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Today is February 2 2014

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   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday

Heavenly Hash Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
Events in the past on: February 2
  • In 1709, Alexander Selkirk is rescued from a desert island. This story inspires the book, Robinson Crusoe. Feb. 1st or 2nd depending on dateline.
    From Wikipedia: 'Alexander Selkirk (1676 – 13 December 1721), also known as Alexander Selcraig, was a Scottish sailor who spent more than four years as a castaway after being marooned on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific Ocean, also known as the South Sea.'

    'Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719.' 'Selkirk was an unruly youth, and joined buccaneering expeditions to the South Sea. One such expedition was aboard the Cinque Ports, commanded by William Dampier. The ship called in for provisions at the Juan Fernández Islands off Chile, and Selkirk judged correctly that his craft was unseaworthy and asked to be left there.'

    'By the time that he was rescued, he had become adept at hunting and making use of the resources that he found on the island. His story of survival was widely publicised when he returned home and became a likely source of inspiration for writer Daniel Defoe's fictional character Robinson Crusoe'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1848, the 'Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo' ends the Mexican-American War. The U.S. acquires Texas (Rio Grande set as border), California, New Mexico and Arizona for $15 mil.
    From Wikipedia: 'A war between the U.S. and Mexico spanned the period from spring 1846 to fall 1847. The war was initiated by the United States and resulted in sMexico's defeat and the loss of approximately half of its national territory in the north. In the U.S. the war is termed the Mexican–American War, also known as the Mexican War, the U.S.–Mexican War or the Invasion of Mexico. In Mexico snames for the war include Primera intervención estadounidense en México (United States' First Intervention in Mexico), Invasión estadounidense a México ("United States' Invasion of Mexico"), Guerra de la Invasión estadounidense, and Guerra del 47 ("The War of 1847")'.

    'Outnumbered militarily and with many of its large cities occupied, Mexico could not defend itself; the country was also faced with many internal divisions, including the Caste War of Yucatán. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, by American diplomat Nicholas Trist and Mexican plenipotentiary representatives Luis G. Cuevas, Bernardo Couto, and Miguel Atristain, ended the war. The treaty gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, established the U.S.-Mexican border of the Rio Grande, and ceded to the United States the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received $15,000,000 ($499,137,500 today) – less than half the amount the U.S. had attempted to offer Mexico for the land before the opening of hostilities – and the U.S. agreed to assume $3.25 million ($88,887,500 today) in debts that the Mexican government owed to U.S. citizens'. More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1876, The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.
    From Wikipedia: 'By 1875, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was dangerously weak. The N.A. suffered from a lack of strong authority over clubs, unsupervised scheduling, unstable membership, dominance by one team (the Boston Red Stockings), and an extremely low entry fee ($10) that gave clubs no incentive to abide by league rules when it was not convenient.

    'William Hulbert, a Chicago businessman and an officer of the Chicago White Stockings, approached several N.A. clubs with the plans for a league with stronger central authority and exclusive territories in larger cities only. Additionally, Hulbert had a problem—five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a great vested interest in creating his own league. After recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky, in January 1876. With Hulbert speaking for the four in New York City on February 2, 1876, the National League was established with eight charter members, ...' More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1887, In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.
    From Wikipedia: 'Groundhog Day was adopted in the U.S. in 1887. Clymer H. Freas was the editor of the local paper Punxsutawney Spirit at the time, and he began promoting the town’s groundhog as the official “Groundhog Day meteorologist.”

    'The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with Punxsutawney Phil. Groundhog Day, already a widely recognized and popular tradition, received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1892, A bottle cap with a cork seal is patented by William Painter.
    From Wikipedia: 'Caps were originally designed to be pressed over and around the top of a glass bottle to grab a small flange on the bottleneck.

    'The crown cork was patented by William Painter on February 2, 1892 (U.S. Patent 468,258). It had 24 teeth and a cork seal with a paper backing to prevent contact between the contents and the metal cap. The current version has 21 teeth. To open these bottles, a bottle opener is generally used.

    'The height of the crown cap was reduced and specified in the German standard DIN 6099 in the 1960s. This also defined the "twist-off" crown cap, now used in the United States, Canada, and Australia. This cap is pressed around screw threads instead of a flange, and can be removed by twisting the cap by hand, eliminating the need for an opener'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1901, The United States Army Nurse Corps (AN or ANC) is established.
    From Wikipedia: 'The United States Army Nurse Corps (AN or ANC) was formally established by the U.S. Congress in 1901. It is one of the six medical special branches (or "corps") of officers which – along with medical enlisted soldiers – comprise the Army Medical Department (AMEDD). The ANC is the nursing service for the U.S. Army and provides highly qualified nursing staff in support of the Department of Defense medical plans. This ANC is composed entirely of registered nurses (RNs)'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1912, Frederick R Law, parachutes from Statue of Liberty. It was a stunt for the newsreel company Pathe. More
    - On YouTube (modern day): More
  • In 1925, The famous 'Serum run to Nome' occurs. Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum. This later inspires the creation of the 'Iditarod' race.
    From Wikipedia: 'The 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy, was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled relay across the U.S. territory of Alaska by 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs 674 miles (1,085 km) in five and a half days, saving the small city of Nome and the surrounding communities from an incipient epidemic.'

