February 26 in Pop Culture History

February 26th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

February 26th History Highlights

  • 1616 – Galileo Galilei was formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
  • 1829 – Levi Strauss was born. He never married, so, ironically, he didn’t get to pass his genes on to the next generation.
  • 1848 – The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was published.
  • 1993 – The World Trade Center was the target of a bombing, injuring over 1,000 people and killing six more.
  • February 26, 19** Birthday (fictional) Patrick Star, Cartoon.
  • If you were born on February 26th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… June 5th (prior year)

February 26th is…

Levi Strauss Day
National Pistachio Day
Personal Chef’s Day
Tell a Fairytale Day
Thermos Bottle Day

February 26th Birthday Quotes

“I think a lot of people have lost respect for the individual, you know, the individual, the person who doesn’t conform.”
– Erykah Badu

“The true division of humanity is between those who live in light and those who live in darkness. Our aim must be to diminish the number of the latter and increase the number of the former. That is why we demand education and knowledge.”
– Victor Hugo

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he’s a victim of the times.
– Johnny Cash

“Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broken treaties by the government.”
– Buffalo Bill

“Always love your country – but never trust your government!”
– Robert Novak

“If you have it and you know you have it, then you have it. If you have it and don’t know you have it, you don’t have it. If you don’t have it but you think you have it, then you have it.”
– Jackie Gleason

“Sure, ninety percent of science fiction is crud. That’s because ninety percent of everything is crud.”
– Theodore Sturgeon

February 26th Birthdays

1564 – Christopher Marlowe, English playwright (died in 1593)
1802 – Victor Hugo, French author, poet, and playwright (died in 1885)
1808 – Honore Daumier, French caricaturist and painter (died in 1879)
1829 – Levi Strauss, German-American fashion designer, founded Levi Strauss & Co. (died in 1902)
1846 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier, showman and hunter (died in 1917)
1887 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (died in 1966)
1908 – Tex Avery, American animator, producer, and voice actor (died in 1980)
1914 – Robert Alda, American actor (died in 1986)
1916 – Jackie Gleason, American actor (died in 1987)
1918 – Theodore Sturgeon, American author (died in 1985)
1920 – Tony Randall, American actor (died in 2004)
1921 – Betty Hutton, American actress (died in 2007)
1928 – Fats Domino, American singer-songwriter and pianist (died in 2017)
1931 – Robert Novak, American journalist and author (died in 2009)
1932 – Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died in 2003)
1945 – Marta Kristen, Norwegian-American actress
1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer-songwriter
1971 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter,
1979 – Corinne Bailey Rae, English singer-songwriter

February 26th History

1815
Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from Elba.

1870
New York City’s first pneumatic-powered subway line, created by Alfred Beach, was opened to the public.

1909
Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, was first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in London with 21 short films.

1917
Denali National Park and Preserve: (Mount McKinley National Park) Established on February 26, 1917, in Alaska, this park covers 9,492 square miles. Known for its diverse landscapes and North America’s tallest peak, Denali.

1919
Grand Canyon National Park: Established on February 26, 1919, in Arizona, this park covers 1,902 square miles. It showcases the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, a mile-deep gorge formed by the Colorado River.

Acadia National Park: Established on February 26, 1919, in Maine, this park spans 49,075 acres. Known for its rocky coastline, granite peaks, and diverse plant and animal life.

1929
Grand Teton National Park: Established on February 26, 1929, in Wyoming, this park spans 484 square miles. Known for the jagged peaks of the Teton Range, abundant wildlife, and the Snake River.

1946
Finnish observers reported the first of thousands of sightings of ghost rockets.

1966
#1 Hit February 26, 1966 – March 4, 1966: Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made For Walkin’

1977
#1 Hit February 26, 1977 – March 4, 1977: Eagles – New Kid in Town

1978
Broadway Show – Deathtrap (Play) February 26, 1978

1988
#1 Hit February 27, 1988March 11, 1988: George Michael – Father Figure

1992
February 26, 1992 Birthday (fictional) Matt Donovan, Vampire Diaries, TV

1993
The first World Trade Bombings occurred, the bomb went off in a parked truck under the North Tower. The bombing killed six and injured over a thousand people.

1995
Selena Quintanilla-Perez performed her last concert in Houston before being shot by her manager.

February 26, 19** Birthday (fictional) Patrick Star, SpongeBob SquarePants, Cartoon

2005
Halle Berry accepted her Razzie Award at the 25th annual ceremony at Hollywood’s historic Ivar Theatre.

2011
#1 Hit February 26, 2011April 8, 2011: Lady Gaga – Born This Way

2012
Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen walking home from a trip to a convenience store, was fatally shot in an altercation with George Zimmerman, a Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer patrolling the townhouse community of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida.

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

A burger has no front or back until you start eating it. #thisiswhyyoureadourposts

Christopher Nolan has never had a movie rated as “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes.

Useless Pronunciation: W as in wrap

A group of Bats is called a Colony or Cloud.

Orbit chewing gum is represented by Vanessa, actress Vanessa Branch.

If an indoor cat gets outside and lost, put their litter box outside. They can smell it from up to a mile away and find their way home.

Hershey’s chocolate was substituted for blood in the 1980 black-and-white film ‘Raging Bull.’

Gift Cards are just a way to give someone money as a present, but with the message: “You can’t spend your money right, so I’m gonna choose where you spend it for you.”

Donald Duck’s middle name is ‘Fauntleroy’.

Those who see Earth from space reputedly experience “The Overview Effect” – A deep sense of connection with the rest of the human race, and a desire for world peace.

70% of the world’s production of maple syrup is from the Province of Quebec.

When I was young all the cartoons were for kids and pretty stupid. Now all the kid’s cartoons are educational and the adult cartoons are the stupid ones.

The Capital of Paraguay is Asuncion

The biggest film of 1974: Blazing Saddles (Comedy) earned ~ $112,000,000

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