February 21 is Sticky Bun Day.
As i am doing these little daily facts articles, I am quickly coming to the realization that the people who decide what “National days of Observance” we have are really not helping when it comes to the obesity epidemic in the United States.
Today is National Sticky Bun day, which sounds terrific, but be sure when celebrating that you also observe National Take a Couple Of Extra Napkins Day, because National Sticky Bun day can quickly turn into Why Is Everything On My Desk Sticky Day.. (It is actually not “National Take A Couple of Extra Napkins Day”, but it sounds like a good idea.)
Sticky buns have been enjoyed since the Middle Ages when cinnamon became more prominently used as a spice. Sticky Buns are buns that are sticky due to gobs of sugar, maple syrup, caramel, frosting, honey or molasses baked throughout and drizzled all over the thing. Coincidentally, that is also why they are delicious. Have a sticky bun today.
Today in history: February 21, 1885: The Washington Monument is Dedicated.
Standing just over 555 feet high, the Washington Monument is one of the most distinctive structures in the world. The obelisk honors George Washington, commander of the Continental Army and first President of the United States. It is 55 feet square at its base, 35 feet square at the top and is peaked with an aluminum pyramid.
Construction on the Washington Monument began in 1848 after a design by Baltimore architect Robert Mills was chosen. Mills original design had a circular building at the base on the obelisk, surrounded by columns. Inside the building was to be filled with statues of Revolutionary war heroes and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Congress balked at the proposed price tag of over $1 million, which in today’s money would be closer to 22 million. They proceeded with the design without the building at the base. Construction continued until 1855 when it was halted due to lack of funding.
In 1879 the construction was resumed, and if you look at the monument you can see a distinct difference in the coloring of the marble used in construction, showing clearly when work had continued. The final piece, the aluminum peak, was placed on December 6, 1884. At the time, it was the largest casted piece of aluminum ever made, and until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889, the Washington Monument was the tallest structure in the world.
Weird History: The Arrowbile
On this date in 1937 the first Flying Car was tested. The Waterman Arrowbile was a small 2 seat single engine aircraft that was also able to be driven as a road vehicle. Or, at least that is what it was intended to be, but after generating almost no interest only 3 were ever produced. Together they flew from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio to the National Air Races in 1937, a distance of 2,050 miles. One of the Arrowbile’s had to force land on the way, but the other two reached the venue and gave demonstration flights.
The vehicle had 3 wheels, with the interior laid out like an automobile. The steering wheel turned the car’s front wheel, and also controlled the vehicle in flight. The propeller was mounted behind the cabin and within the tuck of the swept wings. The wingspan was 38 feet, and the vehicle had no tail or stabilizers, only a pair of small rudders at the end of the wings.