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Today is February 4 2015

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

National Stuffed Mushroom Day: More
Homemade Soup Day: More
National Medjool Date Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • Thank a Mailman Day: More
  • National Create a Vacuum day: More
  • World Cancer Day: More
    2015 Theme: ‘Not beyond us’
  • Liberace Day: More
    The day of his death in 1987.
  • USO Day: More
    United Service Organization: Their motto: 'Until Everyone Comes Home'.
  • National Girls and Women in Sports Day: More
  • Facebook's Birthday: More
  • National Signing Day: More
Events in the past on: February 4
  • In 1825, The Ohio Legislature authorizes the construction of the 'Ohio and Erie Canal'(not the same as the Erie canal in Yew York state) and the 'Miami and Erie Canal'.

    From Wikipedia: Ohio and Erie Canal: 'The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed in the 1820s and early 1830s in the U.S. state of Ohio. It connected Akron, Summit County, with the Cuyahoga River near its mouth on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth, Scioto County, and then connections to other canal systems in Pennsylvania'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More

    From Wikipedia: Miami and Erie Cana: 'The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal in Ohio that ran about 274 miles (441 km); it was constructed from Cincinnati, Ohio to Toledo to create a water route from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $8,062,680.07. At its peak, it included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 canal locks, multiple feeder canals, and a few man-made water reservoirs'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1938, Disney's first animated film, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves', is released.
    From Wikipedia: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it is the first full-length cel animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

    'Snow White premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre on December 21, 1937, followed by a nationwide release on February 4, 1938, and with international earnings of $8 million during its initial release briefly asassumed the record of highest grossing sound film at the time'.
    More
    - At Wikipedia:: More
    - At the Internet Movie Database More
    - On YouTube (movie trailer): More
  • In 1941, The 'United Service Organization' (USO) is created to entertain American troops.
    From Wikipedia: 'The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO Show) is a nonprofit organization that provides programs, services and live entertainment to United States troops and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. Although congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency. The USO operates 160 centers worldwide'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1961, The movie 'The Misfits' with Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, is released by United Artists. This was the last time either Gable or Monroe were seen in a movie, as they both died a while after the movie.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston, and starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Mgetontgomery Clift. The supporting cast features Thelma Ritter, Eli Wallach and Kevin McCarthy. The motion picture was the final film appearance for both Gable and Monroe. For Gable, the film was a posthumous release, while Monroe died the following year.

    'The plot centers on a recently divorced woman (Monroe) and her time spent with a cowboy (Gable) and his rodeo-riding friend (Clift) in the Western Nevada desert in the 1960s. The movie was not a commercial success at the time of its release but received positive critical comments for its script and performances and is highly regarded today'.
    More
    At the Internet Movie Database More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1967, During the Lunar Orbiter program, 'Lunar Orbiter 3' launches on its mission to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Lunar Orbiter program was a series of five unmanned lunar orbiter missions launched by the United States from 1966 through 1967. Intended to help select Apollo landing sites by mapping the Moon's surface, they provided the first photographs from lunar orbit.

    'All five missions were successful, and 99% of the Moon was mapped from photographs taken with a resolution of 60 meters (200 ft) or better. The first three missions were dedicated to imaging 20 potential manned lunar landing sites, selected based on Earth-based observations. These were flown at low-inclination orbits. The fourth and fifth missions were devoted to broader scientific objectives and were flown in high-altitude polar orbits. Lunar Orbiter 4 photographed the entire nearside and 9% of the far side, and Lunar Orbiter 5 completed the far side coverage and acquired medium (20 m (66 ft)) and high (2 m (6 ft 7 in)) resolution images of 36 pre-selected areas. All Lunar Orbiter craft were launched by an Atlas-Agena D launch vehicle.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 2004, 'Facebook' is launched by Mark Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard. Initially, the site is restricted to allow sign-ups only by students attending Harvard.
    From Wikipedia: 'Facebook is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its website was launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his Harvard College roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. The founders had initially limited the website's membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities and later to high-school students. Since 2006, anyone who is at least 13 years old was allowed to become a registered user of the website, though the age requirement may be higher depending on applicable local laws. Its name comes from the face book directories often given to American university students'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

We have three food holidays tomorrow. First is 'National Stuffed Mushroom Day'. Second is 'Homemade Soup Day'. Third is 'National Medjool Date Day'.
[The Hankster says] Let me see, will I have stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and a thick and hardy soup as a main course, or vice versa. Then I can have my favorite Date treat, Date Cookies for dessert. I know you can stuff dates also. Decisions, decisions. I have it. I will just stuff myself with all three. See nothing is hard if you are willing to sacrifice.

