February 27, 2016

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The 58 day of the year

307 days left to go 

THIS WEEK IS

• National Entrepreneurship Week
• National Engineers Week
• National FFA Week
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week

TODAY IS

• International Polar Bear Day (Link)
• National Day of Action (Peace Corps) 
• Read Me Day 
• National Strawberry Day
• National Kahlua Day

ON THIS DATE...
1801: The District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.

1879: American chemists Ira Remsen and Constantine Fahlberg announced their discovery of saccharin.

1883: Oscar Hammerstein of New York City patented the first practical cigar-rolling machine (bio)
1897: Great Britain agreed to United States arbitration in a border dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana, defusing a diplomatic crisis.
1922: the first National Radio Conference took place in Washington, D.C.. 

1922: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, providing for female suffrage, was unanimously declared constitutional (read more).


1925: Alaska's Glacier Bay National Monument was dedicated. 

1939: The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed sit-down strikes.


1963: Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees signed a baseball contract worth $100,000
1964: the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse

1970: Simon and Garfunkel received a gold record for their hit single "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (song)

1988: Katarina Witt won the women's figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (read more). 

1991: President George Bush announced an end to the military offensive in Operation Desert Storm. 
1992: Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her 62nd birthday by closing Disneyland for an elaborate party with her friends. 
1997 - Divorce became legal in Ireland; it had been the only nation in Europe in which divorce was illegal.

2003: beloved children's television host Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers, died after a brief battle with cancer.  He was 74.  For more than 30 years Rogers entertained millions of young children on his public television program "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."  
2003: the Dallas Cowboys released longtime running back Emmitt Smith.  Smith spent 13 seasons with team, helping the Cowboys to three Super Bowl Records.  He also became the NFL's all-time leading rusher during his career with the Cowboys, breaking NFL great Walter Payton's career mark 2002.  
2003: Oprah Winfrey became the first African-American woman to make "Forbes" magazine's list of Billionaires.  Winfrey empire which includes Harpo Productions, "O" magazine, the Oxygen Television Network, and countless charities, was estimated at more than $1 Billion.   

2010: Gatorade announced it was ending its endorsement deal with golfer Tiger Woods in the wake of reports about his extra marital affairs.  

2010: An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale strikes central parts of Chile leaving over 500 victims, and thousands injured. The quake triggered a tsunami which struck Hawaii shortly after.

2013: former NBA star Dennis Rodman made headlines around the globe for his attendance at a basketball game in North Korea with controversial North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.  



HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Source) 

On February 27, 1964, the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse. The top of the 180-foot tower was hanging 17 feet south of the base, and studies showed that the tilt was increasing by a fraction every year. Experts warned that the medieval building--one of Italy's top tourist attractions--was in serious danger of toppling in an earthquake or storm. Proposals to save the Leaning Tower arrived in Pisa from all over the world, but it was not until 1999 that successful restorative work began.



QUICK TRIVIA 

Who made the first bowl of chili? No one knows as every state lays claim to the title. There are, however, certain facts that one cannot overlook. The mixture of meat, beans, peppers, and herbs was known to the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayan Indians long before Columbus and the conquistadors. (Link) 



WORD OF THE DAY 

carping  [kahr-ping]  

adjective

characterized by fussy or petulant faultfinding; querulous
petty fault-finding

"Because Harold's mother-in-law was coming to visit, he decided to stay away for most of the day in order to avoid her carping attitude."



WORD FROM THE WORD 

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.—Daniel 6:10


Read today's "Our Daily Bread"