Tomorrow's food holiday is 'National Surf and Turf Day'.
From Wikipedia:' 'Surf and turf or surf 'n' turf is a main course which combines seafood and meat. The seafood used may be lobster, prawns, or shrimp, which may be steamed, grilled or breaded and fried. When served with lobster, the lobster tail or a whole lobster may be served with the dish. The meat is typically beefsteak, although others may be used. One type of combination is lobster and filet mignon. Surf and turf is eaten in steakhouses in North America[5] and Australia, and may be available in Britis
h/Irish-style pubs'.
[The Hankster says] Better have seconds, since it will be another 4 years until this holiday comes around again. You can bring the thirds and fourths home in a doggie bag.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
- National Leap Day'.
From Wikipedia:' 'A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or a bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. By inserting (also called
intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year that is not a leap year is called a common year.
'For example, in the Gregorian calendar, each leap year has 366 days instead of the usual 365, by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28. Similarly, in the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, Adar Aleph, a 13th lunar month, is added seven times every 19 years to the twelve lunar months in its common years to keep its calendar year from drifting through the seasons.
The name "leap year" comes from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, the day of the week in a leap year will advance two days (from March onwards) due to the extra day added at the end of February (thus "leaping over" one of the days in the week). For example, Christmas fell on Tuesday in 2001, Wednesday in 2002, and Thursday in 2003 but then "leapt" over Friday to fall on a Saturday in 2004.
'The following pseudocode determines whether a year is a leap year or a common year in the Gregorian calendar (and in the proleptic Gregorian calendar before 1582). The year variable being tested is the integer representing the number of the year in the Gregorian calendar, and the tests are arranged to dispatch the most common cases first. Care should be taken in translating mathematical integer divisibility into specific programming languages.
if (year is not divisible by 4) then (it is a common year)
else if (year is not divisible by 100) then (it is a leap year)
else if (year is not divisible by 400) then (it is a common year)
else (it is a leap year)
'February 29 is a date that usually occurs every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the Earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.
[The Hankster says] If that is confusing, then just check the calendar that your insurance agent sends you each year, whether you want it or not.
- 'Bachelor's Day'.
From Wikipedia:' 'Bachelor's Day is an Irish tradition on Leap Day allowing women to initiate dances and propose marriage. If the proposal was refused the man was expected to buy the woman a silk gown or, by the mid-20th century, a fur coat. The tradition is supposed to originate from a deal that Saint Bridget struck with Saint Patrick.
In the United Kingdom, a woman was allowed to propose marriage on Leap Day and if refused the man was obliged to buy her new gloves on Easter Day. In some areas a woman could propose for the entire leap year'.
[The Hankster says] Who knew that Sadie Hawkins was Irish. Just a warning guys.
Awareness / Observance Days on: February 29
o Health
- 'Rare Disease Day'. On the last day of February since 2008. Focuses on rare/orphan diseases.
From Wikipedia:' 'A rare disease, also referred to as an orphan disease, is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population.
Most rare diseases are genetic, and thus are present throughout the person's entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear. Many rare diseases appear early in life, and about 30 percent of children with rare diseases will die before reaching their fifth birthday. With a single diagnosed patient only, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase deficiency is considered the rarest genetic disease.
No single cutoff number has been agreed upon for which a disease is considered rare. A disease may be considered rare in one part of the world, or in a particular group of people, but still be common in another'.
o Animal and Pets
- 'National Cupcake Day'. In Canada.'supported by the Ontario SPCA and BC SPCA on behalf of participating local shelters, SPCAs, and Humane Societies'.
Historical events in the past on: February 29
- In 1504, Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.
From Wikipedia: 'A total lunar eclipse occurred on March 1, 1504, visible at sunset for the Americas, and later over night over Europe and Africa, and near sunrise over Asia
Christopher Columbus, in an effort to induce the natives of Jamaica to continue provisioning him and his hungry men, successfully intimidated the natives by correctly predicting a total lunar eclipse for March 1, 1504 (visible on the evening of February 29 in the Americas), using the Ephemeris of the German astronomer Regiomontanus'.
- In 1936, Baby Snooks, played by Fanny Brice, debuts on the radio program The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air.
From Wikipedia: 'The Baby Snooks Show was an American radio program starring comedian and Ziegfeld Follies alumna Fanny Brice as a mischievous young girl who was 40 years younger than the actress who played her when she first went on the air. The series began on CBS September 17, 1944, airing on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm as Post Toasties Time (for sponsor General Foods). The title soon changed to The Baby Snooks Show, and the series was sometimes called Baby Snooks and Daddy'.
- In 1940, For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.
From Wikipedia: 'Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939) for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first African American to win an Academy Award.
- In addition to acting in many films, McDaniel was a professional singer-songwriter, comedian, stage actress, radio performer, and television star; she was the first black woman to sing on the radio in the U.S. During her career, McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, although she received screen credits for only 80 or so.
'McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood: one at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to radio and one at 1719 Vine Street for acting in motion pictures. In 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and in 2006 became the first black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp'.
- In 1940 At the 12th Academy Awards:
From Wikipedia'.
-- Best Picture is, Gone With the Wind
-- Best Actor is Robert Donat for Goodbye, Mr. Chips
-- Best Actress is Vivien Leigh for Gone With the Wind
-- Best Supporting Actor is Thomas Mitchell for Stagecoach
-- Best Supporting Actress is Hattie McDaniel – Gone With the Wind
-- Best Song is is Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz
- In 2004, At the 76th Academy Awards:
-- Best Picture is, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
-- Best Actor is Sean Penn for Mystic River as Jimmy Markum
-- Best Actress is Charlize Theron for Monster as Aileen Wuornos
-- Best Supporting Actor is Tim Robbins – Mystic River as Dave Boyle
-- Best Supporting Actress is Renée Zellweger – Cold Mountain as Ruby Thewes
-- Best Song is is Into the West from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- In 2012, Tokyo Skytree construction completed. Now it is the tallest tower in the world, 634 meters high, and second tallest (man-made) structure on Earth, next to Burj Khalifa.
From Wikipedia: 'Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m/2,722 ft)'.
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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