On This Day February 4th

 OTD

February 4th is the Thirty-fifth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 330 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

1169 – A strong earthquake strikes the Ionian coast of Sicily, causing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, especially in Catania.

1555 – John Rogers is burned at the stake, becoming the first English Protestant martyr under Mary I of England.

1703 – In Edo (now Tokyo), all but one of the Forty-seven Ronin commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as recompense for avenging their master's death.

1789 – George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.

1801 – John Marshall is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.

1810 – Napoleonic Wars: Britain seizes Guadeloupe.

1846 – The first Mormon pioneers exited from Nauvoo, Illinois, westward toward Salt Lake Valley.

1912 – Tailor Franz Reichelt dies while testing his self-made parachute on the Eiffel Tower.

1941 – The United Service Organization (USO) was created to entertain American troops.

1967 – Lunar Orbiter program: Lunar Orbiter 3 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 13 to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft.

2004 – Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.

 

Birthdays

1447 – Lodovico Lazzarelli, Italian poet (d. 1500)

1677 – Johann Ludwig Bach, German violinist and composer (d. 1731)

1725 – Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (d. 1804)

1778 – Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, Swiss botanist, mycologist, and academic (d. 1841)

1868 – Constance Markievicz, Irish revolutionary and first woman elected to the U.K. House of Commons (d. 1927)

1875 – Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist and engineer (d. 1953)

1899 – Virginia M. Alexander, American physician and founder of the Aspiranto Health Home (d. 1949)

1902 – Charles Lindbergh, American pilot and explorer (d. 1974)

1921 – Betty Friedan, American author and feminist (d. 2006)

1948 – Alice Cooper, American singer-songwriter

1996 – Mohamed Sherif, Egyptian footballer

 

Holiday Spotlight

Medjool Date Day

  Like many other delicious fruits, Medjool dates have existed for centuries. Though dates can be traced back to around 5000 to 6000 B.C., reaching different parts of the world took some time. This was only possible with the technological evolution in transport, as the fruit was transported to other regions. The Medjool dates, originally from Morocco, were brought to Nevada in 1927. From there, the plantation grew in abundance. Today, it is one of two date varieties grown in the U.S. And yes – people are fond of this fruit.

 Medjool dates were introduced into America by Walter Swingle in the 20th century. The U.S. government assigned Swingle to identify some exotic crops around the globe, and after the researcher discovered dates, he transported them to America. During that time, however, not many were familiar with dates. This was, after all, a fruit they hadn’t heard of before. But as globalization happened and different cultures were brought to the forefront, people came to recognize dates for the delicious fruit they are. One of the main events that added to the popularity of dates in America was the annual date festival that started in 1921.

 Today, dates are eaten by people of all ages for their delicious taste and numerous health benefits. A 2021 study reveals that Medjool dates are a good source of phenolic compounds.

 

Other Include

2024 Pro Bowl

Dump Your Significant Jerk Day

Facebook's Birthday

Homemade Soup Day

International Day of Human Fraternity

Liberace Day

National Create a Vacuum Day

National Hemp Day

National Stuffed Mushroom Day

National Thank a Mailman Day

Quacker Day

Scout Sunday

Torture Abolition Day

USO Day

World Cancer Day

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