February 15

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1758 – Mustard was advertised for the first time in America.

1764 – The city of St. Louis, MO, was established.

1799 – Printed ballots were authorized for use in elections in the state of Pennsylvania.

1842 – Adhesive postage stamps were used for the first time by the City Dispatch Post (Office) in New York, NY.

1859 – Lansing, MI was incorporated as a city.

1879 – President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill that allowed female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

1903 – Morris and Rose Michtom, Russian immigrants, introduced the first teddy bear in America.

1915 – The “free fair” project was launched. Ionia’s Mayor Fred Green (who later became the Governor of Michigan), presented plans for the Ionia Free Fair which would be held on August 18-20 of that year and would continue for over 100 years.

1926 – First Airmail Flight in the United States. It went from Dearborn, MI to Cleveland, OH.

1933 – In Miami, FL, Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shot Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak, who died of his wounds on March 6, 1933.

1946 – Edith Houghton, at age 33, was signed as a baseball scout by the Philadelphia Phillies becoming the first female scout in the major leagues.

1946 – ENIAC, the first electronic general purpose computer, was formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

1958 – The TV program “The Dick Clark Show” debuted on ABC. Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis were the first performers to appear on the show.

1960 – The pilot episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” aired as an episode of Danny Thomas’ weekly sitcom. Thomas’ “Danny Williams” character got a speeding ticket while driving through the small town of Mayberry, NC. There, he meets “Sheriff Andy Taylor” and his son “Opie.” Reaction to the half hour was so positive that CBS gave the show the go ahead for the following fall.

1962 – CBS TV bought the exclusive rights to college football games from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for a figure of $10,200,000.

1965 – Canada displayed its new red and white maple leaf flag. The flag was to replace the old Red Ensign standard.

1972 – Sound recordings were granted U.S. Federal copyright protection for the first time.

1978 – Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight boxing championship.

1985 – The Center for Disease Control reported that more than half of all nine-year-olds in the U.S. showed no sign of tooth decay.

1985 – The John Hughes movie, “The Breakfast Club”, was released in theaters.

1991 – The movie “King Ralph”, starring John Goodman, premiered in theaters.

1992 – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee, WI to life in prison.

1995 – The FBI arrested Kevin Mitnick and charged him with cracking security in some of the nation’s most protected computers. He served five years in jail.

2002 – President George W. Bush approved Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a site for long-term disposal of radioactive nuclear waste.

2005 – YouTube was launched.

2013 – A near-Earth asteroid called 2012-DA14 came within 17,200 miles of the Earth’s surface, a record-close approach for an object estimated at 50 meters.

2018 – A man in the UK was stunned after finding a shark in his garden when it fell from the sky. Colin Hill spotted the two-foot long catshark around lunchtime and believed the shark was picked up by an over-ambitious seagull that dropped it mid-flight.

2021 – A major winter storm in the U.S. stretched from Texas to Maine. Over 3 million in Texas were without power and 210 in that state would die.

BIRTHDAYS:

Brian Holland – 85 years old (1941) – Songwriter and producer

Douglas Hofstadter – 81 years old (1945) – Author and academic

John Adams – 79 years old (1947) – Composer

Marisa Berenson – 79 years old (1947) – Model and actress

Art Spiegelman – 78 years old (1948) – Swedish-American cartoonist and critic

Ken Anderson – 77 years old (1949) – Football player

Melissa Manchester – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter and actress

Jane Seymour – 75 years old (1951) – English-American actress, producer, and jewelry designer

Lynn Whitfield – 73 years old (1953) – Actress and producer

Matt Groening – 72 years old (1954) – Animator, producer, and screenwriter

Janice Dickinson – 71 years old (1955) – Model, agent, and author

Christopher McDonald – 71 years old (1955) – Actor

Joseph R. Gannascoli – 67 years old (1959) – Actor

Darrell Green – 66 years old (1960) – Football player

Steven Michael Quezada – 63 years old (1963) – Actor, comedian, and politician

Leland D. Melvin – 62 years old (1964) – Engineer and astronaut

Mark Price – 62 years old (1964) – Basketball player and coach

Birdman – 57 years old (1969) – Rapper and producer

Shepard Fairey – 56 years old (1970) – Artist and activist

Alex Borstein – 55 years old (1971) – Actress, voice artist, producer, and screenwriter

