Feb 1 - Being Adventurous and Self-Reliant on a Desert Island Day. On February 1, 1709 a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk was rescued after living for more than four years on a remote island off the coast of Chile (where he had been marooned at his own request after quarreling with his captain. It was Selkirk's experiences that gave Daniel Defoe the idea and basis for Robinson Crusoe.

Feb 3 - Elizabeth Blackwell Day. This is the birth anniversary of the very first woman physician. Elizabeth Blackwell lived from 1821 to 1910, and managed not only to go through medical school when that just wasn't done, but to graduate at the head of her class!

Feb 4 - Lucky Lindy Day. American aviator Charles "Lucky" Lindbergh was born February 4, 1902, at Detroit, Michigan.

Feb 9 - Weather Day. The National Weather Service was established 2/9/1870. Before that, it had been a branch of the U.S. Army in 1870, was officially established to gather and report on the nation's atmospheric conditions. Today, this line of research includes flying into hurricanes to determine wind speed, and chasing thunderstorms to research the effect of lightning bolts.

Feb 15 - King Tut Day. It was on February 15, 1922, that archeologist Howard Carter discovered what the inside of a tomb looked like. It was the tomb of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tut-Ankh-Amen. On its exterior was written this "mummy's curse": "Any man who enters this tomb I will pounce upon like a cobra."

Feb 18 - High Flying Cow Day. In 1930, a cow named Elm Farm Ollie, attended by quite an entourage, including newspapers reporters, boarded an airplane. It was the first time a cow had done that.

Feb 18 - Gambia Day. The Republic of Gambia - or The Gambia - gained its independence on this day in 1965, and became a member of the Commonwealth five years later.