Today we celebrate National Apricot Day. This day is observed annually on January 9th.
Apricots are similar to peach in color and it’s velvety flesh, however, the golden-orange fruit is firmer and is more tart. Apricot means “precious” in Latin. I love Apricot when their fresh because they are naturally sweet and good fruit when you are watching your calories because 100-grams of raw apricots supplies ony 48 calories and are composed of 11% carbohydrates, 1% protein, less than 1% fat and 86% water (table).
Apricots are normally eaten fresh, but you can find them in cans or dried. Fresh apricots are packed with nutrients, it is like a super fruit. A cup of fresh apricot contains about 60% of the daily allowance of Vitamin A, and 26% of daily required Vitamin C. It also packed with Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Iron, and Calcium. It is low in calories and an excellent source of fiber.
The origin of the apricot is disputed; it was known in Armenia during ancient times and has been cultivated there for so long that it is often thought to have originated there.[6] An archaeological excavation at Garni in Armenia found apricot seeds in a Chalcolithic-era site. In the 17th century, English settlers brought the apricot to the English colonies in the New World. Most of the modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by Spanish missionaries. Almost all U.S. commercial production is in California, with some in Washington and Utah
Apricot has a unique flavor which makes it a versatile fruit to use for both sweet and savory dishes. So, today celebrate this day by grabbing some Apricot to enjoy with your family or friends on your most special recipe. Share some recipes on social media using #NationalApricotDay.
2001 Apple launches iTunes revolutionizing how people consume music
On January 9, 2001, Apple launches iTunes, a media player that revolutionized the way people consumed digital media.
Bill Kincaid and Jeff Robbin, two former Apple employees, developed an MP3 player called SoundJam MP in the late 1990s. In 2000, Apple re-hired them and their partner, Dave Heller, to work on a similar player that would come standard with Apple computers. The first version of iTunes debuted early the next year, on the cusp of a new era in digital entertainment.
Along with the iPod, the MP3 player Apple released later in 2001, iTunes revolutionized the music industry, providing consumers with a simple, portable way of listening to a large library of music. Sleek and focused on simplified user experience, iTunes made it easy for users to burn CDs and to manage digital music files. Apple founder Steve Jobs is credited with iTunes’ success as a music marketplace. Seeing that music was easier to access than ever, but that record labels were losing money due to internet piracy, Jobs made a deal with the five major record labels to sell their content via iTunes. The fact that it was above-board and profitable for the music industry, combined with the cultural cache of its companion product, the iPod, made iTunes an unqualified success.
(excerpted from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/apple-launches-itunes)
