February 22, 2022 - National California Day | National Margarita Day

Welcome to February 22nd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate Gold Fever and celebration in a glass. California as we know it might not exist if it weren’t for James Wilson Marshall. In 1848, he was building a sawmill near Sacramento for his employer, John Sutter. Here he spotted something shiny in the river. It turned out to be gold. Although the men tried to keep the find to themselves, news got out and soon people were coming from all over the country to strike it rich. In the span of a year, the population of the area increased from 1,000 to over 100,000. Because of this gold rush, California suddenly became much more important to the United States and became the 31st state in 1849. On National California Day, celebrate the Golden State, its natural beauty, and the accidental discovery that made it what it is today. When Mariano Martinez began serving frozen margaritas at his restaurant in the 1970s, most people loved the new version of this drink. But his bartenders complained that it took too much time and preparation to make them. Martinez found a solution at a 7-Eleven convenience store. He noticed the Slurpee machine and thought it could easily make a large batch of margaritas. Using a soft serve ice cream machine, he began experimenting with recipes to get the consistency of the margaritas just right. Eventually, he found the perfect mixture of tequila, simple syrup, and water. And voila! A new twist on an old favorite was born. On National Margarita Day enjoy your favorite version of this perfect celebration drink. 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