Did You Know?
Facts, Figures, & Folklore About the Month of February
Alabama was actually the first place to celebrate Mardi Gras. When the city of Mobile was founded in 1702, mystic societies called “krewes”
held
the gatherings.
Two Alabama residents
made
the first-ever 911 call on February 16, 1968. The local telephone company in Haleyville installed a first-responder system based on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommendations for a national emergency line. Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite called U.S. Representative Tom Bevill. It wasn’t long-distance, though: both men were in the City Hall building at the time.
February is named for the Latin term februum, which refers to purification. Historically, mid-February was the time for Februa, a Roman purification ritual very similar to today's practice of spring cleaning.
February is a special month. It's the shortest of all the months in the calendar, and features an extra day (February 29th) every four years (known as the leap year).
If you were born in February, your birthstone is the amethyst. An amethyst is a beautiful deep purple stone, which is said to promote clear-headedness and cleverness. It also symbolizes sincerity and wisdom.