February 15th

Portrait of Galileo Galilei

This Day in History: 

-- On this day in 1564, Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy. He was one of the most influential astronomers in modern history, and contributed much to the scientific field. It was he who first turned the telescope to the sky, and he discovered Jupiter's 4 largest moons. He also created the first thermometer.

-- On this day in 1898, the battleship USS Maine sank near Havana, Cuba, when it brushed up against a mine near the harbor. It sparked the Spanish-American War, which resulted in the Treaty of Paris. The Spanish forfeited the Philippines, Cuba, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the US. However, the American government consented to let Cuba and the Philippines form their own governments.

-- On this day in 1965, Canada dissed the Union Jack of the UK, and adopted the maple leaf flag. It still flies over the capital in Ottawa today.

Random Fact of the Day: 

The word “jumbo” is a term taken from the name of one of P.T. Barnum’s large circus elephants.