Mardi Gras is French for “fat Tuesday”—the final feasting before the fasting of Lent, which begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is also called Shrove Tuesday, a name that comes from the practice of shriving—purifying oneself through confession—prior to Lent. Many of the names applied to this day relate to food and eating. In many Latin countries, Mardi Gras is the culmination of the carnival season of revelry and feasting. (Carnival from the Latin carnem levare, means to take meat away.) Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, this Tuesday is Fastnacht (fast night), and everyone enjoys the traditional fastnachtkuchen, a rectangular doughnut with a slit in the middle. For the English, Shrove Tuesday is also called Pancake Day, as they use up the cooking fats that are forbidden during Lent. Learn more about Mardi Gras and find great recipes including Shrove Tuesday Pancakes!
Daily Calendar for Tuesday, February 9, 2027
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Daily Calendar
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Tuesday, February 9, 2027
Born
- William Henry Harrison (9th U.S. president) –
- George Ade (humorist) –
- Howard Taylor Ricketts (pathologist) –
- Hans Albert Hochbaum (naturalist and artist) –
- Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors (Canadian singer-songwriter; born in St. John, Canada) –
- Carole King (singer) –
- Joe Pesci (actor) –
- Alice Walker (author) –
- Mia Farrow (actress) –
- Vince Papale (football player) –
- Mookie Wilson (baseball player) –
- Travis Tritt (country music singer) –
- David Gallagher (actor) –
- Michael B. Jordan (actor) –
- Jimmy Bennett (actor) –
Died
- Sophie Tucker (singer) –
- Bill Haley (musician) –
- Charles (Bud Wilkinson football coach) –
- Princess Margaret (sister of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II) –
- Walter Fredrick Morrison (inventor of the Frisbee) –
Events
- Robert Fulton received patent for steamboat improvements –
- Jefferson Davis named president of the Confederate States of America –
- U.S. Weather Bureau established by Congress as part of Signal Corps –
- Office of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries formed –
- First train passed through Hoosac Tunnel in Massachusetts –
- War Time (year-round daylight saving time) began in the United States –
- Joanne Woodward received the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame –
- The first Boeing 727 took off –
- First appearance of The Beatles on the U.S. TV program, The Ed Sullivan Show. 73 million people watched (about 45% of the U.S. population). –
- Magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck San Fernando, California –
- Canada expelled 13 Soviet diplomats for spying –
- Paul McCartney was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame –
Weather
- -52 degrees F in Butte, Montana –
- Portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama had a severe ice storm –
- After a 2-day snowstorm ended, 38 inches of snow lay in Milford, Connecticut –
- After a 2-day snowstorm ended, 11.4 inches of snow lay in New York City’s Central Park –