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published on 02/04/2001
February – A Month of “Pioneers” Kids win a Life is good T-Shirt
By
sigmtn.com staff writer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
To these famous pioneers:
Abraham Lincoln, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Charles Dickens, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Do you know what day each of these pioneers was born? Send me an e-mail with the correct birthdays and win a free Life is good t-shirt! Just click on my name at the top of the page to send the e-mail.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February is also Black History Month, a special time to honor all those brave men and women who came first by getting things ready for new ways of thinking and doing things for all black people today. For lots more information about famous and “not so famous” pioneers in Black History, such as Wilma Rudolf, George Washington Carver, and Paul Robeson, check out www.infoplease.com.
BE MINE
Happy Valentine’s Day
Another “pioneer” was St. Valentine. There are several stories about who this person was. One is that he was a bishop who became a martyr (a person who dies for a cause) for the early Christian church. Because of his faith in the one God and not the Roman gods of the time, he was killed. One of the last things he did before he died was to heal a young blind woman by making her see again. His last request was to send her a note, which he signed “from your Valentine”. This note came to symbolize the love of all mankind and is celebrated on February 14th.
FUN HISTORY FACTS
February 2 - Candlemas Day. Traditionally a day to determine when to sow and plant crops. If it was a sunny day, then winter was still around. However, if it was a cloudy day, then spring and warmer weather were just around the corner. When German immigrants moved to Pennsylvania they used a ground hog to see if he saw his shadow or not. Today, in America, we call it Ground Hog Day!
February 8, 1910 - Anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of Amercia by Dr. William D. Boyce. Having met Lord Robert Bayden-Powell, the founder of Scouting in England, Dr. Boyce and three others were impressed with the organization and founded one in Amercia.
Special Date to Remember--
Febrary 28 - Mardi Gras. In Latin countries this is a special time to celebrate the end of the carnival season. In America, Mardi Gras is celebrated the Tuesday before Ashe Wednesday. It is called Shrove Tuesday. Many people eat pancakes that evening because they are going to fast the next forty days during LENT, a religious season.
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