Jeopardy

The popular and long-running game show Jeopardy premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964. The show's concept, rules, and name were developed by Merv Griffin and his wife Julann. Mary Eubanks of North Carolina was the show's first champion, winning $345. Within weeks of its premiere, Jeopardy was pulling in 40% of the TV-watching market during its time slot.
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Barbie

The first Barbie doll was introduced at the American International Toy Fair in New York in February 1959. Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler and was named after Handler's daughter Barbara. Girls went wild for the new doll as Barbie's first year set a sales record for Mattel.
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Walk of Fame

Hollywood, California established the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. The first star on the Walk of Fame was awarded to actress Joanne Woodward in February 1960. Her star is located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard. Since 1960, more than 2,000 sidewalk stars have been awarded along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which stretches along Hollywood Boulevard from LeBrea to Vine.
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Hiram Rhodes Revels

Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American member of Congress on February 25, 1870. The republican from Mississippi was elected by Congress to fill the last year of an unexpired term in the U.S. Senate once held by former Confederate States president Jefferson Davis.
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Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley entered the American music charts for the first time in February 1956. Presley introduced the song "Heartbreak Hotel" live on the Tommy Dorsey TV Show on February 11. Ten days later, the song hit the charts and later reached #1. "Heartbreak Hotel" is ranked #45 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs and is a Grammy Hall of Fame record.
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War to end all wars

The First World War began in 1914 after Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Bosnia. The "War to end all wars" lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved over 100 countries from Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe. All told, over eight million soldiers died in the four year conflict. The outcome of World War I was a major cause of World War II.
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U2

The members of what would become the Irish quartet U2 first met in 1976 in response to a Dublin high school ad posted by Larry Mullen looking for people interested in forming a rock band. Bono (Paul Hewson), Adam Clayton, and The Edge (David Evans) responded to the ad and established the band The Hype. The band changed its name to U2 after winning the Harp-Lager Talent contest in 1978.
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A successful first date

The rules for a successful first date are: plan a short date; keep the date simple and light; make a backup plan; be punctual; agree on dress attire; balance talking and listening; compliment without going overboard; be yourself; and most importantly, try to have fun.
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Automobile insurance policy

The first automobile insurance policy was issued in February 1898. The Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut extended an individual insurance policy that provided $5,000 to $10,000 of liability coverage to Dr. Truman J. Martin of Buffalo, New York. Dr. Martin's premium for the first automobile insurance policy was $11.25.
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Volleyball

William G. Morgan demonstrated his new net and ball game called "Mintonette" at a YMCA conference in February 1896. Conference attendees witnessed their first volleyball game. Morgan developed the game as an alternative for his older YMCA members. He even worked with Spaulding to develop a specific ball for the game. Today, volleyball ranks second to soccer among participation sports worldwide.
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Daytona 500

NASCAR's premier race, the Daytona 500, made its first run in 1959 at the newly opened 2.5 mile Daytona International Raceway. Lee Petty was a photo finish winner of the first Daytona. Petty and Jonny Beauchamp were so close together at the finish line it took three days to declare the winner. Newsreel footage revealed Petty beat Beauchamp to the line.
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BBS

The first computer bulletin board system (BBS) went live on February 16, 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. During a winter blizzard, Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss pieced together a computerized answering machine and message center that allowed fellow computer hobbyists to send and receive announcements and meeting notes. They called it the Computerized Bulletin Board System.
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911 Emergency phone system

The 911 Emergency phone system concept was developed by AT&T in the late 1960s. The first 911 service began in Haleyville, Alabama on February 16, 1968. The first 991 call was made by officials at Haleyville's city hall to its police headquarters. The bright red phone used by the first 911 system is now in a museum in Haleyville.
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First credit-card payment

In February 1950, Frank McNamara made the first recognized credit-card payment at a New York City restaurant with his Diner's Club credit card. The credit-card was born! By 1952, the Diner's Club Card was accepted by thousands of merchants who enjoyed the new buying power of their customers. This spawned other credit cards including The American Express card and the BankAmericard.
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The All England Club

