February 18, 2020

FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | NATIONAL BATTERY DAY | NATIONAL DRINK WINE DAY | NATIONAL CRAB STUFFED FLOUNDER DAY

NATIONAL BATTERY DAY

Get a charge out of National Battery Day!  Observed each year on February 18th, the day serves to appreciate the convenience batteries provide to our everyday lives.  

Today we would be hard-pressed to find someone in the United States who doesn’t derive a benefit from a battery.  Even those who live “off the grid” have battery-operated devices such as a flashlight, radio, or watch.

A battery changes chemical energy into electricity by bringing the different chemicals together in a specific order. When correctly ordered, the electrons will travel from one substance to another, creating an electrical current.

Long Road of the Battery

While battery manufacturing for everyday personal use developed in the last 50-60 years, archaeologists found evidence of a device that may have been used to electroplate gold onto silver, much like a battery would. In 1936, during the construction of a new railway near Baghdad, a Parthian tomb was found.  Archaeologist Wilhelm Konig found a clay jar containing a copper cylinder encasing an iron rod. Konig suggested the find to be approximately 2,000 years old.

Benjamin Franklin first coined the term “battery” in 1748 to describe an array of charged glass plates.

1800

In 1800, Italian scientist Alessandro Volta layered silver, cloth, or paper soaked in salt or acid and zinc into what he called “voltaic piles.” The voltaic piles generated a limited electrical current. Volta proceeded to publish his work, and we get the word “volt” from his name to describe electric potential.

William Cruickshank, an English chemist, designed a battery for mass production in 1802.

Corrosion in batteries has always been an issue, but until John Daniell came along, it was much worse. Daniel, a chemist, receives credit for developing a way to reduce corrosion when storing batteries. In 1820 he invented the Daniell Cell, which incorporated mercury, reducing the corrosion.

1896

Over time, various scientists and inventors developed gradual improvements to the battery. Then in 1896, the National Carbon Company (later known as the Eveready Battery Company) manufactured the first commercially available battery called the Columbia. Two years later, National Carbon Company introduced the first D sized battery for the first flashlight.

The 1900s and beyond

Until 1957, watches needed to be wound routinely to keep time. Then in 1957, the Hamilton Watch Company introduced the first battery-operated watch.

Today batteries are available for numerous purposes.  In our modern age, portable electricity isn’t something we think about every day because it is so easily accessible.  We charge the batteries on our phones by using the batteries in our cars as we travel down the road.  We even have portable chargers that can charge our batteries where ever we are. The variety of batteries change every day. Solar batteries recharge daily and store power in cells. They come in numerous sizes, too. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBatteryDay

How many batteries do you rely on in your life? From your car to your smoke detectors, batteries are everywhere. Count the items in your home that use batteries. How often do you buy them? Do you have a battery charger? Our phones, watches, hearing aids, all use batteries. Medical devices rely on them to keep people alive. They monitor our children as they sleep, and they serve as back up systems for our security and safety. Batteries operate wheelchairs and keep lights bright for photography. In an emergency, batteries keep the phones going and point us in the right direction. 

Use #NationalBatteryDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL BATTERY DAY HISTORY

National Battery Day commemorates the anniversary of Alessandro Volta’s birth on February 17, 1745.

NATIONAL DRINK WINE DAY

While February 18 is observed annually as National Drink Wine Day, it would be a shame to celebrate only one day a year.  Perhaps this day is just a reminder to drink wine.

Wine does have its benefits after all. Moderate drinkers of wine have lower risks of liver disease, type II diabetes, certain kinds of cancers, heart attack and stroke.  It also can reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good (HDL).

Drinking wine includes other benefits as well. When paired with the right meal, it enhances the flavors of spices, fruits, and sauces. A glass of wine helps relax us. Learning about wine keeps our minds sharp, too. Since the fruits, regions and the making of wine have such a complex story, those who delve into find themselves traveling to learn more. Wine can take 

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalDrinkWineDay

Since February 18th is also National Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day, may we suggest a fresh, fruity white wine pairing the celebrations together? With so many wine varietals a wine tasting would be a perfect way to celebrate. Visit a vineyard or host one of your own. Raise a toast to your favorite wine and let us know which one it is. 

Always drink responsibly and try a new wine.  Use #NationalDrinkWineDay to post to social media.

NATIONAL DRINK WINE DAY HISTORY

National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this celebratory day. However, we’ve sipped a few wines and suspect either a winemaker or connoisseur created this day.

NATIONAL CRAB STUFFED FLOUNDER DAY

Crab and flounder take center stage on February 18th when National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day arrives each year. The day recognizes the unique, flavorful delight when crab and flounder combine.

This one-of-kind dish is composed of a stuffing made with crab meat, bread crumbs, butter, and seasonings, which is stuffed into the whole flounder or rolled up into the fillets and baked.

Flounder is a flatfish in approximately 100 different species. Around the United States, the winter flounder and Pacific flounder are common species. While there are thousands of species of crabs, only certain ones are edible. In the United States, some of the more popular and tasty ones are the blue crab, stone crab, Dungeness, king, and rock or snow crabs. They come in both hard and soft shells and can be found along all the coasts and Hawaii.

Popular along the East and Gulf Coasts, there are a variety of restaurants that serve crab-stuffed flounder, and there are plenty of recipes to try your hand at making at home.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCrabStuffedFlounderDay

The day is perfect for snowbirds vacationing along sunny beaches. It’s an excellent time to order up a plate or two at your favorite seafood restaurant. Or maybe you should try your hand at making it at home. We’ve even found a couple of recipes worth testing. Be sure to invite friends and family to join you. How else would you celebrate?

Crab Meat Stuffed Flounder Roulades

Crab Meat Stuffed Flounder

If you are also celebrating National Drink Wine Day on February 18, a sweet Riesling or a Chardonnay will pair well with Crab-Stuffed Flounder.

Use #NationalCrabStuffedFlounderDay to post to social media.

NATIONAL CRAB STUFFED FLOUNDER DAY HISTORY

National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this seafood holiday. We’ve cast about seeking answers and while we reel back in, we’re going to see what the catch of the day is and celebrate a little more!

Wow, over 200 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 88 days, exactly on December 14th, 2020, people who were born on February 18th, 2020 will be 300 days old!

Age in days, hours & seconds

Birthdays of famous people

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Future birthdays

Leap year

Yes: 2020 is a leap year, therefore has a 29th of February with an additional leap day and a total of 366 days (instead of the usual 365 days in a normal year).

February 2020