Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Halifax Courier, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. Margaret ‘Maggie’ Hackney received an exchange blood transfusion as a newborn to treat Rhesus disease, and starred in a 1966 blood donation film ‘The Givers’ as a 17-year-old - but she had never seen the film! Watch the video above (click to play) as NHS Blood and Transplant show her the footage for the first time since it aired 60 years ago - in a fresh Christmas appeal for blood donations. Maggie, now aged 76, from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, said: “Watching the Look at Life film after nearly 60 years was amazing, including seeing my mum. I watched it with my family and we had a giggle!” Advertisement Advertisement She remembers filming the campaign, which can be seen within the above video, at a local swimming pool and feeling ‘nervous’, and also recalls watching herself on screen at the cinema afterwards. When she was born, Maggie had been so ill hospital nurses urgently baptised her because they thought she wouldn’t survive. Her mother’s blood had passed through the placenta and was destroying her own blood. “After the blood exchange, I was monitored regularly until I was five years old, at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in Hackney,” said Maggie. Advertisement Advertisement “I was told I was one of the first recipients of an exchange blood transfusion. I was told it was revolutionary at the time. Even today, you can still see the scars on my wrists and ankles.” Maggie was born and treated in the 1948, the year the NHS was created. She went on to work as a dental surgery assistant for 14 years then as a fitness instructor for 40 years. She promoted blood donation throughout her life, attending donor recognition events and giving talks in schools and colleges as a voluntary ambassador for the National Blood Service. She was awarded an MBE for Services to Health and Families in Hertfordshire. Maggie is now supporting the call for people to donate blood this Christmas - in a campaign video, which can be seen above. Advertisement Advertisement She said: “I will never be able to thank the NHS blood service enough for giving me a chance of survival as a newborn baby. I’d like to give a huge thank you to all the blood donors past and present. “I know that this winter will be difficult for blood stocks so please give blood if you can. People take it for granted that there will always be a supply of blood if any of their loved ones might need it. But it’s only there if people choose to give.” Dr Lise Estcourt, NHSBT’s medical director for blood transfusion, said: “It was an honour to show Maggie this film again after nearly 60 years. While many things have changed, two things haven’t – the generosity of people who donate blood and the fact that it saves lives. You could even help someone young grow up to live a full life, just like Maggie.” NHSBT has warned it remains in an Amber Alert on blood stocks. Donor centres in towns and cities have many unfilled appointments between now and the new year. To register or book an appointment to give blood, please visit our website, use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.
The FBI secured permission to record the phone calls of former Hillary Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle in October 2014, in the early stages of what turned out to be a massive corruption investigation in which Solis Doyle was never charged, an agent testified Thursday. The investigation was not related to the presidential campaign, instead focusing on Solis Doyle’s brother’s dealings in the Chicago City Council. The disclosure came during the testimony of veteran FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald, who in June 2016 confronted Doyle’s brother, then-Ald. Danny Solis (25th). The FBI had wiretapped Danny Solis’ phone for several months in 2014 and 2015. Along the way, McDonald testified that they overheard the siblings discussing how to split a $100,000 payment the developer of the Nobu Hotel offered to Patti Solis Doyle. That development wound up being featured in a 2016 FBI affidavit first obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times in January 2019. The wiretap on Patti Solis Doyle’s phone was not fruitful and did not “last longer than several months,” McDonald told jurors, confirming his testimony was the first public disclosure of the recording. Through a spokesperson, Solis Doyle declined to comment. McDonald testified in the racketeering conspiracy trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and his longtime ally, Michael McClain. Madigan is accused of leading a criminal enterprise designed to enhance his political power and enrich his allies. Danny Solis was spotted in Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Thursday and was expected to take the