February 7, 2022 - National Periodic Table Day | National Fettuccine Alfredo Day

Welcome to February 7th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate strange elements and pasta love letters. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. Here on Earth, it appears almost everywhere in some form or another. You can find it in the air, water, and in the Earth’s crust. But what is the rarest element? That would be Astatine. It’s a highly radioactive element with a half-life of only 8 hours. Only trace amounts of Astatine have ever been found naturally. Most of the time, it’s only been observed in labs, as a by-product of nuclear experimentation. But as radioactive as the element is, it disappears so quickly that it poses very little threat to humans. On National Periodic Table Day, discover some of the strange and mysterious elements that form the world around us. And no Marlo, aspartame is not an element. In 1908, Alfredo Di Lelio’s wife was pregnant with their first child and was having trouble eating. He made her pasta with butter and fresh parmesan cheese. She loved it so much that she added it to the menu of their small restaurant. In 1927, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, two of the hottest stars in Hollywood, were on their honeymoon in Rome. They went to dinner at Alfredo’s restaurant and fell in love with this simple pasta dish. When they returned to America, they spread the word to their friends and the recipe became famous worldwide. As a thank you for introducing them to this marvelous food, the Hollywood stars sent Alfredo a solid gold fork and spoon engraved with the words: “To Alfredo the King of the noodles”. On National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, you don’t need to be famous or eat with expensive flatware to enjoy this delicious Italian meal. 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