February 18, 2023 - National Battery Day | National Drink Wine Day

Welcome to February 18th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the ancient origins of batteries and wine. Have you ever noticed that smoke alarm batteries go dead in the middle of the night? This happens because batteries slow down when it’s cold, setting off that annoying sound. As convenient as they are, batteries are far from perfect. But there are reasons to celebrate these portable power sources by seeing just how far they have come! A two thousand year old battery was discovered in a Baghdad museum. This ancient wonder combined a ceramic pot, a copper coil and a rod of iron. Great minds are still making improvements and today smart batteries are even able to detect when they need changing. Maybe in the future they can wake themselves up in the middle of the night so you can spend National Battery Day recharging yourself! People have enjoyed alcohol throughout history. But its discovery was likely a happy accident. Fermentation occurs naturally with grapes because yeast is on their skin. Because this happened without having to do anything to the crushed fruit, ancient people viewed the process as something magical, created by the gods. Fermentation occurred with grain and other fruits, but folks found that it worked best with grapes. Once they understood the fermentation process, winemaking became more elaborate and created a tradition that continues to this day. Oenophiles rejoice! It’s National Drink Wine Day. Pour yourself a glass of this heavenly alcohol. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices