1884 – Willis Johnson Patented the Mechanical Egg Beater
Willis Johnson of Cincinnati patented an improved mechanical egg beater on February 5, 1884, transforming how people mixed ingredients. Before his invention, blending foods by hand was slow and tiring. Johnson’s double-acting device, featuring spring-like whisk wires, made beating batter and eggs faster and more efficient.
More than an egg beater, Johnson’s invention laid the foundation for modern mixing machines. His design remained a model for household and commercial beaters long after his death in 1923, continuing to save time and effort in kitchens worldwide.
1910 – John H. Morrow Is Born
John Howard Morrow was a scholar, teacher, and diplomat who became the first U.S. ambassador to Guinea and the first American Permanent Representative to UNESCO. Born February 5, 1910, in New Jersey, he earned advanced degrees from Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania and developed expertise in languages and French colonial Africa.
Appointed in 1959, Morrow led U.S. efforts in Guinea during the Cold War and later served at UNESCO in Paris. He returned to academia at Rutgers before retiring in 1978 and died in 2000.
1934 – Hank Aaron Is Born
Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron was born February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama. Inspired by Jackie Robinson, he began playing professionally in the Negro Leagues before joining the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat. Over two decades, Aaron became one of baseball’s most consistent and powerful hitters.
In 1974, he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record with his 715th homer. Aaron retired with 755 home runs, 2,297 RBIs, and 3,298 games played. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982, he died in 2021 at age 86.