Today in History February 1: The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

If history had a blooper reel, February 1 would have its own featurelength documentary. From space disasters and royal betrayals to the kind of news headlines that make you question humanity, this date has seen it all. Buckle up, because we’re about to take a ride through some of the most bizarre, tragic, and downright ridiculous events to ever grace February 1.

1. 1884 – The Oxford English Dictionary Is Born (Because People Needed to Agree on How to Spell “Doughnut”)

Before the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the English language was basically the Wild West—everyone just kind of made up words and hoped for the best. Spelling? Optional. Grammar? Who cares? Then, in 1884, a group of linguistic superheroes decided to bring order to the chaos, publishing the first volume of the OED.

At over 400,000 words, this beast of a dictionary was like the ultimate flex for anyone who owned it. And it kept growing. In fact, it took 70 years to complete the first full edition. Imagine starting a book and only finishing it after your grandkids are born.

Also, fun fact: It was crowdsourced before the internet. Scholars, readers, and (probably) some guy in a pub sent in word suggestions by mail. The original Reddit, but for grammar nerds.

2. 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

Not all history is weird—some of it is just heartbreaking. On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts aboard. A piece of foam had broken off during launch, damaging the heat shield and leading to the disaster.

NASA had faced shuttle tragedies before, including Challenger in 1986, but Columbia’s loss reinforced the dangers of space travel. The worst part? NASA engineers had suspected something was wrong but weren’t given clearance to investigate further.

The crew—Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, and Laurel Clark—were pioneers, and their legacy lives on.

3. 1893 – Edison’s Black Maria: The World’s First Movie Studio Was a Rotating Shack

Before Hollywood, before Netflix, before TikTok stars made millions for lipsyncing, there was Thomas Edison and his janky little movie studio: Black Maria.

Picture this: A rickety, blackroofed shack that could rotate to follow the sun for better lighting. Yes, this was literally the world’s first motion picture studio. If this thing existed today, it would be a hipster Instagram hotspot.

Edison and his team filmed some of the earliest movies here, including a guy sneezing, a strongman flexing, and (of course) a dude boxing. Oscarworthy stuff.

Fun twist: Edison wasn’t actually a filmmaker—he was just really good at taking credit for things.

4. 1587 – Queen Elizabeth I Signs Mary, Queen of Scots’ Death Warrant (Because Royal Family Drama Is Eternal)

Before there was Meghan Markle vs. the British tabloids, there was Elizabeth I vs. Mary, Queen of Scots—a royal feud so intense it makes modern drama look like a friendly game of Uno.

Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin, but also her rival for the throne. After years of scheming, imprisoning, and exiling, Elizabeth finally had enough and signed Mary’s death warrant on February 1, 1587. It was like an episode of Game of Thrones, except real, and with more corsets.

Mary was beheaded a few days later. The executioner botched the job and had to take multiple swings, which just adds another layer of nightmare fuel to this already gruesome story.

5. 1840 – The First Photograph of the Moon (Before It Became a Selfie Magnet)

In 1840, John William Draper took the firstever photograph of the Moon, marking the beginning of humanity’s obsession with snapping pics of space.

The photo itself? Blurry and unimpressive. But hey, for 1840, it was a pretty big deal. This was long before Photoshop, so no filters, no touchups, just raw lunar glory.

Fast forward to today, and we have thousands of Moon pics taken by space probes, telescopes, and, of course, amateur photographers with iPhones trying to prove that their camera is better than NASA’s.

6. 1865 – A Horse Gets Arrested for Trying to Vote (Because Democracy Is for People, Not Ponies)

Election fraud? In 1865 Ohio, it came in the form of a man trying to register his horse to vote.

Yes, a horse.

The authorities were not amused. They arrested the man and possibly the horse, which raises so many questions. Did they put the horse in a jail cell? Did it get a lawyer? Did it argue for its voting rights?

Either way, we can all agree this horse was at least as qualified as some politicians.

7. 1972 – A Stolen Moon Rock is Recovered in a Sting Operation

You’d think NASA’s lunar samples would be in Fort Knoxlevel security. Nope! In 1972, a moon rock from Apollo 17 was stolen and later recovered in an undercover operation where agents posed as buyers.

Imagine being in that sting operation:

FBI Agent: “Hey, uh, we’d like to buy some… rocks.”

Thief: “Sure, I got diamonds, rubies, emeralds—”

FBI Agent: “No, no. Like, Moon rocks.”

Thief: “Uh… how much?”

Honestly, selling a piece of the Moon seems like the kind of crime a James Bond villain would pull off, but nope—just some guy trying to make a quick buck.

8. 2013 – A Gang Steals 5 Tons of Nutella in Germany (Because Who Doesn’t Love Hazelnut Spread?)

In one of the most delicious heists in history, thieves in Germany stole a truckload of Nutella worth $20,000.

This wasn’t just a few jars—it was five tons of the stuff. What do you even do with that much Nutella? Open a blackmarket Nutella speakeasy? Drown yourself in chocolatey goodness?

The crime remains unsolved, making it one of the sweetest mysteries of all time.

9. 1913 – Grand Central Terminal Almost Became a Cow Barn

Grand Central Terminal, one of the most iconic train stations in the world, almost didn’t exist. Before it opened in 1913, there were proposals to turn it into a cattle market or a giant rollerskating rink.

Just imagine: Instead of busy commuters, you’d have cows casually chewing cud on the platform. Or, even better, people rollerskating between train tracks. Peak chaos.

Thankfully, they went with the train station option, because as fun as cow barns and roller rinks are, we needed a place to catch the 5:45 to New Jersey.

10. 1951 – The Worst ‘Exploding Whale’ Incident in History

Before the legendary 1970 exploding whale video, Oregon had another whale related disaster in 1951.

A giant dead whale washed up on the shore, and instead of letting nature handle it, the authorities decided the best way to get rid of it was dynamite.

Spoiler alert: It didn’t go well.

When the whale exploded, massive chunks of blubber rained down on horrified spectators. One piece was so big it crushed a car.

Lesson learned: Maybe don’t blow up giant sea creatures.

The Takeaway

Whether it’s royal drama, space disasters, or Nutella heists, February 1 proves that history is anything but boring. So, next time you see this date on the calendar, just know—something weird has probably already happened.