Today In History #01

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 14, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Tuesday, Feb. 14, the 45th day of 2012. There are 321 days left in the year. This is Valentine's Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 14, 1912, Arizona became the 48th state of the Union as President William Howard Taft signed a proclamation.

On this date:

In 1778, the American ship Ranger carried the recently adopted Stars and Stripes to a foreign port for the first time as it arrived in France.

In 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state.

In 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed a proclamation making Arizona a Confederate territory.

In 1876, inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)

In 1895, Oscar Wilde's final play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," opened at the St. James's Theatre in London.

In 1903, the Department of Commerce and Labor was established. (It was divided into separate departments of Commerce and Labor in 1913.)

In 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago; its first president was Maud Wood Park.

In 1929, the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone's gang were gunned down.

In 1949, Israel's Knesset convened for the first time.

In 1962, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy conducted a televised tour of the White House in a videotaped special that was broadcast on CBS and NBC (and several nights later on ABC).

In 1979, Adolph Dubs, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Kabul by Muslim extremists and killed in a shootout between his abductors and police.

In 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," a novel condemned as blasphemous.

Ten years ago: Launching his defense against war crimes charges, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic (sloh-BOH'-dahn mee-LOH'-shuh-vich) justified his actions as a "struggle against terrorism" and said he was a victim of twisted facts and "terrible fabrication." Enron executive Sherron Watkins told a House subcommittee it was common knowledge at the company that partnerships were used improperly to hide debt and inflate profits.

Five years ago: Challenged on the accuracy of U.S. intelligence, President George W. Bush told a news conference there was no doubt the Iranian government was providing armor-piercing weapons to kill American soldiers in Iraq, and he said he would fight any attempt by the Democratic-controlled Congress to cut off money for the war. ConAgra recalled all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter made at a Georgia plant because of a salmonella outbreak.

One year ago: President Barack Obama unveiled a $3.7 trillion budget plan that would freeze or reduce some safety-net programs for the nation's poor but turn aside Republican demands for more drastic cuts to shrink the government to where it was before he took office. Protesters took to the streets in Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, inspired by the popular uprising in Egypt that brought down President Hosni Mubarak. The TV game show "Jeopardy!" began airing the first of three episodes pitting human players Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings against an IBM computer named "Watson." (Watson ended up winning with a cumulative total of $77,147 versus $24,000 for Jennings and $21,600 for Rutter.)

Today's Birthdays: TV personality Hugh Downs is 91. Actress-singer Florence Henderson is 78. Actor Andrew Prine is 76. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Razzy Bailey (born Rasie Michael Bailey) is 73. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (He is the founder and 88% owner of Bloomberg L.P., a financial news and information services media company) is 70. Jazz Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 69. Movie director Alan Parker is 68. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 68. Former Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., is 65. TV personality Pat O'Brien is 64. Magician Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller, he had his name legally changed to just "Teller")("Penn and Teller") is 64. Cajun Singer/Songwriter/Fiddler Michael Doucet ("Beausoleil") is 61. Actor Ken Wahl is 55. Opera singer Renee Fleming is 53. Actress Meg Tilly is 52. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly is 52. Singer-producer Dwayne Wiggins is 51. Actor Enrico Colantoni :canada: is 49. Actor Zach Galligan is 48. Actor Valente Rodriguez is 48. Rock Bassist Ricky Wolking ("The Nixons") is 46. Tennis player Manuela Maleeva is 45. Actor Simon Pegg is 42. Rock Bassist Kevin Baldes ("Lit") is 40. Rock singer Rob Thomas ("Matchbox Twenty") is 40. Actor Matt Barr is 28. Actress Tiffany Thornton is 26. Actor Freddie Highmore is 20.

Thought for Today: "We are effectively destroying ourselves by violence masquerading as love." — R.D. Laing, Scottish psychiatrist (1927-1989).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 15, 2012, 12:00 am ET


oday is Wednesday, Feb. 15, the 46th day of 2012. There are 320 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 15, 1952, a funeral was held at Windsor Castle for Britain's King George VI, who had died nine days earlier.

On this date:

In 1764, the city of St. Louis was established by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau.

In 1812, American jeweler Charles Lewis Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co., was born in Killingly, Conn.

In 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor, killing more than 260 crew members and bringing the United States closer to war with Spain.

In 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt escaped an assassination attempt in Miami that mortally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak; gunman Giuseppe Zangara was executed more than four weeks later.

In 1942, the British colony Singapore surrendered to Japanese forces during World War II.

In 1953, Tenley Albright became the first American woman to win the world figure skating championship, held in Davos, Switzerland.

In 1961, 73 people, including an 18-member U.S. figure skating team en route to the World Championships in Czechoslovakia, were killed in the crash of a Sabena Airlines Boeing 707 in Belgium.

In 1965, Canada's new maple-leaf flag was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa.

In 1971, Britain and Ireland "decimalised" their currencies, making one pound equal to 100 new pence instead of 240 pence.

In 1982, 84 men were killed when a huge oil-drilling rig, the Ocean Ranger, sank off the coast of Newfoundland during a fierce storm.

In 1989, the Soviet Union announced that the last of its troops had left Afghanistan, after more than nine years of military intervention.

In 1992, a Milwaukee jury found that Jeffrey Dahmer was sane when he killed and mutilated 15 men and boys. Benjamin L. Hooks announced plans to retire as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Ten years ago: A private funeral was held at Windsor Castle for Britain's Princess Margaret, who had died six days earlier at age 71. President George W. Bush approved Nevada's Yucca Mountain as the site for long-term disposal of thousands of tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste. (However, the Obama administration decided in 2009 to halt work on the Yucca site.) Skating and Olympics officials awarded Canadian pairs figure skaters Jamie Sale (sah-LAY') and David Pelletier (pehl-tee-YAY') a gold medal, while letting the Russian pair, Elena Berezhnaya (behr-ehzh-NY'-uh) and Anton Sikharulidze (sih-kar-OOL'-ihd-zeh), keep their gold medal as a way to resolve a judging controversy that had dominated the Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Broadcast journalist Howard K. Smith died in Bethesda, Md., at age 87.

Five years ago: National Guardsmen in Humvees ferried food, fuel and baby supplies to hundreds of motorists stranded for nearly a day on a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 78 in eastern Pennsylvania because of a monster storm. The U.S. Mint unveiled the new presidential $1 coin. Oscar-winning songwriter Ray Evans died in Los Angeles at age 92.

One year ago: Protesters swarmed Wisconsin's capitol after Gov. Scott Walker proposed cutbacks in benefits and bargaining rights for public employees. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was ordered to stand trial on charges he'd paid a 17-year-old Moroccan girl for sex and then used his influence to cover it up. (Both Berlusconi and the young woman denied having a sexual relationship.)

Today's Birthdays: Actor Allan Arbus is 94. Former Illinois Congressman John Anderson is 90. Former Defense and Energy Secretary James Schlesinger is 83. Actress Claire Bloom is 81. Author Susan Brownmiller is 77. Songwriter Brian Holland is 71. Rock Drummer Mick Avory ("The Kinks") is 68. Jazz Saxophonist/Flutist Henry Threadgill is 68. Actress Jane Seymour (born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg) is 61. Singer/Songwriter/Actress Melissa Manchester is 61. Actress Lynn Whitfield is 59. "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening (GREE'-ning) is 58. Model Janice Dickinson is 57. Actor Christopher McDonald is 57. Reggae singer Ali Campbell is 53. Actor Joseph R. Gannascoli is 53. Pop Rock Bassist Mikey Craig ("Culture Club") is 52. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green is 52. Country singer Michael Reynolds ("Pinmonkey") is 48. Actor Michael Easton is 45. Rock Bassist Stevie Benton ("Drowning Pool") is 41. Actress Renee O'Connor is 41. Actress Sarah Wynter is 39. Actor-director Miranda July is 38. Rock singer Brandon Boyd ("Incubus") is 36. Rock Drummer Ronnie Vannucci ("The Killers") is 36. Actress Ashley Lyn Cafagna is 29. Actress Amber Riley (TV's "Glee") is 26.

Thought for Today: "Like all dreamers I confuse disenchantment with truth." — Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher (1905-1980).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 16, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Thursday, Feb. 16, the 47th day of 2012. There are 319 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 16, 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee ended as some 12,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered; Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's victory earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender Grant."

On this date:

In 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates.

In 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized in New York City.

In 1918, Lithuania proclaimed its independence from the Russian Empire. (Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviet Union, then Nazi Germany, then the Soviet Union again during World War II, renewed its independence in 1990).

In 1923, the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen's recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.

In 1937, Dr. Wallace H. Carothers, a research chemist for Du Pont who'd invented nylon, received a patent for the synthetic fiber.

