This Day in History

Mben · Feb 9, 2011

PMM2008 wrote: <em class="date"> Feb 9, 1942: Daylight saving time instituted</h2> On this day, Congress pushes ahead standard time for the United States by one hour in each time zone, imposing daylight saving time--called at the time war time.

Isn't it about time they get rid of DST? It can be very confusing at times.

omeg · Feb 10, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 10, 1996: Kasparov loses chess game to computer</h2> On this day in 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Gary Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated 6 million people worldwide followed the action on the Internet.<em class="date"> Feb 10, 1966: Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader testifies before Congress</h2> On this day in 1966, Ralph Nader, a young lawyer and the author of the groundbreaking book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile, testifies before Congress for the first time about unsafe practices in the auto industry<em class="date"> Feb 10, 1992: Boxing legend convicted of raping beauty queen</h2> Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, accused of raping 18-year-old beauty-pageant contestant Desiree Washington, is found guilty by an Indiana jury. The following month, Tyson was given a 10-year prison sentence, with four years suspended.<em class="date"> Feb 10, 1970: Avalanche buries skiers in France</h2> On this day in 1970, an avalanche crashes down on a ski resort in Val d'Isere, France, killing 42 people, mostly young skiers. This disaster was the worst such incident in French history.<em class="date"> Feb 10, 1972: Ziggy Stardust makes his earthly debut</h2> It was one of those events that virtually nobody witnessed, yet almost but many wish they had: the concert at London's Toby Jug pub on February 10, 1972, when the relatively minor rocker named David Bowie became the spaceman Ziggy Stardust. While it might be said of many such historic momentslike John meeting Paul at a backyard birthday party, or Elvis ad-libbing That's All Right (Mama) between takes at Sun Studiosthat their significance became clear only in hindsight, there was at least one man who knew exactly where Ziggy's earthly debut would lead: David Bowie himself.history.com

omeg · Feb 11, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1990: Nelson Mandela released from prison</h2> Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990.<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1937: GM signs first autoworkers contract</h2> After a six-week sit-down strike by General Motors (GM) autoworkers at the Fisher Body Plant No. 2 in Flint, Michigan, GM president Alfred P. Sloan signs the first union contract in the history of the American auto industry. The strike was organized by the United Auto Workers (UAW), which wanted to be recognized as the sole bargaining authority for employees at GM factories. The UAW, founded in 1935, also demanded improved working conditions and job security for GM autoworkers. At the time of the strike, GM, which was founded in 1908 by William Durant, had been the world's largest automaker since the early 1930s.<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1916: Birth control pioneer arrested</h2> Emma Goldman, a crusader for women's rights and social justice, is arrested in New York City for lecturing and distributing materials about birth control. She was accused of violating the Comstock Act of 1873, which made it a federal offense to disseminate contraceptive devices and information through the mail or across state lines. In addition to advocating for women's reproductive rights, Goldman, who was later convicted and spent time in jail, was a champion of numerous controversial causes and ideas, including anarchism, free speech and atheism. Nicknamed Red Emma, the forward-thinking Goldman was arrested multiple times for her activist activities.<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1858: Virgin Mary appears to St. Bernadette</h2> In southern France, Marie-Bernarde Soubirous, a 14-year-old French peasant girl, first claims to have seen the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ and a central figure in the Roman Catholic religion. The apparitions, which totaled 18 before the end of the year, occurred in a grotto of a rock promontory near Lourdes, France. Marie explained that the Virgin Mary revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision, and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto, which Marie subsequently discovered by digging into the earth.<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1970: The world's fourth space power</h2> From the Kagoshima Space Center on the east coast of Japan's Ohsumi Peninsula, Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite, is successfully launched into an orbit around Earth. The achievement made Japan the world's fourth space power, after the Soviet Union in 1957, the United States in 1958, and France in 1965.<em class="date"> Feb 11, 1990: Underdog Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson</h2> In a major upset, Buster Douglas defeats Mike Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, in 10 rounds at a boxing match in Tokyo, Japan.history.com

omeg · Feb 12, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 12, 2002: Milosevic goes on trial for war crimes</h2> On this day in 2002, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic goes on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. Milosevic served as his own attorney for much of the prolonged trial, which ended without a verdict when the so-called Butcher of the Balkans was found dead at age 64 from an apparent heart attack in his prison cell on March 11, 2006.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 2008: GM reports record loss, offers buyouts to 74,000 workers</h2> On this day in 2008, in an attempt to cut costs, struggling auto giant General Motors (GM) offers buyouts to all 74,000 of its hourly employees in the U.S. represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The move came after GM lost $38.7 billion in 2007, which at the time was the largest loss ever experienced by any car maker. (Two weeks later, on February 26, the loss was adjusted by $4.6 billion, to $43.3 billion.)<em class="date"> Feb 12, 1988: Russian ships bump U.S. destroyer and cruiser</h2> Two Soviet warships bump two U.S. navy vessels in waters claimed by the Soviet Union. The incident was an indication that even though the Cold War was slowly coming to a close, old tensions and animosities remained unabated.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 1976: Actor Sal Mineo is killed in Hollywood</h2> Actor Sal Mineo is stabbed to death in Hollywood, California. Mineo was parking his car behind his apartment when neighbors heard his cries for help. Some described a white man with brown hair fleeing the scene. By the time they reached Mineo, he was almost dead from a deep wound to his chest. He died minutes later.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 2002: Iranian jet slams into mountain</h2> On this day in 2002, an Iranian passenger jet crashes into the side of a mountain, killing all 117 people on board.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 1793: Congress enacts first fugitive slave law</h2> On this day, Congress passes the first fugitive slave law, requiring all states, including those that forbid slavery, to forcibly return slaves who have escaped from other states to their original owners. The laws stated that no person held to service of labor in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such labor or service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. <em class="date"> Feb 12, 1999: President Clinton acquitted</h2> On February 12, 1999, the five-week impeachment trial of Bill Clinton comes to an end, with the Senate voting to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment: perjury and obstruction of justice.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 2008: Writers strike ends after 100 days</h2> Hollywoods longest work stoppage since 1988 ends on this day in 2008, when members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) vote by a margin of more than 90 percent to go back to work after a walkout that began the previous November 5.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 1809: Abraham Lincoln is born</h2> On this day in 1809, Abraham Lincoln is born in Hodgenville, Kentucky.<em class="date"> Feb 12, 1973: Release of U.S. POWs begins</h2> The release of U.S. POWs begins in Hanoi as part of the Paris peace settlement. The return of U.S. POWs began when North Vietnam released 142 of 591 U.S. prisoners at Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport. Part of what was called Operation Homecoming, the first 20 POWs arrived to a hero's welcome at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States.history.com

