Today in History : February 1st

On this date in...

1814: The most destructive eruption of Mayon Volcano occurred. Lava flowed but not as much compared to the 1766 eruption. Instead, the volcano was belching dark ash and eventually bombarding the town with tephra that buried the town of Cagsawa—only the bell tower of the town's church remained above the new surface. 2,200 Albay locals perished in what is considered to be the most lethal eruption in Mayon's history.

1902: The Philippine Commission enacted Act. No. 345, which set December 30 of each year as Rizal Day, and made it one of the ten official holidays of the Philippines.

1946: Victor Wood was born in Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines[citation needed] to Sgt. Kocky Wood and Rosario "Tiyang Saring" Nobleza. His mother was well known in Buhi and neighboring towns for selling herbal medications and perfumes. Victor "Vic" Wood is a Filipino singer dubbed as the "Jukebox King of the 70s". He was popular for 'covering' songs such as Mr. Lonely, Wooden Heart, I'm Sorry My Love and Sincerely, among others.

1963: Jose Ma. Panganiban was born in Mambulao, Camarines Norte, a town which was subsequently renamed after him. His parents were Vicente Panganiban, originally from Hagonoy, Bulacan, and Juana Enverga. Jose Ma. Panganiban y Enverga was a propagandist whose life was tragically cut short, an event that caused great mourning in the Filipino community in Madrid. He wrote articles for La Solidaridad, under the pen names "Jomapa" and "J.M.P."