SUNDAY, 16FEBRUARY2025

This is Sunday, February 16, 2025.  What has happened in history on this day?

• First, this is the 47th day of the year, with 318 days left in 2025.  Not a leap year.
• Donald Trump is the 47th PUS  (President of the United States).
• According to Wikipedia.
• 1796  The British conquered Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka.
• 
  1923  Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber on Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
• 1937  Wallace Carothers receives a U.S. patent for nylon.

• 
  1959  Fidel Castro became Premier, or El Comandante, of Cuba. He served in this capacity for 32 years.
• 1968  9-1-1 emergency telephone system goes into service, in Alabama.

• 
  1985  Hezbollah is founded in Lebanon.
• 2006  The last Mash (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is decommissioned.
• In other words, nothing much happened in history on this day.
• Watch a short video of February 6.  And another.  By Dr. Zarr.

• 
  As of today, ranking of most famous Generation Z people (born between 1997 and 2012):  #1 Greta Thunberg, #2 MrBeast, #5 Billie Eilish, #7 Malala Yousafzai, #9 Max Verstappen...  Greta suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.  She is 22 years old and a vegan, to reduce her carbon footprint.

• 
  Other important matters.
• The birthstone today is an Amethyst, as it is for every day in February.
• Zodiac sign is Aquarius.
• Lithuania celebrates their Day of Restoration

What's happening today?  Not much.  Donald Trump ignored Europe, and continued his sport events tour.  Went to the Daytona 500.  His limousine led drivers on two ceremonial laps.  Said he's a big fan of NASCAR, and was at this race in 2020 as grand marshal.  Many in the crowd had on MAGA caps, and also the President.  Has had a running feud with Bubba Wallace, one of only two African American NASCAR drivers  Let's see, what could be next?  Maybe a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) match.

The Daytona 500 is referred to as The Great American Race.  

• The track is a 2.5-mile tri-oval, with steep banks and long straightaways.  
• Cars generate 750 horsepower.
• Cars are not today any faster than before, for the record was set by Bill Elliott in 1987 clocking 210.364 miles per hours during a practice session.
• Average race speeds hover between 150 to 180 MPH.

• 
  There has been only one death at the Daytona 500:  Dale Earnhardt in 2001.
• There have been 128 fatalities in NASCAR events, 108 drivers and 20 spectators.
• Four women have driven the Daytona 500, with Danica Patrick the most notable.  She has the highest finish by a female in both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.

• 
  Richard Petty has won 7 times and Cale Yarborough second-most with 4.
• This race was won last year by William Byron.  The amount of money the winner gets is complicated, but he probably received around $2.6 million.
• This year the champ could win up to $3 million.
• Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 last year, and got $4.3 million.

Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano, is erupting.  Rivers of lava are flowing, with the night sky turning scarlet.  Has erupted 190 times since 1500 BC, but has erupted annually for the past decade.  While 36 were killed in 1843, fatalities are rare, so it is safe to visit Sicily.

Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii is still erupting, more recently with 300-foot fountains.

I alerted you, but Saturday Night, the movie that depicted how the show started, was on last night, as was a special on their most memorable music.

Tonight you can watch Saturday Night Live 50:  The Anniversary Special.  I can't quite imagine that it has been that long.  Lorne Michaels is credited with creating SNL, and I just had to show what he looked like in 1975 at the age of 30, and then below, today, at 79.  He not only invented this inimitable show, but was writer and producer.  Actually, he left the show in 1980, but returned in 1985, and is still there today, with no plans to retire.

Rolling Stones announced their pick for the 50 greatest musical performances in SNL.

• #50  The Blues Brothers, Soul Man, 1978.  Dan Aykroyd was Elwood Blues and John Belushi as Jake.
• #44  Fear, Beef Baloney, 1981.  This is the performance on Halloween involving 35 punks from D.C., is said to have cause $200,000 studio damages.  Not true, for the only thing broken was a plastic camera-case lock.
• #39  Brian Wilson, Good Vibrations, 1976.  Only him without the Beach Boys, a solo version, bearded and barefeet.

• 
  #21  Carly Simon, You're So Vain, 1976.  She had stage fright, and you rarely see her live, but here with Chevy Chase singing harmony and playing a cowbell.
• #16  George Harrison and Paul Simon, Homeward Bound, 1976.  Simon also hosted.  
• #6    Patti Smith Group, Gloria, 1976.  Yes, 1976 was a big year.
• #2    The Replacements, Bastards of Young, 1986.  The band was drunk.  There were F words.
• #1  David Bowie, The Man Who Sold the World, 1979.

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