Historicity: 5 February 2022

Your daily dose of curated historic curiosity.

5 February, 1958 - 64 years ago today, in Georgia, USA

During a simulated combat mission off the coast of Georgia, a B-47 bomber carrying one Mark 15 nuclear bomb collided with an F-86 fighter in mid-air. In order to reduce weight and prevent an accidental detonation during a crash landing the crew jettisoned the bomb into the sea.

After multiple searches the military was unable to locate the apocalyptic device and it was presumed lost somewhere in the waters of Wassaw Sound, off Tybee Island. Many people have attempted to narrow down its location since.

Just over a month later, another “broken arrow” incident occured, this time in neighboring South Carolina. The training bomb contained no fissile nuclear core, but it’s conventional explosives detonated, resulting in building damages and civilian injuries.

As with the Greenland incident I mentioned last month, the nuke lost in Georgia is still missing to this day.

Curiosity Corner:

Why were live nuclear devices carried on training missions?

How long will the bomb's casing protect the radiological material?

Are there still agencies or organizations searching for lost nuclear weapons?

Have other countries lost a nuclear bomb?

How many lost nukes are there around the world?

Get curious:

• What is a “broken arrow"? on History.Com.

• No, the lost Georgia nuke was not recovered on Snopes.

• The nuke dropped off the coast of Georgia on KnowledgeStew.

• 50 years on: a nuclear watery grave on NPR.🔊

• Cold War hydrogen bomb off Georgia stirs worries on Archive.Org

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What else makes February 5th special around the world?

Speaking of nukes, today is both National Fart Day and Shower With a Friend Day. Grab a can of beans, a soapy sponge, and surprise your significant other with an explosively sudsy celebration!

After all, how can we truly appreciate the comic value a wet fart all alone? 🚿💨

In our household, we’re christening this new holiday Beans & Bubbles Day!

Oh yeah, if that's still not entertainment enough for you, the 24th Winter Olympic games continue today in Beijing, China.

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Famous births on 5 February, under the sign of Aquarius

1950s Superman actor George Reeves (1914-1959),

American Vice President Walter Mondale (1928-2021),

historic Black American baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021),

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (1942-),

American actress Diane Keaton (1946-),

and American actress January Jones (1978-).

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Today is the 36th day of the year on the Gregorian calendar. 329 days remaining.

It is 13.0.9.4.13 on the Mayan long count calendar.

It is day 9 - Reed, in the 13 day cycle of the Snake, in the solar year of the Rabbit on the Aztec calendar.

It is 4 Adar I, 5782 on the Jewish calendar.