2023 Earthquake Devastates the Turkish/Syrian Border

On February 6, 2023, an early morning earthquake that registered 7.8 on the Richter Scale rocked the Turkish city of Gaziantep and surrounding areas. Hours later a 7.5 magnitude quake hit a little further north and was followed by severe aftershocks. It is estimated that 55,000 people died and over 200,000 buildings were badly damaged. Rebuilding efforts continue to this day.

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🗞️Today’s Headlines

Everything important that’s ever happened on February 6:

2018 — SpaceX launched its first test of the Falcon Heavy rocket, designed to carry equipment and satellites into Earth’s orbit. For the sake of the test, the first Falcon Heavy carried a Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car, into space, where it is still orbiting the sun.  

2014 — For the second time, comedian Jay Leno hosted his last episode of The Tonight Show, after he’d returned from an earlier retirement in 2009. 

1952 — 25-year-old Elizabeth II became queen of England and would serve for more than 70 years, the second longest sovereign rule in history behind Louis XIV of France. 

1919 — A German constitutional assembly began meeting in Weimar, kicking off the months-long formation of the Weimar Republic, a constitutional republic that would last until Adolf Hitler took dictatorial control in 1933.  

1862 — Union naval commodore Andrew Foote and Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry, Tennessee, which opened up an important waterway for Union forces in the American Civil War. 

1840 — In New Zealand, native Māori leaders and the British crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi. The document had two significantly different versions, one in English and one in Māori, leading to frequent conflicts between the two parties. 

42 BCE — Julius Caesar's forces defeated the forces of Pompey the Great at the Battle of Thapsus, marking the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of Caesar’s autocratic Roman Empire. 

🎂 Today’s Birthdays

On February 6, we’re singing to:

Chongzhen (1611) — The last emperor of the nearly 300-year-old Ming dynasty, who ruled for 17 years until Beijing was overpowered by Manchurian rebels.

Babe Ruth (1895) — One of the greatest American baseball players and a larger-than-life legend who ushered in a new era of baseball, hitting 714 career home runs, a record that would last for 39 years.

Ronald Reagan (1911) — Former actor and 40th president of the United States, serving two terms from 1981–1989 and becoming a conservative icon for his policies of deregulation and “trickle-down” economics.  

Eva Braun (1912) — Adolf Hitler’s longtime companion and wife, who finally officially married the Führer two days before they both committed suicide in Hitler’s bunker. 

Bob Marley (1945) — Jamaican musician and cultural icon who helped bring reggae culture and music to the world. Best-known songs include “I Shot the Sheriff,” “One Love,” and “No Woman, No Cry.”

Natalie Cole (1950) — American singer and first African-American woman to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her album Unforgettable… with Love in 1991.

 🪦Who Died Today?

On February 6, we’re saying goodbye to:

Charles II (1685) — King of Scotland who was exiled from Great Britain with the rise of Oliver Cromwell’s republic government. He returned when the monarchy was restored to become king of Scotland, Ireland, and England.  

George VI (1952) — King of the United Kingdom who unexpectedly took over when his brother Edward VII abdicated the throne. and was known for his steadfast refusal to leave Buckingham Palace during World War II, even though it was bombed nine times. 

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