This Day in History

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1/20.........Minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.On January 20, 1909, newly formed automaker General Motors (GM) buys into the Oakland Motor Car Corporation, which later becomes GM's long-running Pontiac division.On this day in 1980, bleachers at a bullring in Sincelejo, Colombia, collapse, resulting in the deaths of 222 people.On January 20, 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to three terms in office, is inaugurated to his fourth term.On January 20, 1961, on the newly renovated east front of the United States Capitol, John Fitzgerald Kennedy is inaugurated as the 35th president of the United States. It was a cold and clear day, and the nation's capital was covered with a snowfall from the previous night. The ceremony began with a religious invocation and prayers, and then African-American opera singer Marian Anderson sang The Star-Spangled Banner, and Robert Frost recited his poem The Gift Outright. Kennedy was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Earl Warren. During his famous inauguration address, Kennedy, the youngest candidate ever elected to the presidency and the country's first Catholic president, declared that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans and appealed to Americans to ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. On this day, British negotiator Terry Waite disappears while attempting to win freedom for Western hostages held in Lebanon. Waite, special envoy of the archbishop of Canterbury, secured the release of missionaries detained in Iran after the Islamic revolution. He also extracted British hostages from Libya and even succeeded in releasing American hostages from Lebanon in 1986. A total of 10 captives had been released through Waite's efforts before Shiite Muslims seized him during a return mission to Beirut on January 20, 1987. He was not released for more than four years.One of Americas most beloved actresses, Audrey Hepburn, dies on this day in 1993, near her home in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 63-year-old Hepburn had undergone surgery for colon cancer the previous November.On this day, 87-year-old Robert Frost recited his poem The Gift Outright at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. Although Frost had written a new poem for the occasion, titled Dedication, faint ink in his typewriter made the words difficult to read, so he recited The Gift Outright from memory.Years after he was known as The Killer, , a rock pioneer who released such rock standards as Great Balls of Fire and Breathless, Jerry Lee Lewis made a name for himself in a very different musical genre: country. And on this day in 1973, he capped off his road to country stardom with an appearance at the famed Grand Ole Opry.Ronald Reagan, former Western movie actor and host of television's popular Death Valley Days is sworn in as the 40th president of the United States.On January 20, 1980, in a letter to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and a television interview, U.S. President Jimmy Carter proposes that the 1980 Summer Olympics be moved from the planned host city, Moscow, if the Soviet Union failed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within a month.Richard Nixon is inaugurated as president of the United States and says, After a period of confrontation [in Vietnam], we are entering an era of negotiation. Eight years after losing to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, Nixon had defeated Hubert H. Humphrey for the presidency.history.com

 

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1/21.........On this day in 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.On this day 1738, Ethan Allen, future Revolutionary War hero and key founder of the Republic of Vermont, is born in Litchfield, Connecticut.After more than seven decades as the world's largest automaker, General Motors (GM) officially loses the title on January 21, 2009, when it announces worldwide sales of 8.36 million cars and trucks in 2008, compared with Toyota's 8.97 million vehicle sales that same year. However, the news wasn't all rosy for the Japanese auto giant, which later in 2009 posted its first-ever loss as a public company.On this day in 1996, an overloaded ferry sinks in an unexpected storm off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, killing 340 people.From London's Heathrow Airport and Orly Airport outside Paris, the first Concordes with commercial passengers simultaneously take flight on January 21, 1976. The London flight was headed to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, and the Paris to Rio de Janeiro via Senegal in West Africa. At their cruising speeds, the innovative Concordes flew well over the sound barrier at 1,350 miles an hour, cutting air travel time by more than half.On January 21, 1990, at the Australian Open in Melbourne, American tennis player John McEnroe becomes the first player since 1963 to be disqualified from a Grand Slam tournament for misconduct.Patsy Cline, one of the most important figures in country music history, first gains national attention with her winning appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on January 21, 1957. Widely admired for her incredible voice, Cline also stood out for her trailblazing independence as a female star in an era very much dominated by men. As many classic recordings as she left behind, her career was hampered for many years by a terrible recording contract and cut short by her tragic death in an airplane crash en route to Nashville from Kansas City in March 1963. [video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG-8uZg2uV0][/video]

 

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1/22.........On this day in 1998, in a Sacramento, California, courtroom, Theodore J. Kaczynski pleads guilty to all federal charges against him, acknowledging his responsibility for a 17-year campaign of package bombings attributed to the Unabomber. On this day in 2009, Gran Torino, a movie named for the 1972 Ford muscle car, opens in Australia and New Zealand. The critically acclaimed film, which starred Clint Eastwood as a retired Detroit autoworker, had opened across the U.S. earlier that month and later premiered around the rest of the world, eventually grossing more than $263 million, making it among Eastwood's most commercially successful movies.The Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion by handing down their decision in the case of Roe v. Wade. Despite opponents' characterization of the decision, it was not the first time that abortion became a legal procedure in the United States. In fact, for most of the country's first 100 years, abortion as we know it today was not only not a criminal offense, it was also not considered immoral.On this day in 1973, a plane returning Muslim pilgrims from Mecca crashes in Kano, Nigeria, killing 176 people. It was the deadliest air disaster of its time.In a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade that women, as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. Only during the last trimester, when the fetus can survive outside the womb, would states be permitted to regulate abortion of a healthy pregnancy.On this day in 2008, Hollywood mourns a talented young actors life cut tragically short, after the body of 28-year-old Heath Ledger is found by his masseuse and housekeeper on the floor of his rented apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.After the shocking assassination of John Lennon, thousands of mourners gathered spontaneously outside his and Yoko Ono's Central Park West apartment building, the Dakota. Tens of thousands more gathered six days later in New York, Liverpool and other world cities to honor Yoko's request for a silent, 10-minute vigil in John's memory. Radio airwaves were saturated with Beatles' songs during the weeks that followed, as well as with John's most recent recordings, one of which (Just Like) Starting Over became a posthumous #1 hit in late December. By late January, the inauguration of Ronald Reagan and the release of the American hostages in Iran had pushed accounts of Lennon's death and the massive public response to it from newspaper headlines. Then, on January 22, 1981, Rolling Stone magazine's John Lennon tribute issue hit newsstands, featuring a cover photograph of a naked John Lennon curled up in a fetal embrace of a fully clothed Yoko Ono. The iconic Annie Liebowitz portrait would become the definitive image of perhaps the most photographed married couple in music historyOn this day in 1973, former President Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Johnson City, Texas, at the age of 64. On January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, the 24-year-old George Foreman pulls off a stunning upset, defeating reigning champion Joe Frazier in four minutes and 35 seconds to win the heavyweight championship of the world.history.com

 

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01/23......On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs--now known to millions of fans all over the world as FrisbeesOn this day in 2006, Who Killed the Electric Car?, a documentary about the aborted attempt by the auto industry to create an electric vehicle, debuts at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The movie posited that there was a conspiracy between oil companies, automakers and the government to kill the electric car.On this day in 1556, an earthquake in Shaanxi, China, kills an estimated 830,000 people. Counting casualties is often imprecise after large-scale disasters, especially prior to the 20th century, but this disaster is still considered the deadliest of all time.Elizabeth Blackwell is granted a medical degree from Geneva College in New York, becoming the first female to be officially recognized as a physician in U.S. history.At Toronto General Hospital, 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson becomes the first person to receive an insulin injection as treatment for diabetes. Diabetes has been recognized as a distinct medical condition for more than 3,000 years, but its exact cause was a mystery until the 20th century. By the early 1920s, many researchers strongly suspected that diabetes was caused by a malfunction in the digestive system related to the pancreas gland, a small organ that sits on top of the liver. At that time, the only way to treat the fatal disease was through a diet low in carbohydrates and sugar and high in fat and protein. Instead of dying shortly after diagnosis, this diet allowed diabetics to live--for about a year.The day after her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Madeline Albright is sworn in as America's first female secretary of state by Vice President Al Gore at the White House. As head of the U.S. State Department, Albright was the highest ranking female official in U.S. history, a distinction that led some to declare that the glass ceiling preventing the ascension of women in government had been lifted.In the pilot episode of the NBC television series The A-Team, which airs on this day in 1983, the go-getting newspaper reporter Amy Allen (Melinda Culea) seeks the help of a mysterious group of Vietnam-veterans-turned-soldiers-for-hire to find her missing colleague in Mexico. An elite commando unit in Vietnam, the so-called A-Team was wrongly imprisoned by the Army. They escaped and began working as mercenaries, doing whatever needed to be done for their various clients while consistently eluding the fanatic Army officers sent to catch them. The A-Team went on to become a huge hit and make a star of the-then little known actor Mr. T.The singer, actor, athlete and activist Paul Robeson dies at the age of 79 on January 23, 1976.On this day in 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt excuses himself from attending the annual dinner of the Baseball Writer's Association and instead sends a letter to be read in his absence. On this day in 1992, President George H.W. Bush hosts a White House reception for the U.S. women's soccer team in honor of their recent World Cup win. On this day in 1984, Hulk Hogan becomes the first wrestler to escape the camel clutch --the signature move of reigning World Wrestling Federation (WWF) champion Iron Sheik--as he defeats Sheik to win his first WWF title, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.history.com

