🌟 Editor's Note
Good morning — it’s Saturday, February 21. Today we're exploring the first Russian Tsar, the first steam locomotive, the Washington Monument, the longest battle of World War I, Malcolm X's assassination, Dolly Parton's biggest hit, and much more — all served up quick, sharp, and irresistibly engaging!
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🚀 Time Machine
-1613
Michael Romanov, son of the Patriarch of Moscow, becomes the first Russian Tsar of the House of Romanov.
-1804
Richard Trevithick's world's first steam locomotive runs along the Penydarren Ironworks tramway in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
-1848
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published "The Communist Manifesto" in London.
-1885
The Washington Monument, built in honor of America’s revolutionary hero and first president, was dedicated in Washington, D.C. It wasn't until 1832 that a memorial for Washington was adopted, the centenary of his birth.
-1916
The Battle of Verdun starts with a German offensive, ends with 1 million casualties, and becomes the longest battle of World War I. (9 months)
-1947
Edwin Land demonstrated the first instant camera at the Optical Society of America in NYC.
-1948
The National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) was officially incorporated.
-1965
Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was 39.
-1972
Richard Nixon became the first US President to visit China, normalizing relations with Mao Zedong in Beijing.
-1981
"9 to 5" becomes Dolly Parton's biggest hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
-1990
"Batman Theme" by Danny Elfman wins Best Instrumental Composition at the 32nd Grammy Awards.
📸 Snapshot
Audubon Ballroom stage after Malcolm X was assassinated, with bullet holes circled, 1965
🗨️ Last Words
“Throw up the window that I may see once more the magnificent scene of nature.”