Today is Wednesday, the 8th of February of 2023,
February 8 is the 39th day of the year
326 days remain until the end of the year
39 days until spring begins
The sun rose this morning at 7:07:01 am
and sun sets today at 5:42:06 pm.
Today we have 10 hours and 35 minutes of sun.
The solar transit will be at 12:24:33 pm.
Water temperature in San Francisco Bay today is 50.7°F
The first high tide was at 12:41 am at 4.96 feet
The first low tide was at 6:05 am at 2.24 feet
The next high tide will be at 11:45 am at 5.30 feet
and the final low tide will be at 6:22 pm at 0.17 feet
The Moon is currently 92.5% visible
It’s a Waning Gibbous moon
We’ll have the Last Quarter Moon in 5 days on Monday the13th of February of 2023 at 8:01 am
Today is…
Today is also… Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions, most celebrate on February 15)
On this day in Black History, February 8
John S. Rock, “Address to the Citizens of New Jersey” on Feb 8, 1850, Philadelphia Dentist John S. Rock would eventually become a medical doctor and attorney who in 1865 would become the first African American lawyer to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court. In 1850, however, he was also an abolitionist and civil rights activist. In that year 25 year old Rock gave a speech in neighboring New Jersey where he called upon the state’s white residents to treat the “disfranchised portion of the legal tax-payers” of the state fairly by extending to them the right to vote.
1925 – Marcus Garvey enters federal prison in Atlanta after being convicted of mail fraud. The Jamaican-born political leader, entrepreneur and orator was known for his leadership in the Pan-African and Black nationalist movements. Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which encouraged African Americans to resettle in Africa. The association grew to include 700 branches in 38 states.
– In 1944 on this day, Harry S. McAlphin became the first black accredited to attend a White House press conference.
Feb 8, 1968 -- Officers killed three students during demonstration on the campus of South Carolina State in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Students were protesting segregation at an Orangeburg bowling alley.
also on this day in 1968 – Actor Gary Coleman is born in Zion, Illinois. As a child, he was diagnosed with a congenital kidney disease that stunted his growth. The tallest Coleman got in his lifetime was 4 feet, 8 inches, but his height was perfect for the roles he landed as a child star, beginning with his most memorable character, Arnold Jackson, on the popular sitcom Diff’rent Strokes (1978-86).
Feb 8, 1978 -- Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali for heavyweight boxing championship. Ali regained the title on September 15 and became the person to win the title three times.
– In 1986 on this day, Oprah became the first black woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.
– In 1990 on this day, former CBS commentator Andy Rooney was suspended for racist comments about African Americans. Here was his quote: “I’ve believed all along that most people are born with equal intelligence, but blacks have watered down their genes because the less intelligent ones are the ones that have the children. They drop out of school early, do drugs, and get pregnant.”
Feb 8, 1985 -- Brenda Renee Pearson an official court reporter for the House of Representatives was the firstblack female to record the State of the Union message delivered by the president in the House chambers.
1986 – Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win the women’s singles at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. A month later, Thomas went on to defeat East Germany’s Katarina Witt, becoming the first African American woman to win the women’s World Figure Skating Championships.
1990 – Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, one half of the Splash Brothers duo with teammate Stephen Curry, is born. He goes on to become a three-time NBA champion.
Also on this day in history….
1693 – The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, America, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
1865 – Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Slavery was outlawed in the United States, including Delaware, when the Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states on December 6, 1865. Delaware ratified the Thirteenth Amendment on February 12, 1901, which was the ninety-second anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
1885 – The first government-approved Japanese immigrants arrive in Hawaii.
1910 – The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce.
1915 – D. W. Griffith's controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
1922 – United States President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio set in the White House.
1960 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
1960 – The Hollywood Walk of Fame is established.
1968 – American civil rights movement: The Orangeburg massacre: An attack on black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation at the town's only bowling alley, leaves three or four dead in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
1971 – The NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time.
1978 – Proceedings of the United States Senate are broadcast on radio for the first time.
1996 – The U.S. Congress passes the Communications Decency Act.
And if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday To You! You share your special day with…
1828 – Jules Verne, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1905)
1850 – Kate Chopin, American author (d. 1904)
1878 – Martin Buber, Austrian-Israeli philosopher and academic (d. 1965)
1894 – King Vidor, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
1899 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1970)
1918 – Freddie Blassie, American wrestler and manager (d. 2003)
1921 – Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
1922 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and banker (d. 1996)
1925 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (d. 2001)
1926 – Neal Cassady, American author and poet (d. 1968)
1930 – Alejandro Rey, Argentinian-American actor and director (d. 1987)
1931 – James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
1932 – John Williams, American pianist, composer, and conductor
1937 – Harry Wu, Chinese human rights activist (d. 2016)
1939 – Jose Maria Sison, Filipino activist and theorist (d. 2022)
1940 – Ted Koppel, English-American journalist
1941 – Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
1941 – Tom Rush, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1942 – Robert Klein, American comedian, actor, and singer
1944 – Sebastião Salgado, Brazilian photographer and journalist
1953 – Mary Steenburgen, American actress
1955 – John Grisham, American lawyer and author
1960 – Benigno Aquino III, Filipino politician, 15th President of the Philippines (d. 2021)
1968 – Gary Coleman, American actor (d. 2010)
1974 – Seth Green, American actor, voice artist, comedian, producer, writer, and director
1984 – Cecily Strong, American actress