 

[Mben]

PMM2008 wrote: 01/23......Elizabeth Blackwell is granted a medical degree from Geneva College in New York, becoming the first female to be officially recognized as a physician in U.S. history.The day after her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Madeline Albright is sworn in as America's first female secretary of state by Vice President Al Gore at the White House. As head of the U.S. State Department, Albright was the highest ranking female official in U.S. history, a distinction that led some to declare that the glass ceiling preventing the ascension of women in government had been lifted.history.com

Just wondering, Pam. Why do some blurbs have the year when history was made and others don't (like the above)? I would be interested in knowing what year Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female physician.There have many times I wanted to know the actual year and not just the day history happened on.I finally got around to asking you on this day .... Jan 24th OF 2011. lol

 

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<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1935: First canned beer goes on sale</h2>  January 24 Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1871: Albert Erskine, Studebaker chief, is born</h2>  January 24 On this day in 1871, Albert Russell Erskine, who headed up the pioneering American automaker Studebaker before it went bankrupt during the Great Depression, is born in Huntsville, Alabama.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1980: U.S. announces military equipment sales to China</h2> January 24 In an action obviously designed as another in a series of very strong reactions to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, U.S. officials announce that America is ready to sell military equipment (excluding weapons) to communist China. The surprise statement was part of the U.S. effort to build a closer relationship with the People's Republic of China for use as leverage against possible Soviet aggression<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1939: Chile suffers killer quake</h2>  January 24 An 8.3-magnitude earthquake centered in south central Chile leaves 50,000 people dead and 60,000 injured on this day in 1939. The disaster came just 33 years after another terrible quake in Chile killed tens of thousands.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1908: Boy Scouts movement begins</h2>  January 24 On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scouts movement begins in England with the publication of the first installment of Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys. The name Baden-Powell was already well known to many English boys, and thousands of them eagerly bought up the handbook. By the end of April, the serialization of Scouting for Boys was completed, and scores of impromptu Boy Scout troops had sprung up across Britain.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1965: Winston Churchill dies</h2> January 24 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, the British leader who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, dies in London at the age of 90.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 2006: Walt Disney announces $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar</h2> January 24 By the end of 2005, Pixar had become a giant in the world of movie animation, and on this day in 2006, the company that brought the world the blockbuster hits Toy Story (1995), A Bugs Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004) was sold to the Walt Disney Company, their longtime distributor, for a staggering $7.4 billion.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1967: Aretha Franklin's career is reborn</h2>  January 24 Respect, Chain of Fools, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman are the passionate, gospel-charged classics with which Aretha Franklin is most closely associated. They were enormous, career-defining hits that earned her universal and eternal acclaim as the Queen of Soul, among other, more formal honors. What some fans may not realize, however, is that when Aretha recorded those hits, she was already 10 years into a professional career that would have been defined very differently had it ended before January 24, 1967. That was the date on which Aretha Franklin's career was effectively reborn in a historic recording session at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1848: Gold discovered at Sutter's Creek</h2>  January 24 A millwright named James Marshall discovers gold along the banks of Sutter's Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West.<em class="date"> Jan 24, 1981: Mike Bossy scores 50th goal in 50 NHL games</h2>  January 24 On January 24, 1981, Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 50th goal in the first 50 games of the season, becoming only the second player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to achieve this mark. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Bossy made his NHL debut with the Islanders in 1977, scoring a record 53 goals during his first season to win the Calder Trophy as the leagues rookie of the year. He became the first player in the history of the NHL to score at least 50 goals in nine consecutive seasons, helping lead the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980 to 1983. During the 1981-82 season, Bossy also added 83 assists, an NHL record for a right wing.history.com

 

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Mben wrote:  

PMM2008 wrote: 01/23......Elizabeth Blackwell is granted a medical degree from Geneva College in New York, becoming the first female to be officially recognized as a physician in U.S. history.The day after her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Madeline Albright is sworn in as America's first female secretary of state by Vice President Al Gore at the White House. As head of the U.S. State Department, Albright was the highest ranking female official in U.S. history, a distinction that led some to declare that the glass ceiling preventing the ascension of women in government had been lifted.history.com

Just wondering, Pam. Why do some blurbs have the year when history was made and others don't (like the above)? I would be interested in knowing what year Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female physician.There have many times I wanted to know the actual year and not just the day history happened on.I finally got around to asking you on this day .... Jan 24th OF 2011. lol

 Hi Mben:You brought up a valid point, and I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. I have changed the format for TDIH a little bit , and I think you'll like the change.No longer left wondering what year these things happened in.  All topics will have a title, and a date from now on.   Thanks for reading TDIH each day.  It is much appreciated.                                                                                                  PamPS....Here is the full article on Elizabeth Blackwell. <em class="date"> Jan 23, 1849: First woman M.D.</h2>  January 23 Elizabeth Blackwell is granted a medical degree from Geneva College in New York, becoming the first female to be officially recognized as a physician in U.S. history. Blackwell, born in Bristol, England, came to the United States in her youth and attended the medical faculty of Geneva College, now known as Hobart College. In 1849, she graduated with the highest grades in her class and was granted an M.D. In 1857, after several years of private practice, she founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister, Emily Blackwell, also a doctor. In 1868, the institution was expanded to include a women's college for the training of nurses and doctors, the first of its kind in America. The next year, Blackwell returned to England, where in 1875 she became professor of gynecology at the London School of Medicine for Women, a medical discipline she had helped to establish. -- Edited by PMM2008 on Monday 24th of January 2011 01:53:47 PM

 

[Mben]

Awwww ..... Thanks Pam. I didn't mean to make more work for you, really.

 

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Mben wrote: Awwww ..... Thanks Pam. I didn't mean to make more work for you, really.

Okay, your right, it is more work, so lets just forget the whole thing, and go back to the old way.  It is my pleasure to change the thread to be more user friendly.  Thanks again for your input on TDIH.                                                                                                    Pam 

 

