Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Pistachio Day'.
From Wikipedia:' 'The pistachio vera), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.'
'Archaeology shows that pistachio seeds were a common food as early as 6750 BC.'
'Pistachio is a nutritionally dense food. In a 100 gram serving, pistachios provide 562 calories and are a rich source (> 19% of the Daily Value or DV) of protein, dietary fiber, several dietary minerals and the B vitamins, thiamin and vitamin B6. Pistachios are a good source (10-19% DV) of calcium, vitamin B5 and vitamin E.'
'The fat profile of raw pistachios consists of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fatty acids include palmitic acid (10% of total) and stearic acid (2%). Oleic acid is the most common monounsaturated fatty acid (51% of total fat) and linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid (18% of total)'.
[The Hankster says] Glad I got an explanation. At first I thought it was a nut invented by an Old German puppet maker named Geppetto.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
- 'Tell a Fairy Tale Day'. From Wikipedia:' 'A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.
In less technical contexts, the term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending) or "fairy tale romance" (though not all fairy tales end happily). Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story or tall tale; it is used especially of any story that not only is not true, but could not possibly be true. Legends are perceived as real; fairy tales may merge into legends, where the narrative is perceived
both by teller and hearers as being grounded in historical truth. However, unlike legends and epics, they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time rather than in actual times.
Fairy tales are found in oral and in literary form; the name "fairy tale" was first ascribed to them by Madame d'Aulnoy in the late 17th century. Many of today's fairy tales have evolved from centuries-old stories that have appeared, with variations, in multiple cultures around the world. The history of the fairy tale is particularly difficult to trace because only the literary forms can survive. Still, according to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, such stories may date back thousands
of years, some to the Bronze Age more than 6,000 years ago. Fairy tales, and works derived from fairy tales, are still written today'.
[The Hankster says] Sounds like one of the dreams I had last night after midnight pizza.
- 'For Pete's Sake Day'. Celebration of the 'minced oath'.
From Wikipedia:' 'A minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo term to reduce the original term's objectionable characteristics. Some examples include gosh, darn, dang, fudge and heck.
Many languages have such expressions. In the English language, nearly all profanities have minced variants'.
[The Hankster says] Sort of a vocal seven second delay.
- 'Texas Cowboy Poetry Week'. February 26-27.
[The Hankster says] There are some really good works.
Awareness / Observance Days on: February 26
o Health
- 'Wear Red Day'. Last Friday in February in Australia. Awareness and fund raiser for fight heart disease.
- 'Lollipop Day'. February 26-27 in Ireland. Awareness and fund raiser to fight Oesophageal Cancer Research.
Historical events in the past on: February 26
- In 1870, The first NYC subway line opened (pneumatic powered).
From Wikipedia: 'The New York City Subway is one of the world's oldest public transit systems, one of the world's most used metro systems, and the metro system with the most stations and the most trackage. It offers service 24 hours per day and every day of the year.'
'The New York City Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world by number of stations, with 469 stations in operation (422, if stations connected by transfers are counted as single stations).'
'The system is also one of the world's longest. Overall, the system contains 233 miles (375 km) of routes, translating into 660 miles (1,060 km) of revenue track; and a total of 846 miles (1,362 km) including non-revenue trackage.'
'A demonstration for an underground transit system in New York City was first built by Alfred Ely Beach in 1869 and opened in 1870. His Beach Pneumatic Transit only extended 312 feet (95 m) under Broadway in Lower Manhattan and exhibited his idea for a subway propelled by pneumatic tube technology. The tunnel was never extended for political and financial reasons, although extensions had been planned to take the tunnel southward to The Battery and northwards towards the Harlem River. In 1912, workers
excavating for the present-day BMT Broadway Line dug into the old Beach tunnel; today, no part of this line remains as the tunnel was completely within the limits of the present day City Hall Station under Broadway'.'.
- In 1909, The first successful color motion picture process, 'Kinemacolor' is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in London.
From Wikipedia: 'Kinemacolor was the first successful color motion picture process, used commercially from 1908 to 1914. It was invented by George Albert Smith of Brighton, England in 1906. He was influenced by the work of William Norman Lascelles Davidson and, more directly, Edward Raymond Turner. It was launched by Charles Urban's Urban Trading Co. of London in 1908. From 1909 on, the process was known as Kinemacolor. It was a two-color additive color process, photographing and projecting a
black-and-whit
e film behind alternating red and green filters'.'.
- In 1917, The Original Dixieland Jass Band records the first jazz record, for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
From Wikipedia: 'The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) were a New Orleans, Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz single ever issued. The group made the first recordings, and claimed authorship, of many jazz standards, the most famous being "Tiger Rag". In late 1917 the spelling of the band's name was changed to Original Dixieland Jazz Band'.'.
- In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of the U.S. Congress establishing most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park - the 'Grand Canyon National Park'.
From Wikipedia: 'Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in northwestern Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.