    'Both the mushers and their dogs were portrayed as heroes in the newly popular medium of radio, and received headline coverage in newspapers across the United States. Balto, the lead sled dog on the final stretch into Nome, became the most famous canine celebrity of the era after Rin Tin Tin, and his statue is a popular tourist attraction in New York City's Central Park. The publicity also helped spur an inoculation campaign in the U.S. that dramatically reduced the threat of the disease'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1935, The 'Lie detector' is first used in court.
    From Wikipedia: 'Leonarde Keeler (1903–1949) was the co-inventor of the polygraph. He was named after the polymath Leonardo da Vinci, and preferred to be called as 'Nard.' He was a Berkeley high school student and amateur magician. He was captivated by John Larson’s machine - his so-called 'cardio-pneumo psychogram,' capable of detecting deception, and worked on to produce modern polygraph.'

    'In 1924, Keeler’s first handmade polygraph instrument, which he called "the Emotograph," was destroyed in a fire at his residence. On February 2, 1935, he conducted the first use of his invention, the Keeler Polygraph—otherwise known as the lie detector. Keeler used the lie detector on two criminals in Portage, Wisconsin, who were later convicted of assault when the lie detector results were introduced in court.'

    'A polygraph, popularly referred to as a lie detector, measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions. The belief underpinning the use of the polygraph is that deceptive answers will produce physiological responses that can be differentiated from those associated with non- deceptive answers; the polygraph is one of several devices used for lie detection.'

    'The polygraph was invented in 1921 by John Augustus Larson, a medical student at the University of California at Berkeley and a police officer of the Berkeley Police Department in Berkeley, California.'

    'The efficacy of polygraphs is debated in the scientific community'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1940, Frank Sinatra's singing debut begins in Indianapolis with Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1942, During World War II, The auto companies for the first time in history completely switch from commercial production to war production. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1950, The TV panel game show 'What's My Line,' premieres on CBS-TV.
    From Wikipedia: 'What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasks celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations. It is the longest-running U.S. primetime network television game-show. Moderated by John Daly and with panelists Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf, What's My Line? won three Emmy Awards for "Best Quiz or Audience Participation Show" in 1952, 1953, and 1958 and the Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1962.'

    'Produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Television, the show was initially called Occupation Unknown before deciding on the name What's My Line?. The original series, which was usually broadcast live, debuted on Thursday, February 2, 1950, at 8:00 p.m. ET. After airing alternate Wednesdays, then alternate Thursdays, finally on October 1, 1950, it had settled into its weekly Sunday 10:30 p.m. ET slot where it would remain until the end of its network run on September 3, 1967.' More
    On YouTube: More
  • In 1952, B.B. King's '3 O'Clock Blues' hits #1 on the US Billboard's 'R and B' hit parade to become his first national hit.
    From Wikipedia: '"3 O'Clock Blues" or "Three O'Clock Blues" is a slow twelve-bar sblues recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1946. When it was released in 1948, it became Fulson's first hit. When B.B. King recorded the song in 1952, it became his first hit as well as "one of the top-selling R&B recordsof 1952"'. More
    On YouTube; More
  • In 1974, Barbra Striesand has her first #1 hit with 'The Way We Were'.
    From Wikipedia; 'The Way We Were is the title song to the 1973 movie The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. The song was written by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics) and Marvin Hamlisch (music) and performed by Streisand'. More
    On YouTube: More
  • In 2003, Jennifer Lopez starts a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'All I Have'.
    From Wikipedia: '"All I Have" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002 as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002)'. More
    On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Nothing. Looks like I was lazy on this day.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles: More
    The Beatles have there first hit the No. 1 in the US.This will hold the no. 1 spot until March 21th, when another Beatles song, She Loves You, takes over.

Top movie

  • Dr. Strangelove More
    It will be there until the weekend box office of Feb. 23 when 'Dead Ringer' takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): February 2
   V.
This month February 2014 (updated once a month - last updated - )

National Weddings Month, Potato Lover's Month, Berry Fresh Month, National Cherry Month, National Hot Breakfast Month, National Grapefruit Month, National Snack Food Month, Sweet Potato Month


February is:

February origin (from Wikipedia):
'The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain intervals February was truncated to 23 or 24 days, and a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, was inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons. Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year, and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month was February whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight changes to the system for determining which years were leap years and thus contained a 29-day February.'

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 days in leap years.
February is the third month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third month of summer (the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere, in meteorological reckoning).

February at Wikipedia: More

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1964 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2014)

If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago, or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More

 VII.
Best selling books fifty years ago (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2014)

Best selling books of 1964 More

VIII.
Fun (Last link added October 1 2014, but content on each site may change daily)
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: More
  • NOAA: - National Hurricane Center - Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: More
  • Listen to Old Radio Shows: (streaming mp3 with schedule) More
  • NASA TV: (video feed) More
    NASA TV schedule: More
  • Public Domain eBook Links

    Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More

  • Podcast: A Moment of Science. Approximately 1 minute general science facts.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: The Naked Scientists. Current science, medicine, space and other science
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: Quirks & Quarks. Current science news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Articles and videos: Universe Today. Current space and astronomy news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Old Picture of the Day - "Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph."
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  IX.
Other Holiday Sites (Last link added October 1 2014. Link content changes yearly)

Below, are listed several holiday sites that I reference in addition to other holiday researches.


US Government Holidays

  • 2014 Postal Holidays More
  • 2014 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
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