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<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1905: World's largest diamond found</h2>   On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the Cullinan, it was the largest diamond ever found.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 2003: Italian auto baron Gianni Agnelli dies</h2> On this day in 2003, Giovanni Gianni Agnelli, the glamorous, powerful Italian business tycoon who turned Fiat, his family's car company, into an international conglomerate, dies at the age of 81.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 2005: BTK killer sends message</h2>   On January 25, 2005, a Wichita, Kansas, television station receives a postcard from the BTK killer that leads police to discover a Post Toasties cereal box that had been altered to contain the letters BTK. This communication was one in a long line sent by the serial killer who terrorized Wichita for over 30 years, brutally murdering 10 people and taunting law enforcement and the local media. A month later, on February 25, Dennis Lynn Rader, a husband, father of two and compliance officer for Park City, Kansas, was taken into police custody and soon confessed to being the BTK killer.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1968: Israeli sub vanishes</h2> The Israeli submarine Dakar, carrying 69 sailors, disappears on this day in 1968 and is never seen again. The exact fate of this vessel remains a mystery to this day.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1924: First Winter Olympics</h2> On January 25, 1924, the first Winter Olympics take off in style at Chamonix in the French Alps. Spectators were thrilled by the ski jump and bobsled as well as 12 other events involving a total of six sports. The International Winter Sports Week, as it was known, was a great success, and in 1928 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially designated the Winter Games, staged in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as the second Winter Olympics.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1971: Manson and followers convicted</h2> In Los Angeles, California, cult leader Charles Manson is convicted, along with followers Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkle, of the brutal 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1995: Near launching of Russian nukes</h2> Russia's early-warning defense radar detects an unexpected missile launch near Norway, and Russian military command estimates the missile to be only minutes from impact on Moscow. Moments later, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, his defense minister, and his chief of staff were informed of the missile launch. The nuclear command systems switched to combat mode, and the nuclear suitcases carried by Yeltsin and his top commander were activated for the first time in the history of the Soviet-made weapons system. Five minutes after the launch detection, Russian command determined that the missile's impact point would be outside Russia's borders. Three more minutes passed, and Yeltsin was informed that the launching was likely not part of a surprise nuclear strike by Western nuclear submarines.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1949: Inaugural Emmy awards ceremony</h2> On this day in 1949, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences holds its first annual awards ceremony at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1980: Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail and deported from Japan</h2> Paul McCartney's arrival at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on January 16, 1980, marked his first visit to Japan since the Beatles tour of 1966. The occasion was a planned 11-city concert tour by his band Wings. Instead, Paul's visit was limited to a nine-day stint in the Tokyo Narcotics Detention Center, which ended on this day in 1980.<em class="date"> Jan 25, 1961: Kennedy holds first live television news conference</h2> On this day in 1961, President John F. Kennedy becomes the first U.S. president to hold a live televised news conference. history.com

 

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1/26.....Australia Day</h2>On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1979: The Dukes of Hazzard premieres</h2> On this day in 1979, The Dukes of Hazzard, a television comedy about two good-old-boy cousins in the rural South and their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee, debuts on CBS. The show, which originally aired for seven seasons, centered around cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) and their ongoing efforts to elude their nemeses, the crooked county commissioner Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best).<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1861: Louisiana secedes</h2> Louisiana becomes the sixth state to secede from the Union when a state convention votes 113 to 17 in favor of the measure. <em class="date"> Jan 26, 1980: U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games</h2> At the request of President Jimmy Carter, the U.S. Olympic Committee votes to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The action was in response to the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan the previous month. <em class="date"> Jan 26, 1974: Cyclone Wanda causes flooding in Australia</h2> On this day in 1974, the last remnants of Cyclone Wanda cause severe flooding in Queensland, Australia, that results in the deaths of 16 people and leaves thousands homeless.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1500: Pinzon discovers Brazil</h2> Spanish explorer Vicente Yanez Pinzon, who had commanded the Nina during Christopher Columbus' first expedition to the New World, reaches the northeastern coast of Brazil during a voyage under his command. Pinzon's journey produced the first recorded account of a European explorer sighting the Brazilian coast; though whether or not Brazil was previously known to Portuguese navigators is still in dispute.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1838: Tennessee passes nation's first prohibition law</h2> The first Prohibition law in the history of the United States is passed in Tennessee, making it a misdemeanor to sell alcoholic beverages in taverns and stores. The bill stated that all persons convicted of retailing spirituous liquors would be fined at the discretion of the court and that the fines would be used in support of public schools<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1950: Republic of India born</h2> On January 26, 1950, the Indian constitution takes effect, making the Republic of India the most populous democracy in the world.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1934: Sam Goldwyn buys rights to The Wizard of Oz</h2>   One of Americas best-loved movie projects gets underway on this day in 1934, when the producer Samuel Goldwyn buys the film rights to the childrens novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1962: The Twist ends record-setting run</h2> On January 26, 1962, The Twist by Chubby Checker finally ends its record-setting run at #1.[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZAtzcthSxM]<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1961: Kennedy appoints first female presidential physician</h2> On this day in 1961, just about a week after his inauguration, President John F. Kennedy appoints Janet Travell, 59, as his personal physician, making her the first woman in history to hold the post. <em class="date"> Jan 26, 2005: Bush appoints Rice as secretary of state</h2> On this day in 2005, President George W. Bush appoints Condoleezza Rice to the post of secretary of state, making her the highest ranking African-American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet. <em class="date"> Jan 26, 1986: Bears beat Patriots in Super Bowl XX</h2> On January 26, 1986, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Chicago Bears score a Super Bowl record number of points to defeat the New England Patriots, 46-10, and win their first championship since 1963.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1970: POW spends 2,000th day in captivity</h2> U.S. Navy Lt. Everett Alvarez Jr. spends his 2,000th day in captivity in Southeast Asia. First taken prisoner when his plane was shot down on August 5, 1964, he became the longest-held POW in U.S. history. Alvarez was downed over Hon Gai during the first bombing raids against North Vietnam in retaliation for the disputed attack on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964.<em class="date"> Jan 26, 1972: North Vietnam rejects U.S. peace proposal</h2> Radio Hanoi announces North Vietnam's rejection of the latest U.S. peace proposal. Revealing more details of the secret Paris peace talks, Henry Kissinger responds publicly, condemning the North Vietnamese announcement and criticizing Hanoi's nine-point counter-proposal, which had been submitted during the secret talks. -- Edited by PMM2008 on Wednesday 26th of January 2011 09:54:47 AM[/video]

 

[Mben]

Wow! Was it thaaaaat long ago when The Dukes of Hazzard premiered? "
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That was one of my favorite TV shows back when I was a kid. Hell, if it was still running now, it would still be one of my favorites. (As long as Bo and Luke didn't age!!! )

 

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 Mben...I liked Boss Hogg. I didnt like what he did to the Duke Boys, but his character was funny as He**. Always stuffing himself with food, and sittin in that Caddy.     It was one of my favorites as well.I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think Bo and Luke both would have a hard time running and slidding into the General Lee like they used too.  Might break a hip.                                                                                           Pam

 

[Mben]

PMM2008 wrote: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think Bo and Luke both would have a hard time running and slidding into the General Lee like they used too.  Might break a hip.

 

 

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<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1888: National Geographic Society founded</h2> On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. <em class="date"> Jan 27, 1785: Georgia incorporates the first state university</h2>   On this day in 1785, the Georgia General Assembly incorporates the University of Georgia, the first state-funded institution of higher learning in the new republic.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1965: Shelby GT 350 debuts</h2> On this day in 1965, the Shelby GT 350, a version of a Ford Mustang sports car developed by the American auto racer and car designer Carroll Shelby, is launched. The Shelby GT 350, which featured a 306 horsepower V-8 engine, remained in production through the end of the 1960s and today is a valuable collector's item.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1973: U.S. officially ends participation in a Cold War conflict</h2> The Paris Peace Accords are signed by officials from the United States and North Vietnam, bringing an official end to America's participation in its most unpopular foreign war. The accords did little, however, to solve the turmoil in Vietnam or to heal the terrible domestic divisions in the United States brought on by its involvement in this Cold War battleground.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 2002: Explosions trigger deadly panic in Nigeria</h2> On this day in 2002, explosions at a military depot in Lagos, Nigeria, trigger a stampede of fleeing people, during which more than 1,000 people are killed.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1926: Baird demonstrates TV</h2> On January 27, 1926, John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor, gives the first public demonstration of a true television system in London, launching a revolution in communication and entertainment. Baird's invention, a pictorial-transmission machine he called a televisor, used mechanical rotating disks to scan moving images into electronic impulses. This information was then transmitted by cable to a screen where it showed up as a low-resolution pattern of light and dark. Baird's first television program showed the heads of two ventriloquist dummies, which he operated in front of the camera apparatus out of view of the audience.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1967: Astronauts die in launch pad fire</h2>   A launch pad fire during Apollo program tests at Cape Canaveral, Florida, kills astronauts Virgil Gus Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chafee. An investigation indicated that a faulty electrical wire inside the Apollo 1 command module was the probable cause of the fire. The astronauts, the first Americans to die in a spacecraft, had been participating in a simulation of the Apollo 1 launch scheduled for the next month.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1970: John Lennon writes and records Instant Karma in a single day</h2>   I wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch and we're putting it out for dinner. That's the way John Lennon told the story of Instant Karma, one of his most memorable songs as a solo artist and the third Lennon single to appear before the official breakup of the Beatles. The only exaggeration in John's description was the part about dinner: Instant Karma wasn't actually released to the public until 13 days after it was written and recorded over the course of a single Tuesday, on January 27, 1970. By any measure, it was one of the fastest pop songs ever to come to market.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1951: First atomic detonation at the Nevada test site</h2>   Forcefully marking the continued importance of the West in the development of nuclear weaponry, the government detonates the first of a series of nuclear bombs at its new Nevada test site.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1996: Monica Seles wins first Grand Slam title since being attacked</h2> On January 27, 1996, Serbian-born tennis player Monica Seles, the former No. 1 womens player in the world, defeats Anke Huber of Germany to win the Australian Open.<em class="date"> Jan 27, 1943: Americans bomb Germans for first time</h2> On this day, 8th Air Force bombers, dispatched from their bases in England, fly the first American bombing raid against the Germans, targeting the Wilhelmshaven port. Of 64 planes participating in the raid, 53 reached their target and managed to shoot down 22 German planesand lost only three planes in return.history.com