'Grand Canyon was officially designated a national park in 1919, though the landmark had been well known to Americans for over thirty years prior. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the site and said: "The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled through-out the wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do
is tokeep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see"'.'.
- In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signs an Executive Order establishing the 96,000 acre 'Grand Teton National Park' in Wyoming.
From Wikipedia: 'Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately 310,000 acres (480 sq mi; 130,000 ha; 1,300 km2), the park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile-long (64 km) Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. It is only 10 miles (16 km) south of Yellowstone National Park, to which it is connected by the National Park Service- managed John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Along with
surrounding National Forests, these three protected areas constitute the almost 18,000,000-acre (7,300,000 ha) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact mid-latitude temperate ecosystems in the world.'
' Efforts to preserve the region as a national park commenced in the late 19th century, and in 1929 Grand Teton National Park was established, protecting the major peaks of the Teton Range'.'.
- In 1935, Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration near Daventry which leads directly to the development of radar in the United Kingdom.
From Wikipedia: 'Nazi Germany was rumoured to have a "death ray" using radio waves that was capable of destroying towns, cities and people. In January 1935, H.E. Wimperis, Director of Scientific Research at the Air Ministry, asked Watson-Watt about the possibility of building their version of a death-ray, specifically to be used against aircraft. Watson-Watt quickly returned a calculation carried out by his colleague, Arnold Wilkins, showing that the device was impossible to construct, and fears of a
Nazi version soon vanished. However, he also mentioned in the same report a suggestion that was originally made to him by Wilkins, who had recently heard of aircraft disturbing shortwave communications, that radio waves may be capable of detecting aircraft: "Meanwhile attention is being turned to the still difficul but less unpromising, problem of radio detection and numerical considerations on the method of detection by reflected radio waves will be submitted when required." Wilson's idea, checked by Watt,
was promptly presented by Tizard to the CSSAD on January 28.
'On 12 February 1935, Watson-Watt sent the secret memo of the proposed system to the Air Ministry, Detection and location of aircraft by radio methods. Although not as exciting as a death-ray, the concept clearly had potential but the Air Ministry, before giving funding, asked for a demonstration proving that radio waves could be reflected by an aircraft. This was ready by 26 February and consisted of two receiving antennas located about 6 miles (9.7 km) away from one of the BBC's shortwave broadcast
stations at Daventry. The two antennas were phased such that signals travelling directly from the station cancelled themselves out, but signals arriving from other angles were admitted, thereby deflecting the trace on a CRT indicator (passive radar).] Such was the secrecy of this test that only three people witnessed it: Watson-Watt, his colleague Arnold Wilkins, and a single member of the committee, A. P. Rowe. The demonstration was a success; ...'.
- In 1983, Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album goes to #1 and stays #1 for 37 weeks.
From Wikipedia: 'Thriller is the sixth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records, as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including pop, post-disco, rock and funk. Recording sessions took place on April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles with a production budget of $750,000, assisted by producer Quincy
Jones'.'.
- In 1985, At the 27th Grammy Awards, 'Whats Love Got to Do With It', by Tina Turner wins Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Album of the Year is 'Can't Slow Down' by Lionel Richie. The Best New Artist was Cyndi Lauper.
From Wikipedia: '"What's Love Got to Do with It" is a song recorded by the American singer Tina Turner, released in 1984. It was taken from her fifth solo album, Private Dancer and became Turner's most successful single'.'.
- In 1997, At the 39th Grammy Awards, 'Change the World' by Eric Clapton wins Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Album of the Year is Celine Dion for 'Falling Into You'. LeAnn Rimes is the Best New Artist.
From Wikipedia: '"Change the World" is a pop song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick whose best-known version was recorded by the British recording artist Eric Clapton for the soundtrack of the 1996 film, Phenomenon'.'.
- In 2009, Fox announces the renewal of 'The Simpsons' for 2 more years, making it the longest-running TV series.'.
- In 2012, At the 84th Academy Awards, 'The Artist' wins five Academy Awards (nominated for 10). Best Picture, Best Director,and Best Actor for Dujardin. It was the first French film to ever win Best Picture and Actor, and the first mainly silent film to win since 1927's Wings won at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in February
Food
Barley Month
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
Grapefruit Month
National Cherry Month
National Hot Breakfast Month
Health
AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
American Heart Month
International Boost Self-Esteem Month
International Expect Success Month
International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
Marfan Syndrome Awareness Month
National Condom Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
National Therapeutic Recreation Month
Animal / Pet
Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month
Beat The Heat Month
Dog Training Education Month
International Hoof-care Month
National Bird Feeding Month
National Pet Dental Health Month
Responsible Pet Owner's Month
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
Other
Cricket World Cup
International Month of Black Women in The Arts
Library Lovers Month
Love The Bus Month
National African American History / Black History Month
National African American Read-In
National Care About Your Indoor Air Month
National Parent Leadership Month
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
National Time Management Month
National Weddings Month
National Women Inventors Month
North American Inclusion Month
Relationship Wellness Month
Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
Youth Leadership 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
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Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More