FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Julia Ward Howe (/haʊ/; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the original 1870 pacifist Mother’s Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism and a social activist, particularly for women’s suffrage.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Month of February
February came from the Latin word februa, “to cleanse.” The month was named after the Roman Februalia, which was a month-long festival of purification and atonement. Find fun facts all about the month of February!
Question of the Day
Why do professional interior house painters wear white overalls rather than blue overalls?
By the mid-1800s, the colors were standardized — painters and plasterers wore white overalls, farmers wore blue or brown. Railway workers sported a variety of pinstripes.
Advice of the Day
Don’t light a candle from the fireplace if you hope to grow rich.
Home Hint of the Day
To clean cobwebs from the edges of hard-to-reach ceilings, slip an old nylon stocking over a yardstick and use it to reach the cobwebs.
Word of the Day
Barometer
An instrument used to measure air pressure; there are two basic types, aneroid and mercury.
Puzzle of the Day
Who was the strongest man mentioned in the Bible?
Jonah, because the whale could not keep him down.
Born
- Thomas Cole (painter) – 1801
- Victor Herbert (cellist) – 1859
- Louis Stephen St. Laurent (Canadian Prime Minister) – 1882
- Clark Gable (actor) – 1901
- Langston Hughes (poet) – 1902
- John Hart (broadcast journalist) – 1932
- Don Everly (musician) – 1937
- Sherman Hemsley (actor) – 1938
- Rick James (singer) – 1952
- Princess Stéphanie of Monaco – 1965
- Brandon Lee (actor) – 1965
- Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley) – 1968
- Lee Thompson Young (actor) – 1984
Died
- Mary Shelley (author) – 1851
- Buster Keaton (actor) – 1966
- Heather O’Rourke (actress) – 1988
- Don Cornelius (creator of Soul Train) – 2012
- Edward Ed” Koch” (former mayor of New York City) – 2013
Events
- Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was found on an island where he had been stranded for over 4 years. His experience was the basis for Daniel DeFoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe– 1709
- First U.S. dental dispensary opened, New York City– 1791
- The first dental college was incorporated, Baltimore, Maryland– 1840
- Texas seceded from the Union– 1861
- Battle Hymn of the Republic, a poem written by Julia Ward Howe, was published in Atlantic Monthly– 1862
- Edition one of the Oxford English Dictionary” was published”– 1884
- First automobile insurance policy issued– 1898
- First U.S. Marine Division activated– 1941
- Gordon Matthews received a patent for voice message exchange” system (better known as voicemail)”– 1983
- Space shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry, killing all seven astronauts onboard – 2003
- New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady became the youngest quarterback to lead his team to two Super Bowl victories– 2004
- During Super Bowl XLIII, Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison intercepted a pass on the goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest play in Super Bowl history– 2009
Weather
- Forty-five degrees below zero F in Pittsburg, New Hampshire– 1920
- The greatest ice storm of record in the United States produced a layer of ice up to four inches thick from Texas to Pennsylvania, causing 25 deaths, 500 serious injuries, and $100 million worth of damage. Communications and utilities were interrupted for a week to ten days.– 1951
- -50 degrees F, Gavilan, New Mexico– 1951
- A high temperature of 50 degrees F was reported in Burlington, Vermont– 1988
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