omeg · Feb 13, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1633: Galileo in Rome for Inquisition</h2> On this day in 1633, Italian philosopher, astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome to face charges of heresy for advocating Copernican theory, which holds that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Galileo officially faced the Roman Inquisition in April of that same year and agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. Put under house arrest indefinitely by Pope Urban VIII, Galileo spent the rest of his days at his villa in Arcetri, near Florence, before dying on January 8, 1642.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1983: Cinema burns in Turin</h2> On this day in 1983, 74 people are killed when a fire blazes through a cinema in Turin, Italy.The Statuto Cinema in Turin had a capacity of just over 1,000 people on two levels, though the show on Sunday, February 13, was not nearly full. A fire began on the ground floor and quickly set several seats ablaze. To make matters worse, the seats had plastic covers that produced toxic smoke when they caught fire. The crowd panicked and ran toward the exits, causing a stampede in which several people were crushed to death.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1861: First Medal of Honor action</h2> The earliest military action to be revered with a Medal of Honor award is performed by Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin, an assistant army surgeon serving in the first major U.S.-Apache conflict. Near Apache Pass, in southeastern Arizona, Irwin, an Irish-born doctor, volunteered to go to the rescue of Second Lieutenant George N. Bascom, who was trapped with 60 men of the U.S. Seventh Infantry by the Chiricahua Apaches. Irwin and 14 men, initially without horses, began the 100-mile trek to Bascom's forces riding on mules. After fighting and capturing Apaches along the way and recovering stolen horses and cattle, they reached Bascom's forces on February 14 and proved instrumental in breaking the siege.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 2001: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon gets 10 Oscar nominations</h2> After marking his arrival in Hollywood with a string of English-language films, including Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Ice Storm (1997) and Ride with the Devil (1999), the Taiwanese film director Ang Lee decided to return to his roots for his next picture, which he intended largely for Chinese-language audiences. Ironically, the result--Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon--would become by far his biggest hit to date. On February 13, 2001, the film earned 10 Oscar nominations, becoming the first Asian film and only the seventh foreign-language offering to get a nod for Best Picture.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1915: ASCAP is founded</h2> If music did not pay, it would be given up. So wrote Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1917. Holmes wasn't referring to musicians themselves in that statement, but to places of business in which copyrighted musical works could be heard, whether such music was live or recorded and, critically, whether or not it generated direct revenues. Whether it pays or not, continued Holmes, the purpose of employing it is profit and that is enough. Narrowly speaking, the decision in Herbert v. Shanley Co. forced Shanley's Restaurant in New York City to pay a fee to the American songwriter Victor Herbert for playing a song of his on a player-piano during dinner service. The case represented a much broader victory, however, for the new organization of which Herbert was the head: the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), which was founded on this day in 1915.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1998: Downhill skier Hermann Maier crashes in Olympics</h2> Austrian ski racer Hermann Maier makes one of the most dramatic crashes in skiing history when he catapults 30 feet in the air, lands on his helmet and rams through two safety fences at an estimated 80 miles per hour on February 13, 1998. Amazingly, Maier suffered just minor injuries and walked away from the crash. Several days later, he won gold medals in the giant slalom and super-G events.<em class="date"> Feb 13, 1968: Additional troops ordered to South Vietnam</h2> As an emergency measure in response to the 1968 communist Tet Offensive, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara approves the deployment of 10,500 troops to cope with threats of a second offensive. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had argued against dispatching any reinforcements at the time because it would seriously deplete the strategic reserve, immediately sent McNamara a memorandum asking that 46,300 reservists and former servicemen be activated. Not wanting to test public opinion on what would no doubt be a controversial move, Johnson consigned the issue of the reservists to study. Ultimately, he decided against a large-scale activation of the reserve forces.history.com

omeg · Feb 14, 2011

<em class="date"> Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as valentines ). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.<em class="date"> <font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#333333"></font>Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cardsFeb 14, 0278: St. Valentine beheaded</h2> On February 14 around the year 278 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1867: Toyota patriarch born</h2> Sakichi Toyoda, whose textile machinery company spawned the Toyota Motor Corporation, is born in Japan on February 14, 1867. In 2008, Toyota surpassed the American auto giant General Motors (GM) to become the world's largest automaker.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1929: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre</h2> Four men dressed as police officers enter gangster Bugs Moran's headquarters on North Clark Street in Chicago, line seven of Moran's henchmen against a wall, and shoot them to death. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, as it is now called, was the culmination of a gang war between arch rivals Al Capone and Bugs Moran.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 2000: Tornadoes sweep through southern Georgia</h2> On this day in 2000, a series of tornadoes moves through southern Georgia, wreaking havoc and killing 18 people.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1929: Penicillin discovered</h2> Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of modern medicine on this day in 1929. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1977: The B-52's play their first gig</h2> The B-52's, one of the strangest and, to fans, most irresistible, pop groups ever to achieve mainstream success, makes its worldwide debut at a Valentine's Day house party in Athens, GA, on this day in 1977. In their official Warner Brothers bio, the B-52's described themselves this way: As a group we enjoy science facts, thrift shopping, tick jokes, fat fad diets, geometric exercising, and discovering the 'essence from within.' When taken together with the assertion that the band was found in the Amazon River basin 40 years ago by Professor Agnes Potter and subsequently abandoned at Athens, Georgia, , this statement says a lot about the odd, but fun-loving sensibility of the B-52s.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1884: Theodore Roosevelt''s wife and mother die</h2> On this day in 1884, future President Theodore Roosevelt's wife and mother die, only hours apart. <em class="date"> Feb 14, 1988: Olympic speed skater Jansen falls after sister dies</h2> On February 14, 1988, U.S. speed skater Dan Jansen, a favorite to win the gold medal in the 500-meter race at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, falls during competition, only hours after learning his sister had died of cancer. Jansen suffered disappointment after disappointment in the Olympics, earning him a reputation as the heartbreak kid, before he finally captured an Olympic gold medal in 1994.<em class="date"> Feb 14, 1962: Kennedy authorizes U.S. advisors to fire in self-defense</h2> President John F. Kennedy authorizes U.S. military advisors in Vietnam to return fire if fired upon. At a news conference, he said, The training missions we have [in South Vietnam] have been instructed that if they are fired upon, they are of course to fire back, but we have not sent combat troops in [the] generally understood sense of the word. In effect, Kennedy was acknowledging that U.S. forces were involved in the fighting, but he wished to downplay any appearance of increased American involvement in the war. The next day former Vice President Nixon expressed hopes that President Kennedy would step up the build-up and under no circumstances curtail it because of possible criticism. history.com

PSP · Feb 14, 2011

RE:

Not exactly a great day for St. Valentine I guess ....

omeg · Feb 15, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1898: The Maine explodes</h2> A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship USS Maine in Cuba's Havana harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 American crew members aboard.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1998: Victory at last for Earnhardt at Daytona</h2> On February 15, 1998, after 20 years of trying, racing great Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally wins his first Daytona 500, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) season opener and an event dubbed the Super Bowl of stock car racing. Driving his black No. 3 Chevrolet, Earnhardt recorded an average speed of 172.712 mph and took home a then-record more than $1 million in prize money. Following his victory, crews from competing teams lined the pit road at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, to congratulate Earnhardt, who drove his car onto the grass and did several celebratory doughnuts, or circles.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1933: The death penalty--then and now</h2> Giuseppe Zangara shoots Anton Cermak, the mayor of Chicago, in Miami, Florida. Zangara's shots missed President-elect Franklin Roosevelt, who was with Cermak at the time. Cermak was seriously wounded and died on March 6.Immediately after Mayor Cermak died from the gunshot wounds, Zangara was indicted and arraigned for murder. He pled guilty and died in the electric chair on March 20, only two weeks after Cermak died. Today such a swift outcome would be practically unheard of, particularly where the death penalty is concerned.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1996: Oil tanker runs aground near Wales</h2> On this day in 1996, a supertanker, the Sea Empress, runs aground near Wales, spilling 70,000 tons of crude oil. The oil spill did not take any human lives, but severely damaged several bird sanctuaries.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1965: Canada adopts maple leaf flag</h2> In accordance with a formal proclamation by Queen Elizabeth II of England, a new Canadian national flag is raised above Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1950: Disneys Cinderella opens</h2> On this day in 1950, Walt Disneys animated feature Cinderella opens in theaters across the United States.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1903: First Teddy bear goes on sale</h2> On this day in 1903, toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom places two stuffed bears in his shop window, advertising them as Teddy bears. Michtom had earlier petitioned President Theodore Roosevelt for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. The president agreed and, before long, other toy manufacturers began turning out copies of Michtom's stuffed bears, which soon became a national childhood institution.<em class="date"> Feb 15, 1933: FDR escapes assassination in Miami</h2> On this day in 1933, a deranged, unemployed brick layer named Giuseppe Zangara shouts Too many people are starving! and fires a gun at America's president-elect, Franklin D. Roosevelt. history.com