witness stand in short order. He began cooperating with the FBI in 2016 and continued until the Sun-Times revealed his undercover work in January 2019. McDonald confirmed for a prosecutor Thursday that Solis’ cover was “blown” by the newspaper’s reporting. Patti Solis Doyle managed Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid. Her name surfaced Thursday along with Brian Hynes, a onetime legislative aide to Madigan, in relation to the Nobu Hotel project. Doyle and Hynes were co-founders of a business founded in 2010 — Vendor Assistance Program — that made money as an intermediary in getting vendors money the state of Illinois owed them. She sold her interest in the company in 2016. VAP and other companies front unpaid state contractors most of what Springfield owes them, and VAP and other “qualified purchasers” later pocket the late-payment penalties from the state. For VAP, that business has proven to be wildly successful, especially at a time when the state owed heavily to many vendors. Disclosures the company is required to file with the state show that through July, VAP had collected nearly $396 million in late-payment penalties from Illinois taxpayers over more than a decade. Solis Doyle grew up with her brother Danny Solis in Pilsen, attended Notre Dame High School for Girls on the Northwest Side and got a communications degree from Northwestern University. Danny Solis helped her land a job at City Hall, where she ended up working on campaigns for former city Treasurer Miriam Santos and former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Solis Doyle earned the trust of David Wilhelm, who managed Daley’s 1989 campaign as well as former President Bill Clinton’s first successful White House run in 1992. Wilhelm brought Solis Doyle into the tightknit political orbit of the Clinton family, where Solis Doyle started out as a scheduler for Hillary Clinton. Solis Doyle went on to help run Clinton’s U.S. Senate campaigns, led Clinton’s political action committee and then managed her 2008 presidential campaign. After Barack Obama beat Clinton for the nomination that year, Solis Doyle jumped to his campaign as chief of staff to then-vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. She was also an adviser on Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. For years, Solis Doyle has lived in Washington, D.C., where she’s head of U.S. public affairs for a massive advisory firm. Contributing: Anthony Vazquez
Percentages: FG 42.029, FT .571. 3-Point Goals: 2-17, .118 (Olsen 1-4, Gyamfi 1-1, Stuelke 0-1, Affolter 0-2, Feuerbach 0-3, Mallegni 0-3, McCabe 0-3) Blocked Shots: 7 (Heiden 3, Stuelke 1, Affolter 1, Mallegni 1, Stremlow 1) Turnovers: 14 (O'Grady 2, Affolter 2, Feuerbach 2, Stremlow 2, Stuelke 1, Olsen 1, Ediger 1, Heiden 1, Guyton 1, Mallegni 1) Steals: 7 (Affolter 2, Olsen 1, Ediger 1, Gyamfi 1, Mallegni 1, Stremlow 1) Technical Fouls: None Percentages: FG 27.419, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 7-30, .233 (J.Villa 3-9, Wallack 3-8, E.Villa 1-3, Tuhina 0-3, Mendes 0-2, Abraham 0-3, Gardner 0-2) Blocked Shots: 5 (Covill 2, Wallack 1, Mendes 1, Gardner 1) Turnovers: 20 (E.Villa 3, Wallack 3, Alsina 3, Abraham 2, Dart 2, Covill 1, Tuhina 1, J.Villa 1, Mendes 1, Kpetikou 1, Chiu 1, Gardner 1) Steals: 9 (Tuhina 2, Gardner 2, E.Villa 1, J.Villa 1, Abraham 1, Alsina 1, Chiu 1) Technical Fouls: None A_14,998 Officials_Cameron Inouye, Missy Brooks, Lauren Niemiera
FANS of I'm A Celebrity have spotted how there is a missing part of the show, with many pleading for it to be reintroduced. The iconic ITV show made a triumphant return last weekend, with a selection of famous faces uniting in the Australian jungle in the name of reality TV. Advertisement 7 Many fans are pointing out how eating trials haven't yet taken place on the show this season Credit: Eroteme 7 Fans of I'm A Celeb have spotted a major part of the show that is 'missing' Credit: Eroteme 7 Most trials this year have featured confined spaces Credit: Eroteme 7 Eating trials are a huge part of I'm A Celeb Credit: Rex Features 7 Eating trials are a fan-favourite Credit: Rex Features But fans have noticed that a fan-favourite part of the show is missing and has been since the show began on Sunday. On Reddit, fans have spotted how the celebrities in this year's series are yet to do a proper eating trial. "We’ve now had 4 trails and none of them have been an eating trail, just seems kinda strange as there is usually one in the first 4 or so," said one person. Another agreed, "Yeah all they have had is confined space trials this year." Advertisement Read More about I'm A Celeb not happy Dean McCullough 'looks fuming' as Ant takes another swipe at him after 'row' GUT PUNCH I'm A Celeb's Dean in swipe at Ant in awkward moment as he quits another trial "They're probably so desperate for a bit of animal protein thanks to Dean