On the Second we have Groundhog Day.

This day is important because we will know with certainty when winter will end. The folks at the Chamber of Commerce in Punxsutawney say that Phil never makes a mistake.

You can find out more about this sage little animal at the official website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

14 February is Valentine’s Day. A day set apart for showing those we love how much we really do love them. Of course we include our significant other in the circle that we draw on this day, but I believe that others should properly be included. On this day we should tell and show our children, no matter how young or old they are, that they hold a special place in our hearts. I would even go so far as to advance the theory that good friends deserve recognition on this day for showing how much we care.

15 Feb 1898 -- Sinking of the USS Maine -- The Spanish-American War (21 April to 13 August 1898) was a turning point in the history of the United States, signaling the country's emergence as a world power. The blowing up of the battleship USS Maine in Havana harbor on the evening of 15 February was a critical event on the road to that war. In order to understand the role the ship's destruction played in the start of the war, one must know the context in which the event took place. Click here for more.

19 Feb 1945 – U.S. Marines Landed on Iwo Jima, a small island that lies 660 miles south of Tokyo, and on 23 Feb they raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi

The Memorial in Washington is a very fitting and impressive site. Here is a URLs for more information. http://www.iwojima.com/statue

We have important birthdays in February. President Abraham Lincoln was born on 12 February and President George Washington was born on the 22nd. In Honor of these two great men and all the rest of our great Presidents we celebrate on the 21st with a Federal Holiday called President’s Day. In more recent years we should add President Ronald Reagan who was born on 6 February.

 1 Feb 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated just before 8:00 AM over East Texas about 16 minutes prior to landing in Florida. The shuttle was almost 40 miles in the sky traveling at 12,500 MPH but the explosion was clearly and forcefully heard by residents from Dallas to the Louisiana border, or over 200 miles. The seven brave astronauts will long be remembered, as they were in all reality kinsmen of ours. See more on the Columbia website.