omeg · Feb 16, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1923: Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut</h2> On this day in 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1997: Jeff Gordon becomes youngest Daytona winner</h2> On February 16, 1997, 25-year-old Jeff Gordon claims his first Daytona 500 victory, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the 200-lap, 500-mile National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) event, dubbed the Super Bowl of stock car racing. Driving his No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the Hendrick Motorsports racing team, Gordon recorded an average speed of 148.295 mph and took home prize money of more than $377,000. According to NASCAR.com, Gordon was a veritable babe in a field that included 27 drivers older than 35, 16 at least 40. Gordon's Hendrick teammates Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven finished the race second and third, respectively.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1983: Brush fires ravage South Australia</h2> Brush fires rage across South Australia on this day in 1983, burning thousands of acres, killing 75 people and injuring another 800. There were 24 major fires in total across the region, in addition to scores of smaller ones.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1959: Castro sworn in</h2> On February 16, 1959, Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that forced right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile. Castro, who became commander in chief of Cuba's armed forces after Batista was ousted on January 1, replaced the more moderate Miro Cardona as head of the country's new provisional government.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1878: Silver dollars made legal</h2> Strongly supported by western mining interests and farmers, the Bland-Allison Actwhich provided for a return to the minting of silver coinsbecomes the law of the land.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1848: Chopin plays his final Paris concert</h2> Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars....Beethoven embraced the universe with the power of his spirit....I do not climb so high. A long time ago I decided that my universe will be the soul and heart of man. This was the assessment Frédéric Chopin offered of his own place in the pantheon of great Classical composers. It is an assessment that neatly captures the emotional expressiveness not only of his quintessentially Romantic compositions, but of his quintessentially Romantic personality. After fleeing his native Poland amid the political unrest of the 1830s, he spent the rest of his life amid the high society of France. Eighteen months before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 39, he gave his final public performance in his adopted city of Paris on February 16, 1848.<em class="date"> Feb 16, 1984: Bill Johnson becomes first American to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing</h2> On February 16, 1984, Bill Johnson becomes the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill skiing, a sport long dominated by European athletes. Johnson quickly became a national hero, though his fame was short-lived, and he never again competed in the Olympics.history.com

omeg · Feb 17, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1904: Madame Butterfly premieres</h2> On this day in 1904, Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly premieres at the La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1972: Beetle overtakes Model T as world's best-selling car</h2> On this day in 1972, the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle comes off the assembly line, breaking a world car production record held for more than four decades by the Ford Motor Company's iconic Model T, which was in production from 1908 and 1927.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1993: Ferry sinks near Haiti</h2> Approximately 900 people drown when a passenger ferry, the Neptune, overturns near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on this day in 1993. The ferry was dangerously overloaded, and carried no lifeboats or emergency gear.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1801: Deadlock over presidential election ends</h2> After one tie vote in the Electoral College and 35 indecisive ballot votes in the House of Representatives, Vice President Thomas Jefferson is elected the third president of the United States over his running mate, Aaron Burr. The confusing election, which ended just 15 days before a new president was to be inaugurated, exposed major problems in the presidential electoral process set forth by the framers of the U.S. Constitution.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1979: China invades Vietnam</h2> In response to the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, China launches an invasion of Vietnam.Tensions between Vietnam and China increased dramatically after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Attempting to expand its influence, Vietnam established a military presence in Laos; strengthened its ties with China's rival, the Soviet Union; and toppled the Cambodian regime of Pol Pot in 1979. Just over a month later, Chinese forces invaded, but were repulsed in nine days of bloody and bitter fighting. Tensions between China and Vietnam remained high throughout the next decade, and much of Vietnam's scarce resources were allocated to protecting its border with China and its interests in Cambodia.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1986: The Accidental Tourist wins the National Book Critics Circle Award</h2> On this day, Anne Tyler wins the National Book Critics Circle Award for her novel The Accidental Tourist (1985). The book, about the life of a travel-book writer after the death of his son and his subsequent divorce, became a bestseller and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1966: Brian Wilson rolls tape on Good Vibrations, take one</h2> From the very beginning, the Beach Boys had a sound that was unmistakably their own, but without resident genius Brian Wilson pushing them into deeper waters with his songwriting and production talents, songs like Surfin' Safari and Surfin' U.S.A. might have been their greatest legacy. While the rest of the band toured during their mid-60s heyday, Wilson lost himself in the recording studio, creating the music for an albumPet Soundsthat is widely regarded as one of the all-time best, and a single Good Vibrations on which he lavished more time, attention and money than had ever been spent previously on a single recording. Brian Wilson rolled tape on take one of Good Vibrations on February 17, 1966. Six months, four studios and $50,000 later, he finally completed his three-minute-and-thirty-nine-second symphony, pieced together from more than 90 hours of tape recorded during literally hundreds of sessions.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1801: Thomas Jefferson is elected</h2> On this day in 1801, Thomas Jefferson is elected the third president of the United States. The election constitutes the first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another in the United States. <em class="date"> Feb 17, 1996: Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer</h2> In the final game of a six-game match, world chess champion Garry Kasparov triumphs over Deep Blue, IBMs chess-playing computer, and wins the match, 4-2. However, Deep Blue goes on to defeat Kasparov in a heavily publicized rematch the following year.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1968: U.S. casualty rate reaches record high</h2> American officials in Saigon report an all-time high weekly rate of U.S. casualties--543 killed in action and 2,547 wounded in the previous seven days. These losses were a result of the heavy fighting during the communist Tet Offensive.<em class="date"> Feb 17, 1915: Zeppelin L-4 crashes into North Sea</h2> After encountering a severe snowstorm on the evening of February 17, 1915, the German zeppelin L-4 crash-lands in the North Sea near the Danish coastal town of Varde. history.com

omeg · Feb 18, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 18, 1885: Twain publishes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</h2> On this day in 1885, Mark Twain publishes his famous--and famously controversial--novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 2001: Dale Earnhardt killed in crash</h2> On this day in 2001, Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered one of the greatest drivers in National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) history, dies at the age of 49 in a last-lap crash at the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Earnhardt was driving his famous black No. 3 Chevrolet and vying for third place when he collided with another car, then crashed into a wall. After being cut from his car, Earnhardt, whose tough, aggressive driving style earned him the nickname The Intimidator, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 2003: Arsonist sets fire in South Korean subway</h2> On this day in 2003, a man ignites a gasoline-filled container inside a subway train in Daegu, South Korea. The blaze engulfed the six-car train, before spreading to another train that pulled into station a few minutes later. In all, 198 people were killed and nearly 150 others were injured.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 1965: Avalanche kills 26 in British Columbia</h2> Twenty-six people are killed in a glacial slide and avalanche on this day in 1965 in British Columbia, Canada. The victims were miners who were removing copper ore from underneath a glacier.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 1930: Pluto discovered</h2> Pluto, once believed to be the ninth planet, is discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 1929: First Academy Awards announced</h2> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the winners of the first Academy Awards on this day in 1929. It was a far cry from the suspense, glamour and endless press coverage surrounding the Oscars today: The first award recipients names were printed on the back page of the academys newsletter. A few days later, Variety published the information--on page seven.<em class="date"> Feb 18, 1959: Ray Charles records What'd I Say at Atlantic Records</h2> The phone call that Ray Charles placed to Atlantic Records in early 1959 went something like this: I'm playing a song out here on the road, and I don't know what it isit's just a song I made up, but the people are just going wild every time we play it, and I think we ought to record it. The song Ray Charles was referring to was What'd I Say, which went on to become one of the greatest rhythm-and-blues records ever made. Composed spontaneously out of sheer showbiz necessity, What'd I Say was laid down on tape on this day in 1959, at the Atlantic Records studios in New York City.[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAjeSS3kktA]history.com[/video]

