February 10th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts |
February 10th History Highlights |
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Now You Know… |
| Jimmy Durante’s NOSE was insured for $50,000, a lot of money in the 1940s. |
National Umbrella DayFebruary 10th marks a unique and often overlooked celebration – National Umbrella Day. While many might not associate a specific day with this everyday item, the humble umbrella deserves its spotlight. National Umbrella Day reminds us of the ingenious invention that has shielded us from rain and the sun for centuries. The origins of National Umbrella Day are shrouded in mystery, much like the protective canopies themselves. However, what is certain is the impact that umbrellas have had on our lives. Historically, the umbrella has evolved from a symbol of nobility to a common accessory used by people worldwide. Its practicality in shielding us from the elements has made it indispensable in our daily lives. Beyond its utilitarian function, the umbrella has also found its way into popular culture, becoming a symbol of romance in classic movies and literature. Who can forget the iconic “Singin’ in the Rain” scene where Gene Kelly twirls an umbrella while dancing in the rain? This special day is an opportunity to appreciate not only this invention’s functionality but also its artistry and symbolism. |
The Teddy Bear (Teddy Day) |
The Teddy Bear appeared in a shop window in Brooklyn, New York, on February 15, 1903, but the story of the cuddly toy began a few months before that. It really started when President Theodore Roosevelt took up an invitation to go bear hunting, in Mississippi with the Governor of the state, Andrew Longino, in November 1902. I can tell you two things about President Teddy Roosevelt – 1. He hated being called Teddy, and 2. he was an avid hunter – he had trophies and hunted for both meat and sport. That first day of his hunting trip, he was really disappointed because he and the governor didn’t find any Bears, but the governor DID NOT want to disappoint the President, so he had the hunting guide go out and find a bear, which he did. He found an old bear and tied it to a tree; they brought the president, but he didn’t want to hunt a trapped bear – it was unsportsmanlike.
Whenever any President does anything, it’s kind of newsworthy, and Clifford Berryman, a cartoonist heard the story, made the old bear a cub, and made a cartoon of Teddy freeing a Bear Cub from a tree. The cartoon made the rounds and inspired Morris Michtom and his wife Rose, to make a little toy bear cub, just to decorate the window of their hand-made toy shop. Most toys were handmade still in the early 1900s. A bunch of people offered to buy it, but he didn’t sell it right away. He actually sent it to the President and asked permission to sell what he called The Teddy Bear. Teddy Roosevelt approved, with no strings attached, so the Mitchums started making them, and put them on sale.
The Teddy Bear really represented the start of more than just the first stuffed non-human toy with arms and legs, it changed the whole toy industry. The earliest toys were usually something with wheels, a ball, a human baby doll, or sports-oriented. In 1892, there was a cat toy, basically the outline of a cat with stuffing, called Ithaca Cat (US patent 483727A). It was more like a shaped pillow, they still make reproductions today. That caused a mini-craze for other stuffed pillow toys like bunnies, kittens, puppies, and the Teddy Bear came out at just about the right time. The stuffed Bear was the biggest toy of the last century. Change a few things, and give the bear a personality, and the toy becomes Winnie The Pooh, or Paddington Bear, Teddy Ruxpin, The Care Bears, or Corduroy. Teddy Bears introduced the whole idea of anthropomorphic toys- animals having human features and personalities. The Mitchums went on to found the IDEAL Toy Company, which up until Barbie & GI Joe, was the largest Toy Company in the World. IDEAL is also the company that gave us The Rubik’s Cube in the 1980s. If the Michtoms didn’t start by giving us the Teddy Bear, we’d probably still be rolling hoops (hooping) with a stick like people did for most of the past 2000 years. |
February 10th is… |
| Cream Cheese Brownie Day National Flannel Day Teddy Day |
February 10th Birthday Quotes |
“Be nice to people on your way up, because you’re going to meet them all on your way down.” “Our theater must stimulate a desire for understanding, a delight in changing reality. Our audience must experience not only the ways to free Prometheus but be schooled in the very desire to free him. Theater must teach all the pleasures and joys of discovery, all the feelings of triumph associated with liberation.” “I believe that cruelty, spite, “Do you know somethin’, man? Someday I’m gonna be walkin’ up the street one way and you’re gonna be comin’ down the other way, and we’re gonna pass each other and I’m gonna say ‘Hello, best white band in the world’ and you’re gonna say ‘Hello, best colored band in the world.” “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” “So see every opportunity as golden, and keep your eyes on the prize – yours, not anybody else’s. Remember: Always walk in the light. And if you feel like you’re not walking in it, go find it. Love the light.” “You don’t have to run away from life your whole life. You can really live. You can change. And you can be an agent of change.” “Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you’re worthy of the trip.” “What I’ve really learned over time is that optimism is a very, very important part of leadership.” |
February 10th Birthdays |
