Ground Hog's Eve

While not as widely celebrated as Ground Hog's Day, Ground Hog's Eve (February 1) is an equally important day on the cultural calendar. The story of the groundhog seeing his shadow (or not) on February 2 is American folklore, but what often is forgotten is that the pressures of celebrity status are not limited to humans. On the night before Ground Hog Day, it is customary to go out to a bar with your favorite groundhog and drink a lot of beer, the idea being a drunk and hungover groundhog will not only see its shadow and return to its hole, but it will be reluctant to wake up in the first place. Thus the first date of Spring remains March 21 and the natural order of things remains intact for another year.

On Ground Hog's Eve (mainly Amerocentric version):
  • in 1788, the first US steamboat patent was issued.
  • in 1790, the US Supreme Court convened for the first time.
  • in 1851 Mary Shelley, novelist ("Frankenstein"), died.
  • in 1861, Texas voted to secede from the Union.
  • in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.
  • in 1906, the first federal penitentiary building was completed in Leavenworth, Kansas.
  • in 1914, the New York (baseball) Giants and the Chicago White Sox played an exhibition game in Egypt.
  • in 1920, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police came into existence.
  • also in 1920, the first armored car was introduced.
  • in 1960, four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, where they had been refused service.
  • in 1964, the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" reaches #1 on the pop charts, where it would remain for seven weeks.
  • in 1966 LSD became federally regulated.
  • in 1972, the first scientific hand calculator (HP-35) was introduced for $395.
  • in 1982, "Late Night with David Letterman" debuts on NBC.
  • in 1988, Mike Ditka becomes the first tight end to be elected to the pro football Hall of Fame.
  • in 1991, President F. W. de Klerk of South Africa declares he will repeal all apartheid laws.
    Born on Ground Hog's Eve:
  • Thomas Campbell (1763)
  • Langston Hughes (1902)
  • Clark Gable (1901)
  • Boris Yeltsin (1931)
  • Don Everly (1937)
  • Garrett Morris (1937)
  • Sherman Hemsley (1938)
  • Terry Jones (1942)
  • Rick James (1952)
  • Bill Mumy (1954)
  • Lisa Marie Presley (1968)
  • Pauly Shore (1968)
    February is:
  • American Heart Month.
  • American History Month (Massachusetts).
  • Black Heritage Month.
  • Black History Month.
  • Canned Food Month.
  • Chocolate Lovers Month
  • Creative Romance Month.
  • Great American Pies Month.
  • Human Relations Month.
  • Humpback Whale Awareness Month.
  • International Friendship Month.
  • Liferhythms and Health Month.
  • Marfan Syndrome Awareness Month.
  • National "Develop Your Self-esteem" Month.
  • National Blah Buster Month.
  • National Cat Health Month.
  • National Cherry Month.
  • National Children's Dental Health Month.
  • National Condom Month.
  • National Embroidery Month.
  • National Grapefruit Month.
  • National Macadamia Nut Month.
  • National Meat Month.
  • National Snack Food Month.
  • New Zealand Farm Raised Venison Month.
  • Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.
  • Shape Up With Pickles Time.
  • Virginia Reading Month.
    February 1 is:
  • Be An Encourager Day.
  • Ground Hog's Eve
  • National Freedom Day.
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