omeg · Feb 19, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1847: Donner Party rescued</h2> On this day in 1847, the first rescuers reach surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of California-bound emigrants stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1984: Yarborough wins fourth Daytona 500</h2> Driver Cale Yarborough wins his fourth Daytona 500 on this day in 1984. In the history of the 200-lap, 500-mile race, which was first run at Florida's Daytona International Speedway in 1959 and is considered one of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)'s premiere events, only one driver topped Yarborough's recordRichard Petty, who took home seven victories (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981).<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1851: Angry San Francisco vigilantes take the law into their own hands</h2> On this day in 1851, an angry mob in San Francisco's business district tries two Australian suspects in the robbery and assault of C. J. Jansen. When the makeshift jury deadlocked, the suspects were returned to law enforcement officials. Jansen was working at his store at the corner of Montgomery and Washington when two men beat him unconscious and stole $2,000. Another merchant, William Coleman, then decided to play prosecutor and assembled judges and jury members from a crowd that had assembled at Portsmouth Square. Fortunately for the Australian suspects, the men who defended them got three jury members to agree that Jansen hadn't been able to see the men who had robbed him clearly. Although some members of the mob wanted to hang the alleged thieves in spite of the verdict, the crowd dispersed. Later, however, local authorities convicted the men at a real trial in court.<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1884: Tornadoes strike the Southeast</h2> On this day in 1884, an astonishing series of 37 tornadoes sweeps across the Southeast United States. The twisters, which came at a time in which there was no warning system in place to alert area residents, killed 167 people and injured another 1,000.<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1942: Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066</h2> Ten weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, authorizing the removal of any or all people from military areas as deemed necessary or desirable. The military in turn defined the entire West Coast, home to the majority of Americans of Japanese ancestry or citizenship, as a military area. By June, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to remote internment camps built by the U.S. military in scattered locations around the country. For the next two and a half years, many of these Japanese Americans endured extremely difficult living conditions and poor treatment by their military guards.<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1878: Thomas Alva Edison patents the phonograph</h2> The technology that made the modern music business possible came into existence in the New Jersey laboratory where Thomas Alva Edison created the first device to both record sound and play it back. He was awarded U.S. Patent No. 200,521 for his invention--the phonograph--on this day in 1878.<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1996: Patrick Roy gets 300th win as NFL goalie</h2> On this day in 1996, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy earns his 300th win in the National Hockey League. Roy retired from hockey in 2003 with 551 career wins, a record that still stands.<em class="date"> Feb 19, 1970: Chicago Seven sentenced</h2> The Chicago Seven (formerly the Chicago Eight--one defendant, Bobby Seale, was being tried separately) are acquitted of riot conspiracy charges, but found guilty of inciting riot.history.com

Mben · Feb 19, 2011

PMM2008 wrote: <em class="date"> Feb 19, 1847: Donner Party rescued</h2> On this day in 1847, the first rescuers reach surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of California-bound emigrants stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Only after eating how many people?

omeg · Feb 20, 2011

Ireland allows sale of contraceptives</h2>In a highly controversial vote on February 20, 1985, the Irish government defies the powerful Catholic Church and approves the sale of contraceptives.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1792: Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department</h2> On this day in 1792, President George Washington signs legislation renewing the United States Post Office as a cabinet department led by the postmaster general, guaranteeing inexpensive delivery of all newspapers, stipulating the right to privacy and granting Congress the ability to expand postal service to new areas of the nation. <em class="date"> Feb 20, 2003: Rhode Island nightclub burns</h2> A fire at a rock concert in a West Warwick, Rhode Island, nightclub kills 100 people and seriously injures almost 200 more on this day in 2003. It was the deadliest such fire in the United States since 165 people were killed at the Beverly Hill Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, in 1977.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1962: An American orbits earth</h2> From Cape Canaveral, Florida, John Hershel Glenn Jr. is successfully launched into space aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first orbital flight by an American astronaut.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1902: Ansel Adams is born</h2> The famous western photographer Ansel Adams is born in San Francisco. Adams' dramatic black and white images of Yosemite and the West are some of the most widely recognized and admired photographs of the 20th century.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1998: Tara Lipinski becomes youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist</h2> On February 20, 1998, 15-year-old Tara Lipinski wins the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and becomes the youngest gold medalist in her sport.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1968: Hearings begin on American policy in Vietnam</h2> The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins hearings to investigate American policy in Vietnam. This was a direct result of the Tet Offensive, in which Viet Cong forces, supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, launched the largest and best-coordinated offensive of the war. During the attack, the Viet Cong drove into the center of South Vietnam's seven largest cities and attacked 30 provincial capitals ranging from the Delta to the DMZ.<em class="date"> Feb 20, 1942: Pilot O'Hare becomes first American WWII flying ace</h2> On this day, Lt. Edward O'Hare takes off from the aircraft carrier Lexington in a raid against the Japanese position at Rabaul-and minutes later becomes America's first flying ace.history.com

omeg · Feb 22, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 22, 1980: U.S. hockey team makes miracle on ice</h2> In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Soviet squad, previously regarded as the finest in the world, fell to the youthful American team 4-3 before a frenzied crowd of 10,000 spectators. Two days later, the Americans defeated Finland 4-2 to clinch the hockey gold.<em class="date"> Feb 22, 1959: Lee Petty wins first Daytona 500</h2> On this day in 1959, Lee Petty defeats Johnny Beauchamp in a photo finish at the just-opened Daytona International Speedway in Florida to win the first-ever Daytona 500. The race was so close that Beauchamp was initially named the winner by William France, the owner of the track and head of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). However, Petty, who was driving a hardtop Oldsmobile 88, challenged the results and three days later, with the assistance of news photographs, he was officially named the champ. There was speculation that France declared Beauchamp the winner in order to intentionally stir up controversy and generate publicity for his new race track.<em class="date"> Feb 22, 2006: Gang commits largest robbery in British history</h2> In the early morning hours of February 22, 2006, a gang of at least six men, some of them armed, steal £53 million from the Securitas bank depot in Kent, Great Britain. It was the largest such theft in British history.<em class="date"> Feb 22, 1998: Deadly tornadoes rip through central Florida</h2> Seven tornadoes rip through central Florida on this day in 1998, killing 42 people. This was the deadliest outbreak of twisters in Florida's history.<em class="date"> Feb 22, 1819: The U.S. acquires Spanish Florida</h2> Spanish minister Do Luis de Onis and U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams sign the Florida Purchase Treaty, in which Spain agrees to cede the remainder of its old province of Florida to the United States.<em class="date"> Feb 22, 1732: George Washington is born</h2> On this day in 1732, George Washington is born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States. history.com