In 1945, American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II.

In 1959, Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba a month and a-half after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

In 1961, the United States launched the Explorer 9 satellite.

In 1968, the nation's first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, Ala.

In 1977, Janani Luwum, the Anglican archbishop of Uganda, and two other men were killed in what Ugandan authorities said was an automobile accident.

In 1987, John Demjanjuk went on trial in Jerusalem, accused of being "Ivan the Terrible," a guard at the Treblinka Nazi concentration camp. (Demjanjuk was convicted, but the conviction ended up being overturned by the Israeli Supreme Court.)

In 1998, a China Airlines Airbus A300-600R trying to land in fog near Taipei, Taiwan, crashed, killing all 196 people on board.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, en route to a three-nation tour of Asia, stopped off at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, where he told hundreds of cheering U.S. soldiers that "America will not blink" in the fight against terrorism and Osama bin Laden. Authorities in Noble, Ga., arrested Ray Brent Marsh, who'd been operating a crematory where hundreds of decomposing corpses were found stacked in storage sheds and scattered in the woods behind it. (Marsh later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.) Former Cabinet member and Common Cause founder John W. Gardner died in Stanford, Calif., at age 89.

Five years ago: The Democratic-controlled House issued a symbolic rejection of President George W. Bush's decision to deploy more troops to Iraq, approving the nonbinding resolution by a vote of 246-182. An Italian judge indicted 25 suspected CIA agents and a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel in the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr. (Twenty-three Americans were later convicted in absentia along with two Italians.)

One year ago: Bookstore chain Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it would close nearly a third of its stores. (Borders closed all of its remaining stores in Sept. 2011.) Huge crowds called for a political overhaul in Bahrain, and leaders appeared to shift tactics after attempts to crush the uprising stoked protesters' rage.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Patty Andrews is 94. Actor Jeremy Bulloch is 67. Actor William Katt is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer James Ingram is 60. Actor/Director/Producer LeVar Burton is 55. Actor-rapper Ice-T (born Tracy Marrow) is 54. Actress Lisa Loring (born Lisa Ann DeCinces)(played 'Wednesday' on TV's "The Addams Family") is 54. International Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe is 53. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Andy Taylor ("Duran Duran") is 51. Rock Drummer Dave Lombardo ("Slayer") is 47. Actress Sarah Clarke is 41. Rock Drummer Taylor Hawkins ("Foofighters") is 40. Olympic gold medal runner Cathy Freeman is 39. Singer Sam Salter is 37. Rapper Lupe Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) is 30. Pop-rock singer Ryan Follese ("Hot Chelle Rae") is 25. Actress Elizabeth Olsen is 23. Actor Mike Weinberg is 19.

Thought for Today: "I am content to define history as the past events of which we have knowledge and refrain from worrying about those of which we have none — until, that is, some archaeologist digs them up." — Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian (1912-1989).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 17, 2012, 12:01 am ET


Today is Friday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2012. There are 318 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon departed the White House with his wife, Pat, on a historic trip to China, which he called "a journey for peace."

On this date:

In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.

In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, S.C., by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley, which also sank.

In 1865, Columbia, S.C., burned as the Confederates evacuated and Union forces moved in. (It's not clear which side set the blaze.)

In 1897, the forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting, in Washington.

In 1904, the original two-act version of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" was poorly received at its premiere at La Scala in Milan, Italy.

In 1933, Newsweek was first published by Thomas J.C. Martyn under the title "News-Week."

In 1947, the Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet Union.

In 1959, the United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite which carried meteorological equipment on board.

In 1964, the Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state had to be roughly equal in population.

In 1986, Johnson & Johnson announced it would no longer sell over-the-counter medications in capsule form, following the death of a woman who had taken a cyanide-laced Tylenol capsule.

In 1988, Lt. Col. William Higgins, a Marine Corps officer serving with a United Nations truce monitoring group, was kidnapped in southern Lebanon by Iranian-backed terrorists (he was later slain by his captors).

In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison (he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate in Nov. 1994).

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush opened a three-nation Asian tour in recession-wracked Japan, where he urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (joon-ee-chee-roh koh-ee-zoo-mee) to follow through on long-promised economic reforms. The new Transportation Security Administration took over supervision of aviation security from the airline industry and the Federal Aviation Administration. Ward Burton took advantage of Sterling Marlin's blunder for his first victory in the Daytona 500. (Marlin, who appeared in control of the race, was penalized for getting out of his car and pulling briefly on a damaged fender during the stoppage.)

Five years ago: Senate Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to repudiate President George W. Bush's deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops to Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Baghdad. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., Marine Lance Cpl. Robert B. Pennington was sentenced to 8 years in military prison for his role in the kidnapping and killing of an Iraqi civilian. Former French Cabinet minister Maurice Papon, convicted of complicity in crimes against humanity for his role in deporting Jews during World War II, died near Paris at age 96.

One year ago: A group of Democratic Wisconsin lawmakers blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill, refusing to show up for a vote and then abruptly leaving the state in an effort to force Republicans to the negotiating table. Iowa high school wrestler Joel Northrup defaulted on his first-round state tournament match rather than face Cassy Herkelman, one of the first girls ever to qualify for the event, saying that wrestling a girl would conflict with his religious beliefs.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Hal Holbrook is 87. Mystery writer Ruth Rendell is 82. Singer Bobby Lewis is 79. Actor-comedian Barry Humphries (aka "Dame Edna") is 78. Country Singer/Songwriter Johnny Bush is 77. Actress Christina Pickles is 77. Football Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown is 76. Actress Mary Ann Mobley is 73. Actress Brenda Fricker is 67. Actress Rene Russo is 58. Actor Richard Karn is 56. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 50. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is 49. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy (real name Daniel Lawrence Whitney) is 49. TV personality Rene Syler is 49. Movie director Michael Bay is 48. Singer Chante Moore is 45. Rock Guitarist Timothy J. Mahoney ("311") is 42. Actor Dominic Purcell is 42. Olympic gold medal skier Tommy Moe is 42. Actress Denise Richards is 41. Rock Singer/Guitarist/Harmonica player Billie Joe Armstrong ("Green Day") is 40. Actor Jerry O'Connell is 38. Country singer Bryan White is 38. Actress Kelly Carlson is 36. Actor Ashton Holmes is 34. Actor Jason Ritter is 32. TV personality Paris Hilton is 31. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 31. Actor Chord Overstreet (TV: "Glee") is 23. Actress Meaghan Martin is 20.

Thought for Today: "Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven from one field unfurls it in another." — Helen Hunt Jackson, American author (1831-1885).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 18, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Saturday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2012. There are 317 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Ala.

On this date:

In 1546, Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben.

In 1564, artist Michelangelo died in Rome.

In 1735, the first opera presented in America, "Flora, or Hob in the Well," was performed in present-day Charleston, S.C.

In 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time.

In 1930, photographic evidence of Pluto (now designated a "dwarf planet") was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

In 1953, "Bwana Devil," the movie that heralded the 3D fad of the 1950s, had its New York opening.

In 1960, the 8th Winter Olympic Games were formally opened in Squaw Valley, Calif., by Vice President Richard M. Nixon.

In 1970, the "Chicago Seven" defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention; five were convicted of violating the Anti-Riot Act of 1968 (those convictions were later reversed).

In 1972, the California Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty.

In 1977, the space shuttle Enterprise, sitting atop a Boeing 747, went on its maiden "flight" above the Mojave (moh-HAH'-vee) Desert.

In 1984, Italy and the Vatican signed an accord under which Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion of Italy.

In 2001, auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a crash at the Daytona 500; he was 49.

Ten years ago: Andrea Yates went on trial in Houston, charged with two counts of capital murder for the drownings of three of her five children, ages 6 months to 7 years. (Yates was found guilty, but her convictions were overturned; she was acquitted in a retrial by reason of insanity.) France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat (PEH'-zeh-rah) narrowly won the Olympic ice dancing gold medal.

Five years ago: A military helicopter crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing eight U.S. service members; 14 survived with injuries. Twin car bombs blew up in a mostly Shiite area of Baghdad, killed at least 62 people. A pair of bombs on a train headed from India to Pakistan killed 68 people. Kevin Harvick nosed out Mark Martin in a frantic wreck-filled finish to win the Daytona 500. The West routed the East, 153-132, in the NBA All-Star game.

One year ago: The United States vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements as illegal and called for a halt in all settlement building; the 14 other Security Council members voted in favor of the measure.

