Lexicographer Noah Webster is credited for introducing such distinctive American spellings as "color," for British "colour." However many of his changes never stuck such as medicine=medicin, ache=ake, soup=soop, tongue=tung, women=wimmen, and weather=wether.
Saturday, 21 February 2026
Trivia Of The Day February 22
The largest known specimen of colossal squid was captured on February 22, 2007 by a New Zealand fishing vessel off the coast of Antarctica. That individual weighed 495 kilograms (1,091 lb) and measured around 10 metres (33 ft). This specimen is the largest invertebrate ever found.
Lexicographer Noah Webster is credited for introducing such distinctive American spellings as "color," for British "colour." However many of his changes never stuck such as medicine=medicin, ache=ake, soup=soop, tongue=tung, women=wimmen, and weather=wether.
Lexicographer Noah Webster is credited for introducing such distinctive American spellings as "color," for British "colour." However many of his changes never stuck such as medicine=medicin, ache=ake, soup=soop, tongue=tung, women=wimmen, and weather=wether.
Happy Birthday February 22
America’s first president, George Washington, was born on February 22, 1732 at Popes Creek, Westmoreland County, Virginia, on the south bank of the Potamac River. George came from a wealthy land and slave owning Virginian family of English descent. The George Washington Birthplace National Monument (a typical plantation home) is built on the site of burnt down house where George was born (it was destroyed by fire in 1779). It is now a tourist attraction.
For more February 22 anniversaries, including the last invasion of Britain, the first female jockey to win a horse race in the US and Britain's biggest peacetime robbery, check out OnThatDay.
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| George Washington |
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell was born on February 22, 1857, in London, England. Baden-Powell gained prominence during the Siege of Mafeking in the Second Boer War, where his successful defense of the town brought him national attention and made him a hero in Britain. He founded The Boy Scouts in 1908, and the Girl Guides (later Girl Scouts) followed in 1910. Baden-Powell's vision was to provide a program that would help young people develop character, leadership, and outdoor skills. The Scout Movement quickly spread worldwide and became one of the largest and most influential youth movements.
Today Is February 22
National Cook A Sweet Potato Day is celebrated on February 22nd each year.
The sweet potato differs from the Irish potato, which are underground stems known as tubers. It does not belong to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, but both families belong to the same taxonomic order, the Solanales.
Sweet potatoes are thought to have been first domesticated in Central America at least 5,000 years ago. The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus' expedition in 1492. After that, many explorers discovered a wide variety of local names for different cultivars for the sweet potato.
In Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the sweet potato is called batata. In Chile, Central America, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, the sweet potato is known as camote, which comes from the Nahuatl word camot.
Unlike other potatoes, sweet potatoes like long, hot growing seasons. This might explain why they are recognized as the state vegetable of North Carolina, where 1.2 billion pounds a year are produced.
Sweet potatoes are thought to have been first domesticated in Central America at least 5,000 years ago. The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus' expedition in 1492. After that, many explorers discovered a wide variety of local names for different cultivars for the sweet potato.
In Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, the sweet potato is called batata. In Chile, Central America, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, the sweet potato is known as camote, which comes from the Nahuatl word camot.
Unlike other potatoes, sweet potatoes like long, hot growing seasons. This might explain why they are recognized as the state vegetable of North Carolina, where 1.2 billion pounds a year are produced.
On This Day February 22
The USA ice hockey team defeated the Soviets 4-3 in the “Miracle on Ice" game. The match took place during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on February 22, 1980 and the Americans went on to win the gold medal. The United States national team, made up of amateur and collegiate players had not been expected to defeat the Soviet Union national team, which had won the gold medal in six of the seven previous Olympic Games.
WANT MORE THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON FEBRUARY 22? CHECK OUT MY ONTHATDAY BLOG. HERE'S A LINK
Friday, 20 February 2026
Trivia Of The Day February 21
The largest cashew tree in the world was planted by a fisherman in Brazil. It now financially supports 1500 people.
German polyglot Emil Krebs (1867 - 1930) mastered 68 languages in speech and writing - including Mandarin and all those spoken in today’s European Union - and studied 120 other languages. His private library contained the Bible in 61 different languages.
Happy Birthday February 21
Jeanne Calment was born on February 21, 1875. She had the longest confirmed age span in history, living to the age of 122 years, 164 days. Calment lived in Arles, France for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson.
English pilot Douglas Bader was born on February 21, 1910 in St John's Wood, London, to Frederick Roberts Bader, a civil engineer, and his wife Jessie. Douglas attended St Edward's School where he received his secondary education. Fellow RAF night fighter and bomber pilot Guy Gibson also attended the same school. In 1928, Bader joined the RAF as an officer cadet at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in rural Lincolnshire. He came 19th out of 21 in his class examinations.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was born February 21, 1924. He became the President of Zimbabwe in 1987. When Shimon Peres stepped down as Israel’s president in July 2014, Mugabe assumed the mantle of the world’s oldest head of state. On November 15, 2017, President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest as Zimbabwe's military took control in a coup. He resigned the Presidency a week later.
For more February 21 anniversaries, including the publication of The Communist Manifesto, the first recorded aircraft hijack and the design of the peace symbol, check out OnThatDay.
English pilot Douglas Bader was born on February 21, 1910 in St John's Wood, London, to Frederick Roberts Bader, a civil engineer, and his wife Jessie. Douglas attended St Edward's School where he received his secondary education. Fellow RAF night fighter and bomber pilot Guy Gibson also attended the same school. In 1928, Bader joined the RAF as an officer cadet at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in rural Lincolnshire. He came 19th out of 21 in his class examinations.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was born February 21, 1924. He became the President of Zimbabwe in 1987. When Shimon Peres stepped down as Israel’s president in July 2014, Mugabe assumed the mantle of the world’s oldest head of state. On November 15, 2017, President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest as Zimbabwe's military took control in a coup. He resigned the Presidency a week later.
For more February 21 anniversaries, including the publication of The Communist Manifesto, the first recorded aircraft hijack and the design of the peace symbol, check out OnThatDay.
Today Is February 21
Today is International Mother Language Day.
International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is a worldwide annual observance held on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh February 21 is the anniversary of the day when Bangladeshis fought for recognition for the Bangla language. Mother Language Day is part of a broader initiative "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world" as adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 16, 2007.
The book of Genesis in the Bible tells us that the emergence of different languages happened in around 4,000 BC. It was God's punishment for man's presumption in building the mighty tower of Babel, in Babylonia which was a monument to their own greatness. He scattered the people all over the Earth and confused their language so they wouldn't understand each other.
A recent Languages Of The World publication lists 7,097 languages spoken on Earth. Around 40 per cent of them are in danger of disappearing.
The ten most spoken languages in the world are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French, in that order.
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| 2017 International Mother Language Day celebration in Bangalore By Suyash Dwivedi |
The book of Genesis in the Bible tells us that the emergence of different languages happened in around 4,000 BC. It was God's punishment for man's presumption in building the mighty tower of Babel, in Babylonia which was a monument to their own greatness. He scattered the people all over the Earth and confused their language so they wouldn't understand each other.
A recent Languages Of The World publication lists 7,097 languages spoken on Earth. Around 40 per cent of them are in danger of disappearing.
The ten most spoken languages in the world are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French, in that order.
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