Fun On this date in history...

From the US Army's homepage:

WASHINGTON (Jan. 28, 2014) -- It was Feb. 3, 1943, and the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester was one of three ships in a convoy, moving across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to an American base in Greenland. A converted luxury liner, the Dorchester was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian workers.

It was only 150 miles from its destination when shortly after midnight, an officer aboard the German submarine U2 spotted it. After identifying and targeting the ship, he gave orders to fire. The hit was decisive, striking the ship, far below the water line. The initial blast killed scores of men and seriously wounded many more.

Others, stunned by the explosion were groping in the darkness. Panic and chaos quickly set in! Men were screaming, others crying or franticly trying to get lifeboats off the ship.

Through the pandemonium, four men spread out among the Soldiers, calming the frightened, tending the wounded and guiding the disoriented toward safety. They were four Army chaplains, Lt. George Fox, a Methodist; Lt. Alexander Goode, a Jewish Rabbi; Lt. John Washington, a Roman Catholic Priest; and Lt. Clark Poling, a Dutch Reformed minister.

Quickly and quietly the four chaplains worked to bring calm to the men. As soldiers began to find their way to the deck of the ship, many were still in their underwear, where they were confronted by the cold winds blowing down from the arctic.

Petty Officer John J. Mahoney, reeling from the cold, headed back towards his cabin. "Where are you going'" a voice of calm in the sea of distressed asked' "To get my gloves," Mahoney replied. "Here, take these," said Rabbi Goode as he handed a pair of gloves to the young officer. "I can't take those gloves," Mahoney replied. "Never mind," the Rabbi responded. "I have two pairs." It was only long after that Mahoney realized that the chaplain never intended to leave the ship.

Once topside, the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. It was then that Engineer Grady Clark witnessed an astonishing sight. When there were no more lifejackets in the storage room, the chaplains simultaneously removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men. When giving their life jackets, Rabbi Goode did not call out for a Jew; Father Washington did not call out for a Catholic; nor did Fox or Poling call out for a Protestant. They simply gave their life jackets to the next man in line. One survivor would later call it "It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven."

As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains -- arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers and singing hymns.

Of the 902 men aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, only 230 survived. Before boarding the Dorchester back in January, Chaplain Poling had asked his father to pray for him, "Not for my safe return, that wouldn't be fair. Just pray that I shall do my duty...never be a coward...and have the strength, courage and understanding of men. Just pray that I shall be adequate."

Although the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart were later awarded posthumously Congress wished to confer the Medal of Honor but was blocked by the stringent requirements which required heroism performed under fire. So a posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, The Four Chaplains' Medal, was authorized by Congress and awarded by the President on January 18, 1961.

It was never given before and will never be given again.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 4th:

In 1783, Britain’s King George III proclaimed a formal cessation of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1789,electors chose George Washington to be the first President of the United States. He remains the only President to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College.

In 1861,delegates from six southern states that had recently seceded from the Union met in Montgomery, AL, to form the Confederate States of America.

In 1895, actor Nigel Bruce, best-known for playing Dr. Watson opposite Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes, was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

In 1915, actor William Talman, best-known for playing District Attorney Hamilton Burger on the TV series “Perry Mason” was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1918, actress/writer/director Ida Lupino was born in Camberwell, London, England.

In 1919,Congress established the U.S. Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross.

In 1920, actress/voice artist Janet Waldo was born in Yakima, WA. She’s probably best-known for playing Judy on “The Jetsons”.

In 1932,New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY, the first Winter Games held in the U.S.

In 1940, writer/director George A. Romero was born in the Bronx. The “Living Dead” movies would come along later.

In 1941,the United Service Organizations (USO) came into existence.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta.

In 1962, a rare conjunction of the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn occurred.

In 1966, the Disney cartoon short “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” was released in the U.S.

In 1974,newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, age 19, was kidnapped in Berkeley, CA, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army.

Also in 1974, the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb on a bus carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel in Yorkshire, England. Nine soldiers and three civilians were killed.

In 1987,pianist Liberace died at his Palm Springs, CA, home at age 67.

In 1997,a civil jury in Santa Monica, CA, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

In 1999, unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo was shot dead by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city.

In 2004, the social networking website Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched “Thefacebook.”

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 5th:

In 1723, minister/educator/Founding Father John Witherspoon was born in Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland. He’d later serve on the NJ delegation to the Second Continental Congress, and was one of the signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

In 1783, Sweden recognized the independence of the United States.

In 1837, evangelist Dwight L. Moody, founder of the Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute, was born in Northfield, MA.

