January 30
First Purpose Built Lifeboat is Launched in 1790
In 1790 the first shore-based lifeboat was launched on the River Tyne in northern England. The boat was a 30 ft (9.1 metres) 10-oar longboat. Although other boats had been used as lifeboats in the past, this was the first boat specifically built as one. The boat’s design included 784 pounds (384 kg) of cork onboard to help with buoyancy. She was named Original, and was in service for 40 years.
January 31
Explorer 1 is Launched By The USA Into Space in 1958
Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the USA.
February 1
Icelandic politician Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Becomes First Openly Gay Leader in 2009
Icelandic politician Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was sworn in as prime minister on February 1 2009. She was the country’s first female prime minister, and also the first openly gay leader.
February 2
First Public Flushing Toilet is Opened in England in 1852
Though public toilets are taken for granted in England nowadays, the first public flushing loo wasn’t opened until February 2 1852. The toilet was located at 95 Fleet Street, London, and cost 2 pence to use.
February 3
Eileen Collins Becomes First Woman To Pilot a Space Shuttle in 1995
Eileen Collins became the first woman to fly a shuttle to space on February 3 1995. The NASA astronaut was a former flight instructor and test pilot.
February 4
Alice Cooper is born in 1948
Alice Cooper was born on February 4 1948. He wasn’t born Alice Cooper though- his actual name is Vincent Damon Furnier.
February 5
First Reader’s Digest Magazine in 1922
It has been one hundred years since the first Readers Digest magazine was first published in 1922. The periodical was the brainchild of Dewitt and Lisa Wallace. The couple saw a gap in the market for a magazine that published abridged and easy-to-read articles on a variety of subjects.
