Happy Uncle Sam Day! All About Uncle Sam From National Day Calendar: "On September 13th, the United States recognizes Uncle Sam Day. The day commemorates the man behind the iconic image. The fascinating nickname for the United States government was born on September 13, 1766. Sam Wilson, a meatpacker from New York, supplied barrels of meat to soldiers during the war of 1812. To identify the meat for shipment, Wilson prominently stamped “U.S.” on the barrels. It wasn’t long before the soldiers dubbed the grub a delivery from Uncle Sam. As such nicknames tend to do, its popularity spread. The first illustration of Uncle Sam is unlike the one we know today. Published by Harper’s Weekly in 1861, the young government representative (a starred bandana on his head and wearing a striped vest) is depicted dividing up Virginia like a butcher. Through the years, the image of Uncle Sam would take many forms. Credit is given to German-born illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Nast for developing the long-legged Uncle Sam we know today. With the starred top hat and striped pants, the Uncle Sam debut in Harper’s Weekly, also. He took on many issues with Nast as his illustrator. Some of the issues topics included Boss Tweed, Union recruitment, and Reconstruction. During the modern era, Uncle Sam obtained some color. The United States Army awarded Montgomery Flagg with the artwork for the familiar portrait used in the “I Want You For The U.S. Army” campaign during World War I. It first appeared on the cover of Leslie’s Weekly, an illustrated literary and news magazine. President George H. W. Bush proclaimed Uncle Sam Day to be September 13, 1989, in honor of the anniversary of the birth of Samuel Wilson. It coincided with the bicentennial celebration of the City of Troy, New York, where Wilson lived and worked. The City of Troy requested the designation of the President. On September 7, 1961, through concurrent resolutions, Congress officially named Uncle Sam as a permanent symbol of American strength and idealism." His Avian Form However here on ZooChat, I designate that Uncle Sam is actually the Maguari Stork. They both wear red, white & blue and are tall and skinny with a goatee'd appearance. Maguari Storks have red legs with red facial skin and blue bills. They look super patriotic and their fluffy neck feathers are reminiscent of Uncle Sam's beard. The only problem is that Maguari's live in South America, not North America.It isn't far fetched to think that during the ice age they could have ranged here in the states alongside Ciconia maltha. Well, happy Uncle Sam Day and let's raise a toast to the incredible Maguari Stork! Maguari Stork by @TeaLovingDave at Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg
Not enough blue on the the stork, I think. Thanks for the history lesson though, I had no idea Uncle Sam Day was even a thing.
Audubon Zoo Maguari Storks - YouTube by Sarus Crane posted 19 Sep 2019 at 5:50 PM Forgot to add the video!