they'd probably wolf down whatever was put in front of them without thinking too much," said a third. A fourth then penned, "Has it only been like 4 days, and it started with a gross milkshake," referring to the disgusting shake the celebrities were given when they arrived. While a fifth said, "Eating trials seem to be quite popular. They maybe waiting for the right time. I'm guessing Saturday to help gain the viewers maybe?" And a sixth added, "I'm glad. I think they are the most boring." Advertisement Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 Exclusive 'FIGHTER' Tulisa's ex makes surprise admission about her changing face amid heath battles Exclusive FAMILIAR FACE Maura Higgins breaks her silence on awkwardly sharing a camp with ex’s dad Mum's the word Inside I'm A Celeb star Tulisa's turbulent relationship with mum beaten down I’m A Celeb’s Sam Thompson begs producers to check on 'missing’ campmate FANS PLEAD FOR EATING TRIAL Meanwhile, on X, formerly known as Twitter, fans are also questioning when an eating trial might take place. "Me patiently waiting for the eating trial," said one, along with a meme. Watch moment Ant McPartlin breaks his silence after viewers accuse him of being in a ‘feud’ with campmate "We can't be far away from the eating trial??" asked a second. And a third echoed, "Why no eating trial yet?" Advertisement This comes after two new arrivals joined the 2024 lineup of the beloved show. NEW ARRIVALS Last night, former Love Island star Maura Higgins entered the jungle with Reverand Richard Coles. I'm A Celebrity 2024 i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." When they arrived, the duo was thrown straight into the Jungle Junkyard - which may have looked disgusting, but actually had hidden advantages. Advertisement When Maura arrived at the camp, she was fuming over the living conditions. Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland "It’s not liveable, we have nothing, this camp sucks," she fumed after seeing the camp for the first time. She then added, "I’m going to ask Richard to say a prayer for us tonight because I’m gonna need one." 7 Fans are counting down the days until an eating trial is announced Credit: Eroteme Advertisement 7 This year's line up will likely have some eating trials coming up soon Credit: ErotemeTrump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France
WATCH: You Won’t Believe Which R&B Superstar Was Allegedly In a Love Triangle With Shyne and Ma$e
is the biggest shopping event of the year in the U.S. and an excellent opportunity to bag yourself a TV deal. Plenty of high-quality TVs are on sale this weekend, so you’re sure to nab a bargain if you act fast. Amazon makes an event out of Black Friday and often has throughout Cyber Monday. Best Black Friday TV deals 2024 Thanks to its NanoCell technology, this TV offers exceptionally rich color, with a sharp and clear 4K display. It’s easy to control with your voice, with built-in Alexa and compatibility with Google Assistant, Apple AirPlay and Apple HomeKit. You can choose from six sizes between 43 and 86 inches. You’re bound to get a decent discount on this high-end TV. The OLED screen contains millions of pixels that are independently lit, for incredibly rich and lifelike color. It has some great features, such as a gallery mode for displaying art when you’re not watching TV, a powerful a9 AI Processor that can do AI Super Upscaling and built-in voice control support. The impressive OLED display lights pixels individually to give you true blacks and more lifelike color reproduction. The gaming mode is especially beneficial for anyone with a next-gen console, like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. With dynamic crystal color, an ultrapowerful processor and 4K upscaling, this is a TV you’ll be pleased to own — especially if you get a decent Black Friday deal. It works with multiple voice assistants, or you can use a standard remote to control your TV the old-fashioned way. Its Airslim sleek profile will even help it blend in with the rest of your decor. Perfect for anyone who thinks their TV ruins the decor in their living room, The Frame from Samsung can display a static picture so that it looks like a frame art print when not in use. It also has a certified glare-free matte display to make the artwork look printed on the screen. When the TV is being used, it has great picture quality thanks to a 4K resolution, Pantone Validated ArtfulColor (exclusive to The Frame series TVs) and quantum dot technology. This TV has some great high-end features, including an ultraslim design (at only 1.1 inches deep), HDR ULTRA with Dolvy Vision IQ for rich color and QLED PRO Quantum Dot technology for enhanced contrast and accurate colors. The Game Accelerator 240 and Auto Game Mode provide low-latency gameplay, meaning gamers never need to miss a thing during fast-paced games.
