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Today is February 13 2015

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

National Tortellini Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Blame Someone Else Day: More
    First Friday The 13th of The Year
  • Radio Day: More
    UNESCO day
  • Get A Different Name Day: More
  • Madly In Love With Me Day: More
  • Employee Legal Awareness Day: More
  • Black Love Day: More
  • Stamp Collectors Day: More
  • Hollard Daredevil Runs: More
    In South Africa (ZA). Fund raiser and awareness day for prostate and testicular cancer.
  • International Condom Day: More
    By the AIDS Healthcare Foundation
  • Desperation Day: More
    Day before Valentines Day. Episode of 'How I Met Your Mother'
Events in the past on: February 13
  • In 1895, A moving picture projector is patented by Louis Lumiere. Not the first projector, but the first patented.
    From Wikipedia:' 'The Lumière October 1862, Besançon, France – 10 April 1954, Lyon) and Louis Jean (5 October 1864, Besançon, France – 6 June 1948, Bandol), were the first filmmakers in history. They patented the cinematograph, which in contrast to Edison's "peepshow" kinetoscope allowed simultaneous viewing by multiple parties.

    Their first film, Sortie de l'usine Lumière de Lyon, shot in 1895, is sconsidered the "first true motion picture."'.

    'It was not until their father retired in 1892 that the brothers began to create moving pictures. They patented a number of significant processes leading up to their film camera, most notably film perforations (originally implemented by Emile Reynaud) as a means of advancing the film through the camera and projector. The original cinématographe had been patented by Léon Guillaume Bouly on 12 February 1892. The brothers patented their own version on 13 February 1895. The first footage ever to be recorded using it was recorded on March 19, 1895. This first film shows workers leaving the Lumière factory.

    The Lumières brothers saw film as a novelty and had withdrawn from the film business in 1905. They went on to develop the first practical photographic color process, the Lumière Autochrome'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1932, The movie 'Free Eats' of the 'Our Gang' series introduces George 'Spanky' McFarland.
    From Wikipedia:' 'Free Eats is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Ray McCarey. It was the 112th (24th talking Our Gang episode) Our Gang short that was released.'

    'The gang along with other poor children in the town are given a party ssswith games and great food to eat. In addition, each child would be sssgiven a food basket to bring home to their parents. Its given by a wealthy woman whose husband is running for office. Meanwhile a couple criminals have set up two midgets to come to the party as babies. They would steal tons of expensive jewelry and planned on robbing a safe sfilled with tons of money. Stymie caught the "fidgets" in the safe. The rest of the gang come to Stymie's rescue as the midgets pull a gun. An alarm goes off and the police come and arrest the midgets and all ends well'.

    Main cast: Sherwood Bailey as Spud, Matthew Beard as Stymie, Dorothy DeBorba as Dorothy Bobby Hutchins as Wheezer, Kendall McComas as Breezy Brisbane, George McFarland as Spanky Pete the Pup as Himsel.
    More
    On YouTube: More
  • In 1937, The comic strip 'Prince Valiant' debuts. It is known for historical detail.
    From Wikipedia:' 'Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-running comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 4000 Sunday strips. Currently, the strip appears weekly in more than 300 American newspapers, according to its distributor, King Features Syndicate.'

    'Edward, the Duke of Windsor, called Prince Valiant the "greatest contribution to English literature in the past hundred years." Generally regarded by comics historians as one of the most impressive visual creations ever syndicated, the strip is noted for its realistically rendered panoramas and the intelligent, sometimes humorous, narrative. The format does not employ word balloons. Instead, the story is narrated in captions positioned at the bottom or sides of panels. Events depicted are taken from various time periods, from the late Roman Empire to the High Middle Ages, with a few brief scenes from modern times (commenting on the "manuscript")'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1943, The United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve is created to release Marines from headquarters office duty.
    From Wikipedia:' 'The United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve served in two World Wars before becoming a part of the regular United States Marine Corps.

    'Faced with manpower shortages in 1918, Major General Commandant George Barnett asked the Secretary of the Navy's permission to enlist women for clerical duties.'

    'The Marine Corps Women's Reserve was officially established on 13 February 1943. The first director of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve was Major Ruth Cheney Streeter from Morristown, New Jersey. By the end of World War II, 85% of all enlisted U.S. Marine Corps personnel assigned to Headquarters were women. The MCWR was often referred to as the "Lady Marines," but with other women's organizations in the U. S. Military being given catchy names such as WACs, WAVES, and WASPs, one female reporter thou thought of the name "BAM"s for "Beautiful American Marines"; however many male Marines called them the derogatory term "Broad Ass Marines".

