Five Things to Know Today, Feb. 21

Welcome to Tuesday. Here are some things to know today.

The weather: Partly sunny, with a high of about 62 degrees, the National Weather Service says. The low tonight will be around 45.

Gas prices: A gallon of regular can still be had for less than $3.50 (starting at $3.45 at Murphy USA, 3950 Lawrenceville Highway) at 17 Lilburn stations, according to reports to www.georgiagasprices.com, and the highest price is  stable at $3.58 for our ZIP code (at Texaco, 4785 Lawrenceville Highway at Indian Trail-Lilburn Road).

Peace. It’s the birthday of the internationally recognized Peace Sign. The upside-down Y with an extra leg was created in 1958 amid anti-nuclear weapons protests in England. Artist and designer Gerald Holtom came up with the graphic for a march in London organized by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Holtom based the design on the semaphore flag signs for N and D, or nuclear disarmament. The semaphore signal for the letter N is a person holding two flags down in an upside-down Y shape. The signal for D is a person holding one flag straight up and one down, in a line. The design was not copyrighted and quickly spread to the U.S., where it was adopted and popularized by the broader anti-war movement of the 1960s.

China. Another Cold War happening that still resonates today, President Richard M. Nixon’s trip to China started with his arrival on this day in 1972. All the trade and cultural and political connections we have with China today are the direct aftermath of Nixon’s action to open normal relations between the two countries, and that visit was how he sealed the deal. Nixon called it the "week that changed the world."

Today's the day for Knight Elementary. A Lilburn author's children's book is one of the top three in a national contest that ends today, and if the book wins, Knight ES will get a whole e-library, free. Click here to vote, then share it on your Facebook page, email your friends, and tweet it. Good luck, Knight Elementary!

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