Tomorrow is 'Thank a Mailman Day'. Since 1776 the U.S. has had some form of mail service.
[The Hankster says] I'm amazed this has not been changed to 'Mail Carrier Day'.

If you don't have the price of a stamp, you might use email or just celebrate 'Facebook's Birthday' tomorrow and post a note to a friend.

You can celebrate 'National Create a Vacuum day' tomorrow.
[The Hankster says] Why, no one knows how or why. Every reference site I visited is sure it is on Feb 4, but know one knows why. It is not the date of the invention of the vacuum pump or the vacuum cleaner. The just seems to be a complete lack of information. Almost like a vacuum.

Tomorrow marks the death of an entertainer. It will be 'Liberace Day'.

We have an awareness day tomorrow. It will be 'World Cancer Day'. The campaign's 2015 theme is, ‘Not beyond us’.

Tomorrow is 'USO Day'. The United Service Organization's motto is 'Until Everyone Comes Home'. More in the events section below for 1941.

Another awareness day tomorrow is 'National Girls and Women in Sports Day'.

It's signup time. Tomorrow is 'National Signing Day'. From Wikipedia: 'usually the first Wednesday of February, is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Although all NCAA sports have at least one National Signing Day, and most have two, college football's version is by far the most widely followed by fans and sports media.'

Johnny Cash once said 'You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.'
[The Hankster says] It sounds contradictory to close the door on the past, but not forget past mistakes. Ah, but learning from the past and letting the past hinder the now and the future are quite different concepts. The past, any past that we can audit and learn from, even if not ours, is a good thing. Let us see if we can throw away the chaff from past events on February 4 and keep the germ to nourish our minds.

In 1779, George Washington is elected president of the U.S..

In 1825, The Ohio Legislature authorizes the construction of the 'Ohio and Erie Canal' and the 'Miami and Erie Canal'.
[The Hankster says] Water transport has always been the cheapest way to move large amounts of product. The Erie Canal eventually linked the Great Lakes at Lake Erie and the Ohio River. The versatility of railroads made it obsolete after about 30 years.

In 1938 - Disney's first animated film, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves', is released.

In 1941, The 'United Service Organization' (USO) is created to entertain American troops. From Wikipedia: ' is a nonprofit organization that provides programs, services and live entertainment to United States troops and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. Although congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency. The USO operates 160 centers worldwide.'.

In 1961, The movie 'The Misfits' with Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, is released by United Artists. This was the last time either Gable or Monroe were seen in a movie, as they both died a while after the movie.

In 1967, During the Lunar Orbiter program, 'Lunar Orbiter 3' launches on its mission to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft.

In 2004, 'Facebook' is launched by Mark Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard. Initially, the site is restricted to allow sign-ups only by students attending Harvard.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • Downtown - Petula Clark: More
    'I Feel Fine' has been displaced by 'Downtown', which will hold the no. 1 spot until February 6 1965, when 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'', takes over.

Top movie

  • 36 Hours More
    Having displaced 'My Fair Lady', it will be there until the weekend box office of February 7, 1965 when, 'My Fair Lady, (returns and', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): February 4
   V.
This month February 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - February 1 2015)

Food Holiday:
Berry Fresh Month Canned Food Month Celebration of Chocolate Month Great American Pie Month National Cherry Month National Grapefruit Month National Fiber Focus Month National Fondue Month National Hot Breakfast Month National Snack Food Month Potato Lover’s Month Sweet Potato Month Other:
American Heart Month An Affair to Remember Month Black History Month Creative Romance Month National Children’s Dental Health Month National Heart Healthy Month National Weddings 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 1965 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

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 2015)

Best selling books of 1965 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

  • 2015 Postal Holidays More
  • 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

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