Today's Birthdays: Former Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown is 90. Actor George Kennedy is 87. Former Sen. John Warner, R-Va., is 85. Author Toni Morrison is 81. Movie director Milos Forman is 80. Singer Yoko Ono is 79. Singer/Songwriter Bobby Hart is 73. Singer Irma Thomas is 71. Singer Herman Santiago ("Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers") is 71. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist Dennis DeYoung (formerly of "Styx") is 65. Actress Sinead Cusack is 64. Actress Cybill Shepherd is 62. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Juice Newton (born Judith Kay Newton) is 60. Singer Randy Crawford is 60. Rock Drummer Robbie Bachman is 59. Rock Singer/Keyboardist Larry Rust ("Iron Butterfly") is 59. Actor John Travolta is 58. Game show host Vanna White is 55. Actress Jayne Atkinson is 53. Actress Greta Scacchi is 52. Actor Matt Dillon is 48. Rapper/Actor Dr. Dre (real name Andre Romelle Young) is 47. Actress Molly Ringwald is 44. Actress Sarah Brown is 37. Actor Kristoffer Polaha is 35. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Sean Watkins ("Nickel Creek") is 35. Actor Tyrone Burton is 33. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Regina Spektor is 32. Actor Shane Lyons is 24. Actress Maiara Walsh is 24.

Thought for Today: "Opinion is that exercise of the human will which helps us to make a decision without information." — John Erskine, American author and educator (1879-1951).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 19, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Sunday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2012. There are 316 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 19, 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the U.S. military to exclude people from designated areas. (The order was used to relocate and intern American residents of Japanese ancestry, a majority of whom were native-born U.S. citizens.)

On this date:

In 1473, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.

In 1803, Congress voted to accept Ohio's borders and constitution.

In 1846, the Texas state government was formally installed in Austin, with J. Pinckney Henderson taking the oath of office as governor.

In 1878, Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for "an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines."

In 1881, Kansas prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.

In 1942, Japanese warplanes raided the Australian city of Darwin; at least 243 people were killed.

In 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.

In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.

In 1976, calling the issuing of Executive Order 9066 "a sad day in American history," President Gerald R. Ford issued a proclamation confirming that the order had been terminated with the formal cessation of hostilities of World War II.

In 1983, 13 people were found shot to death at a gambling club in Seattle's Chinatown in what became known as the Wah Mee Massacre. (Two Chinese immigrants were convicted of the killings and sentenced to life in prison.)

In 1992, Irish Republican Army member Joseph Doherty (DAWK'-ur-tee) was deported from the United States to Northern Ireland following a ten-year battle for political asylum. (Doherty was imprisoned for killing a British army commando in 1980; he was freed in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement.)

In 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China's major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92.

Ten years ago: Addressing Japan's national legislature, President George W. Bush said the country's recession-ravaged economy was "on the path to reform," and urged the Diet to help curb the spread of terrorism in the region; Bush then traveled to South Korea for a two-day visit. NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft began mapping the Red Planet. In Salt Lake City, a win by bobsledders Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers gave the United States 21 medals in the Winter Games; Flowers became the first black athlete to strike gold at the Winter Olympics.

Five years ago: Three-way talks in the Mideast between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli and Palestinian leaders, initially billed as a new U.S. push to restart peace efforts, ended with little progress other than a commitment to meet again. Hundreds of gay couples were granted the same legal rights, if not the title, as married couples as New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions. Actress Janet Blair died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 85.

One year ago: Security forces in Libya and Yemen fired on pro-democracy demonstrators as the two hard-line regimes struck back against the wave of protests that had already toppled autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia. The world's dominant economies, meeting in Paris, struck a watered-down deal on how to smooth out trade and currency imbalances blamed for a global financial crisis.

Today's Birthdays: R&B Singer/Songwriter/Producer Smokey Robinson (real name William Robinson, Jr.) is 72. Singer Bobby Rogers ("Smokey Robinson & the Miracles") is 72. Actress Carlin Glynn is 72. Sony Chairman, CEO and President Howard Stringer is 70. Rock Singer/Songwriter Lou Christie (born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco) is 69. Actor Michael Nader is 67. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Tony Iommi ("Black Sabbath", "Heaven and Hell") is 64. Actor Stephen Nichols is 61. Author Amy Tan is 60. Actor Jeff Daniels is 57. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Dave Wakeling ("The English Beat", "General Public") is 56. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 55. Actor Ray Winstone is 55. Actor Leslie David Baker (TV: "The Office") is 54. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 53. Britain's Prince Andrew is 52. Tennis Hall-of-Famer Hana Mandlikova is 50. Singer Seal (full name Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel) is 49. Actress Jessica Tuck is 49. Country Drummer Ralph McCauley ("Wild Horses") is 48. Rock Drummer/Songwriter Jon Fishman ("Phish") is 47. Actress Justine Bateman is 46. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 45. Rock Drummer Daniel Adair ("Nickleback") is 37. Pop singer-actress Haylie Duff is 27.

Thought for Today: "Passion and prejudice govern the world; only under the name of reason." — John Wesley, English theologian (1703-1791).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 20, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Monday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2012. There are 315 days left in the year. This is Presidents' Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury's Friendship 7 spacecraft.

On this date:

In 1790, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II died.

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.

In 1809, the Supreme Court ruled that no state legislature could annul the judgments or determine the jurisdictions of federal courts.

In 1839, Congress prohibited dueling in the District of Columbia.

In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House, apparently of typhoid fever.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded "idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons" from being admitted to the United States.

In 1938, Anthony Eden resigned as British foreign secretary following Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's decision to negotiate with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. bombers began raiding German aircraft manufacturing centers in a series of attacks that became known as "Big Week."

In 1965, the Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed on the moon, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.

In 1971, the National Emergency Warning Center in Colorado erroneously ordered U.S. radio and TV stations off the air; some stations heeded the alert, which was not lifted for about 40 minutes.

In 1987, a bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright. Soviet authorities released Jewish activist Josef Begun.

In 2003, fire broke out during a rock concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., killing 100 people and injuring about 200 others.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush visited Korea's demilitarized zone, where he peered at the North, a country he'd described as being part of an "axis of evil." A Cairo-to-Luxor passenger train caught fire, killing some 360 people. At the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Jim Shea won the men's skeleton race, finishing the two runs at Utah Olympic Park in one minute, 41.96 seconds. (The victory was the culmination of an emotional two months for Shea, whose 91-year-old grandfather, Olympic gold medal speedskater Jack Shea, had died four weeks earlier.) American speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno won the 1,500 meters after South Korean Kim Dong-sung, who'd crossed the finish line ahead of him, was disqualified.

Five years ago: In a victory for President George W. Bush, a divided federal appeals court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees could not use the U.S. court system to challenge their indefinite imprisonment. In New Orleans, thousands of hurricane-weary residents joined with rowdy visitors to celebrate the second Mardi Gras since Katrina.

One year ago: Security forces loyal to Libya's Moammar Gadhafi unleashed heavy gunfire as thousands marched in the rebellious eastern city of Benghazi, cutting down mourners trying to bury victims. Twenty-year-old Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 in only his second Sprint Cup start. Kobe Bryant won his record-tying fourth All-Star game MVP award, scoring 37 points and propelling the West to a 148-143 victory over the East in the NBA All-Star game.

Today's Birthdays: Fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt is 88. Author-screenwriter Richard Matheson is 86. Actor Sidney Poitier is 85. Racing Hall of Famer Bobby Unser is 78. Actress Marj Dusay is 76. Jazz-soul singer Nancy Wilson is 75. Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 75. Folk Singer/Songwriter/Indian Activist Buffy Sainte-Marie is 71. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito is 70. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is 70. Movie director Mike Leigh is 69. Actress Brenda Blethyn is 66. Actress Sandy Duncan is 66. Rock Singer/Guitarist J. Geils (full name John Geils)("The J. Geils Band") is 66. Actor Peter Strauss is 65. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Bassist/Record producer Walter Becker ("Steely Dan") is 62. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is 61. Country singer Kathie Baillie is 61. Actor John Voldstad is 61. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is 58. Actor Anthony Stewart Head is 58. Country singer Leland Martin is 55. Actor James Wilby is 54. Rock Bassist Sebastian Steinberg is 53. Comedian Joel Hodgson is 52. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley is 49. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist Ian Brown ("Stone Roses") is 49. Actor Willie Garson is 48. Actor French Stewart is 48. Actor Ron Eldard is 47. Model Cindy Crawford is 46. Actor Andrew Shue is 45. Actress Lili Taylor is 45. Singer Brian Littrell is 37. Actress Lauren Ambrose is 34. Actor Jay Hernandez is 34. Country Keyboardist/Guitarist Coy Bowles is 33. Actress Majandra Delfino is 31. Singer/Mandolinist Chris Thile ("Nickel Creek") is 31. Actor Jake Richardson is 27. Singer Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) is 24.