omeg · Feb 23, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1945: U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima</h2> During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island's highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi's slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1958: Formula One champ kidnapped</h2> On this day in 1958, five-time Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina is kidnapped in Cuba by a group of Fidel Castro's rebels.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1887: Earthquake strikes Mediterranean</h2> On this day in 1887, an earthquake off the Mediterranean coast of southern France and northern Italy destroys villages and kills more than 2,000 people. At the time, the area was, as usual, playing host to visiting tourists from all over Europe celebrating Mardi Gras, including the Prince of Wales.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1954: Children receive first polio vaccine</h2> On this day in 1954, a group of children from Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, receive the first injections of the new polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1978: It's a tie for Song of the Year at the 20th annual Grammy Awards</h2> Music fans might expect that the songs up for Best Song consideration at the 1977 Grammy Awards included songs that have stood the test of time, like Stevie Wonder's I Wish, Elvis Costello's Allison, Tom Petty's American Girl or Bob Marley's Jammin' . In actuality, the Academy of 1978 considered a slate of songs from 1977 that included only one timeless classic ( Hotel California ). And, in the end, Grammy voters that year made history by failing even to settle on a winner. On February 23, 1978, both Barbra Streisand's Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen) and Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life were awarded the Best Song Grammythe first and only tie in that category in Grammy history.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1940: Guthrie writes This Land is Your Land </h2> Folk singer Woody Guthrie writes one of his best-known songs, This Land is Your Land. <em class="date"> Feb 23, 1861: Lincoln avoids assassination attempt</h2> On this day in 1861, Abraham Lincoln and his entourage show up unexpectedly at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., foiling a Baltimore plot against his life.<em class="date"> Feb 23, 1980: Eric Heiden speed skates into Olympic history</h2> On this day in 1980, speed skater Eric Heiden wins the 10,000-meter race at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, setting a world record with his time and winning an unprecedented fifth gold medal at the games.history.com

omeg · Feb 24, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1836: Alamo defenders call for help</h2> On this day in 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under attack by the Mexican army.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1999: Avalanche buries homes in Austria</h2> A massive avalanche in the Austrian Alps buries homes and kills 13 people in Valzur on this day in 1999. The avalanche came only one day after an avalanche in the neighboring village of Galtur killed 25 people.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1868: President Andrew Johnson impeached</h2> The U.S. House of Representatives votes 11 articles of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson, nine of which cite Johnson's removal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. The House vote made President Johnson the first president to be impeached in U.S. history.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1988: Supreme Court defends right to satirize public figures</h2> The U.S. Supreme Court votes 8-0 to overturn the $200,000 settlement awarded to the Reverend Jerry Falwell for his emotional distress at being parodied in Hustler, a pornographic magazine.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1991: Gulf War ground offensive begins</h2> After six weeks of intensive bombing against Iraq and its armed forces, U.S.-led coalition forces launch a ground invasion of Kuwait and Iraq.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1938: Variety announces big news about The Wizard of Oz</h2> On this day in 1938, the entertainment trade newspaper Variety reported that the film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) had bought the rights to adapt L. Frank Baums beloved childrens novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for the screen, and that the studio has cast 16-year-old Judy Garland in the films central role, Dorothy Gale.<em class="date"> Feb 24, 1982: The Great One scores 77th goal</h2> On February 24, 1982, Wayne Gretzky scores his 77th goal, breaking a record held by Phil Esposito of 76 goals in a single season that was previously thought unbeatable by many fans.history.com

omeg · Feb 25, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 25, 1964: Clay knocks out Liston</h2> On February 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shocks the odds-makers by dethroning world heavyweight boxing champ Sonny Liston in a seventh-round technical knockout. The dreaded Liston, who had twice demolished former champ Floyd Patterson in one round, was an 8-to-1 favorite. However, Clay predicted victory, boasting that he would float like a butterfly, sting like a bee and knock out Liston in the eighth round. The fleet-footed and loquacious youngster needed less time to make good on his claim--Liston, complaining of an injured shoulder, failed to answer the seventh-round bell. A few moments later, a new heavyweight champion was proclaimed.<em class="date"> Feb 25, 1938: Miami drive-in debuts</h2> American drive-in movie theaters experienced their golden era during the 1950s, but some Floridians were watching movies under the stars in their cars even before then: The city of Miami gets its first drive-in on this day in 1938. The Miami drive-in charged admission of 35 cents per person, which was more than the average ticket price at an indoor theater, and soon had to trim the price to 25 cents per person.<em class="date"> Feb 25, 2004: The Passion of the Christ opens in the United States</h2> The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibsons film about the last 44 hours of Jesus of Nazareths life, opens in theaters across the United States on this day in 2004. Not coincidentally, the day was Ash Wednesday, the start of the Catholic season of Lent.<em class="date"> Feb 25, 1873: Enrico Caruso, the greatest tenor who ever lived, is born</h2> There was a time in America, early in the last century, when the top-selling record of all time was of the operatic tenor Enrico Caruso performing Vesti la giubba from Pagliacci. That 78 r.p.m. record was the first million-seller in American history, and at a price that exceeded the cost of some tickets to a live Caruso performance. It has happened occasionally in more recent times that stars from the world of opera have crossed over to attain a degree of mainstream popularityPlácido Domingo, José Carrera and Luciano Pavarotti, performing as the Three Tenors, are the most successful that come to mind. Yet it might take 300tenors of their stature to equal the cultural impact of Enrico Caruso. The most famous operatic tenor in history and the biggest recording artist of the early 20th century, Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy this day in 1873.history.com

omeg · Feb 26, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1919: Two national parks preserved, 10 years apart</h2> On this day in history, two national parks were established in the United States 10 years apart--the Grand Canyon in 1919 and the Grand Tetons in 1929.Located in northwestern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is the product of millions of years of excavation by the mighty Colorado River. The chasm is exceptionally deep, dropping more than a mile into the earth, and is 15 miles across at its widest point. The canyon is home to more than 1,500 plant species and over 500 animal species, many of them endangered or unique to the area, and it's steep, multi-colored walls tell the story of 2 billion years of Earth's history.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 2007: Honda introduces Formula One Earth Car </h2> On this day in 2007, in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues, the Honda Formula One (F1) team unveils its Earth Car, a race car emblazoned with a large image of the planet instead of the typical advertising and sponsorship logos featured on most F1 vehicles.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1993: World Trade Center is bombed</h2> A bomb explodes in the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center in New York City on this day in 1993. Six people died and 1,000 were injured by the powerful blast, which also caused the evacuation of thousands of people from the Twin Towers.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1972: Dam collapses in West Virginia</h2> A dam collapses in West Virginia on this day in 1972, flooding a valley and killing 118 people. Another 4,000 people were left homeless.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1935: Hitler organizes Luftwaffe</h2> On February 26, 1935, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs a secret decree authorizing the founding of the Reich Luftwaffe as a third German military service to join the Reich army and navy. In the same decree, Hitler appointed Hermann Goering, a German air hero from World War I and high-ranking Nazi, as commander in chief of the new German air force.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1984: Last U.S. Marines leave Beirut</h2> The last U.S. Marines sent to Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force leave Beirut, the war-torn Lebanese capital where some 250 of the original 800 Marines lost their lives during the problem-plagued 18-month mission.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1928: Fats Domino is born in New Orleans</h2> I'm worried about all the people in New Orleans. Tell them I love them, and I wish I was home with them. I hope we'll see them soon. That was the message that Fats Domino most wanted broadcast to the rest of the world when he the press first caught up with him in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Reported missing and feared dead, the blues, R&B and rock-and-roll legend had in fact been rescued from the rising waters around his home in Lower Ninth Ward the night after the levees broke. His reluctance to evacuate and his eagerness to return to New Orleans were typical of the man so closely identified with the city of his birth. Antoine Dominique Domino was born in New Orleans on this day in 1928.<em class="date"> Feb 26, 1996: Stockton gets 11,000th NBA assist</h2> On this day in 1996, the Utah Jazzs point guard John Stockton gets his 11,000th assist in the NBA. When Stockton retires from basketball in 2003, he leaves with 15,806 career assists, a record that still stands.history.com

