1778- France and the United States signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris, France.
1867- American financier and philanthropist George Peabody establishes the Peabody Education Fund to provide improvements to existing schools in poor areas of the South.
1911- Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the U.S., was born.
1935- “Monopoly” board game goes on sale for 1st time.
1935- 1st election to allow women to vote in Turkey.
1948- KNXT (now KCBS), TV channel 2 in Los Angeles, CA (CBS), has its 1st broadcast.
1970- NBA expands to 18 teams with Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston, and Portland.
1974- US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of President Richard Nixon.
1987- No-smoking rules take effect in U.S. federal buildings.
1996- Rapper Tupac Shakur sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison for sexual assault conviction.
2012- Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of becoming British monarch, making her only the second to do so.
2020- The 1st COVID-19 related death in the U.S. (confirmed by the CDC).
February is the only month to have fewer than 30 days.
Originally, February was the last month of the year.
February is African American History Month.
According to the National Weather Service, February is the United States’ snowiest month.
The colors of a rainbow always appear in the same order.
Octopuses have three hearts.
Tennessee and Missouri are the only states to share borders with a whopping eight states. Alaska and Hawaii are the only states to share borders with none.
The average tongue is about three inches long.
The strongest muscle in the body is the jaw.
Potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space.
The Washington Monument is the tallest unreinforced stone masonry structure in the world.
President Teddy Roosevelt gave the White House its iconic name.
Elvis Presley was one of the largest private donors to the Pearl Harbor memorial.
The longest tennis match lasted 11 hours and five minutes at Wimbledon in 2010.
The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning an average of 25 times a year.
Walt Disney World Resort is about the same size as San Francisco.
All the fruit loops are the same flavor despite their different colors.
Hiking! Put on your walking shoes and bring your friends or family.
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve: Open a half-hour before Sunrise until a half-hour after sunset; Cost: Free!; Location: Mt Umunhum Rd, San Jose, CA 95120
Walking! Again put on your walking shoes and bring a friend. Villa Montalvo : Location: 15400 Montalvo Rd Saratoga, CA 95070; Open: 8:00am to sunset
LG Creek: Location: 1250 Dell Ave Campbell, CA 95008; Open: 8:00 a.m. until sunset
Breakfast
Stacks: Located in downtown Campbell, Stacks offers a variety of breakfast options. Location: 139 E Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA 95008; Hours: 7-2
Explore Downtown Campbell, Los Gatos, & Saratoga.
These downtown locations include many cafes, cozy restaurants, and much more.
Farmers Market
Similar to the downtown locations; many offer farmer markets during the weekend.
Crafts
Petroglyph in Los Gatos allows individuals to paint any ceramic piece. Location: 37 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030; Hours: 11-8 PM
The Shield is an independent publication of the Journalism class at Westmont High School. Editorials reflect the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Westmont High School, its Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, or students. The Shield welcomes all opinions, editorials, poems, artwork, complaints, pictures, advertisements, and letters to the editor. Submit all material to Room 58 and/or aevans@cuhsd.org. We appreciate articles from students, faculty, parents and subscribers. The Shield, Westmont High School, and CUHSD do not endorse any advertisements that run in the newspaper.