 

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<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1986: Challenger explodes</h2> At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger. She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger's launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted off.Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground, including Christa's family, stared in disbelief as the shuttle exploded in a forking plume of smoke and fire. Millions more watched the wrenching tragedy unfold on live television. There were no survivors.<em class="date"> Jan 28, 2009: Shuttin' Detroit Down debuts</h2> On this day in 2009, country singer/songwriter John Rich releases a song about the plight of autoworkers titled Shuttin' Detroit Down. The song, which featured such lyrics as While they're living it up on Wall Street in that New York City town, here in the real world they're shuttin' Detroit down, quickly became a hit in Michigan, where the U.S. auto industry began, as well as across America. Rich wrote the song after becoming frustrated by news reports of government bailouts for Wall Street companies whose CEOs received stratospheric paychecks while autoworkers struggled to keep their jobs amidst widespread layoffs. Rich, one-half of the country duo Big & Rich, whose hits include Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) and Comin' to Your City, recorded Shuttin' Down Detroit for his 2009 solo album Son of a Preacher Man. In January 2009, Michigan-based mlive.com reported that Rich said Shuttin' Detroit Down was about: the working men and women of America, and how Washington and New York City are slinging billions of dollars over the tops of our heads, while hard working people are going down the drain. The song became a working-class anthem and had some fans calling up radio stations in tears after they heard it played.[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMx__6Zc3S0]<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1964: Soviets shoot down U.S. jet</h2> The U.S. State Department angrily accuses the Soviet Union of shooting down an American jet that strayed into East German airspace. Three U.S. officers aboard the plane were killed in the incident. The Soviets responded with charges that the flight was a gross provocation, and the incident was an ugly reminder of the heightened East-West tensions of the Cold War era.<em class="date"> Jan 28, 2006: Clint Eastwood honored by Directors Guild of America</h2> On this day in 2006, Clint Eastwood becomes only the 31st filmmaker in 70 years of Directors Guild of America (DGA) history to be given the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award.<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1985: American recording artists gather to record We Are the World </h2> The special instruction Quincy Jones sent out to the several dozen pop stars invited to participate in the recording of We Are the World was this: Check your egos at the door. Jones was the producer of a record that would eventually go on to sell more than 7 million copies and raise more than $60 million for African famine relief. But before We Are the World could achieve those feats, it had to be captured on tapeno simple feat considering the number of major recording artists slated to participate. With only one chance to get the recording the way he and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wanted it, Jones convened the marathon recording session of We Are the World at around 10 p.m. on the evening of January 28, 1985, immediately following the conclusion of the American Music Awards ceremony held just a few miles away.[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7fPpxAnuM]<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1959: Vince Lombardi hired as Packers coach</h2> On January 28, 1959, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) sign Vince Lombardi to a five-year contract as the team's coach and general manager.The Brooklyn-born Lombardi played college football at Fordham University, earning a starting spot as a guard in the Fordham offensive line, dubbed the Seven Blocks of Granite. A business major, Lombardi graduated cum laude in 1937. After working in finance and playing semi-pro football with Delaware's Wilmington Clippers, Lombardi took a teaching and coaching position at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1939. From there he moved on to coaching positions at Fordham and West Point before joining the staff of the NFL's New York Giants as an assistant coach under Jim Lee Howell in 1954.<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1973: Cease-fire goes into effect</h2>   A cease-fire goes into effect at 8 a.m., Saigon time (midnight on January 27, Greenwich Mean Time).When the cease-fire went into effect, Saigon controlled about 75 percent of South Vietnam's territory and 85 percent of the population. The South Vietnamese Army was well equipped via last-minute deliveries of U.S. weapons and continued to receive U.S. aid after the cease-fire. The CIA estimated North Vietnamese presence in the South at 145,000 men, about the same as the previous year. The cease-fire began on time, but both sides violated it. South Vietnamese forces continued to take back villages occupied by communists in the two days before the cease-fire deadline and the communists tried to capture additional territory.<em class="date"> Jan 28, 1975: Ford asks for additional aid</h2> President Gerald Ford asks Congress for an additional $522 million in military aid for South Vietnam and Cambodia. He revealed that North Vietnam now had 289,000 troops in South Vietnam, and tanks, heavy artillery, and antiaircraft weapons by the hundreds. Ford succeeded Richard Nixon when he resigned the presidency in August 1974. Despite his wishes to honor Nixon's promise to come to the aid of South Vietnam, he was faced with a hostile Congress who refused to appropriate military aid for South Vietnam and Cambodia; both countries fell to the communists later in the year.[/video][/video]

 

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U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members</h2>On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1843: William McKinley, first U.S. president to ride in a car, is born</h2> On this day in 1843, William McKinley, who will become the 25th American president and the first to ride in an automobile, is born in Niles, Ohio. McKinley served in the White House from 1897 to 1901, a time when the American automotive industry was in its infancy. During his presidency, McKinley (who died from an assassin's bullet in September 1901) took a drive in a Stanley Steamer, a steam-engine-powered auto built in the late 1890s by brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley. The Stanley Motor Carriage Company produced a number of steam-powered vehicles before going out of business in the early 1920s, after being unable to compete with the rise of less expensive gas-powered cars.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1861: Kansas enters the Union</h2> Kansas is admitted to the Union as free state. It was the 34th state to enter the Union. The struggle between pro- and anti-slave forces in Kansas was a major factor in the eruption of the Civil War.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1922: Theater collapses in Washington, D.C.</h2> Accumulated snowfall from a blizzard collapses the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., on this day in 1922.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1958: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward marry</h2> One of Hollywoods most enduring marriages begins on this day in 1958, when Paul Newman weds Joanne Woodward in Las Vegas, Nevada.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1845: The Raven is published</h2> Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem The Raven, beginning Once upon a midnight dreary, is published on this day in the New York Evening Mirror.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1962: Peter, Paul and Mary sign their first recording contract</h2> Peter, Paul and Mary didn't revolutionize folk music the way Bob Dylan did. Dylan's songwriting fundamentally altered and then ultimately transcended the folk idiom itself, while Peter, Paul and Mary didn't even write their own material. They were good-looking, crowd-pleasing performers first and foremosthand-selected and molded for success by a Greenwich Village impresario named Albert Grossman. Yet in their good-looking, crowd-pleasing way, Peter, Paul and Mary helped make Dylan's revolution possible, both by popularizing his songs and by proving the commercial potential of serious folk music in doing so. They took a decisive step on their path to success on January 29, 1962, when they signed their first recording contract with Warner Bros.the label they still call home nearly half a century later.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1834: Jackson sends troops to put down labor riot</h2>   On this day in 1834, Andrew Jackson becomes the first president to use federal troops to quell labor unrest.Workers building the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were rebelling because of persistent poor working conditions and low pay. The canal project, initially designed by George Washington, was intended to ease transportation of goods from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River Valley. Barges navigating the Potomac River, the main conduit between the Chesapeake and inland waterways, were forced to contend with challenging rapids and tributaries, which hindered American commerce. As early as 1772, George Washington received a charter from the colony of Virginia to survey alternate routes from the Potomache envisioned a canal that would bypass the river's rapids and falls. Washington's plan included building locks that raised barges at increases in elevation. Interrupted by the American Revolution, Washington returned to the project after the war and organized the Patowmack Company in 1785. The Patowmack Company built several canals along the Maryland and Virginia shorelinesengineers later deemed the lock systems at Little Falls, Maryland, and Great Falls, Virginia, innovative in concept and construction. Washington sometimes even supervised the harrowing, dangerous work himself, which entailed the removal of earth and boulders by manual labor.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 2002: George W. Bush makes Axis of Evil speech</h2> On this day in 2002, not long after the shocking attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush delivers a State of Union address in which he denounces countries suspected of harboring terrorists and developing weapons of mass destruction.<em class="date"> Jan 29, 1968: President Johnson requests additional funds</h2> In his annual budget message, President Lyndon B. Johnson asks for $26.3 billion to continue the war in Vietnam, and announces an increase in taxes. The war was becoming very expensive, both in terms of lives and national treasure. Johnson had been given a glowing report on progress in the war from Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. commander in South Vietnam. Westmoreland stated in a speech before the National Press Club that, We have reached an important point when the end begins to come into view. I am absolutely certain that, whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing. The enemy's hopes are bankrupt. history.com