omeg · Feb 27, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1827: New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras</h2> On this day in 1827, a group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city's famous Mardi Gras celebrations.The celebration of Carnival--or the weeks between Twelfth Night on January 6 and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian period of Lent--spread from Rome across Europe and later to the Americas. Nowhere in the United States is Carnival celebrated as grandly as in New Orleans, famous for its over-the-top parades and parties for Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1934: Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader born</h2> On this day in 1934, the auto safety advocate and activist Ralph Nader, whose 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed criticized the auto industry for poor safety standards and ultimately led to various reforms, is born in Winsted, Connecticut.<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1943: Mine explosion kills 74 in Montana</h2> On this day in 1943, an explosion at the Montana Coal and Iron Company mine kills 74 workers. It was the worst mining disaster in Montana's history.<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1922: Supreme Court defends women's voting rights</h2> In Washington, D.C., the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for female suffrage, is unanimously declared constitutional by the eight members of the U.S. Supreme Court. The 19th Amendment, which stated that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex, was the product of over seven decades of meetings, petitions, and protests by women suffragists and their supporters.<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1964: Leaning Tower needs help</h2> On February 27, 1964, the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse. The top of the 180-foot tower was hanging 17 feet south of the base, and studies showed that the tilt was increasing by a fraction every year. Experts warned that the medieval building--one of Italy's top tourist attractions--was in serious danger of toppling in an earthquake or storm. Proposals to save the Leaning Tower arrived in Pisa from all over the world, but it was not until 1999 that successful restorative work began.<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1980: I Will Survive wins the firstand lastGrammy ever awarded for Best Disco Recording</h2> After watching it utterly dominate the musical landscape of the late 1970s, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gave disco their stamp of approval, deciding to give a Grammy award for Best Disco Recording, just as the musical style was preparing to die. The first and final Grammy for Best Disco Recording was awarded on this day in 1980, to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. <em class="date"> Feb 27, 1960: U.S. Olympic hockey team beats Soviet Union</h2> On this day in 1960, the underdog U.S. Olympic hockey team defeats the Soviet Union in the semifinals at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California. The next day, the U.S. beats Czechoslovakia to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey<em class="date"> Feb 27, 1942: U.S. aircraft carrier Langley is sunk</h2> On this day, the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier, the Langley, is sunk by Japanese warplanes (with a little help from U.S. destroyers), and all of its 32 aircraft are lost.

omeg · Feb 28, 2011

<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1953: Watson and Crick discover chemical structure of DNA</h2> On this day in 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1940: Racing legend Mario Andretti born</h2> Mario Andretti, whose name will become synonymous with American auto racing, is born in Montona, Italy, on February 28, 1940. In a career that spanned five decades, Andretti was known for his versatility as a driver, taking the checkered flag behind the wheel of sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars on a variety of race courses. His long list of achievements includes a Formula One World Championship, four Champ Car National Championships (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984), three 12 Hours of Sebring victories (1967, 1970, 1972) and wins at the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1987: Gorbachev calls for nuclear weapons treaty</h2> In a surprising announcement, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev indicates that his nation is ready to sign without delay a treaty designed to eliminate U.S. and Soviet medium-range nuclear missiles from Europe. Gorbachev's offer led to a breakthrough in negotiations and, eventually, to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1993: Federal agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas</h2> Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raid the Branch Davidian cult compound in Waco, Texas, prompting a gun battle in which four agents and six cult members are killed. The federal agents were attempting to arrest the leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, on information that the religious sect was stockpiling weapons. A nearly two-month standoff ensued after the unsuccessful raid.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1975: Subway crash in London kills 43</h2> On this day in 1975, a subway crash in London kills 43 people. The driver of the train apparently made no effort to brake as the train headed toward a dead end. The reason for his inaction remains a mystery.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1983: Final episode of M*A*S*H airs</h2> On this day in 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a single TV show up to that time.<em class="date"> Feb 28, 1844: Tyler narrowly escapes death on the USS Princeton</h2> On this day in 1844, President John Tyler cruises the Potomac with 400 others aboard the U.S. Navy's new steam frigate USS Princeton, not realizing that his life will soon be in danger. In attendance that day were political dignitaries and their guests, which included the wealthy New Yorker David Gardiner and his two daughters. The 54-year-old Tyler, a recent widower, had fallen for Gardiner's youngest, the lovely 20-year-old Julia, to whom he had proposed marriage. She had not yet responded. <em class="date"> Feb 28, 1968: Wheeler says Westmoreland will need more troops</h2> Gen. Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returns from his recent round of talks with Gen. William Westmoreland in Saigon and immediately delivers a written report to President Lyndon B. Johnson.history.com

Mben · Feb 28, 2011

Final episode of M*A*S*H airs</h2> On this day in 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a single TV show up to that time. I am pretty sure I have seen every single episode of M*A*S*H! It was a favorite show in our household back in the day.I wonder why?

Could it be I am an Army brat who's daddy was stationed in Korea a couple of times (where the family and I went with him once for 3 years).

omeg · Mar 1, 2011

Lindbergh baby kidnapped</h2>On this day in 1932, in a crime that captured the attention of the entire nation, Charles Lindbergh III, the 20-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, is kidnapped from the family's new mansion in Hopewell, New Jersey. Lindbergh, who became an international celebrity when he flew the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, and his wife Anne discovered a ransom note demanding $50,000 in their son's empty room. The kidnapper used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and left muddy footprints in the room.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 2005: Honda unveils new Civic</h2> On this day in 2005, at an auto expo in Geneva, Switzerland, Honda debuts the Civic Concept, a five-door hatchback. The Japan-based automaker launched the first Civic in the early 1970s and the compact, affordably priced car went on to become a best-seller in the U.S. auto market.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1961: Kennedy establishes Peace Corps</h2> Newly elected President John F. Kennedy issues an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. It proved to be one of the most innovative and highly publicized Cold War programs set up by the United States.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1910: Trains buried by avalanche</h2> Two trains are swept into a canyon by an avalanche in Wellington, Washington, on this day in 1910, killing 96 people. Due to the remote location of the disaster and the risk of further avalanches, efforts to rescue survivors and find the bodies of the dead were not completed until several days later.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1692: Salem Witch Hunt begins</h2> In Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, an Indian slave from Barbados, are charged with the illegal practice of witchcraft. Later that day, Tituba, possibly under coercion, confessed to the crime, encouraging the authorities to seek out more Salem witches.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1966: Soviet probe crashes into Venus</h2> Venera 3, a Soviet probe launched from Kazakhstan on November 15, 1965, collides with Venus, the second planet from the sun. Although Venera 3 failed in its mission to measure the Venusian atmosphere, it was the first unmanned spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet. Four years earlier, the U.S. probe Mariner 2 was the first spacecraft to pass close enough to Venus to take scientific measurements of the planet, discovering surface temperatures in excess of 800 degrees Fahrenheit on its surface.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1872: Yellowstone Park established</h2> President Grant signs the bill creating the nation's first national park at Yellowstone.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1969: Mickey Mantle retires</h2> On March 1, 1969, New York Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle announces his retirement from baseball. Mantle was an idol to millions, known for his remarkable power and speed and his everyman personality. While The Mick patrolled center field and batted clean-up between 1951 and 1968, the Yankees won 12 American League pennants and seven World Series.<em class="date"> Mar 1, 1971: Bomb explodes in Capitol building</h2> A bomb explodes in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., causing an estimated $300,000 in damage but hurting no one. A group calling itself the Weather Underground claimed credit for the bombing, which was done in protest of the ongoing U.S.-supported Laos invasion.history.com