Renee O'Connor – 55 years old (1971) – Actress, director, and producer

Amy van Dyken – 53 years old (1973) – Swimmer

Miranda July – 52 years old (1974) – Actress, director, and screenwriter

Brendon Small – 51 years old (1975) – Animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor

Brandon Boyd – 50 years old (1976) – Singer-songwriter

Ronnie Vannucci Jr. – 50 years old (1976) – Musician and songwriter

Conor Oberst – 46 years old (1980) – Singer-songwriter

Matt Hoopes – 45 years old (1981) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Shameka Christon – 44 years old (1982) – Basketball player

Eddie Basden – 43 years old (1983) – Basketball player

Gary Clark Jr. – 42 years old (1984) – Singer-songwriter and musician

Nate Schierholtz – 42 years old (1984) – Baseball player

Natalie Morales – 41 years old (1985) – Actress and director

Amber Riley – 40 years old (1986) – Actress and singer

Mark Canha – 37 years old (1989) – Baseball player

Rich Swann – 35 years old (1991) – Wrestler

Sodapoppin – 32 years old (1994) – Twitch streamer and internet personality

Megan Thee Stallion – 31 years old (1995) – Rapper

Derrick Jones Jr. – 29 years old (1997) – Basketball player

Justin Reid – 29 years old (1997) – Football player

Zachary Gordon – 28 years old (1998) – Actor

TODAY IS:

• World Whale Day: Gigantic creatures that sing, dance, and swim in the vast blue sea, whales are majestic beings that fill our hearts with wonder and awe.
• Singles Awareness Day: Enjoying the freedom to focus on personal goals, hobbies, and friendships without the compromise of a partner's preferences or schedule.
• Susan B. Anthony Day:
• Parinirvana Day:
• National Black Girl Magic Day:
• Remember the Maine Day:
• National Gumdrop Day: Satisfy your sweet tooth with these colorful, chewy treats that pack a punch of fruity flavor and make the perfect movie snack.
• St. Skeletor’s Day:
• Love Reset Day:
• National Wisconsin Day:
• Annoy Squidward Day: A seemingly insignificant joke from Spongebob Squarepants now has its own special day, uniting fans of all ages in laughter and celebration.
• World Hippo Day: These adorable creatures spend their days splashing in the water, munching on grass, and wowing us with their powerful jaws!
• Fastelavn:
• National I Want Butterscotch Day:
• International Angelman Day:
• International Childhood Cancer Day:
• National Flag of Canada Day:
• NBA All-Star Game:
• Maha Shivaratri:
• Carnival of Brazil: Samba music, vibrant costumes, and non-stop dancing—this annual festival in Rio de Janeiro is the ultimate party experience you won't forget!
• National Nest Box Week: If you want to invite more birds to your yard, consider putting up some cozy little homes for these feathered friends!
• Goa Carnival:
• Carnaval de Barranquilla:
• Real Bread Week: Real bread is a joy to behold! Made with natural ingredients and baked to perfection, each bite is a heavenly experience.
• The Carnival of Binche:
• Make Mine Chocolate:
• National Condom Week: Staying safe and responsible, these essential items help ensure intimate moments are worry-free and protected for all involved.
• Love Teaching Week:
• Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week:
• National Green Week:
• International Week of Black Women in the Arts:
• Homes for Birds Week:
• National Secondhand Wardrobe Week: From retro jackets to one-of-a-kind boots, buying second-hand clothes is a fun and sustainable way to upgrade your wardrobe.
• Through with the Chew:
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Staff Education Week:
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week:
• Build a Better Trade Show Image Week:

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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.