Susan B. Anthony Day is a commemorative holiday to celebrate the birth of Susan B. Anthony and women’s suffrage in the United States. The holiday is February 15—Anthony’s birthday.
Source: Wikipedia
Lincoln’s Birthday is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth on February 12, 1809 in Hodgensville, Kentucky. Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and New York observe the holiday.
In other states, Lincoln’s birthday is not celebrated separately, as a stand-alone holiday. Instead Lincoln’s Birthday is combined with a celebration of President George Washington’s birthday (also in February) and celebrated either as Washington’s Birthday or as Presidents’ Day on the third Monday in February, simultaneously with the Federal holiday.
Source: Wikipedia
As Fort Belvoir grows, its new base hospital and Warrior Transition Unit Complex are increasingly becoming the place where severely wounded soldiers are sent for treatment and rehabilitation. But where can the soldiers go to escape the hospital, the rehab, the boredom?
The USO has stepped in. The mostly volunteer support group for American troops has built its largest-ever facility, the Warrior and Family Center, a dazzling 20,000-square foot building just steps away from the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. The USO center has space dedicated to social interaction and fun, space for quiet reflection, and space for education and business training. And a full-sized golf simulator, which sort of touches on all three.
The $12 million center was built entirely through financial donations, including $5 million from the Northrop Grumman Foundation, $2 million from the Kuwait America Foundation, and technical equipment and appliances donated by companies such as Cisco Systems, Verizon and Lowe’s. The USO broke ground on a smaller, sister center in Bethesda in November, again funded by donations such as $1 million from actor Charlie Sheen.
Source: washingtonpost.com
The USO was founded in 1941 by Mary Ingraham in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. uniformed military personnel. Roosevelt was elected as its honorary chairman. This request brought together six civilian organizations: the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board. They were brought together under one umbrella to support U.S. troops. Roosevelt said he wanted “these private organizations to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces.” According to historian Emily Yellin, “The government was to build the buildings and the USO was to raise private funds to carry out its main mission: boosting the morale of the military.”
The first national campaign chairman was Thomas Dewey, who raised $16 million in the first year. The second chairman was future senator Prescott Bush. The USO was incorporated in New York on February 4, with the first facility erected in DeRidder, Louisiana,1941. More USO centers and clubs opened around the world as a “Home Away from Home” for GIs. The USO club was a place to go for dances and social events, for movies and music, for a quiet place to talk or write a letter home, or for a free cup of coffee and an egg.
Source: Wikipedia
Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund’sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular tradition celebrated in the United States on February 2.
It derives from Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog (Deitsch: grundsau, grun′daks, dox) emerging from its burrow on this day sees a shadow, it will retreat back into its den and winter weather will persist for six more weeks, and if not, spring season will arrive early.
Source: Wikipedia
National Freedom Day is an observance in the United States that honors the signing of a resolution that proposed the 13th amendment of the nation’s constitution on February 1, 1865. Abraham Lincoln, who was the president at the time, signed the resolution to outlaw slavery. This anniversary is annually observed on February 1.
Source: timeanddate.com
