Happy February! Yesterday, February 2, was Ground Hog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Of course, since the Spring Equinox is March 20, we’ll have about six more weeks of winter anyway…
February is always the shortest month of the year, with only 28 or 29 days. But how did it get that way?
What are some other fun and interesting facts about February?
The article continues below.
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Since there are 28 days in February this year, here are 28 well-known and little-known facts about this month:
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. President Gerald Ford made Black History Month official in 1976, and since then, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
February fluctuates between 28 and 29 days per year. The 29th day only occurs every 4 years during leap years.
The odds of being born on February 29th are about 1 in 1,461. People born on February 29 are called “Leapers.”
The length of February was finalized when Julius Caesar remade the Roman calendar and assigned the month 28 days and 29 days. In 713 B.C., February was officially added to the Roman calendar.
Over time, the length of February kept changing. At one point, it had as little as 23 days.
The name of February comes from the Latin word “februum,” which means purification.
February was named after a purification ritual which was like an early Roman spring cleaning festival.
In Welsh, February is sometimes known as “y mis bach,” which means “little month.”
February and January were the last months added to the Roman numeral calendar.
February is National Heart Month when people are encouraged to get their hearts checked for health problems.
February 14th is traditionally Valentine's Day, a day to express love and appreciation for those closest to us.
Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) happens each year on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, usually falling in February or early March depending on when Easter occurs that year. In 2023, Mardi Gras will be on March 21.
Shrove Tuesday is traditionally celebrated each year on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, again on March 21 this year. The holiday is known for making pancakes with excess butter and syrup!
President’s Day or Washington’s Birthday falls on the third Monday in February to honor former US presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln among others on this federal holiday.
While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous “weather-predicting” groundhog in the US, other places substitute different animals such as badgers in Wisconsin or hedgehogs in Germany!
In 2010, Oprah Winfrey gave a “favorite things” show featuring over 140 items including a car for everyone in the audience.
Charlie Chaplin's classic film "The Tramp" debuted on February 7th, 1915.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono married in Gibraltar.
The first-ever text message was sent on December 3rd, 1992 by British engineer Neil Papworth who used “Merry Christmas” in the message to test a Vodafone network connection!
On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle “Columbia” broke apart in flight, which killed all seven crew members. The accident was believed to be a result of damage that occurred during lift-off. The tragedy occurred only 16 minutes before the shuttle was scheduled to land.
The Space Shuttle Discovery made an unplanned but successful emergency landing on February 11th, 1984 due to problems with its hydraulic system!
Apple released their second generation of iPods (featuring a touch wheel) in February 2002 - the 15GB model at US$399 and the 30GB model costing US$499!
During the transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in England in 1752, and 11 days were skipped entirely meaning 11 September suddenly became 22 September that year!
The Saxons called February “Sol-monath” which means “cake month,” because they would offer cakes to the gods during February.
February is one of the most misspelled words in the English language.
February is the only month where it’s possible to go the entire time without having a full moon.
February, March, and November always start on the same day of the week unless it is a leap year.
It was in February 1964 when The Beatles made their first American television appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” Over 73 million Americans watched!
Can you think of any other February facts? Let us know in the comments or start a dialogue in the chat (for paid subscribers).
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