September 19: Pirates, Ice Mummies, and Mud Festivals

September 19 is one of those dates that refuses to pick a lane. It's part archaeology documentary, part music festival, and part excuse to say "Arrr" at your coworkers until HR gets involved. Let's set sail.

Talk Like a Pirate, Look Like a Genius

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the only holiday whose entire dress code is "eyepatch optional, confidence mandatory." It's the rare observance that asks nothing of you except a willingness to shout "Ahoy" at strangers and pronounce every word with an extra R. No gifts, no awkward family dinners, just vibes and grog. Honestly, the best holidays are the ones you can celebrate purely by being slightly annoying.

An Ice Mummy and the World's Muddiest Party

In 1991, two German tourists hiking the Alps stumbled upon \u00d6tzi, a naturally preserved mummy dating back to roughly 3300 BC. Imagine going for a nice mountain stroll and finding a 5,000-year-old man just chilling, quite literally. He remains one of the best-preserved humans in history, which is more than most of us can say after a long weekend.

Meanwhile, in 1970, the very first Glastonbury Festival was held on Michael Eavis's farm in England. What began as a humble gathering on a working dairy farm became the legendary festival where hundreds of thousands now happily lose their wellies in the mud every year. Not bad for a lineup that started next to actual cows.

Happy Birthday to Basketball's Class of the 90s

September 19 is apparently the NBA's favorite delivery date. Trae Young was born in 1998, bringing his deep-range shooting and refusal to acknowledge the concept of a bad shot. CJ McCollum arrived in 1991, and Dejounte Murray in 1996. That's an entire All-Star bench sharing one candle-blowing schedule.

On the music side, 1995 gave us silky-voiced singer Brent Faiyaz and actress Rachel Sennott, while 1993 delivered producer-rapper Pi'erre Bourne. And in 1992, entrepreneur Palmer Luckey was born, the man who strapped a screen to everyone's face and called it the future. Genuinely a stacked birthday guest list.

A Milestone Worth Cheering

Back in 1893, New Zealand became the first country to introduce universal suffrage, thanks to the women's suffrage movement led by Kate Sheppard. A world first, and a reminder that some of history's biggest wins came from people who simply refused to be told no.

So there you have it: raise a mug of grog, cue up a Brent Faiyaz track, and maybe nod respectfully toward the Alps. September 19 contains multitudes, and most of them are surprisingly fun.