omeg · Mar 2, 2011

Dr. Seuss born</h2>On this day in 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children's books as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, is born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother's maiden name) as his pen name, wrote 48 books--including some for adults--that have sold well over 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Seuss books are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which have names like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Hooterville.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1966: Ford celebrates 1 millionth Mustang</h2> On this day in 1966, in Dearborn, Michigan, the Ford Motor Company celebrates the production of its 1 millionth Mustang, a white convertible. The sporty, affordable vehicle was officially launched two years earlier, on April 17, 1964, at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. That same day, the new car debuted in Ford showrooms across America; almost immediately, buyers snapped up nearly 22,000 of them. More than 400,000 Mustangs were sold within that first year, exceeding sales expectations.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1929: Congress passes the Jones Act</h2> The Jones Act, the last gasp of the Prohibition, is passed by Congress. Since 1920 when the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect, the United States had banned the production, importation and sale of alcoholic beverages. But the laws were ineffective at actually stopping the consumption of alcohol. The Jones Act strengthened the federal penalties for bootlegging. Of course, within five years the country ended up rejecting Prohibition and repealing the Eighteenth Amendment.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1944: Train passengers suffocate</h2> On this day in 1944, a train stops in a tunnel near Salerno, Italy, and more than 500 people on board suffocate and die. Occurring in the midst of World War II, the details of this incident were not revealed at the time and remain somewhat murky. <em class="date"> Mar 2, 1807: Congress abolishes the African slave trade</h2> The U.S. Congress passes an act to prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States...from any foreign kingdom, place, or country. <em class="date"> Mar 2, 1972: Pioneer 10 launched to Jupiter</h2> Pioneer 10, the world's first outer-planetary probe, is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to Jupiter, the solar system's largest planet. In December 1973, after successfully negotiating the asteroid belt and a distance of 620 million miles, Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter and sent back to Earth the first close-up images of the spectacular gas giant. In June 1983, the NASA spacecraft left the solar system and the next day radioed back the first scientific data on interstellar space. NASA officially ended the Pioneer 10 project on March 31, 1997, with the spacecraft having traveled a distance of some six billion miles.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1978: Grave robbers steal Charlie Chaplins body</h2> In one of historys most famous cases of body-snatching, two men steal the corpse of the revered film actor Sir Charles Chaplin from a cemetery in the Swiss village of Corsier-sur-Vevey, located in the hills above Lake Geneva, near Lausanne, Switzerland, on this day in 1978.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1942: John Irving is born</h2> American writer John Irving is born in Exeter, New Hampshire. Irving never met his real father and was raised by his mother and her second husband, who taught Russian history at Phillips Exeter Academy, which Irving attended. Having decided during his teens that he wanted to become a writer, Irving graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1965 and went on to study fiction writing at the University of Iowa, where he received a master of fine arts degree in 1967.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1985: Sheena Easton sets a Billboard chart record when Sugar Walls becomes a Top 10 R&B hit</h2> The controversial Prince-penned song Sugar Walls reaches #9 on Billboard magazine's R&B Singles chart on March 2, 1985, and makes Sheena Easton the first and still only recording artist to score top-10 singles on all five major Billboard singles charts: Pop, Country, Dance, Adult Contemporary and R&B.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1962: Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points</h2> On March 2, 1962, Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points against the New York Knicks. It was the first time that a professional basketball player had scored 100 points in a single contest; the previous record, 78, had been set by Chamberlain earlier in the season. During the game, Chamberlain sank 36 field goals and 28 foul shots, both league records.<em class="date"> Mar 2, 1967: Kennedy proposes plan to end the war</h2> Senator Robert Kennedy (D-New York) proposes a three-point plan to help end the war. The plan included suspension of the U.S. bombing of North Vietnam and the gradual withdrawal of U.S. and North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam with replacement by an international force. Secretary of State Dean Rusk rejected Kennedy's proposal because he believed that the North Vietnamese would never agree to withdraw their troops.history.com

omeg · Mar 3, 2011

<em class="date">Mar 3, 1887: Helen Keller meets her miracle worker</h2> On this day in 1887, Anne Sullivan begins teaching six-year-old Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing after a severe illness at the age of 19 months. Under Sullivan's tutelage, including her pioneering touch teaching techniques, the previously uncontrollable Keller flourished, eventually graduating from college and becoming an international lecturer and activist. Sullivan, later dubbed the miracle worker, remained Keller's interpreter and constant companion until the older woman's death in 1936.<em class="date">Mar 3, 2009: Super-luxurious Maybach Zeppelin goes on sale</h2> On this day in 2009, the uber-luxurious Maybach Zeppelin sedan goes on sale, with a starting price of $523,870 for the Maybach 57 Zeppelin and $610,580 for the Maybach 62 Zeppelin. Daimler-Benz, owner of the Maybach brand, announced that only 100 Zeppelins would be built, with each vehicle hand-crafted to its individual buyer's specifications. Among the Zeppelin's many optional amenities was the world's first perfume-atomizing system, for which customers could even have their own personal fragrance designed.<em class="date">Mar 3, 1873: Congress bans sending obscene materials through the mail</h2> Congress enacts the so-called Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any obscene, lewd, or lascivious book through the mails. Also unlawful under the law is sending anything designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortion<em class="date">Mar 3, 1974: Faulty door dooms plane</h2> A DC-10 jet crashes into a forest outside of Paris, France, killing all 346 people on board, on this day in 1974. The poor design of the plane, as well as negligent maintenance, contributed to the disaster. <em class="date">Mar 3, 1931: The Star-Spangled Banner becomes official</h2> President Herbert Hoover signs a congressional act making The Star-Spangled Banner the official national anthem of the United States.<em class="date">Mar 3, 1991: Police brutality caught on video</h2> At 12:45 a.m. on March 3, 1991, robbery parolee Rodney G. King stops his car after leading police on a nearly 8-mile pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles, California. The chase began after King, who was intoxicated, was caught speeding on a freeway by a California Highway Patrol cruiser but refused to pull over. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) cruisers and a police helicopter joined the pursuit, and when King was finally stopped by Hansen Dam Park, several police cars descended on his white Hyundai.<em class="date">Mar 3, 1879: United States Geological Survey created</h2> Congress establishes the United States Geological Survey, an organization that played a pivotal role in the exploration and development of the West.<em class="date">Mar 3, 1845: Congress overrides presidential veto for first time</h2> On this day in 1845, Congress reins in President John Tyler's zealous use of the presidential veto, overriding it with the necessary two-thirds vote. This marked Congress' first use of the Consitutional provision allowing Congressional veto overrides and represented Congress' parting gift to Tyler as he left office.<em class="date">Mar 3, 1875: First indoor game of ice hockey</h2> On March 3, 1875, indoor ice hockey makes its public debut in Montreal, Quebec. After weeks of training at the Victoria Skating Rink with his friends, Montreal resident James Creighton advertised in the March 3 edition of the Montreal Gazette that A game of hockey will be played in the Victoria Skating Rink this evening between two nines chosen from among the members. Prior to the move indoors, ice hockey was a casual outdoor game, with no set dimensions for the ice and no rules regarding the number of players per side. The Victoria Skating Rink was snug, so Creighton limited the teams to nine players each.history.com