Thought for Today: "Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." — Sarah Bernhardt, French actress (1844-1923).
 

Today in History
Associated Press – February 21, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Tuesday, Feb. 21, the 52nd day of 2012. There are 314 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 21, 1912, a new phrase entered the American political lexicon as former President Theodore Roosevelt, traveling by train to the Ohio Constitutional Convention, told a reporter in Cleveland, "My hat is in the ring," signaling his intent to challenge President William Howard Taft for the Republican nomination. (After losing the nomination to Taft, Roosevelt then ran as the nominee of the Progressive Party, also known as the Bull Moose Party; the resulting split among Republicans is believed to have led to Democrat Woodrow Wilson's victory in November.)

On this date:

In 1862, Nathaniel Gordon, captured at sea with nearly 900 Africans aboard his ship, the Erie, became the first and only American slave-trader to be executed under the U.S. Piracy Law of 1820 as he was hanged in New York.

In 1885, the Washington Monument was dedicated.

In 1911, composer Gustav Mahler, despite a fever, conducted the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in what turned out to be his final concert (he died the following May).

In 1912, the Great Fifth Ward Fire broke out in Houston, Texas; although property losses topped $3 million, no one was killed in the blaze.

In 1916, the World War I Battle of Verdun began in France as German forces attacked; the French were able to prevail after 10 months of fighting.

In 1925, The New Yorker magazine made its debut.

In 1945, during the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima, the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea was sunk by kamikazes with the loss of 318 men.

In 1965, black Muslim leader and civil rights activist Malcolm X, 39, was shot to death inside the Audubon Ballroom in New York by assassins identified as members of the Nation of Islam.

In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon began his historic visit to China as he and his wife, Pat, arrived in Beijing.

In 1973, Israeli fighter planes shot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 over the Sinai Desert, killing all but five of the 113 people on board.

In 1986, Larry Wu-tai Chin, the first American found guilty of spying for China, killed himself in his Virginia jail cell.

In 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi (yah-mah-GOO'-chee) of the United States won the gold medal in ladies' figure skating at the Albertville Olympics; Midori Ito (mee-doh-ree ee-toh) of Japan won the silver, Nancy Kerrigan of the U.S. the bronze.

Ten years ago: The State Department declared that Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was dead, a month after he'd been abducted by Islamic extremists in Pakistan. President George W. Bush failed to persuade China to halt sales of missile technology as he neared the end of his six-day Asia tour. In Salt Lake City, U.S. figure skater Sarah Hughes jumped from fourth to first to win the gold after a near-flawless performance, leaving teammate Michelle Kwan to settle for a bronze (Irina Slutskaya of Russia won the silver).

Five years ago: British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his country would withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months; Denmark, meanwhile, said it would withdraw its 460 troops.

One year ago: Deep cracks opened in Moammar Gadhafi's regime, with Libyan government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots defecting and a major government building ablaze after clashes in the capital of Tripoli. Yemen's embattled leader, President Ali Abdullah Saleh (AH'-lee ahb-DUH'-luh sah-LEH'), rejected demands that he step down, calling demonstrations against his regime unacceptable acts of provocation and offering to begin a dialogue with protesters.

Today's Birthdays: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is 88. Movie director Bob Rafelson is 79. Actor Gary Lockwood is 75. Actor-director Richard Beymer is 73. Actor Peter McEnery is 72. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is 72. Film/music company executive David Geffen is 69. Actor Alan Rickman is 66. Actress Tyne Daly is 66. Actor Anthony Daniels is 66. Tricia Nixon Cox is 66. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, is 65. Rock Keyboardist/Guitarist/Songwriter Jerry Harrison (formerly of "The Talking Heads", now of successor group "The Heads") is 63. Actress Christine Ebersole is 59. Actor William Petersen is 59. Actor Kelsey Grammer is 57. Country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter is 54. Actor Jack Coleman is 54. Actor Christopher Atkins is 51. Rock singer Ranking Roger (real name Roger Charlery)("The English Beat" and "General Public") is 51. Actor William Baldwin is 49. Rock musician Michael Ward is 45. Actress Aunjanue Ellis is 43. Blues Singer/Guitarist Corey Harris is 43. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Eric Heatherly is 42. Rock Bassist Eric Wilson is 42. Rock Bassist Tad Kinchla ("Blues Traveler") is 39. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is 33. Singer Charlotte Church is 26. Actress Ellen Page is 25. Actor Corbin Bleu is 23.

Thought for Today: "There is nothing more horrifying than stupidity in action." — Adlai E. Stevenson, American politician and diplomat (1900-1965).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 22, 2012, 12:01 am ET


Today is Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, the 53rd day of 2012. There are 313 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 22, 1732 (New Style date), the first president of the United States, George Washington, was born in Westmoreland County in the Virginia Colony.

On this date:

In 1784, a U.S. merchant ship, the Empress of China, left New York for the Far East to trade goods with China.

In 1862, Jefferson Davis, already the provisional president of the Confederacy, was inaugurated for a six-year term following his election in November 1861.

In 1865, Tennessee adopted a new constitution which included the abolition of slavery.

In 1909, the Great White Fleet, a naval task force sent on a round-the-world voyage by President Theodore Roosevelt, returned after more than a year at sea.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first radio broadcast from the White House as he addressed the country over 42 stations.

In 1935, it became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White House.

In 1940, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) was enthroned at age 4 in Lhasa, Tibet.

In 1959, the inaugural Daytona 500 race was held; although Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner, the victory was later awarded to Lee Petty.

In 1967, more than 25,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City, aimed at smashing a Vietcong stronghold near the Cambodian border. (Although the communists were driven out, they later returned.)

In 1973, the United States and China agreed to establish liaison offices.

In 1980, the "Miracle on Ice" took place in Lake Placid, N.Y., as the United States Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets, 4-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)

In 1987, pop artist Andy Warhol died at a New York City hospital at age 58; talk-show host David Susskind was found dead in his Manhattan hotel suite; he was 66.

Ten years ago: Police in San Diego arrested David Westerfield in connection with the disappearance of seven-year-old Danielle van Dam. (Westerfield was later sentenced to death for Danielle's murder.) The Angolan army and government announced the killing of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi. Cartoon animator Chuck Jones died in Newport Beach, Calif., at age 89.

Five years ago: Britain's Ministry of Defense announced that Prince Harry, a second lieutenant in the British army, would be deployed to Iraq (officials later reversed the decision because of insurgent threats). The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Iran had ignored a Security Council ultimatum to freeze uranium enrichment, and instead had expanded its program by setting up hundreds of centrifuges.

One year ago: A defiant Moammar Gadhafi vowed to fight to his "last drop of blood" and roared at supporters to strike back against Libyan protesters to defend his embattled regime. A magnitude-6.1 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, killed 184 people. Somali pirates shot to death four Americans taken hostage on their yacht several hundred miles south of Oman. Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago.

Today's Birthdays: Announcer Don Pardo ("Saturday Night Live") is 94. Actor Paul Dooley is 84. Hollywood "ghost singer" Marni Nixon (she was the actual singer in "The King and I", "West Side Story" and "My Fair Lady") is 82. Movie director Jonathan Demme (DEH'-mee) is 68. Actor John Ashton is 64. Actress Miou-Miou (born Sylvette Herry) is 62. Actress Julie Walters is 62. Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving is 62. Actress Ellen Greene is 61. Former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is 60. White House adviser David Axelrod is 57. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 53. World Golf Hall of Famer Vijay Singh is 49. Actress-comedian Rachel Dratch is 46. Actor Paul Lieberstein (TV's "The Office") is 45. Actress Jeri Ryan is 44. Actor Thomas Jane is 43. Actress Tamara Mello is 42. Actress-singer Lea Salonga (LAY'-uh suh-LONG'-guh) is 41. Actor Jose Solano is 41. International Tennis Hall-of-Famer Michael Chang is 40. Rock Drummer Scott Phillips (born Thomas Scott Phillips)("Creed") is 39. Actress Drew Barrymore is 37. Actress Liza Huber is 37. Singer James Blunt is 35. Rock singer Tom Higgenson ("Plain White T's") is 33. Actor Zach Roerig (TV's "The Vampire Diaries") is 27. Actor Daniel E. Smith is 22.

Thought for Today: "It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one." — President George Washington (1732-1799).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 23, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Thursday, Feb. 23, the 54th day of 2012. There are 312 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 23, 1942, the first shelling of the U.S. mainland during World War II occurred as a Japanese submarine fired on an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, Calif., causing little damage.

On this date:

In 1685, composer George Frideric Handel was born in Germany.

In 1836, the siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1848, the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, died in Washington, D.C., at age 80.

In 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in Washington to take office, following word of a possible assassination plot in Baltimore.

