Today is National Guitar Day

My grands are quite musical and one in particular especially enjoys playing guitars - and is quite good at it! Since today is National Guitar Day, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting fun facts about guitars - did you know . . . 

• Scholars generally agree 'guitars' were mentioned in literature as far back as the 13th century.
• In the late 1800's the five-string Baroque guitar made way for the modern six-string classical guitar, perfected by the Spaniard Antonio de Torres Jurado.
• In 1894 Gibson's more durable mandolin-style guitar with breakthrough designs played louder than competitors' guitars, revolutionizing music-making.
• The electric guitar was invented in 1931 and became the go-to instrument for jazz and blues players.
• The name "guitar" has its origins in the Ancient Greek word "kithára," which was used to denote a kind of harp.
• Jimi Hendrix played his guitar upside down because he was left-handed.
• In 1948, guitar great Les Paul was in a terrible car accident, shattering his right arm and elbow. He begged surgeons to set his broken arm at an angle that would allow him to continue playing his favorite instrument.
• Legendary guitarist Ace Frehley was electrocuted during a KISS concert in December 1976. He lived to tell the tale — and to write the song "Shock Me," which became his guitar god anthem.
• According to some sources, the world's oldest surviving guitar is more than 400 years old. It was built in the late 16th century by a Portuguese man named Belchior Dias.

Nationaltoday.com says, "It's just six strings (typically) and a box of wood (also typically), but the variety of sounds and styles which can emanate from a guitar are virtually limitless. This kind of artistic inspiration — and the fact it's created by our fellow humans from all over the world — can possibly inspire others to dream bigger and to live better (or at least to learn all the guitar parts to "Reelin' In the Years")." Enjoy National Guitar Day!