5 years from now will you remember where you were at on 02/02/2020? I think I will. Great football game last night. That’s a hook that you can hang a memory on. Yesterday, however fun, is now gone. It’s now the 3rd day of February in the time/space of 2020. Let’s see what’s been selected for today: It’s Elmo’s Birthday, American Painters Day National Carrot Cake Day, National Football Hangover Day, Take a Cruise Day, and The Day the Music Died which is a song by Don McLean about the untimely deaths of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, who passed in a plane crash in the early hours of February 3, 1959. My pick is to nibble on carrot cake while playing American Pie on my ukulele. Now lets see what footnotes in the history of today yield. In 1743 Philadelphia establishes a “pesthouse” to quarantine immigrants who could have communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, smallpox or typhus. In 1815 the world’s first commercial cheese factory is established in Switzerland. In1863 Samuel Clemens first uses the pen name Mark Twain. Mark Twain said “Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” In 1882, Circus owner P. T. Barnum buys his world famous elephant Jumbo. In 1913 16th Amendment to the US Constitution, federal income tax is ratified. Prior to 1913, the revenue to run the government came mostly from import tariffs. In 1951 the “Victor Borge Show” debuts on NBC TV. He said “If I have caused just one person to wipe away a tear of laughter, that’s my reward.” This also happens to be the birthdate (1907) that James A. Michener was born. He was a great historical author. He said “Whatever I did, there was always someone around who was better qualified. They just didn’t bother to do it.” On this date in 1924 Woodrow Wilson, 28th US President dies at his home in Washington at 67. He said “Tell me what is right and I will fight for it.” and “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” I think I need to find a book on Wilson and read it. That’s enough to get me started on what I anticipate will be a very good day. Abide