 

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Gandhi assassinated</h2> Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu fanatic.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1920: Japan's Mazda founded</h2> On this day in 1920, Jujiro Matsuda (1875-1952) forms Toyo Cork Kogyo, a business that makes cork, in Hiroshima, Japan; just over a decade later the company produces its first automobile and eventually changes its name to Mazda. Today, Mazda is known for its affordable, quality-performance vehicles, including the Miata, the world's best-selling two-seat roadster.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 2000: Plane crashes off Ivory Coast</h2> A Kenya Airways Airbus A-310 crashes after takeoff into the Atlantic Ocean off the Ivory Coast on this day in 2000. Because the passengers did not have enough time to put on life jackets, only 10 people out of the 179 on board survived.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1835: Shots fired in the House of Representatives</h2> In the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol, President Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, survives the first attempt against the life of a U.S. president.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1930: Gene Hackman born</h2> Gene Hackman, one of Hollywoods most prolific and acclaimed actors for four decades, is born on this day in 1930, in San Bernardino, California.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1923: Sidney Bechet's first record</h2> On this day in 1923, jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet cuts his first record, featuring Wild Cat Blues and Kansas City Blues. <em class="date"> Jan 30, 1933: The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio</h2> With the stirring notes of the William Tell Overture and a shout of Hi-yo, Silver! Away! The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit's WXYZ radio station.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1882: FDR is born</h2> On this day in 1882, future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is born. <em class="date"> Jan 30, 1994: Dan Jansen skates world-record 500 meters</h2> On this day in 1994, the American speed skater Dan Jansen sets a new world record of 35.76 at the World Sprint Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.<em class="date"> Jan 30, 1933: Adolf Hitler is named chancellor of Germany</h2> On this day in 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler, leader or fÜhrer of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany. history.com -- Edited by Mben on Sunday 30th of January 2011 04:33:05 PM

 

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<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1950: Truman announces development of H-bomb</h2> U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 2007: Cars.com names most memorable TV cars</h2> On this day in 2007, Cars.com names its top 10 most memorable TV cars; a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am named KITT from the show Knight Rider tops the list.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1865: House passes the 13th Amendment</h2> The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States. It read, Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. <em class="date"> Jan 31, 1990: First McDonald's opens in Soviet Union</h2> The Soviet Union's first McDonald's fast food restaurant opens in Moscow. Throngs of people line up to pay the equivalent of several days' wages for Big Macs, shakes, and french fries. <em class="date"> Jan 31, 1953: Flood wreaks havoc in Europe</h2>   On this day in 1953, flooding in the North Sea kills more than 1,500 people in the Netherlands and destroys 1 million acres of farmland. The storm also caused death and destruction in Great Britain and Belgium.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1971: Apollo 14 departs for the moon</h2> Apollo 14, piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a manned mission to the moon. On February 5, after suffering some initial problems in docking the lunar and command modules, Shepard and Mitchell descended to the lunar surface on the third U.S. moon landing. Upon stepping out of the lunar module, Shepard, who in 1961, aboard Freedom 7, was the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon. Shepard and Mitchell remained on the lunar surface for nearly 34 hours, conducting simple scientific experiments, such as hitting golf balls into space with Shepard's golf club, and collecting 96 pounds of lunar samples. On February 9, Apollo 14 safely returned to Earth.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1974: Samuel Goldwyn dies</h2>   On this day in 1974, the pioneering movie producer Samuel Goldwyn dies in his sleep at the age of 91, at his home in Los Angeles.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1872: Author Zane Grey is born</h2> Zane Grey, author of Riders of the Purple Sage, is born in Zanesville, Ohio.The son of a successful dentist, Grey enjoyed a happy and solid upper-middle-class childhood, marred only by occasional fistfights with boys who teased him about his unusual first name, Pearl. (Grey later replaced it with his mother's maiden name, Zane.) A talented baseball player as teen, Grey caught the eye of a scout for the University of Pennsylvania college team, who convinced him to study there. In 1886, he graduated with a degree in dentistry and moved to New York to begin his practice.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1988: Doug Williams leads Redskins to Super Bowl victory</h2> On January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California, Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins becomes the first African-American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, scoring four of Washingtons five touchdowns in an upset 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1968: Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy</h2> As part of the Tet Offensive, Viet Cong soldiers attack the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. A 19-man suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and routed them.<em class="date"> Jan 31, 1917: Germans unleash U-boats</h2> On this day in 1917, Germany announces the renewal of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic as German torpedo-armed submarines prepare to attack any and all ships, including civilian passenger carriers, said to be sighted in war-zone waters.history.com

 

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... and one of the guys in my avatar turns 30 today."
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Justin Timberlake born on this day in 1981

 

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<em class="date"> Feb 1, 1884: Oxford Dictionary debuts</h2> On this day in 1884, the first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, is published. Today, the OED is the definitive authority on the meaning, pronunciation and history of over half a million words, past and present<em class="date"> Feb 1, 2004: Ford GT makes TV debut in Super Bowl ad</h2> During the Super Bowl on this day in 2004, the first TV commercial airs for the Ford GT, a new, high-performance supercar based on Ford's GT40 race car, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France four years in a row starting in 1966. The TV ad for the two-seater Ford GT featured a driver's eye view of the car noisily zooming around California's Thunderhill Raceway, and ended with the tag line: The Pace Car for an Entire Company. <em class="date"> Feb 1, 1861: Texas secedes</h2>   Texas becomes the seventh state to secede from the Union when a state convention votes 166 to 8 in favor of the measure. <em class="date"> Feb 1, 1974: Serial killer Ted Bundy strikes again</h2>   University of Washington student Lynda Ann Healy disappears from her apartment and is killed by Ted Bundy. The murder marked Bundy's entry into the ranks of serial killers as he had recently attacked his first victim, Sharon Clarke, in her Seattle home. By the time he was finally captured on April 27, 1979, Bundy had become America's most famous serial killer.<em class="date"> Feb 1, 2003: Columbia mission ends in disaster</h2> On this day in 2003, the space shuttle Columbia breaks up while entering the atmosphere over Texas, killing all seven crew members on board.<em class="date"> Feb 1, 1790: First session of the U.S. Supreme Court</h2> In the Royal Exchange Building on New York City's Broad Street, the Supreme Court of the United States meets for the first time, with Chief Justice John Jay of New York presiding.<em class="date"> Feb 1, 1887: Official registration of Hollywood</h2> On this day in 1887, Harvey Wilcox officially registers Hollywood with the Los Angeles County recorders office. Wilcox and his wife, Daeida, had moved to Southern California four years earlier from Topeka, Kansas, where Harvey had made his fortune in real estate. They bought 160 acres of land in the Cahuenga Valley, located in the foothills to the west of the city of Los Angeles. A once-sleepy settlement founded in 1781 as El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Poricuncula, Los Angeles was by then expanding rapidly thanks to the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876 (the Santa Fe Railroad would arrive in 1885).<em class="date"> Feb 1, 1970: NHL goalie Terry Sawchuk posts 103rd shutout</h2> On this day in 1970, goaltender Terry Sawchuk earns his 103rd shutout, setting an NHL record for most regular-season shutouts that still stands today.<em class="date"> Feb 1, 1968: Nixon announces his candidacy for president</h2> Richard M. Nixon announces his candidacy for the presidency. Most observers had written off Nixon's political career eight years earlier, when he had lost to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election.history.com

