Was yesterday really National Public Speaker Day?

Not quite. (As shown above, it was just another hot summer day). It  popped up yesterday at the start of a post on THE ONE THING blog:

“Today, we recognize National Public Speaker Day, a day that celebrates an activity that has most of this blog audience collectively grimacing. In honor of this day, we dove into the backstory of one of our favorite speakers. Our very own, Jay Papasan.

Does the thought of speaking to a crowd of people put your stomach in knots? You’re not alone. 75 percent of people fear public speaking – making it one of the most common phobias around. Best-selling author and speaker,  Jay Papasan, experienced it too.  While we know he captivates us when he heads on stage to deliver The ONE Thing’s message, those who’ve seen him talk might be surprised to find out that Jay is a borderline introvert. Speaking to a room full of people isn’t exactly one of his natural behaviors.”

That post was titled How Jay Papasan Lined Up His Dominoes to Speak Publically with Confidence. It’s worth reading, but that first paragraph really is superfluous.

If you Google the phrase "National Public Speaker Day" you will get just four hits. That is a clue that something is amiss, and further research is required before posting. Actually yesterday instead was Professional Speakers Day. It is listed in a thick reference book for holidays called Chase’s Calendar of Events. The description says:

PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS DAY. Aug 7. A day celebrating the consummate professionals who through their oratorical skills help people. For info: Jim Barber, 1101 Marcano Blvd, Plantation, FL 33322. Phone: (954) 476-9252. Fax: (954) 424-0309.

It lists both an email address and a web home page giving a 404 (page not found) error.

We already have both Freedom From Fear of Public Speaking Day in July and National Speak Up and Succeed Day in January. Both days also are listed Chase’s Calendar of Events. You probably can find it by calling the reference librarian at your friendly local public library. That book is a useful source for trivia when you are an emcee, like the Toastmaster for a Toastmasters club meeting. 

The image of a summer day was adapted from the 1903 Puck’s Midsummer Medley.