In 1870, Mississippi was readmitted to the Union.

In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill creating the Federal Radio Commission, forerunner of the Federal Communications Commission.

In 1945, during World War II, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi.

In 1954, the first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh.

In 1965, film comedian Stan Laurel, 74, died in Santa Monica, Calif.

In 1970, Guyana became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

In 1981, an attempted coup began in Spain as 200 members of the Civil Guard invaded Parliament, taking lawmakers hostage. (However, the attempt collapsed 18 hours later.)

In 1992, the XVI Winter Olympic Games ended in Albertville, France.

Ten years ago: Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped by a rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. (She was rescued along with 14 other hostages in July 2008.) Penn State pole vaulter Kevin Dare, 19, died after landing on his head during the Big Ten indoor championships in Minneapolis.

Five years ago: A Mississippi grand jury refused to bring any new charges in the 1955 slaying of Emmett Till, a black teenager who was beaten and shot after whistling at a white woman, declining to indict the woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, for manslaughter. Democrat Tom Vilsack abandoned his bid for the presidency. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport became the first in the United States to begin testing new X-ray screening technology that could see through people's clothes. Forty-six countries attending a conference in Oslo, Norway, agreed to push for a global treaty banning cluster bombs.

One year ago: In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration said it would no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Peter Fonda is 72. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff is 69. Author John Sandford is 68. Blues Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Producer Johnny Winter (full name John Dawson Winter III) is 68. Country Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Rusty Young (born Norman Russell Young)("Poco") is 66. Actress Patricia Richardson is 61. Rock Guitarist Brad Whitford ("Aerosmith") is 60. Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist Howard Jones (born John Howard Jones) is 57. Rock Guitarist Michael Wilton ("Queensryche") is 50. Country singer Dusty Drake is 48. Actress Kristin Davis is 47. Tennis player Helena Sukova is 47. Actor Marc Price is 44. Actress Niecy Nash is 42. Rock Singer/Bassist Jeff Beres ("Sister Hazel") is 41. Country singer Steve Holy is 40. Rock Keyboardist/Guitarist Lasse Johansson (born Lars-Olof Johansson)("The Cardigans") is 39. Actress Kelly Macdonald is 36. Actress Emily Blunt is 29. Actor Aziz Ansari is 29. Actress Dakota Fanning is 18.

Thought for Today: "Men are more often bribed by their loyalties and ambitions than by money." — Robert H. Jackson, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1892-1954).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 24, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Friday, Feb. 24, the 55th day of 2012. There are 311 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 24, 1942, the SS Struma, a charter ship attempting to carry Jewish refugees from Romania to Palestine during World War II, was torpedoed and sunk by a Soviet submarine after being towed and abandoned in the Black Sea by Turkish authorities; all but one of the 769 refugees on board perished.

On this date:

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull, or edict, outlining his calendar reforms. (The Gregorian Calendar is the calendar in general use today.)

In 1711, the opera "Rinaldo" by George Frideric Handel premiered in London.

In 1803, in its Marbury v. Madison decision, the Supreme Court established judicial review of the constitutionality of statutes.

In 1821, Mexican rebels proclaimed the "Plan de Iguala," their declaration of independence from Spain.

In 1868, the House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton; Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate.

In 1912, the American Jewish women's organization Hadassah was founded in New York City.

In 1918, Estonia issued its Declaration of Independence.

In 1920, the German Workers Party, which later became the Nazi Party, met in Munich to adopt its platform.

In 1946, Argentinian men went to the polls to elect Juan D. Peron their president.

In 1961, the Federal Communications Commission authorized the nation's first full-scale trial of pay television in Hartford, Conn.

In 1981, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Britain's Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

In 1992, Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain married Hole lead vocalist Courtney Love in Hawaii.

Ten years ago: The Salt Lake City Olympics came to a close, the same day Canada won its first hockey gold in 50 years (the U.S. won silver) and three cross-country skiers were thrown out of the games for using a performance-enhancing drug.

Five years ago: A suicide truck bomber struck worshippers leaving a Sunni mosque in Habbaniyah, 50 miles west of Baghdad, killing at least 52 people. The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution expressing "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery. Denver Broncos running back Damien Nash, 24, collapsed and died after a charity basketball game he'd hosted in suburban St. Louis.

One year ago: Discovery, the world's most traveled spaceship, thundered into orbit for the final time, heading toward the International Space Station on a journey marking the beginning of the end of the shuttle era.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Abe Vigoda is 91. Actor Steven Hill is 90. Actor-singer Dominic Chianese (kee-uh-NAY'-see) is 81. Movie composer Michel Legrand is 80. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., is 70. Actor Barry Bostwick is 67. Actor Edward James Olmos is 65. Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Pianist/Playwrite/Theatre Producer Rupert Holmes is 65. Blues Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist George Thorogood is 62. Actress Debra Jo Rupp is 61. Actress Helen Shaver is 61. News anchor Paula Zahn is 56. Country singer Sammy Kershaw is 54. Actor Mark Moses is 54. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston) is 50. Movie director Todd Field is 48. Actor Billy Zane is 46. Actress Bonnie Somerville is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Brandon Brown ("Mista") is 29. Rock Drummer Matt McGinley ("Gym Class Heroes") is 29. Actor Wilson Bethel is 28.

Thought for Today: "It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth." — Francois Rabelais, 16th century French writer and physician.
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 25, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Saturday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2012. There are 310 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 25, 1862, Nashville, Tennessee was occupied by federal forces during the Civil War; it was the first Confederate capital to fall to the Union.

On this date:

In 1779, a militia led by George Rogers Clark routed the British from Fort Sackville in the Revolutionary War Battle of Vincennes in present-day Indiana.

In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver.

In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1919, Oregon became the first state to tax gasoline, at one cent per gallon.

In 1922, French serial killer Henri Landru, convicted of murdering 10 women and the son of one of them, was executed in Versailles (vehr-SY').

In 1948, Communists seized power in Czechoslovakia.

In 1950, "Your Show of Shows," starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris, debuted on NBC-TV.

In 1964, Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) became world heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

In 1970, Russian-born American painter Mark Rothko died in New York, a suicide, at age 66.

In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Ten years ago: Former NBA star Jayson Williams was charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Costas "Gus" Christofi, a limousine driver at Williams' estate in Alexandria Township, N.J. (A jury convicted Williams in 2004 of trying to cover up the slaying; it acquitted Williams of aggravated manslaughter but deadlocked on a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter.)

Five years ago: A female suicide bomber triggered a ball bearing-packed charge, killing at least 41 people at a mostly Shiite college in Baghdad. In Detroit, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan stressed religious unity during what was billed as his final major speech, saying the world was at war because Christians and Muslims were divided. "The Departed" won best picture at the Academy Awards; its director, Martin Scorsese, won an Oscar on his sixth nomination.

One year ago: Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure in the small hours before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening. (The vote sent the bill on to the Wisconsin Senate, where minority Democrats had fled to Illinois to prevent a vote.) The Obama White House broke decades of tradition, naming Jeremy Bernard the first man to ever serve as social secretary in the female-dominated East Wing. Suze Rotolo, artist and girlfriend of singer Bob Dylan, who was his lyrical muse when he came to prominence in the early 1960s, died in New York at age 67.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Ralph Stanley is 85. Actor Tom Courtenay is 75. CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 75. Actress Diane Baker is 74. Actress Karen Grassle is 70. Humorist Jack Handey ("Deep Thoughts" on SNL) is 63. Movie director Neil Jordan is 62. Rock Drummer Dennis Diken ("The Smithereens") is 55. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Mike Peters ("The Alarm") is 53. Actress Veronica Webb is 47. Actor Alexis Denisof is 46. Actress Tea Leoni is 46. Comedian Carrot Top (real name Scott Thompson) is 45. Actress Lesley Boone is 44. Actor Sean Astin is 41. Singer Daniel Powter is 41. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Justin Jeffre is 39. Rock Drummer Richard Liles is 39. Actor Anson Mount is 39. Comedian-actress Chelsea Handler is 37. Actress Rashida Jones is 36. Actor Justin Berfield is 26. Actors Oliver and James Phelps (plays 'Fred and George Weasley' in "Harry Potter" movies) are 26. Rock Bassist Erik Haager ("Carolina Liar") is 25.

Thought for Today: "Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom." — Herbert Spencer, British philosopher (1820-1903).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 26, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Sunday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2012. There are 309 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 26, 1962, after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, astronaut John Glenn told a joint meeting of Congress, "Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge have always paid dividends in the long run."

On this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the Island of Elba.

In 1861, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., received its initial funding from its namesake, businessman Matthew Vassar.