In 1900, politician/diplomat Adlai Stevenson was born in Los Angeles. He’s perhaps best-known for his confrontation with Soviet U.N. representative Valerian Zorin during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1906, actor John Carradine was born in New York City. He’d frequently be a much better actor than some of his movies deserved.

In 1917, Mexican President Venustiano Carranza proclaimed the modern Mexican constitution, which promised the restoration of lands to native peoples, the separation of church and state, and dramatic economic and educational reforms.

Also in 1917, with more than a two-thirds majority, Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto and passed the Immigration Act, requiring a literacy test for immigrants and barring laborers from East Asian countries, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the U.S., such as the Philippines.

In 1919, movie studio United Artists was incorporated by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith and Charles Chaplin.

In 1921, production designer Ken Adam was born in Berlin, Germany. He’s best-known for his work on many of the James Bond movies, including the oft-parodied hollowed-out volcano base from “You Only Live Twice”.

In 1922, the first edition of Reader's Digest was published.

In 1930, radio host John A. Gambling was born. Listeners in the NY/NJ/CT Tri-State area remember him as the second of three generations of Gamblings on the airwaves.

In 1934, baseball player Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron Jr., best-known for breaking Babe Ruth's legendary record of 714 home-runs, was born in Mobile, AL.

In 1936, the Charlie Chaplin silent comedy “Modern Times” premiered in New York City.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices; the proposal, which failed in Congress, drew accusations that Roosevelt was attempting to "pack" the nation's highest court.

In 1939, Generalísimo Francisco Franco became the 68th "Caudillo de España", or Leader of Spain. And, as of today, he’s still dead.

In 1940, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "Tuxedo Junction" for RCA Victor's Bluebird label.

Also in 1940, surrealist artist H.R. Giger was born in Chur, Graubunden, Switzerland. Years later, he’d help create the creature that would cause so much trouble for the crew of the Nostromo.

In 1943, the Western “The Outlaw” premiered in San Francisco. Directed by Howard Hughes, it’s more famous today for star Jane Russell’s…attributes.

In 1953, Walt Disney's animated feature "Peter Pan" was first released in the U.S.

In 1956, the science fiction/horror film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was released in the U.S.

In 1957, Bill Haley and His Comets arrived in London for a tour and were mobbed by fans.

In 1967, the comedy-variety series "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell left the Lunar Module Antares and stepped onto the surface of the Moon in the first of two Lunar excursions.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty before the Vietnam cease-fire took effect.

In 1985, Ugo Vetere, the mayor of modern Rome, and Chedli Klibi, the mayor of modern Carthage, signed a treaty ending the Punic Wars after more than 20 centuries.

1989, the Soviet Union announced that all but a small rear-guard contingent of its troops had left Afghanistan.

In 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, MS, of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963, and was immediately sentenced to life in prison. (Beckwith died Jan. 21, 2001 at age 80.)

In 2013, make-up designer/artist Stuart Freeborn, best-known for his work on the original “Star Wars” trilogy, died in London at age 98.

In 2015, after 94 years of existence, electronics retailer Radio Shack filed for bankruptcy.

 

Sadly, Edgar Mitchell passed away today at age 85.





- born February 5th, 1982

- born February 5th, 1985

 

Designed by Ken Adam for "You Only Live Twice":


Jane Russell in "The Outlaw":

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 6th:

In 1815, the state of New Jersey issued the first American railroad charter to John Stevens, who proposed a rail link between Trenton and New Brunswick. (The line, however, was never built.)

In 1820, the first 86 African-American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society departed New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.

In 1862, forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, TN.

In 1895, baseball player George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in Baltimore, MD. He’d build his house in New York years later.

In 1899, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

In 1908, screenwriter Michael Maltese, best-known for his work with the Warner Bros. animation department, was born in New York City.

In 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill.

In 1914, voice actor/singer Thurl Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, NE. Years later, he’d sing about just how mean Mr. Grinch was.

In 1922, actor Patrick Macnee was born in Paddington, London, England. Years later, one of his characters would remind Mrs. Peel that they were needed.

In 1931, actress Mamie Van Doren was born in Rowena, SD.

In 1933, The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called "lame duck" amendment, was proclaimed in effect by Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

In 1951, The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derailed near Woodbridge Township, NJ. The accident killed 85 people and injured over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.

In 1952, Britain's King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his elder daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1958, a British European airlines flight crashed just after takeoff from Munich Airport. Twenty-three people were killed, including eight players from the Manchester United soccer team, which had just qualified for the semifinals of the European Cup.

In 1959, Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.

In 1974, the movie “Zardoz” was released. And it has confused audiences ever since.