 

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02/02First Groundhog Day</h2>On this day in 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1991: Hurley Haywood in quest to win fifth 24 Hours of Daytona</h2> The 24 Hours of Daytona endurance auto race begins on February 2, 1991; when it ends the following day, driver Hurley Haywood will collect his fifth win, the most victories of any driver in the event's history.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1922: Murder in Hollywood: A tale of vice and vixens</h2> Police discover the body of film director William Desmond Taylor in his Los Angeles bungalow. Lieutenant Tom Ziegler responded to a call about a natural death at the Alvarado Street home of Taylor. When he arrived they found actors, actresses, and studio executives rummaging through the director's belongings. He also found Taylor lying on the living room floor with a bullet in his back--not exactly suggesting a natural death.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1847: First Donner Party member dies</h2>   On this day in 1847, the first woman of a group of pioneers commonly known as the Donner Party dies during the group's journey through a Sierra Nevada mountain pass. The disastrous trip west ended up killing 42 people and turned many of the survivors into cannibals.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1996: Gene Kelly dies</h2> On this day in 1996, the dancer, actor and choreographer Gene Kelly dies at the age of 83, at his home in Beverly Hills, California.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1979: Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City</h2> To the New York City Police Department and Medical Examiner's Office, he was John Simon Ritchie, a 22-year-old Englishman under indictment for murder but now dead of a heroin overdose in a Greenwich Village apartment. To the rest of the world, he was Sid Vicious, former bassist for the notorious Sex Pistols and the living embodiment of everything punk rock stood for and against. His death, which likely came as a surprise to very few, came on this day in 1979.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1876: National League of baseball is founded</h2> On February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which comes to be more commonly known as the National League (NL), is formed. The American League (AL) was established in 1901 and in 1903, the first World Series was held.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1962: First U.S. Air Force plane crashes in South Vietnam.</h2> The first U.S. Air Force plane is lost in South Vietnam. The C-123 aircraft crashed while spraying defoliant on a Viet Cong ambush site.<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1970: Antiwar protestors sue Dow Chemical</h2> Antiwar protestors take legal action in an attempt to prove that the Dow Chemical Company is still making napalm. Dow had claimed that it had stopped making napalm. Members of the antiwar movement filed suit against the Dow Chemical Company in a Washington, D.C., court. The plaintiffs were trying to force the company to disclose all government contracts to prove that the company was still making napalm<em class="date"> Feb 2, 1916: Zeppelin crashes into North Sea</h2> Two days after nine German zeppelins dropped close to 400 bombs throughout the English Midlands, the crew of the British fishing trawler King Stephen comes across the crashed remains of one of the giant airships floating in the North Sea.

 

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02/03Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general</h2>On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the nation's first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture.The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the administration's counterterrorism policies had led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere. Shortly after the Senate vote, Vice President Dick Cheney swore in Gonzales as attorney general in a small ceremony in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. President Bush, who was traveling, called to congratulate him.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 2006: World's Fastest Indian makes U.S. debut</h2> On February 3, 2006, The World's Fastest Indian, a movie based on the true story of motorcycle racer and land-speed record holder Burt Munro, opens in U.S. theaters. The film starred Anthony Hopkins as Munro, the sexagenarian who in the 1960s set several land-speed records on his modified 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1950: Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets</h2> Klaus Fuchs, a German-born British scientist who helped developed the atomic bomb, is arrested in Great Britain for passing top-secret information about the bomb to the Soviet Union. The arrest of Fuchs led authorities to several other individuals involved in a spy ring, culminating with the arrest of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and their subsequent execution.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1780: Early American mass murder changes common perceptions of crime</h2> In one of the most famous crimes of post-Revolution America, Barnett Davenport commits an awful mass murder in rural Connecticut. Caleb Mallory, his wife, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren were killed in their home by their boarder, Davenport.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1998: Marine jet severs ski-lift cable in Italy</h2> On this day in 1998, a U.S. Marine jet flying low over the town of Cavalese in the Italian Alps severs a ski-lift cable, sending a tram crashing to the ground and killing 20 people<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1924: Woodrow Wilson dies</h2> Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, dies in Washington, D.C., at the age of 67.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1959: The day the music died</h2>   On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with That'll Be the Day. <em class="date"> Feb 3, 1966: Lunik 9 soft-lands on lunar surface</h2> On February 3, 1966, the Soviet Union accomplishes the first controlled landing on the moon, when the unmanned spacecraft Lunik 9 touches down on the Ocean of Storms. After its soft landing, the circular capsule opened like a flower, deploying its antennas, and began transmitting photographs and television images back to Earth. The 220-pound landing capsule was launched from Earth on January 31.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1820: Keats falls deathly ill</h2> On this day, poet John Keats, age 24, coughs up blood and realizes he, like his brother Tom, is doomed to die of tuberculosis. Despite the tender care of his fiancÝe, Fanny Brawne, and a journey to Italy in the hopes of improving his condition, he dies in February 1821, only 25 years old. But in that short time, he achieved a remarkable reputation as a leading poet.<em class="date"> Feb 3, 1994: Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam</h2> On this day in 1994, President Bill Clinton lifts a 19-year-old trade embargo of the Republic of Vietnam. The embargo had been in place since 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured the city of Saigon in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War<em class="date"> Feb 3, 2002: New England Patriots win first Super Bowl</h2> On this day in 2002, the New England Patriots shock football fans everywhere by defeating the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, 20-17, to take home their first Super Bowl victory. Pats kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 48-yard field goal to win the game just as the clock expired.history.com

 

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2/4.....Patty Hearst kidnapped</h2>On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, the 19-year-old daughter of newspaper publisher Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California, by two black men and a white woman, all three of whom are armed. Her fiance, Stephen Weed, was beaten and tied up along with a neighbor who tried to help. Witnesses reported seeing a struggling Hearst being carried away blindfolded, and she was put in the trunk of a car. Neighbors who came out into the street were forced to take cover after the kidnappers fired their guns to cover their escape.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1789: Washington unanimously elected by Electoral College to first and second terms</h2> On this day in 1789, George Washington becomes the first and only president to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College. He repeated this notable feat on the same day in 1792. <em class="date"> Feb 4, 1922: Ford buys Lincoln</h2> On February 4, 1922, the Ford Motor Company acquires the failing luxury automaker Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1976: Earthquake rocks Guatemala City</h2>   In the very early morning of February 4, 1976, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake levels much of Guatemala City, killing 23,000 people and leaving one million others homeless.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1789: First U.S. president elected</h2>   George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, is unanimously elected the first president of the United States by all 69 presidential electors who cast their votes. John Adams of Massachusetts, who received 34 votes, was elected vice president. The electors, who represented 10 of the 11 states that had ratified the U.S. Constitution, were chosen by popular vote, legislative appointment, or a combination of both four weeks before the election.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1861: States meet to form Confederacy</h2> In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana convene to establish the Confederate States of America.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1969: PLO is founded</h2> With Yasir Arafat as its leader, the Palestine Liberation Organization was founded on February 4, 1969. By 1974 when he addressed the United Nations, Arafat had made significant strides towards establishing new respectability for the PLO's campaign for a Palestinian homeland. But gaining legitimacy hinged on cooling down terrorism, and Arafat found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the moderate and extremist segments of Palestinian politics.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1938: Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</h2> See for yourself what the genius of Walt Disney has created in his first full length feature production, proclaimed the original trailer for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released on this day in 1938.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1983: Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia</h2> Karen Carpenter, a singer who long suffered under the burden of the expectations that came with pop stardom, died on this day in 1983, succumbing to heart failure brought on by her long, unpublicized struggle with anorexia.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1959: Football great Lawrence Taylor born</h2> On February 4, 1959, Lawrence Julius Taylor, one of the best defensive players in NFL history, is born in Williamsburg, Virginia. Taylor went on to play his entire 13-season professional career with the New York Giants and is credited with redefining the position of outside linebacker and terrorizing a generation of NFL quarterbacks.<em class="date"> Feb 4, 1962: First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam.</h2> The first U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam. It was one of 15 helicopters ferrying South Vietnamese Army troops into battle near the village of Hong My in the Mekong Delta.The first U.S. helicopter unit had arrived in South Vietnam aboard the ferry carrier USNS Core on December 11, 1961. This contingent included 33 Vertol H-21C Shawnee helicopters and 400 air and ground crewmen to operate and maintain them. Their assignment was to airlift South Vietnamese Army troops into combat.history.com

 

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Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia "
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The talent that was lost.

