February 8 in Pop Culture History |
February 8th is…National Boy Scouts Day: A day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Boy Scouts of America to youth development and community service. National Kite Flying Day celebrates the joy and fun of flying kites. People have been flying kites for over 2,000 years. The exact origin of kite flying is unknown, but it is believed to have originated in China, where it was used for religious, military, and scientific purposes. Laugh and Get Rich Day is a day to celebrate the power of positivity and laughter and to encourage people to seek out opportunities for success and prosperity. Molasses Bar Day; A molasses bar is a candy made from molasses, sugar, corn syrup, and butter. The mixture is boiled and then poured into a mold to cool and set. The resulting candy is usually firm and chewy, with a rich, sweet flavor. Some recipes may include spices such as cinnamon or ginger for additional flavor. The origin of molasses bars is unclear, and their production’s first record is unknown. However, molasses has been a popular sweetener in North America since the 17th century, and molasses bars have likely been made for a similar length. The crystallization process required to produce molasses from sugarcane was first developed in India as early as 500 BC. Opera Day is observed on February 8th to commemorate the premiere of the opera “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, which was first performed on February 8, 1851. Propose Day is a holiday celebrated on February 8 as part of Valentine’s Week in India and some other countries. The day is dedicated to expressing love and affection by making romantic proposals to one’s significant other. The holiday was created to provide a special occasion for couples to express their feelings for each other and make their commitment to each other official. |
| The Great Devon Mystery of 1855, also known as “The Devil’s Footprints,” was an unexplained phenomenon in Devon, England, overnight on February 8, 1855. Mysterious tracks, which appeared to have been made by hooves, were found in the snow, leading from Exmouth to Lyme Regis. The tracks were said to be a single file, about 8 inches apart, and were accompanied by strange “burn marks” that indicated that the creature making the tracks had been walking on its hind legs. The tracks covered about 100 miles and were found on roofs, fences, and even across bodies of water. Despite several proposed explanations, including pranksters, migratory birds, and even a kangaroo on the loose, the cause of the tracks remains a mystery to this day. |
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1587 – Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded. 1692 – A doctor in Salem Village claimed Satan possessed three teenage girls, leading to the chaotic Salem Witch Trials. 1693 – The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, was granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II. 1855 – The Devil’s Footprints mysteriously appeared around the Exe Estuary in East Devon and South Devon, England. After a heavy snowfall, trails of two-legged hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow, covering a total distance of many miles. 1865 – Delaware voters rejected the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and vote to continue the practice of slavery, although, in practice, it did not exist. (Delaware finally ratified the amendment on February 12, 1901.) 1898 – The first envelope folding and gumming machine patent (#598,716) was issued to John Ames Sherman of Worcester, Mass. 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America were founded. 1915 – The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith’s controversial film, premiered. It was originally titled The Clansman. The film is considered a landmark in the history of American cinema and is often credited with popularizing many of the techniques used in modern filmmaking, such as cross-cutting, close-ups, and parallel editing. However, the film is also highly controversial due to its depiction of African Americans as caricatures and the Ku Klux Klan as heroes. The film has been widely criticized for its racist content and has been the subject of protests and calls for censorship since its release. Despite this, it was a commercial success and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of early American cinema. D.W. Griffith (1875-1948) was an American film director and producer who was influential in the development of the motion picture industry. He directed over 500 films during his career and is remembered for his film technique and storytelling innovations. 1924 – The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber was in Nevada. 1936 – The first National Football League (NFL) draft was held. The Philadelphia Eagles chose Jay Berwanger, the first to be selected. 1946 – The first portion of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first serious challenge to the popularity of the Authorized King James Version, was published. 1950 – The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, was established. 1952 – Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom. 1960 – # 1 Hit February 8, 1960 – February 21, 1960: Mark Dinning – Teen Angel 1960 – Ground-breaking for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The initial stars were Joanne Woodward, Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, and Ernest Torrence. 1969 – The large Allende meteorite pieces were recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico. They were estimated to be over 4.6 billion years old. 1969 – The last issue of the “Saturday Evening Post” was published. It was revived in 1971 as a quarterly publication and eventually six times a year. 1971 – The NASDAQ stock market index opened. 1975 – # 1 Hit February 8, 1975 – February 14, 1975: Ohio Players – Fire 1992 – # 1 Hit February 8, 1992 – February 28, 1992: Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy 1998 – The first female hockey game in Olympic history took place. Finland defeated Sweden 6-0. 2003 – # 1 Hot February 8, 2003 – March 7, 2003: Jennifer Lopez featuring LL Cool J – All I Have 2014 – # 1 Hit February 8, 2014 – March 7, 2014: Katy Perry featuring Juicy J – Dark Horse |