In 1870, an experimental air-driven subway, the Beach Pneumatic Transit, opened in New York City for public demonstrations.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed a measure establishing Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

In 1940, the United States Air Defense Command was created.

In 1942, "How Green Was My Valley" won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1941, beating out nine other films, including "The Maltese Falcon" and "Citizen Kane."

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.

In 1970, National Public Radio was incorporated.

In 1987, the Tower Commission, which had probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.

In 1992, Armenian forces attacked the village of Khodzhaly, resulting in the deaths of 613 Azerbaijanis, according to Azerbaijani authorities. (Armenian forces did not deny the attack, but have said the death toll is exaggerated.)

In 1993, a bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of New York's World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

Ten years ago: Former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, at times combative, insisted during a Senate hearing that he knew nothing about manipulation of company books and denied misleading Congress as alleged by some lawmakers and Enron officials. Pharmacist Robert R. Courtney pleaded guilty in Kansas City, Mo., to watering down chemotherapy drugs. (Courtney was later sentenced to 30 years in prison.) Gunmen killed 11 minority Shiite (SHEE'-eyet) Muslims praying in a mosque in Pakistan.

Five years ago: Iraq's Shiite vice president, Adel Abdul-Mahdi (ah-DEEL' AHB'-dool-MAH'-dee), narrowly escaped death as a blast ripped through a government meeting hall just hours after it had been searched by U.S. teams with bomb-sniffing dogs; at least 10 people were killed. The Iraqi Cabinet approved draft legislation to manage the country's vast oil industry and divide its wealth among the population.

One year ago: In a statement, President Barack Obama said Moammar Gadhafi had lost his legitimacy to rule and urged the Libyan leader to leave power immediately. Space shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station, making its final visit before being parked at a museum.

Today's Birthdays: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Fats Domino (real name Antoine Dominique Domino) is 84. Country-Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Paul Cotton ("Poco") is 69. Actor-director Bill Duke is 69. Singer Mitch Ryder is 67. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist Jonathan Cain ("Journey") is 62. Singer Michael Bolton is 59. Actor Greg Germann is 54. Former Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine is 54. Bandleader John McDaniel is 51. Actress Jennifer Grant is 46. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Bassist Tim Commerford ("Audioslave" and "Rage Against the Machine") is 44. Singer Erykah Badu is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rico Wade ("Society of Soul") is 40. Olympic gold medal swimmer Jenny Thompson is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kyle Norman ("Jagged Edge") is 37. Actor Greg Rikaart is 35. Rock Drummer Chris Culos ("O.A.R." aka "Of A Revolution") is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 33. Country singer Rodney Hayden is 32. Actress Taylor Dooley is 19.

Thought for Today: "The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation." — Isaac D'Israeli, English author (1766-1848).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 27, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Monday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2012. There are 308 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 27, 1942, the Battle of the Java Sea began during World War II; Imperial Japanese naval forces scored a decisive victory over the Allies.

On this date:

In 1801, the District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.

In 1911, inventor Charles F. Kettering demonstrated his electric automobile starter in Detroit by starting a Cadillac's motor with just the press of a switch, instead of hand-cranking.

In 1912, author Lawrence Durrell, author of The Alexandria Quartet, was born in India.

In 1922, the Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of women to vote.

In 1933, Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag (RYKS'-tahg), was gutted by fire. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, blaming the Communists, used the fire as justification for suspending civil liberties.

In 1939, the Supreme Court, in National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., outlawed sit-down strikes.

In 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified.

In 1960, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets, 3-2, at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)

In 1973, members of the American Indian Movement occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. (The occupation lasted until May.)

In 1979, Jane M. Byrne confounded Chicago's Democratic political machine as she upset Mayor Michael A. Bilandic to win their party's mayoral primary. (Byrne went on to win the election.)

In 1982, Wayne Williams was found guilty of murdering two of the 28 young blacks whose bodies were found in the Atlanta area over a 22-month period. (Williams, who was also blamed for 22 other deaths, has maintained his innocence.)

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared that "Kuwait is liberated, Iraq's army is defeated," and announced that the allies would suspend combat operations at midnight, Eastern time.

Ten years ago: U.S. officials announced a $5 million reward for information in the kidnap-murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. A mob of Muslims set fire to a train carrying hundreds of Hindu nationalists in Godhra, India; some 60 people died. At the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Alicia Keys won five prizes, including song of the year for "Fallin'"; Irish rockers U2 won four Grammys, including record of the year for "Walk On"; album of the year went to the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. Comedian Spike Milligan died in Rye, East Sussex, England, at age 83.

Five years ago: A suicide bomber struck Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, who was rushed to a bomb shelter. (Twenty-three people were killed; Cheney was unhurt.) The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 416.02 points, the worst drop since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

One year ago: "The King's Speech" won four Academy Awards, including best picture; Colin Firth won best actor for his portrayal of Britain's King George VI. Frank Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I who'd also survived being a civilian prisoner of war in the Philippines in World War II, died in Charles Town, W.Va., at age 110. Duke Snider, 84, the Baseball Hall of Famer who helped the Dodgers bring their only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died in Escondido, Calif.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Joanne Woodward is 82. Consumer Advocate/Author & former Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader is 78. Opera singer Mirella Freni is 77. Actress Barbara Babcock is 75. Actor Howard Hesseman is 72. Actress Debra Monk is 63. Rock Singer/Guitarist Neal Schon ("Journey") is 58. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Adrian Smith ("Iron Maiden") is 55. Actor Timothy Spall is 55. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist Paul Humphreys ("Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark") is 52. Country singer Johnny Van Zant ("Van Zant" & "Lynyrd Skynyrd") is 52. Rock Drummer Leon Mobley ("Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals") is 51. Basketball Hall-of-Famer James Worthy is 51. Actor Adam Baldwin is 50. Actor Grant Show is 50. Rock musician Mike Cross ("Sponge") is 47. Actor Donal Logue is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chilli (real name Rozonda Ocelean Thomas)("TLC") is 41. Rock Keyboardist Jeremy Dean ("Nine Days") is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Roderick Clark is 39. Country-rock Singer/Bassist Shonna Tucker ("Drive-By Truckers") is 34. Actor Brandon Beemer is 32. Chelsea Clinton is 32. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bobby Valentino is 32. Singer Josh Groban is 31. Rock Drummer Jared Champion ("Cage the Elephant") is 29. Actress Kate Mara is 29.

Thought for Today: "I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes." — Edward Gibbon, English historian (1737-1794).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 28, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Tuesday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2012. There are 307 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 28, 1942, the heavy cruiser USS Houston and the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth came under attack by Japanese forces during the World War II Battle of Sunda Strait; both were sunk shortly after midnight. (The Houston lost 693 men while the Perth lost 353.)

On this date:

In 1844, a 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded as the ship was sailing on the Potomac River, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others.

In 1849, the California gold rush began in earnest as regular steamship service started bringing gold-seekers to San Francisco.

In 1861, the Territory of Colorado was organized.

In 1911, President William Howard Taft nominated William H. Lewis to be the first black Assistant Attorney General of the United States.

In 1951, the Senate committee headed by Estes Kefauver (ES'-teez KEE'-faw-vuhr), D-Tenn., issued an interim report saying at least two major crime syndicates were operating in the U.S.

In 1953, scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes.

In 1960, a day after defeating the Soviets at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif., the United States won its first Olympic hockey gold medal by defeating Czechoslovakia's team, 9-4.

In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai issued the Shanghai Communique, which called for normalizing relations between their countries, at the conclusion of Nixon's historic visit to China.

In 1975, more than 40 people were killed in London's Underground when a subway train smashed into the end of a tunnel.

In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme (PAHL'-meh) was shot to death in central Stockholm. (The killing remains unsolved.)

In 1993, a gun battle erupted at a compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to serve warrants on the Branch Davidians; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.

In 1997, in North Hollywood, Calif., two heavily armed and armored robbers bungled a bank heist and came out firing, unleashing their arsenal on police, bystanders, cars and TV choppers before they were killed.

Ten years ago: The body of a young girl found outside San Diego was positively identified as that of seven-year-old Danielle van Dam, who'd disappeared from her bedroom about a month earlier; a neighbor, David Westerfield, was later convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. Hindus in western India retaliated for a train attack that claimed some 60 lives by setting fire to Muslims' homes, then keeping firefighters away for hours. Soap opera actress Mary Stuart, who had starred in "Search for Tomorrow" for some 35 years, died in New York at age 75.

Five years ago: A federal judge in Miami ruled that suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla (hoh-ZAY' puh-DEE'-uh) was competent to stand trial on terrorism support charges, rejecting arguments that he was severely damaged by 3 1/2 years of interrogation and isolation in a military brig. Wall Street rebounded fitfully from the previous session's 416-point plunge in the Dow industrials as investors took comfort from comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that he still expected moderate economic growth. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. died in New York at age 89.