NEW YORK — The Giants may have to host the Saints on Sunday without their top offensive weapon, too. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers has a hip flexor, underwent an MRI on Friday morning and is in jeopardy of possibly missing the Week 14 home game, head coach Brian Daboll said. Nabers is officially listed as questionable and did not practice Friday at all. “They’re not ruling him out right now,” Daboll said. Nabers, 21, got hurt during the 1-on-1 portion of Thursday’s practice. He was listed as limited with a groin injury but then underwent further testing that revealed the new hip injury, according to the coach. Dexter Lawrence, the Giants’ top defensive player, is already out for the season with an elbow injury. Top left Andrew Thomas (foot) is done for the season. Top linebacker Bobby Okereke (back) is week-to-week. Daniel Jones is on the Vikings. And now Nabers may be joining the long list of Giants players unable to stay on the field during the stretch of this horrific season. “We wish we had Dexter and Andrew Thomas and those guys, but we don’t,” Daboll said. “That’s the reality of the NFL. So they’re looking forward to the opportunity, which will be a big challenge.” The Giants (2-10) have lost seven straight games and are 0-6 at MetLife Stadium. The Saints (4-8) already fired their coach Dennis Allen, and New Orleans is 0-3 in outdoor games, 1-4 on the road and 0-4 in their last four away games. But they’re still 4.5-point favorites. Interim Saints head coach Darren Rizzi, a native of Hillsdale, N.J., said this week that his team was flying to the area on Friday to do a walkthrough in the elements to prepare the players for the cold weather. New Orleans lost dual threat quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill (knee) for the season last Sunday, but otherwise, they’re down backup guard Nick Saldiveri (knee) and wideout Bub Means (ankle). And defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) and running back Kendre Miller (hamstring) are questionable. The Giants’ injury report is comparably bleak. Top corner Deonte Banks (rib), Lawrence and defensive tackle Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (neck/shoulder) and Okereke (back) are all out. Defensive tackle D.J. Davidson (shoulder) and offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) are doubtful. And six players are questionable: Nabers, offensive tackles Evan Neal (hip) and Chris Hubbard (knee), defensive tackle Jordon Riley (knee), corner Dru Phillips (shoulder) and linebacker Dyontae Johnson (ankle). Hubbard and Phillips did not practice Friday, either. ©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner , father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker."Researchers have developed a novel device that couples magnetic fields and kirigami design principles to remotely control the movement of a flexible dimpled surface, allowing it to manipulate objects without actually grasping them—making it useful for lifting and moving items such as fragile objects, gels or liquids. The technology has potential for use in confined spaces, where robotic arms or similar tools aren't an option. The paper, "Magnetic kirigami dome metasheet with high deformability and stiffness for adaptive dynamic shape-shifting and multimodal manipulation," was Dec. 6 in the journal . "We were trying to address two challenges here," says Jie Yin, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of mechanical and at North Carolina State University. "The first challenge was how to move objects that you can't pick up with grippers—such as fragile objects or things in confined spaces. The second challenge was how to use a to remotely lift and move objects that are not magnetic." To address those challenges, the researchers created a "metasheet" that consists of an elastic polymer that is embedded with magnetic microparticles. A pattern was then cut into the sheet. The outer edges of the metasheet are attached to a rigid frame. By moving a magnetic field under the metasheet, you can force sections of the metasheet to bulge upward or sink downward. "You can actually cause the surface of the metasheet to move like a wave by controlling the direction of the magnetic field," Yin says. "And adjusting the strength of the magnetic field determines how much the wave rises or falls." "Controlling the surface movement of the metasheet makes it possible to move many types of objects resting on the surface—whether they're drops of liquid or a flat piece of glass," says Joe Tracy, co-corresponding author of the paper and a professor of materials science and engineering at NC State. "The design of cuts on the metasheet are an example of kirigami, or paper-cutting," says Yinding Chi, first author of the paper and a former Ph.D. student at NC State. "This is particularly important for the metasheets because kirigami enhances the flexibility without sacrificing the fundamental stiffness of the material itself. "That allows us to amplify the deformation of the material without losing its ," says Chi, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. "In addition, the metasheet is very responsive to the magnetic field, with a response time as fast as two milliseconds." "There's been rather little work done on how magnetic actuation can be used in conjunction with kirigami, and what we've done here suggests that there's a tremendous amount of potential for combining these approaches in fields from soft robotics to manufacturing applications," says Tracy. "We are interested in scaling this approach down, to allow the metasheets to manipulate smaller objects and smaller volumes of liquid," says Chi. "We're also interested in how this approach could be used to create haptic technologies that may have applications in everything from gaming to accessibility devices," says Yin.
