riding unicycles? 

[Will]

Newton's birthday is January 4th. We could have Newtonian Day, where we attach strings to apples and hang them from trees, and the kids get a piece of candy for every of Newton's laws they can name.

Einstein's is March 14th. Relativity Day seems a nice one, where you email nice letters to all of your relatives about gravitational time dilation or redshift.