 

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Beckwith convicted of killing Medgar Evers</h2>On this day in 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in the murder of African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers, over 30 years after the crime occurred. Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his Jackson, Mississippi, home on June 12, 1963, while his wife, Myrlie, and the couple's three small children were inside.The French Henry Ford born</h2>On this day in 1878, Andre Citroen, later referred to as the Henry Ford of France for developing his country's first mass-produced automobiles, is born in Paris. Citroen revolutionized the European auto industry by making vehicles that were affordable to average citizens.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1783: Earthquake devastates southern Italy</h2> The estimated 7.5 to 8.0-magnitude quake struck at about 1 p.m. in the Calabria province. Within a minute, over 100 villages were leveled throughout the region. In several cases, communities were literally wiped away with no survivors or standing structures remaining. The quake also produced an uncommon number of fractures in the Earth's surface. In one case, a mile-long ravine--nearly 100 feet wide--was instantly created. According to one report, more than 100 goats fell into another crack in the earth. A witness also claimed that two mountains on the opposite sides of a valley walked from their original position until they met in the middle of the plain, and there joining together, they intercepted the course of a river. New lakes appeared across the region<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1917: Mexican constitution proclaimed</h2> After seven years of revolution and civil upheaval, Mexican President Venustiano Carranza proclaims the modern Mexican constitution, which promises the restoration of lands to native peoples, the separation of church and state, and dramatic economic and educational reforms. The progressive political document, approved by an elected constitutional convention, combined revolutionary demands for land reform with advanced social theory. It would be decades, however, before most of the sweeping reforms promised by the constitution became reality. Carranza was deposed and killed in 1920, and lasting stability eluded Mexico until after World War II, when industrialism spurred by the war grew into a major part of the economy and Miguel Aleman became the first in an unbroken series of civilian presidents.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1917: Immigration act passed over Wilson's veto</h2> With more than a two-thirds majority, Congress overrides President Woodrow Wilson's veto of the previous week and passes the Immigration Act. The law required a literacy test for immigrants and barred Asiatic laborers, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the United States, such as the Philippines<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1919: United Artists created</h2> By 1919, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith were all heavyweights in the rapidly growing motion-picture industry. Chaplin was a British actor and former vaudeville performer whose Little Tramp persona had made him one of the biggest stars of silent film. Pickford, silent films favorite ingenue, and Fairbanks, her leading man on-screen and off, were equally familiar to American audiences, and Griffiths controversial feature Birth of a Nation (1915) had become Hollywoods first blockbuster, establishing the director as a pioneer in filmmaking techniques. All four, however, were seeking to gain more financial and artistic control over producing and distributing their films. On February 5, 1919, they joined forces to create their own film studio, which they called the United Artists Corporation.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1957: The American Invasion begins, as Bill Haley and the Comets storm Britain</h2> Back home in the United States, Bill Haley and the Comets were already passé. Their role in launching the rock-and-roll revolution was unquestioned, but it had been almost two years since Rock Around the Clock exploded on the scene, and in the meantime, a certain young man from Memphis had come along and changed the rules of the game. Elvis Presley, with his good looks and world-altering charisma, had made it nearly impossible for a slightly paunchy 30-year-old like Bill Haley to compete in the youth market in the United States. But Bill Haley and the Comets weren't in the United States on this day in 1957they were in England, disembarking from the Queen Elizabeth at Southampton and preparing to launch the first European tour ever by a major American rock-and-roll act.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1883: Southern Pacific Railroad completes Sunset Route </h2> The Southern Pacific Railroad completes its transcontinental Sunset Route from New Orleans to California, consolidating its dominance over rail traffic to the Pacific.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1934: Hank Aaron is born</h2> On this day in 1934, Henry Louis Aaron Jr., the baseball slugger who broke Babe Ruth's legendary record of 714 homers, is born in Mobile, Alabama.<em class="date"> Feb 5, 1960: South Vietnam requests more support</h2> The South Vietnamese government requests that Washington double U.S. Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG-Vietnam) strength from 342 to 685. The advisory group was formed on November 1, 1955 to provide military assistance to South Vietnam. It had replaced U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group Indochina (MAAG-Indochina), which had been providing military assistance to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) in accordance with President Harry S. Truman's order of June 27, 1950.history.com

 

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<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1952: Elizabeth becomes queen</h2> On this day in 1952, after a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the oldest of the king's two daughters and next in line to succeed him, was in Kenya at the time of her father's death; she was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, at age 27.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 2009: Honda Insight debuts as Prius competitor</h2>   On this day in 2009, the Honda Insight, billed as the world's first affordable hybrid, goes on sale in Japan. Honda took some 18,000 orders for the car within the first three weeks, pushing Toyota's Prius, known as the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, out of the top-10-selling cars for that month, according to a March 2009 report in The New York Times.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1985: The Reagan Doctrine is announced</h2> In his State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan defines some of the key concepts of his foreign policy, establishing what comes to be known as the Reagan Doctrine. The doctrine served as the foundation for the Reagan administration's support of freedom fighters around the globe.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1998: Infamous school teacher goes back to prison</h2> A judge reinstates the suspended sentence of school teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and sends her back to prison for seven years after she is caught violating a no-contact order with her former student Vili Fualaau, when she is found in a vehicle with the boy. Letourneau first met Fualaau when she was a teacher at Shorewood Elementary School, in the Seattle suburb of Burien, Washington, and he was a second-grader. During the summer of 1996, Letourneau, then 34 and a married mother of four, began a sexual relationship with her former sixth-grade student, then 12.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1958: Man United players among victims of plane crash</h2> On this day in 1958, a British European Airways flight crashes just after takeoff from the Munich Airport. Twenty-three people died in the crash, including eight players from the Manchester United soccer team, which had just qualified for the semifinals of the European Cup.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1820: Freed U.S. slaves depart on journey to Africa</h2> The first organized immigration of freed slaves to Africa from the United States departs New York harbor on a journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone, in West Africa. The immigration was largely the work of the American Colonization Society, a U.S. organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to return freed American slaves to Africa. However, the expedition was also partially funded by the U.S. Congress, which in 1819 had appropriated $100,000 to be used in returning displaced Africans, illegally brought to the United States after the abolishment of the slave trade in 1808, to Africa.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1911: Ronald Reagan born</h2> As the 40th president of the United States, the former movie star was called the Great Communicator for his ability to get through to ordinary Americans and give them hope and optimism for their own future and that of their country. Despite his lifelong opposition to big government, he was credited with restoring faith in the U.S. government and the presidency after a long era of disillusionment in the wake of Nixon, Vietnam and economic hardship under Carter. But before his years of Hollywood stardom, and long before Washington, Ronald Reagan was born on this day in 1911, in Tampico, a small town in northwestern Illinois.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1937: Of Mice and Men is published</h2> On this day, John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men, the story of the bond between two migrant workers, is published. He adapted the book into a three-act play, which was produced the same year. The story brought national attention to Steinbeck's work, which had started to catch on in 1935 with the publication of his first successful novel, Tortilla Flat.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1993: Tennis great Arthur Ashe dies of AIDS</h2> On February 6, 1993, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, the only African-American man to win Wimbledon and the U.S. and Australian Opens, dies of complications from AIDS, at age 49 in New York City. Ashe's body later laid in state at the governor's mansion in Richmond, Virginia, where thousands of people lined up to pay their respects to the ground-breaking athlete and social activist.<em class="date"> Feb 6, 1917: German sub sinks U.S. passenger ship California</h2> Just three days after U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's speech of February 3, 1917in which he broke diplomatic relations with Germany and warned that war would follow if American interests at sea were again assaulteda German submarine torpedoes and sinks the Anchor Line passenger steamer California off the Irish coast.history.com