THE 'great outdoors' loom large at Cherry Lodge: The chap that lives there earns his keep from it, and, in more literal terms, the garden set-up at his Model Farm Road home has a great outdoors too. Professionally landscaped rear garden at Cherry Lodge The business from which Brian Fox - one half of the couple at Cherry Lodge - has made his living is Regatta Great Outdoors, a UK company founded by the Black family, who headhunted him 25 years ago. With a track record in sportswear and outdoor wear retail, he became the Irish sales representative for the Regatta brand - and it wasn't long before he spotted an opportunity to set up an Irish distribution network for the UK product. His first showroom was at the bottom of the garden in Cherry Lodge, where a garden shed was adapted in the early noughties. "I had it slabbed and rails put in to hang the product and I used to bring buyers in from Blarney Woollen Mills and Elverys to show them the samples," Brian says. "They'd select the ranges to put in their stores. It was quite successful from the get-go." By 2003, the business had outgrown the garden showroom and Brian leased a large unit at the nearby Westside Centre on Model Farm Road. Nowadays, it's Regatta's head office. Over the past two decades, the Irish arm of the business has grown exponentially. There are 35 stores around the country "from Bantry to Ballina", with a "couple of hundred" employees. Sales are multi-platform: On the high street, wholesale, and online. The number of brands has expanded from the mass-produced "family affordable" Regatta range to upmarket multi-sport brand Dare2B, to travel-and-adventure brand, Cragghoppers. Cherry Lodge, where it all began, has expanded, too. In 2005, Brian and his wife, Siobhán, added a sunroom downstairs and two bedrooms overhead. Sunroom/dining area Extended bedroom with balcony The decision to extend followed a change of heart about selling up. Having put it on the market in 2004, "because of a... Catherine Shanahan Pictures: John RocheSome people criticize the current state of Christmas as the quintessence of capitalism. They argue that Christmas in the modern age has steered too far from the origins of the holiday. But much to the chagrin of contemporary Christmas naysayers, the modern conception of Santa Claus has its roots in the marketing ploys of the soda industry mogul, Coca-Cola. Prior to the 1860s, depictions of Santa were inconsistent — different cultures' and artists' representations of the figure ranged from a small little elf to a slender gift giver. The contemporary image of Santa Claus can be traced all the way back to the Civil War when Thomas Nast designed political cartoons that showed Santa's support for the Union, characterizing him as a short elf. Over the course of 30 years, Nast continued drawing Santa and his work began to eke out the image of a red-coated human. While Nast pioneered the current image of Santa, the Coca-Cola Company perpetuated the look of a hefty, jolly, bearded man dressed in bright red. After the Civil War political propaganda circulated, images of Santa Claus continued to vary. Once Coca-Cola began its seasonal marketing, however, the present day image of Santa truly began to solidify. Where does Coca-Cola fit into the Santa Claus story? In an effort to sustain successful sales in the winter months, Coca-Cola launched its first Christmas marketing campaign in magazines in the 1920s. But it wasn't until the 1930s that the carbonated beverage giant spread a design of a rounded, white-haired older man. Coca-Cola worked with an advertising agency who suggested creating a human-looking, jolly Santa with a red coat. Haddon Sundblom was commissioned to paint the new and improved Santa, and he sought inspiration from "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," a classic holiday poem about Santa's Christmas Eve visit to a family's home. From there, the image of an affectionate, tender Santa was born. Like Nast, Sundblom continued to design images of Santa for Coca-Cola's marketing for 30 years. But after the 1960s, the company decided to remain consistent with Sundblom's first drafts. Today, Coca-Cola and Christmas have almost become synonymous — the company's marketing campaigns are ubiquitous during the holidays and have become some of the . Once November hits, blankets, commercials, billboards, bottles, and cans are all decorated with images of a rosy-cheeked Santa sipping on a coke. So, if , consider leaving out a coke for St. Nick alongside these . Recommended
Special teams miscues prove costly for Bears in overtime loss to VikingsJames Carville calls Biden the ‘most tragic figure in American politics in my lifetime’