One year ago: The United States and European allies intensified efforts to isolate Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, redoubling demands for him to step down, questioning his mental state and warning that those who stayed loyal to him risked losing their wealth and facing prosecution for human rights abuses. Actress and World War II pin-up bombshell Jane Russell died in Santa Maria, Calif., at age 89. French actress Annie Girardot died in Paris at age 79.

(Stations: "Bobb'e J. Thompson" is correct)

Today's Birthdays: Producer Saul Zaentz is 91. Actor Charles Durning is 89. Architect Frank Gehry is 83. Actor Gavin MacLeod is 81. Actor/Voice Actor Don Francks is 80. Actor/Director/Dancer/Choreographer Tommy Tune is 73. Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 72. Singer Joe South is 72. Actor Frank Bonner is 70. Actress Kelly Bishop is 68. Actress Stephanie Beacham is 65. Writer-director Mike Figgis is 64. Actress Mercedes Ruehl is 64. Actress Bernadette Peters is 64. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is 64. Actress Ilene Graff is 63. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is 59. Actor/Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is 57. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Adrian Dantley is 56. Actor John Turturro is 55. Rock singer Cindy Wilson is 55. Actress Rae Dawn Chong is 51. Actress Maxine Bahns is 43. Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 43. Rock singer Pat Monahan is 43. Author Daniel Handler (AKA "Lemony Snicket") is 42. Actor Rory Cochrane is 40. Actress Ali Larter is 36. Country singer Jason Aldean is 35. Actor Geoffrey Arend is 34. Actress Michelle Horn is 25. Actor Bobb'e J. Thompson is 16.

Thought for Today: "If we are to survive, we must have ideas, vision, and courage. These things are rarely produced by committees. Everything that matters in our intellectual and moral life begins with an individual confronting his own mind and conscience in a room by himself." — Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (1917-2007).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today in History
Associated Press – February 29, 2012, 12:00 am ET


Today is Wednesday, Feb. 29, the 60th day of 2012. There are 306 days left in the year. This is Leap Day.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Feb. 29, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (also known as the Kerner Commission) warned that racism was causing America to move "toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal." The discovery of a "pulsar," a star which emits regular radio waves, was announced by Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell in Cambridge, England. At the Grammy Awards, the 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" won record of the year for 1967, while album of the year honors went to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

On this date:

In 1504, Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica during his fourth voyage to the West, used a correctly predicted lunar eclipse to frighten hostile natives into providing food for his crew.

In 1792, composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born in Pesaro, Italy.

In 1796, President George Washington proclaimed Jay's Treaty, which settled some outstanding differences with Britain, in effect.

In 1892, the United States and Britain agreed to submit to arbitration their dispute over seal-hunting rights in the Bering Sea. (A commission later ruled in favor of Britain.)

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a seven-member commission to facilitate completion of the Panama Canal.

In 1908, the artist Balthus was born in Paris.

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a second Neutrality Act as he appealed to American businesses not to increase exports to belligerents.

In 1940, "Gone with the Wind" won eight Academy Awards, including best picture of 1939; Hattie McDaniel won for best supporting actress, the first black performer so honored.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced he would seek a second term of office.

In 1960, the first Playboy Club, featuring waitresses clad in "bunny" outfits, opened in Chicago.

In 1984, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced he was stepping down after more than 15 combined years in power.

In 1996, Daniel Green was convicted in Lumberton, N.C., of murdering James R. Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan, during a 1993 roadside holdup. (Green and an accomplice, Larry Martin Demery, were sentenced to life in prison.) A Peruvian Boeing 737 crashed on approach to Arequipa, killing all 123 people on board.

Twelve years ago (2000): George W. Bush won Republican presidential primaries in Virginia, Washington state and North Dakota, defeating John McCain; Vice President Al Gore crushed fellow Democrat Bill Bradley in Washington state. Six-year-old Kayla Rolland was fatally shot by a fellow first-grader at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Mich. Sparky Anderson was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame along with Turkey Stearnes of the Negro leagues and 19th-century second baseman Bid McPhee. Kathie Lee Gifford announced her intention to leave the syndicated morning show "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee."

Eight years ago (2004): Facing rebellion, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide (zhahn behr-TRAHN' ahr-ihs-TEED') resigned and left for exile in the Central African Republic. (Aristide returned to Haiti in March 2011.) "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" won a record-tying 11 Academy Awards, including best picture; Sean Penn took the best-actor prize for "Mystic River" and Charlize Theron won best actress for "Monster." Playwright Jerome Lawrence died in Malibu, Calif., at age 88.

Four years ago (2008): Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama accused rival Hillary Rodham Clinton of trying to "play on people's fears to scare up votes" with a TV ad showing sleeping children and asking who would be more qualified to answer a national security emergency call at 3 a.m.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Michele Morgan is 92. Former All-Star baseball player Al Rosen is 88. Actor Joss Ackland is 84. Actor Alex Rocco is 76. Former space shuttle astronaut Jack Lousma is 76. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is 72. Actor Dennis Farina is 68. Actress Phyllis Frelich is 68. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins is 52. Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. is 40. Rapper Ja Rule (born Jeffery Atkins) is 36.

Thought for Today: "Well, it has happened again. The Earth has circled four times around the sun, astronomers have designated this a leap year and anxious bachelors won't answer their telephones until midnight." — David O'Reilly, American journalist.
 

Today In History
Associated Press – March 1, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern


Today's Highlight in History:

On March 1, 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, N.J.

On this date:

In 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by Portuguese knight Estacio de Sa.

In 1790, President George Washington signed a measure authorizing the first U.S. Census.

In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act creating Yellowstone National Park.

In 1912, Isabella Goodwin of New York City was appointed the first female police detective.

In 1954, Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five congressmen.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.

In 1962, an American Airlines Boeing 707 on a scheduled flight to Los Angeles crashed after taking off from New York's Idlewild Airport, killing all 95 people on board.

In 1971, a bomb went off inside a men's room at the U.S. Capitol; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn blast.

In 1981, Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands began a hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland; he died 65 days later.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Robert Clary is 86. Singer Harry Belafonte is 85. Former U.S. Solicitor General Robert H. Bork is 85. Actor Robert Conrad is 77. Rock Singer/Songwriter Mike D'Abo ("Manfred Mann") is 68. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 68. Actor Dirk Benedict is 67. Actor/Songwriter/TV Host Alan Thicke :canada: is 65. Actor/Director/Film Producer Ron Howard is 58. Actress Catherine Bach is 58. Country singer Janis Gill (aka Janis Oliver Cummins)("Sweethearts of the Rodeo") is 58. Actor Tim Daly is 56. Singer-musician Jon Carroll is 55. Rock Bassist Bill Leen ("Gin Blossoms") is 50. Actor Maurice Bernard is 49. Actor Russell Wong is 49. Actor John David Cullum is 46. Actor George Eads is 45. Actor Javier Bardem is 43. Actor Jack Davenport is 39. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Ryan Peake ("Nickelback") is 39. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 38. Actor Jensen Ackles is 34. TV host Donovan Patton is 34. Rock Guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sammie (born Sammie Lee Bush, Jr.) is 25. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 18.

“The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change — and we all instinctively avoid it.” — E.B. White, American writer (1899-1985).
 

Today In History
Associated Press – March 2, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern


Today is Friday, March 2, the 62nd day of 2012. There are 304 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks, an NBA record that still stands. (Philadelphia won, 169-147.)

On this date:

In 1793, the first president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston, was born near Lexington, Va.

In 1836, the Republic of Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico.

In 1861, the state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy.

In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship as President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act.

In 1932, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which moved the date of the presidential inauguration from March 4 to Jan. 20, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

In 1939, Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (puh-CHEL'-ee) was elected pope on his 63rd birthday; he took the name Pius XII.

In 1942, the original Stage Door Canteen, a wartime club for U.S. servicemen, officially opened its doors in New York's Broadway theater district.

In 1943, the World War II Battle of the Bismarck Sea began; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on a Japanese convoy.

In 1951, the East beat the West, 111-94, in the first NBA All-Star Game, which took place at Boston Garden.

In 1972, the United States launched the Pioneer 10 space probe, which flew past Jupiter in late 1973, sending back images and scientific data.

In 1989, representatives from the 12 European Community nations agreed to ban all production of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) by the end of the 20th century.

In 1992, actress Sandy Dennis died in Westport, Conn., at age 54.

Ten years ago: Eleven Israelis were killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. Rioting spread as the death toll in India's religious strife topped 400.

