February 22
-
On this day in 1630, at one of the reputed Thanksgiving meals between
Massachusetts
Bay colonists and local native Americans, Anglos first tasted
popcorn.
Quadequina, brother of the chief Massasoit, brought deerskin bags containing
the stuff.
-
Washington's Birthday,
although during most of his lifetime, General
and then President Washington's birthday was celebrated Old Style, i.e.,
on February 11, his calendar birthday. But by the time of his presidency,
most people made the conversion to the new style. When Washington was president,
the Congress showed its respect for him by voting to adjourn on his birthday.
But following his retirement, the more partisan Congresses refused to do
so. After his death in 1799, celebrating Washington's birthday on February
22 was a more common event.
-
On this day in 1743, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield spoke in the House of
Lords against an act that would have restricted the English populace's
consumption of gin.
-
The German philosopher
Arthur Schopenhauer
was born on this day
in 1788.
-
Fréderic Chopin,
was born on this day in Poland in 1810. Chopin
was a genius at the piano, but not as great a showman as his friend Franz
Liszt. Chopin would show a new work to Liszt, who would play it with all
sorts of ornamentations. Chopin would say, "That was nice. Now play it
like I wrote it."
-
American poet
James Russell Lowell
was born on this day in 1819.
He lived long enough to serve as Virginia Woolf's godfather.
-
Robert Baden-Powell,
founder of the Boy Scouts movement, was born
on this day in 1857,
-
The first
F.W. Woolworth
store opened on this day in 1879 in Utica,
New York.
-
Edward Kennedy
was born on this day in 1932, the last of Joe and
Rose Kennedy's sons.
-
Celebrity birthdays:
Robert Young
(a.k.a. Jim Anderson and Marcus
Welby) was born on this day in 1907,
Drew Barrymore
in 1980.