| 1775 – Charles Lamb, English poet and essayist (died in 1834) 1824 – Samuel Plimsoll, English politician, ‘The Sailor’s Friend’ (died in 1898) 1883 – Edith Clarke, American electrical engineer (died in 1959) 1890 – Boris Pasternak, Russian writer (died in 1890) 1893 – Jimmy Durante, American actor, singer, and pianist (died in 1980) 1898 – Dame Judith Anderson, English actress (died in 1992) 1898 – Bertolt Brecht, German playwright, co-wrote The Threepenny Opera with Kurt Weill (died in 1956) 1905 – Chick Webb, American drummer and bandleader (died in 1939) 1906 – Lon Chaney Jr., American actor (died in 1973) 1929 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (died in 2004) 1930 – Robert Wagner, American actor 1937 – Roberta Flack, American singer-songwriter 1944 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (died in 1992) 1946 – Donovan Leitch, Scottish singer 1950 – Mark Spitz, American swimmer 1951 – Robert (Bob) Iger, American media executive 1955 – Jim Cramer, American television personality and pundit 1963 – Lenny Dykstra, American baseball player 1964 – Glenn Beck, American journalist, producer, and author 1967 – Vince Gilligan, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1967 – Laura Dern, American actress 1974 – Elizabeth Banks, American actress 1991 – Emma Roberts, American actress 1997 – Chloë Grace Moretz, American actress |
February 10th History |
| 1355 – In Oxford, England, a dispute between 2 Oxford students and a Tavern Keeper over the quality of his drinks escalated into the St Scholastica Day riot between Oxford students and locals citizens where 63 students and 30 locals were killed. 1763 – The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War and France ceded Canada to England. 1840 – Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, married. They had 9 children – Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice. 1863 – General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were married in NYC. 1870 – The YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) was formally founded in New York City. 1923 – Texas Tech University is founded as Texas Technological College in Lubbock, Texas 1933 – In Round 13 of an infamous boxing match at Madison Square Garden; Primo Carnera knocked out Ernie Shaaf, killing him. 1933 – The singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegraph Company of New York City. 1940 – Cartoon characters Tom and Jerry made their debut with Puss Gets the Boot. 1942 – The first gold record was presented to Glenn Miller for Chattanooga Choo Choo for selling 1.2 million copies. There was no official ruleset at the time to qualify. 1953 – Romper Room premiered, in syndication. 1956 – My Friend Flicka debuted on CBS 1962 – Roy Lichtenstein’s first solo art exhibition opened at the Castelli Gallery in NYC. 1962 – The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for the Soviet spy Rudolph Ivanovich Abe with the US. 1966 – Ralph Nader, the author of Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile, testified before Congress for the first time about unsafe practices in the auto industry. 1968 – #1 Hit February 10, 1968 – March 15, 1968: Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue 1976 – Sesame Street episode #847 featured Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It scared children so badly that the episode has never been re-aired. 1979 – #1 Hit February 10, 1979 – March 9, 1979: Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I’m Sexy 1990 – #1 Hit February 10, 1990 – March 2, 1990: Paula Abdul & The Wild Pair – Opposites Attract 1992 – Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black American contestant. February 10, 1992 Birthday (fictional) Tyler Lockwood, Vampire Diaries, TV 1993- Oprah Winfrey interviewed Michael Jackson at his home The Neverland Ranch. It was Jackson’s first televised interview since 1979. 1996 – World chess champion Gary Kasparov lost the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue. He won three and tied twice in the matchup. |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
| I’m going for a walk because I want to stay healthy. I’m also taking along a pack of M&M’s because let’s be honest here… “A friend of mine went to buy some long underwear. The shopkeeper asked him, ‘How long do you want it?’ ” – Uncle Albert #moviequotes Geronimo – Real Name: Goyathlay Only about 9 or 10 grandpas ago they were just discovering North America. In the word queue, the “ueue” is silent. “Hated it!” – Men on Film’s Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier (In Living Color) #TVQuotes “No comment” – Edward Abbey (the writer who was asked if he had any last words, the phrase is also engraved on his tombstone) #LastWords Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only two Doubly Landlocked countries in the world. Like 90% of what the Dog Whisperer does involves modifying the behavior of the people who own the dogs, not the dogs themselves. He should be called The Human Whisperer. All bicycles weigh 50 pounds: A 30-pound bicycle needs a 20-pound lock and chain. “When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.” – Barney Stinson Rock band Journey never had a No. 1 hit single on the U.S. Billboard top 40. A group of Tigers is called a Streak or Ambush. The planet Venus is nearly identical in size to Earth, their radius’ differ in size by only 201 miles, with Earth being the larger. If the force of every step I took for the rest of my life was all combined, it would probably be powerful enough to destroy a mountain. #toomuchtimeonmyhands |
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