“May I be pardoned, if, upon this occasion, I mention, that away back in my childhood — the earliest days of my being able to read — I got hold of a small book, such a one as few of the younger members have ever seen, ‘Weems Life of Washington’ ; I remember all the accounts there given of the battlefields and struggles for the liberties of the country, and none fixed themselves upon my imagination so deeply as the struggle here at Trenton. The crossing of the river, the contest with the Hessians, the great hardships endured at that time, all fixed themselves on my memory more than any single Revolutionary event; and you all know, for you have all been (children), how these early impressions last longer than any other. I recollect thinking then, boy even though I was, that there must have been something more than common that those men struggled for. I am exceedingly anxious that that thing which they struggled for — that something even more than National independence, that something that held out a great promise to all the people of the world for all time to come — I am exceedingly anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people, shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be most happy, indeed, if I shall be a humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his most chosen people, for perpetuating the object of the great struggle.” – Abraham Lincoln, Address in the Senate Chamber, Trenton, N.J., February 21, 1861. From: The Words of Lincoln, published in 1895 https://archive.org/details/wordsoflincoln00linc/page/61/mode/2up Source says not in copyright Image: Profile image of Abraham Lincoln c. 1863 via Library of Congress, no known restrictions –>

On today’s date February 21, 1885, Washington Monument in Washington D.C. was dedicated. Construction began in 1848 and the project took over three decades to complete. On that day President Chester Arthur announced: “I do now …. in behalf of the people, receive this monument …. and declare it dedicated from this time forth to the immortal name and memory of George Washington” https://archive.org/stream/39002011214286.med.yale.edu#page/7/mode/1up/search/February Image via Alamy –>

On February 21, 1948 NASCAR was founded. Image of a NASCAR race about a decade later in the 1950s from Notch8864 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA 4.0 –>

American actress Ann Sheridan was born on February 21, 1915 in Denton, Texas. In the early 1930s Ann played basketball for North Texas State Teachers College Image c. 1940 via Alamy –>

The multitalented Sequoyah is credited with developing the Cherokee syllabary as a way to promote communication within his people and with other groups through writing. Due to his efforts the “Cherokee Phoenix” newspaper began printing on February 21, 1828 at New Echota, in present-day Georgia. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US. –>

Charles Scribner who founded the famous publishing company that is currently using the same name was born on February 21, 1821 in New York City. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

On February 21, 1922, a semi-rigid dirigible named Roma that was built in Italy but purchased for $184,000 by the U.S. Government, crashed in Norfolk, Virginia. Out of the 45 passengers onboard 34 were killed. Incredibly 3 of the 45 passengers were not harmed while 8 sustained injuries. It was the last airship used by the U.S. Military that was inflated with hydrogen. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

The first issue of The New Yorker magazine was published on February 21, 1925. Despite its name and most of its content, more than half of its circulation is sent to the top ten U.S. metropolitan areas. In the early 2000s there were more subscribers of The New Yorker in California than there were in New York. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US. –>

Syndicated newspaper columnist Erma Bombeck was born on February 21, 1927 in Bellbrook, Ohio. In 1959 she and her family moved into this Centerville, Ohio suburban home in the Dayton metro area. One of her quotes “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

On February 21, 1842, John James Greenough received a patent for his improved sewing machine. It was the first patent for a sewing machine in the U.S. Image: Daguerreotype of a woman with a sewing machine in 1853 via Library of Congress, no known restrictions –>

Group of sweatshop workers in a shop located at 30 Suffolk St., New York, New York. February 21, 1908 via LOC, no known restrictions –>

Rue McClanahan who played the role of Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls was born on February 21, 1934 in Healdton, Oklahoma. Image c. 1972 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

Photo of Veronica Lake that appeared in the British edition of the U.S. Army Weekly YANK that was published on February 21, 1943. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

Kelsey Grammer, best known as Dr. Frasier Crane from the TV shows Cheers and Frasier , was born on February 21, 1955 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. In the early 1980s he starred on Broadway with Christopher Plummer and James Earl Jones in Shakespeare’s Othello. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon arriving in China on February 21, 1972. It was the first time a U.S. President visited communist China. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

A sketch of former U.S. President John Quincy Adams after he suffered a severe stroke at the U.S. Capitol on February 21, 1848. He passed away at the U.S. Capitol two days later. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain –>

Lincoln Memorial & Reflecting Pool on 2/21/1929 Image via LOC, no known restrictions –>