    'However, Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Holcomb who authorized the mobilization of women into the Corps on February 13, 1943, was emphatic that the Women Marine reservists were not to be ascribed any sort of nickname. In a March 1944 issue of Life magazine, he announced, “They are Marines. They don't have a nickname and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere at a Marine post. They inherit the traditions of Marines. They are Marines.”'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1967, Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices are discovered by Americans in Spain's National Library. When constructed, the device in the plans resembled what could be called an adding machine.
    From Wikipedia:' 'The Madrid Codices I–II (I – Ms. 8937 i II – Ms. 8936), are two manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci which were discovered in the Biblioteca Nacional de España in Madrid in 1965 by Dr. Jules Piccus, Language Professor at the University of Massachusetts. '

    'The two volumes, containing 197 pages, are bound in red leather. Topics discussed include mechanics, statics, geometry and construction of fortifications. There is a list of 116 books Leonardo was using at the time, including some basic Latin grammar books. The text is written in Italian dialect with some errors. The manuscripts are of great importance as they contain about 15% of Leonardo's notes referenced today, but are also important for the quality and relevance of the works they contain, which are among the major engineering treatises of their time'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 2000, Last Peanuts comic strip appears in newspaper the day after Charles M. Schulz passes.
    From Wikipedia:' 'Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. The strip is the most popular and influential in the history of comic strips, with 17,897 strips published in all, making it "arguably the longest story ever told by one 'human being". At its peak, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages. It helped to cement the four-panel gag strip as the standard in the United States, and together with its merchandise earned Schulz more than $1 billion. Reprints of the strip are still syndicated and run in almost every U.S. newspaper'.
    More
    - On YouTube (final): More
    - On YouTube (first) : More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Tortellini Day'.
[The Hankster says] Meat or cheese stuffed pasta. When I'm finished eating the pasta is not the only thing stuffed.

Alert! for you triskaidekaphobics out there, tomorrow is of course Friday the 13th. Tomorrow is 'National Blame Someone Else Day'. On the first Friday The 13th of The Year
[The Hankster says] Even if you don't walk under a ladder or cross paths with a black cat, tomorrow you can put the blame on anyone but yourself. No, I don't know when retaliation day is celebrated, so be sparing with how much you attribute falsely to others..

If luck is really against you tomorrow, you might consider that it will be 'Get A Different Name Day'.
[The Hankster says] Choose your temporary 'nom de plume' for a day. 'The Hankster' is only one of mine. Others that my 'friends' have given me are 'Ratman' and just plain /Rat' and because I am full of useless trivia 'Mr. Know It All', with apologies to Bullwinkle.. I won't mention the ones my enemies give me.

A UNESCO awareness day tomorrow is 'Radio Day'. It recognizes the contributions of radio in the past and present. For example, in some remote areas of the world, school is conducted via radio, even today.

Tomorrow is a day to face your mirror for 'Madly In Love With Me Day'. It was created by self-help guru Christine Arylo, author of 'Madly In Love With ME, The Daring Adventure To Becoming Your Own Best Friend'.

Another awareness day tomorrow will be 'Employee Legal Awareness Day'.

For you philatelist out there. tomorrow is 'Stamp Collectors Day'.

For those in South Africa it will be 'Hollard Daredevil Runs' day tomorrow. In South Africa (ZA) this is a fund raiser and awareness day for prostate and testicular cancer.

Another awareness day will be 'International Condom Day'. By the AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Richard P. Feynman once said 'I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.
[The Hankster says] History is full of personal 'here and there' changes as well as the more notable large scale events that shook nations and even the world. We could choose any day, let us say February 13 in the past, and analyze it for the degree of effect it had. It may have shaken the lives of many or been , just a slight tremble to one.

In 1895, A moving picture projector is patented by Louis Lumiere. Not the first projector, but the first patented.

In 1932, The movie 'Free Eats' of the 'Our Gang' series introduces George 'Spanky' McFarland.

In 1937, The comic strip 'Prince Valiant' debuts. It is known for it's historical detail.

In 1943, The United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve is created to release Marines from headquarters office duty.

In 1959, The Barbie doll goes on sale.

In 1967, Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices are discovered by Americans in Spain's National Library. When constructed, the device in one of the plans would have produced the worlds first adding machine,if it had been constructed back then.

In 2000, The last Peanuts comic strip appears in newspaper the day after Charles M. Schulz passes.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers: More
    'Downtown' has been displaced by 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'', which will hold the no. 1 spot until February 27 1965, when 'This Diamond Ring', takes over.

Top movie

  • My Fair Lady, (returns) More
    Having displaced '36 Hours', it will be there until the weekend box office of February 27, 1965 when, 'The Greatest Story Ever Told', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): February 13
   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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