Hello.
Welcome to your weekend. We are glad you are here!
Now that we are on the homestretch of February, the cold stretches can feel colder, the to-do lists longer, and the tick-tock until Spring gets louder. Hey, we get it. That’s why we try to create pockets of joy with simple moments like a “scroll down memory lane” here this morning.
It’s a look back at events that happened on this day in history before we head out to make new history today. Let’s ease into your day. So, grab your favorite sippin’ drink and let’s scroll!
Today is Saturday, February 21st, the 52nd day of the year.
On this day:
In 1885, the Washington Monument was dedicated.
In 1916, the World War One Battle of Verdun began in France.
In 1925, the first issue of “New Yorker” magazine was published.
in 1931, Alka Seltzer was first introduced to consumers.
In 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated his new camera which could take and develop a picture in about a minute. It became known as the Polaroid Land Camera.
In 1965, civil rights leader Malcolm X was shot to death while addressing a crowd at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was 39.
In 1972, President Nixon began his historic visit to China.
In 1982, legendary disc jockey Murray K died of cancer in Los Angeles.
In 1988, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed to his congregation that he had an affair with a prostitute at a seedy motel.
In 2000, David Letterman returned to the late night airwaves for the first time since undergoing quintuple bypass surgery five weeks earlier.
In 2003, a deadly oil refinery explosion on Staten Island, New York shook homes and sent smoke and flames shooting hundreds of miles into the air. The explosion took place at the Exxon Mobil storage complex. At least two people were killed.
In 2011, more than 60 people were killed when a powerful magnitude six-point-three earthquake struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The quake struck just five months after a seven-point-one magnitude quake hit Christchurch.
In 2016, Denny Hamlin won the 58th running of the Daytona 500 in the closest finish in race history. Hamlin edged out Martin Truex Jr. by 0.01 seconds for his first career Daytona 500 victory.
In 2018, America took home its first gold medal for a cross country Olympic event. Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall were apart of the winning team.
In 2018, evangelist Billy Graham died at the age of 99.
In 2022, Russian leader Vladimir Putin recognized Russia-backed separatists in two Ukrainian regions, ordering in troops for “peacekeeping functions.”
In 2023, a day after making a surprise trip to Ukraine, President Biden vowed an unwavering support for Ukraine in his speech from Warsaw Castle, Poland.
That brings us here to this day.
So, whatever plans you have for your own 2.21.2026 here’s hoping there are moments along the way to record on the pages of your own personal history books!
Thanks for stopping by!