 

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<em class="date"> Feb 7, 1964: Beatles arrive in New York</h2> On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York's Kennedy Airport--and Beatlemania arrives. It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before with I Want to Hold Your Hand. At Kennedy, the Fab Four --dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark pudding bowl haircuts--were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot when the boys stepped off their plane and onto American soil.<em class="date"> Feb 7, 1938: Tire king Firestone dies</h2> On February 7, 1938, automotive industry pioneer Harvey Samuel Firestone, founder of the major American tire company that bore his name, dies at the age of 69 in Miami Beach, Florida.<em class="date"> Feb 7, 1812: Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi</h2> On this day in 1812, the most violent of a series of earthquakes near Missouri causes a so-called fluvial tsunami in the Mississippi River, actually making the river run backward for several hours. The series of tremors, which took place between December 1811 and March 1812, were the most powerful in the history of the United States<em class="date"> Feb 7, 1904: The Great Baltimore Fire begins</h2>   In Baltimore, Maryland, a small fire in the business district is wind-whipped into an uncontrollable conflagration that engulfs a large portion of the city by evening. The fire is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette in the basement of the Hurst Building. When the blaze finally burned down after 31 hours, an 80-block area of the downtown area, stretching from the waterfront to Mount Vernon on Charles Street, had been destroyed. More than 1,500 buildings were completely leveled, and some 1,000 severely damaged, bringing property loss from the disaster to an estimated $100 million. Miraculously, no homes or lives were lost, and Baltimore's domed City Hall, built in 1867, was preserved.The Great Baltimore Fire was the most destructive fire in the United States since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city and caused an estimated $200 million in property damage.<em class="date"> Feb 7, 1984: First human satellite</h2> While in orbit 170 miles above Earth, Navy Captain Bruce McCandless becomes the first human being to fly untethered in space when he exits the U.S. space shuttle Challenger and maneuvers freely, using a bulky white rocket pack of his own design. McCandless orbited Earth in tangent with the shuttle at speeds greater than 17,500 miles per hour and flew up to 320 feet away from the Challenger. After an hour and a half testing and flying the jet-powered backpack and admiring Earth, McCandless safely reentered the shuttle.<em class="date"> Feb 7, 2002: President George W. Bush announces plan for faith-based initiatives </h2> On this day in 2002, President George W. Bush announces his plan to federally fund faith-based initiatives. <em class="date"> Feb 7, 1970: LSU star Maravich scores 69 points in single game</h2>   On February 7, 1970, Louisiana State University basketball star Pete Maravich scores 69 points in a game against Alabama, setting a Division I record that would stand for 21 years.

 

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<em class="date"> Feb 8, 1943: Americans secure Guadalcanal </h2> On this day in 1943, Japanese troops evacuate Guadalcanal, leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign. The American victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the Solomon Islands. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1985: Jaguar founder diesOn February 8, 1985, Sir William Lyons, the founder of the British luxury automaker Jaguar, dies at the age of 84 in Warwickshire, England. </h2> <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1983: Irish race horse stolen </h2> Gunmen steal the champion Irish race horse Shergar from a stud farm owned by the Aga Khan in County Kildare, Ireland. The five-year-old thoroughbred stallion, named European horse of the year in 1981, was worth $13.5 million and commanded stud fees of approximately $100,000. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1978: New England digs out after blizzard </h2> A classic Nor'easter storm that brought a severe blizzard to New England finally subsides on this day in 1978, and the region begins to dig out from under several feet of snow. Over the previous 72 hours, some areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts had received as many as 55 inches of snow. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1924: First execution by lethal gas </h2> The first execution by lethal gas in American history is carried out in Carson City, Nevada. The executed man was Tong Lee, a member of a Chinese gang who was convicted of murdering a rival gang member. Lethal gas was adopted by Nevada in 1921 as a more humane method of carrying out its death sentences, as opposed to the traditional techniques of execution by hanging, firing squad, or electrocution. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1990: Del Shannon dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound </h2> Born Charles Westover in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1934, the singer/songwriter known as Del Shannon committed suicide on this day in 1990. In a period when the American pop charts were dominated by cookie-cutter teen idols and novelty acts, he stood out as an all-too-rare example of an American pop star whose work reflected real originality. His heyday as a chart-friendly star in the United States may have been brief, but on the strength of his biggest hit alone he deserves to be regarded as one of rock and roll's greatest. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1887: Cleveland signs devastating Dawes Act into law </h2> On this day in 1887, President Grover Cleveland signs the Dawes Severalty Act into law. The act split up reservations held communally by Native American tribes into smaller units and distributed these units to individuals within the tribe. Also called the General Allotment Act, the law changed the legal status of Native Americans from tribal members to individuals subject to federal laws and dissolved many tribal affiliations The Dawes Severalty/General Allotment Act constituted a huge blow to tribal sovereignty. <em class="date"> Feb 8, 1986: Spud Webb wins dunk contest </h2> On February 8, 1986, Spud Webb, who at 57 was one of the shortest players in the history of professional basketball, wins the NBA slam dunk contest, beating his Atlanta Hawks teammate and 1985 dunk champ, the 68 Dominique Wilkins.history.com -- Edited by PMM2008 on Tuesday 8th of February 2011 08:55:19 AM

 

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<em class="date"> Feb 9, 1971: Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame</h2> On this day in 1971, pitcher Leroy Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his fastball, showmanship and the longevity of his playing career, which spanned five decades, was inducted. Joe DiMaggio once called Paige the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced. <em class="date"> Feb 9, 1846: Auto pioneer Wilhelm Maybach born</h2> Automotive industry pioneer Wilhelm Maybach, who founded the luxury car brand bearing his name, is born on February 9, 1846, in Heilbronn, Germany.<em class="date"> Feb 9, 1960: Coors brewery heir is kidnapped</h2> Adolph Coors disappears while driving to work from his Morrison, Colorado, home. The grandson of the Coors' founder and chairman of the Golden, Colorado, brewery was kidnapped and held for ransom before being shot to death. Surrounding evidence launched one of the FBI's largest manhunts: the search for Joe Corbett.<em class="date"> Feb 9, 2001: U.S. sub collides with Japanese fishing boat in Pearl HarborOn this day in 2001, a United States military submarine collides with a Japanese fishing boat in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing four students and five other people. The USS Greenville was hosting a cruise for VIPs at the time, some of whom were actually at the controls of the sub when the collision occurred. <em class="date"> Feb 9, 1825: </h2> Presidential election decided in the House</h2> As no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the U.S. House of Representatives votes to elect John Quincy Adams, who won fewer votes than Andrew Jackson in the popular election, as president of the United States. Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president of the United States<em class="date"> Feb 9, 1964: America meets the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show</h2> At approximately 8:12 p.m. Eastern time, Sunday, February 9, 1964, The Ed Sullivan Show returned from a commercial (for Anacin pain reliever), and there was Ed Sullivan standing before a restless crowd. He tried to begin his next introduction, but then stopped and extended his arms in the universal sign for Settle Down. Quiet! he said with mock gravity, and the noise died down just a little. Then he resumed: Here's a very amusing magician we saw in Europe and signed last summer....Let's have a nice hand for himFred Kaps! <em class="date"> Feb 9, 1992: Magic Johnson returns for All-Star Game</h2> After stunning the world three months earlier with the news he had contracted the HIV virus and was immediately retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers, basketball great Magic Johnson returns to play in the 42nd NBA All-Star game in Orlando, Florida, where the crowd greeted him with a standing ovation. <em class="date"> Feb 9, 1965: U.S. sends first combat troops to South Vietnam</h2> A U.S. Marine Corps Hawk air defense missile battalion is deployed to Da Nang. President Johnson had ordered this deployment to provide protection for the key U.S. airbase there.<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. history.com