The All England Club, host of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, agreed for the first time in February 2007 to pay women the same prize money as the men. The decision brought Wimbledon in line with the other Grand Slam tournaments. The U.S. Open and the Australian Open have paid equal prize money for years. The French Open changed its money policy in 2006.
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Light pollution

In February 2002, the Czech Republic became the first country to enact legislation aimed at eliminating light pollution. The law defined light pollution as "artificial light which is dispersed outside the areas it is dedicated to, particularly if directed above the level of the horizon." Czech citizens and organizations are obligated to "prevent the occurrence of light pollution of the air."
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MBA President

President George W. Bush is the first American President to hold a Masters Degree in Business Administration. The 43rd President of the United States graduated from Yale University with a history degree in 1968 and earned his MBA from Harvard in 1975. Bush began a career in the energy business soon after receiving his MBA.
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Television

"Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want." -- Clive Barnes.
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Deep Blue

IBM computer Deep Blue defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov on February 10, 1996. Deep Blue's victory marked the first time a computer has ever defeated a reigning world champion under regular time controls. After an upgrade, Deep Blue won a six-game match against Garry Kasparov in May 1997.
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National Weather Service

The National Weather Service was established on February 9, 1870, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the Secretary of War to establish a national weather service. On November 1, 1870, the first meteorological forecast was made by "observing-sergeants" of the Army Signal Service at 22 stations and telegraphed to Washington.
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Female ice hockey

The first female ice hockey game in Olympic history took place in Japan on February 8, 1998. Team Finland defeated Team Sweden by a score of 6-0. Six countries competed for the first Woman's Hockey Olympic Gold medal in 1998. Team USA won the gold, Canada the silver, and Finland the bronze.
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Fortune 500

The Fortune 500 is the annual ranking of the largest publicly traded companies by revenue. The first Fortune 500 list was published in 1955. General Motors, Exxon Mobile, and U.S. Steel were tops in revenue in 1955. Only Wal-Mart, General Motors Corp. and Exxon Mobil have topped the lists since 1954.
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The first chewing gum

The first chewing gum - Adams New York Gum - went on sale in drug stores in February 1871. Thomas Adams originally set out to make synthetic rubber products from chicle tree sap. After several failed attempts, he tried chewing the chicle, later added some flavoring. Shortly after, Adams opened the world’s first chewing gum factory.
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Super bowl

The Indianapolis Colts won their first Super bowl since 1971 with a victory over the Chicago Bears 29-17 in February 2007. This Super bowl was historically significant in that it was the first NFL championship game to feature two African-American head coaches. Colts head coach Tony Dungy became the first African-American head coach to win a Super bowl.
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VCRs

The advent of the video cassette recorder enabled consumers for the first time to personalize their viewing of movies, television shows, and home recordings. The first VCR for home use was developed by Phillips in the early 1970s. The Phillips Model 1500, first introduced in England in 1972, measured 6.5 x 22 x 15 inches and weighed over twelve pounds.
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Black History Month

The month of February is recognized as Black History Month. The origins of Black History Month go back to 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week to celebrate the history, contributions and culture of African-Americans. Fifty years later, as part of the American bi-centennial celebrations in 1976, the week was expanded to become first National Black History month.
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Groundhog Day

The first Groundhog Day was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1887. Punxsutawney Phil is a famous weather forecasting groundhog that comes out of his burrow each year to predict the weather for the rest of winter. According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
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U.S. Supreme Court

The first meeting of the U.S. Supreme Court took place on February 1, 1790. The court assembled in the Merchants Exchange Building in New York, then the National Capital. The court comprised of Chief Justice John Jay and Associate Justices John Rutledge, William Cushing, James Wilson, John Blair, and James Iredell delivered their first opinions in August 1792 in a case titled Georgia v. Bradford.
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