Tidbits of History, February 11

February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.

Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day
Make a Friend Day
White T-Shirt Day
National Peppermint Patty Day

1531 – Henry VIII of England was recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.

Feb 11, 1650 is the date of the death of Rene Descartes, French philosopher and mathematician. Descartes is best known for “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am).

At the time of his death, Descartes was the guest of Queen Christina of Sweden, who helped him found an academy of arts and took private lessons from him in philosophy. Queen Christina insisted on having lessons at 5:00 a.m. It is believed that lack of sleep and the bitter Scandinavian winter damaged his health and he died of pneumonia at age 53.

Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States, was opened by Benjamin Franklin in 1752.

Birthday of Thomas Alva Edison (1847), American inventor. Edison is the fifth most prolific inventor in history, holding 1,084 US patents in his name including the phonograph, the electric light bulb, and the motion picture camera. (The top four prolific inventors are Kia Silverbrook of Australia (4669 utility patents); Shunpei Yamazaki of Japan (3516 utility patents); Paul Lapstun of Australia (1268 utility patents); and Gurtej Sandhu of India (1093 utility patents).

In 1942 the first gold record was presented to Glenn Miller for “Chattanooga Choo Choo“.
 
 

 
Lyrics from www.songlyrics.com

Step aside partner, it’s my day
Bend an ear and listen to my version
(Of a really solid Tennessee excursion)

Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
(Yes yes, track 29)
Boy, you can give me a shine
(Can you afford to board Chattanooga Choo Choo?)

I’ve got my fare
(And just a trifle to spare)

You leave the Pennsylvania station ’bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you’re in Baltimore
Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer
(Then to have your ham and eggs in Carolina)

When you hear the whistle blowin’ eight to the bar
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin’
(Whoo whoo, Chattanooga, there you are)

There’s gonna be a certain party at the station
Satin and Lace, I used to call funny face
She’s gonna cry until I tell her that I’ll never roam
(So Chattanooga Choo Choo)

Won’t you choo choo me home
(Chattanooga, Chattanooga)
Get aboard
(Chattanooga, Chattanooga)
All aboard
(Chattanooga, Chattanooga)

Chattanooga Choo Choo
Won’t you choo choo me home
Chattanooga Choo Choo

1936 Birthday of Burt Reynolds, American actor, one of the most charismatic actors to rule the silver screen. The star of movies like The Longest Yard, Boogie Nights and Best Friends was a massive box-office attraction from 1978 to 1982, with Smokey and the Bandit I and II being his biggest hits. In 1982, Reynolds was voted the most popular star in the US for the fifth year in a row. He died September 6, 2018 of a heart attack.