omeg · Mar 4, 2011

FDR inaugurated</h2>On March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States. In his famous inaugural address, delivered outside the east wing of the U.S. Capitol, Roosevelt outlined his New Deal --an expansion of the federal government as an instrument of employment opportunity and welfare--and told Americans that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Although it was a rainy day in Washington, and gusts of rain blew over Roosevelt as he spoke, he delivered a speech that radiated optimism and competence, and a broad majority of Americans united behind their new president and his radical economic proposals to lead the nation out of the Great Depression.<em class="date">Mar 4, 1861: Lincoln inaugurated</h2> Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th president of the United States. Although he extended an olive branch to the South, he also made it clear that he intended to enforce federal laws in the seceded states.<em class="date">Mar 4, 1865: Lincoln inaugurated for a second term</h2> President Lincoln begins his second term, expressing his desire for the war to end and extending a gracious hand to the South. Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. He concluded with the following stirring statement: With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right...let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wound...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations. Within six weeks, the war was over and an assassin had killed Abraham Lincoln.<em class="date">Mar 4, 2005: Martha Stewart is released from prison</h2> On this day in 2005, billionaire mogul Martha Stewart is released from a federal prison near Alderson, West Virginia, after serving five months for lying about her sale of ImClone stock in 2001. After her televised exit from the facility, Stewart flew on a chartered jet from nearby Greenbrier International Airport to New York, where she would serve out her remaining five-month home confinement on her 153-acre Bedford, New York, estate. <em class="date">Mar 4, 1962: DC-7 crashes in Cameroon swamp</h2> A Trans-African DC-7 crashes on takeoff in Douala, Cameroon, on this day in 1962. A simple mechanical failure doomed the flight and its 111 passengers and crew. This was the first single-airplane disaster in history in which more than 100 people died. <em class="date">Mar 4, 1995: John Candy dies</h2> The larger-than-life comedic star John Candy dies suddenly of a heart attack on this day in 1995, at the age of 43. At the time of his death, he was living near Durango, Mexico, while filming Wagons East, a Western comedy co-starring the comedian Richard Lewis.<em class="date">Mar 4, 1966: John Lennon sparks his first major controversy</h2> In England, no one took much notice of the John Lennon quotation that later set off a media frenzy in America. Chalk it up to a fundamental difference in religious outlook between Britain and America, or to a fundamental difference in sense of humor. Whatever the reason, it was only after the American press got hold of his words some five months later that the John Lennon comment that first appeared in the London Evening Standard on March 4, 1966, erupted into the Bigger than Jesus scandal that brought a semi-official end to the giddy phenomenon known as Beatlemania.<em class="date">Mar 4, 1952: Ernest Hemingway finishes The Old Man and the Sea</h2> Ernest Hemingway completes his short novel The Old Man and the Sea. He wrote his publisher the same day, saying he had finished the book and that it was the best writing he had ever done. The critics agreed: The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and became one of his bestselling works.<em class="date">Mar 4, 1952: Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis marry</h2> On this day in 1952, actor and future President Ronald Reagan marries his second wife, actress Nancy Davis. The couple wed in Los Angeles at the Little Brown Church in the Valley. history.com

PSP · Mar 5, 2011

This day in history ...... apparently nothing happened Oh, well maybe there were a few things: Mar 5 1770 The Boston Massacre leaves five colonists dead when British soldiers open fire. Mar 5 1953 , born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, dies of a brain hemorrhage at age 73. Mar 5 1982 found dead at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood from a cocaine and heroin overdose. A sketchy woman, Cathy Smith, is later charged with administering the fatal injections.

Mben · Mar 5, 2011

On this day in 1963, the Hula-Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur Spud Melin. An estimated 25 million Hula-Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone. In 1948, friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr founded a company in California to sell a slingshot they created to shoot meat up to falcons they used for hunting. The company's name, Wham-O, came from the sound the slingshots supposedly made. Wham-O eventually branched out from slingshots, selling boomerangs and other sporting goods. Its first hit toy, a flying plastic disc known as the Frisbee, debuted in 1957. The Frisbee was originally marketed under a different name, the Pluto Platter, in an effort to capitalize on America's fascination with UFOs. Melina and Knerr were inspired to develop the Hula-Hoop after they saw a wooden hoop that Australian children twirled around their waists during gym class. Wham-O began producing a plastic version of the hoop, dubbed Hula after the hip-gyrating Hawaiian dance of the same name, and demonstrating it on Southern California playgrounds. Hula-Hoop mania took off from there. The enormous popularity of the Hula-Hoop was short-lived and within a matter of months, the masses were on to the next big thing. However, the Hula-Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. According to Ripley's Believe It or Not, in April 2004, a performer at the Big Apple Circus in Boston simultaneously spun 100 hoops around her body. Earlier that same year, in January, according to the Guinness World Records, two people in Tokyo, Japan, managed to spin the world's largest hoop--at 13 feet, 4 inches--around their waists at least three times each. Following the Hula-Hoop, Wham-O continued to produce a steady stream of wacky and beloved novelty items, including the Superball, Water Wiggle, Silly String, Slip 'n' Slide and the Hacky Sack.

Mben · Mar 5, 2011

March 5th On this day in 1963, the Hula-Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur Spud Melin. An estimated 25 million Hula-Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone. In 1948, friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr founded a company in California to sell a slingshot they created to shoot meat up to falcons they used for hunting. The company's name, Wham-O, came from the sound the slingshots supposedly made. Wham-O eventually branched out from slingshots, selling boomerangs and other sporting goods. Its first hit toy, a flying plastic disc known as the Frisbee, debuted in 1957. The Frisbee was originally marketed under a different name, the Pluto Platter, in an effort to capitalize on America's fascination with UFOs. Melina and Knerr were inspired to develop the Hula-Hoop after they saw a wooden hoop that Australian children twirled around their waists during gym class. Wham-O began producing a plastic version of the hoop, dubbed Hula after the hip-gyrating Hawaiian dance of the same name, and demonstrating it on Southern California playgrounds. Hula-Hoop mania took off from there. The enormous popularity of the Hula-Hoop was short-lived and within a matter of months, the masses were on to the next big thing. However, the Hula-Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. According to Ripley's Believe It or Not, in April 2004, a performer at the Big Apple Circus in Boston simultaneously spun 100 hoops around her body. Earlier that same year, in January, according to the Guinness World Records, two people in Tokyo, Japan, managed to spin the world's largest hoop--at 13 feet, 4 inches--around their waists at least three times each. Following the Hula-Hoop, Wham-O continued to produce a steady stream of wacky and beloved novelty items, including the Superball, Water Wiggle, Silly String, Slip 'n' Slide and the Hacky Sack.

Mben · Mar 6, 2011

<em style="font-size:1.167em;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:#333333;font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;" class="date">Mar 6, 1475: Michelangelo born Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists, is born in the small village of Caprese on March 6, 1475. The son of a government administrator, he grew up in Florence, a center of the early Renaissance movement, and became an artist's apprentice at age 13. Demonstrating obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de' Medici, the ruler of the Florentine republic and a great patron of the arts. For two years beginning in 1490, he lived in the Medici palace, where he was a student of the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni and studied the Medici art collection, which included ancient Roman statuary. <em style="font-size:1.167em;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:#333333;font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;" class="date">Mar 6, 1947: Rob Reiner born On this day in 1947, the filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner is born in New York City. <em style="font-size:1.167em;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:#333333;font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;" class="date">Mar 6, 2001: The death spiral of Napster begins In the year 2000, a new company called Napster created something of a music-fan's utopia-a world in which nearly every song ever recorded was instantly available on your home computer-for free. Even to some at the time, it sounded too good to be true, and in the end, it was. The fantasy world that Napster created came crashing down in 2001 in the face of multiple copyright-violation lawsuits. After a string of adverse legal decisions, Napster, Inc. began its death spiral on March 6, 2001, when it began complying with a Federal court order to block the transfer of copyrighted material over its peer-to-peer network. <em style="font-size:1.167em;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:#333333;font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;" class="date">Mar 6, 1899: Bayer patents aspirin On this day in 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registers Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.

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