Five years ago: A charter bus carrying a college baseball team from Bluffton University in Ohio plunged off an Atlanta highway ramp and slammed into the pavement below, killing seven people. Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey resigned following a scandal over substandard conditions for wounded Iraq soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The bodies of 14 kidnapped policemen were found northeast of Baghdad. Anna Nicole Smith was buried in the Bahamas following a lavish memorial service.

One year ago: The Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral had to yield to First Amendment protections for free speech in a decision favoring the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. A man armed with a handgun attacked a bus carrying U.S. Air Force troops at Frankfurt airport, killing two airmen before being taken into custody. (Arid Uka, an Islamic extremist, was later sentenced to life in prison.) Militants gunned down the only Christian in Pakistan's Cabinet outside his widowed mother's home.

(Stations: Rock musician Casey, one name, is correct)

Today's Birthdays: Actor John Cullum is 82. Author Tom Wolfe is 82. Former Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev is 81. Actress Barbara Luna is 73. Actor Jon Finch is 71. Author John Irving is 70. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Lou Reed (born Lewis Allen Rabinowitz) is 70. Actress Cassie Yates is 61. Actress Laraine Newman is 60. Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is 59. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is 57. Singer Jay Osmond is 57. Pop Singer/Drummer John Cowsill ("The Cowsills") is 56. Tennis player Kevin Curren is 54. Country singer Larry Stewart ("Restless Heart") is 53. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Actor Jon Bon Jovi is 50. Blues Singer/Guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart is 49. Actor Daniel Craig is 44. Rock Singer/Guitarist Casey (born Casey Hean)(formerly of "Jimmie's Chicken Shack") is 36. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Chris Martin ("Coldplay") is 35. Actress Heather McComb is 35. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is 31. NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 30. Actor Robert Iler ("The Sopranos") is 27.

Thought for Today: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." — Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka "Dr. Seuss"), American children's author (born this day, 1904; died 1991).
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

Today In History
Associated Press – March 3, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern


Today is Saturday, March 3, the 63rd day of 2012. There are 303 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United States.

On this date:

In 1845, Florida became the 27th state.

In 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established.

In 1887, Anne Sullivan arrived at the Tuscumbia, Ala., home of Captain and Mrs. Arthur H. Keller to become the teacher for their blind and deaf 6-year-old daughter, Helen.

In 1894, British Prime Minister William Gladstone submitted his resignation to Queen Victoria, ending his fourth and final premiership.

In 1923, Time magazine, founded by Briton Hadden and Henry R. Luce, made its debut.

In 1940, Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded "Frenesi" for RCA Victor.

In 1945, the Allies fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II.

In 1961, King Hassan II acceded to the throne of Morocco, following the death of his father, King Mohammed V.

In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a mission to test the lunar module.

In 1974, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board.

In 1987, comedian Danny Kaye died in Los Angeles at age 74.

In 1991, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video. Twenty-five people were killed when a United Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed while approaching the Colorado Springs airport.

Ten years ago: Voters in Switzerland approved joining the United Nations, abandoning almost 200 years of formal neutrality. Country songwriter Harlan Howard, whose hits included "I Fall to Pieces" and "Busted," died in Nashville at age 74.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush handed out hugs to residents who survived killer tornadoes that ripped through Alabama and Georgia and offered encouraging words at Enterprise High School, where students were grieving the loss of eight classmates.

One year ago: Seeking to repair damaged relations, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon agreed during a White House meeting to deepen their cooperation in combating drug violence and declared a breakthrough in efforts to end a long-standing dispute over cross-border trucking. Soldiers backing Ivory Coast's defiant leader, Laurent Gbagbo, mowed down women protesting his refusal to leave power in a hail of gunfire, killing seven.

Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Doc Watson (born Arthel Lane Watson) is 89. Socialite Lee Radziwill is 79. Movie Producer/Director/Screenwriter George Miller ("Max Max" trilogy) is 67. Actress Hattie Winston is 67. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 65. Actor/Comedian/Director Tim Kazurinsky is 62. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Robyn Hitchcock is 59. Actor Robert Gossett is 58. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist John Lilley ("The Hooters") is 58. Actress Miranda Richardson is 54. Radio personality Ira Glass is 53. Actress Mary Page Keller is 51. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 50. College Football Hall of Famer Herschel Walker is 50. Rapper-actor Tone-Loc (real name Anthony Terrell Smith) is 46. Rock Guitarist John Bigham is 43. Actress Julie Bowen is 42. Country singer Brett Warren ("The Warren Brothers") is 41. Actor David Faustino is 38. Singer/Songwriter Ronan Keating ("Boyzone") is 35. Rapper Lil' Flip (real name Wesley Eric Weston, Jr.) is 31. Actress Jessica Biel is 30. Rock Guitarist Blower (real name Joe Garvey)("Hinder") is 28.

Thought for today "Nothing is really real unless it happens on television." — Daniel J. Boorstin, educator and onetime Librarian of Congress (1914-2004)
 

Today In History
Associated Press – March 4, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern


oday is Sunday, March 4, the 64th day of 2012. There are 302 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 4, 1789, the Constitution of the United States went into effect as the first Federal Congress met in New York. (The lawmakers then adjourned for lack of a quorum.)

On this date:

In 1681, England's King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn for an area of land that later became Pennsylvania.

In 1791, Vermont became the 14th state.

In 1858, Sen. James Henry Hammond of South Carolina declared "Cotton is king" in a speech to the U.S. Senate.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States. The U.S. Government Printing Office began operation. The Confederate States of America adopted as its flag the original version of the Stars and Bars.

In 1912, groundbreaking took place in New York for Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1917, Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1930, Coolidge Dam in Arizona was dedicated by its namesake, former President Calvin Coolidge.

In 1940, Kings Canyon National Park in California was established.

In 1952, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in California's San Fernando Valley.

In 1960, an explosives-laden French freighter, La Coubre, exploded in Havana's harbor, killing at least 75 people.

In 1977, some 1,500 people were killed in an earthquake that shook southern and eastern Europe.

In 1981, a jury in Salt Lake City convicted Joseph Paul Franklin, an avowed racist and serial killer, of violating the civil rights of two black men who'd been shot to death. (Franklin received two life sentences for this crime; he is currently on Missouri's death row for the 1977 murder of a Jewish man, Gerald Gordon.)

Ten years ago: Seven American soldiers were killed, 11 wounded, in Afghanistan at the outset of Operation Anaconda against remnant Taliban and al-Qaida forces. European Union's 15 members ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, but failed to set pollutant-emission levels to meet the accord's targets.

Five years ago: NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon announced he was quitting the civil rights organization after just 19 months at the helm, citing growing strain with board members over the group's management style and future operations. Former Sen. Thomas Eagleton, who resigned as George McGovern's running mate in 1972 after it was revealed he'd been hospitalized for depression, died in St. Louis, Mo., at age 77.

One year ago: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime struck back at its opponents with a powerful attack on Zawiya (ZOW'-ee-yuh), the closest opposition-held city to Tripoli, and a barrage of tear gas and live ammunition to smother new protests in the capital. NASA launched its Glory satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on what was supposed to have been a three-year mission to analyze how airborne particles affect Earth's climate; however, the rocket carrying Glory plummeted into the southern Pacific several minutes after liftoff.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Paula Prentiss is 74. Movie director Adrian Lyne is 71. Singer Bobby Womack is 68. Rock Singer/Bassist Chris Squire ("Yes") is 64. Singer Shakin' Stevens (born Michael Barrett) is 64. Author James Ellroy is 64. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is 62. Singer Chris Rea is 61. Actor Ronn Moss is 60. Actress Kay Lenz is 59. Musician/Producer Emilio Estefan Jr. (husband of Gloria Estefan) is 59. Movie director Scott Hicks is 59. Actress/Comedienne Catherine O'Hara is 58. Actor Mykelti Williamson is 55. Actress Patricia Heaton is 54. Actor Steven Weber is 51. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Bassist Jason Newsted is 49. Actress Stacy Edwards is 47. Rapper Grand Puba (real name Maxwell Dixon) is 46. Rock Drummer Patrick Hannan ("The Sundays") is 46. Rock singer Evan Dando ("Lemonheads") is 45. Actress Patsy Kensit is 44. Gay rights activist Chaz Bono is 43. Actor Nick Stabile is 42. Rock Drummer Fergal Lawler ("The Cranberries") is 41. Country singer Jason Sellers is 41. Jazz Drummer Jason Marsalis is 35. Actress Jessica Heap is 29. TV personality Whitney Port is 27. Actor Joshua Bowman is 24. Actress Andrea Bowen ("Desperate Housewives") is 22. Actress Jenna Boyd is 19.

Thought for Today: "I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets." – D.H. Lawrence, English author (1885-1930).
 
Back
Top