SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Some may wonder why history matters so much when it happened long ago. The answer is history is inescapable as it relates to the past and the present because of society’s complex cultures, traditions and technology. 

Here are some key events in history on Feb. 7.

1812 – Charles Dickens was born

Considered by many to be the most important and influential writers of the 19th century, Dickens wrote the classic novels Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. His writings included memorable fictional characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and Oliver Twist.

In 1836 Charles Dickens published the first installment of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, introducing readers to a character, Joe, who was obese, sleepy and snored. This description intrigued the medical field that many hypotheses about the symptoms were examined and 120 years after the novel was published physicians started to interrelate these features and a new field of medicine emerged.

1964 – The Beatles arrive in America

The English rock band landed in New York City, and two nights later, Beatlemania hit America, as millions of Americans watched them perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. The original core group included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Georgia Harrison and Ringo Starr.

The next year on Aug. 18, the boys from Liverpool made their only Georgia appearance at a concert in Atlanta Stadium, performing in front of a crowd of over 30,000.

Not only did then-Mayor Ivan Allen give the Beatles keys to the city, but a local newspaper also wrote a story about how to give a Beatle haircut.

1984 – Bruce McCandless II flies in space

On Space Shuttle Challenger’s STS 41-B mission, McCandless became the first human being to do a spacewalk without a safety tether linked to a spacecraft. He traveled about 320 ft away from the vehicle and using hand controllers to operate the MMU’s nitrogen gas thrusters, he moved just enough faster than the shuttle’s 17,500 miles per hour orbital velocity to open the distance between him and the spacecraft. His spacewalk lasted 1 hour and 22 minutes. McCandless received the National Air and Space Museum Trophy in 1985 for his courageous achievement.

2010 – First National U.S. Tea party Convention

The former vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, spoke at the first US Tea Party convention, where she pushed for a return to conservative principles. Palin called former President Obama’s 2011 budget “immoral” and said it would raise the U.S. debt, which she considered “generational theft.” The Tea Party movement included many who opposed Obama’s plans for health care reform and stimulus package.

2022 – Russia to invade Ukraine “any day now”

President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day now”. However, on Feb. 24, many around the world would watch as Russia invaded its neighboring country, Ukraine. To date, hundreds of thousands have died in what is known as the Russo-Ukranian War. Some believe the war will impact America by increasing inflation as it caused energy prices to surge.