🗓️ On This Day - February 26th

Secretariat ran for glory!

Secretariat, the legendary racehorse, was sold for a record $5.7 million on February 26th 1973. He had just won the Triple Crown, becoming one of the most decorated horses in thoroughbred racing history. Racing fans still talk about him to this day!

A Thrilling hit!

The hit album “Thriller” by Michael Jackson hit number one in the US charts on February 26th 1983 and ended up dominating the charts for 37 weeks! It’s one of the most famous records of all time.

The power of music!

In 2008, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra made history by performing in Pyongyang, North Korea. The landmark concert was the result of a rare invitation from the North Korean government.

Seth speaks to the Senate.

On February 26th 2014, actor Seth Rogen testified before the United States Senate about Alzheimer's disease.

Rogen's mother-in-law was diagnosed with the disease, and he used his platform to raise awareness and advocate for increased funding for Alzheimer's research.

A million seeds!

The Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, celebrated its 10th anniversary on February 26th 2018, by adding its one-millionth seed. The Seed Vault serves as a backup for crop diversity, housing seeds from various countries in a secure and frozen environment to preserve their viability for future use.

National Letter to an Elder Day

National Letter to an Elder Day was founded by Love for Our Elders, in an attempt to encourage writing letters to older people to combat loneliness.

The day was started by Jacob Cramer, who discovered the problem of loneliness among seniors while volunteering at a local senior living community. He created a nonprofit and has since inspired 50,000+ letter writers worldwide.

National Tell a Fairytale Day

Once upon a time, we celebrated a day just for telling stories! Every February 26th, we observe National Tell a Fairytale Day. Though some stories are too long, and some are too short, many are just right! No one really knows from whence this tradition came, but maybe you can go on a quest to your local library or bookstore to find the answer!

National Set a Good Example Day

On February 26th we try to lead by example! Created by The Way to Happiness Foundation International in 2022, with an aim to inspire people to be kind to others and spread happiness, this is probably one of the most feel-good holidays out there. While a relatively new occasion, we can all stand to set a good example to people around us.