In 1976, composer/musician Vince Guaraldi died in Menlo Park, CA at age 47.

In 1990, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the episode featuring the movie “Untamed Youth” premiered on the Comedy Channel. Coincidentally, it was also the birthday of the movie’s star, Mamie Van Doren.

In 1995, the space shuttle Discovery flew to within 37 feet of the Russian space station Mir in the first rendezvous of its kind in two decades.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed a bill changing the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In 2014, Jay Leno said goodbye to NBC's "The Tonight Show" for the second time, making way for Jimmy Fallon to take over as host.

 

Written by Michael Maltese:

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 7th:

In 1804, businessman John Deere was born in Rutland, VT. Years later, five generations of the family of your humble correspondent would drive a John Deere Model M tractor.

In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England.

In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 15-hundred buildings.

In 1906, 100 years ago, Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, was born in Beijing.

In 1908, athlete/actor Larry “Buster” Crabbe, the original Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, respectively, was born in Oakland, CA.

In 1932, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, CSM pilot for Apollo 15, was born in Jackson, MI.

In 1935, the classic board game Monopoly was first sold by Parker Brothers. It’s unclear if the shoe and thimble were included in that edition.

In 1936, President Roosevelt authorized a flag for the office of the vice president.

In 1940, the second full-length animated Walt Disney film, “Pinocchio”, premiered in New York City.

In 1944, during World War II, the Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy.

Also in 1944, Bing Crosby and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra recorded "Swinging on a Star" in Los Angeles for Decca Records.

In 1947, voice actor/sound effects editor Wayne Allwine was born in Glendale, CA. He’s best-known for voicing Mickey Mouse from 1977-2009.

In 1962, the United States banned all Cuban imports and exports.

In 1964, The Beatles began their first American tour as they arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 1974, the island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain.

Also in 1974, the Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles” was released in the U.S.

In 1979, the PLANET Pluto moved inside the planet Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was discovered.

In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk.

In 1986, the Philippines held a presidential election marred by charges of fraud against the incumbent, Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Also in 1986, Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule.

In 1990,the Central Committee of the Soviet Union's Communist Party agrees to endorse President Mikhail Gorbachev's recommendation that the party give up its 70-year long monopoly of political power.

In 1991, Haiti’s first democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was sworn in.

Also in 1991, the Provisional IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government. Prime Minister John Major and his War Cabinet were unharmed, while four other people received minor unjuries.

In 1995, Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer in Amman at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah.

In 2009, Bushfires in Victoria left 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.

In 2014, the opening ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics was held in the Russian city of Sochi.

 

Not our John Deere M, but it's close...

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 8th:

In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1693, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA was granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.

In 1820, Gen. William Tecumsah Sherman was born in Lancaster, OH. Reportedly, the South has still not forgiven him his March to the Sea.

In 1828, author Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France.

In 1837, Richard Johnson became the first Vice-President of the U.S. chosen by the U.S. Senate.

In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, ended in victory for Union forces led by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside.

In 1865, In the United States, Delaware voters rejected the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and voted to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment on February 12, 1901.)

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict over control of Manchuria and Korea, began as Japanese forces attacked Port Arthur.

In 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated.

In 1914, screenwriter/comics writer Bill Finger, the long-uncredited and now-acknowledged co-creator of Batman, was born in Denver, CO.

In 1915, D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking, as well as controversial, silent movie epic about the Civil War, "The Birth of a Nation," premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1922, actress Audrey Meadows was born in New York City. Years later, one of her characters received entirely-empty threats regarding a trip to the Moon.

In 1928, actor/producer/screenwriter Jack Larson was born in Los Angeles, CA. He’s best-known for playing a cub reporter at a great metropolitan newspaper.

In 1931, actor James Dean was born in Marion, IN.

In 1932, composer/conductor John Williams was born in Floral Park, NY.

In 1937, composer/musician Joe Raposo was born in Fall River, MA.

In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces began invading Singapore, which fell a week later.

Also in 1942, actor/comedian/singer Robert Klein was born in the Bronx.

In 1943, Japanese troops evacuated Guadalcanal, leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed her accession to the British throne following the death of her father, King George VI.

In 1965, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663, a DC-7, crashed shortly after takeoff from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport; all 84 people on board were killed.

In 1968, three college students were killed in a confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, South Carolina, during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley.

Also in 1968, the sci-fi movie “Planet of the Apes”, starring Charlton Heston, premiered in New York City.

In 1974, the last three-man crew of the Skylab space station (Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson and William R. Pogue) returned to Earth after spending 84 days in space.

Also in 1974, the BBC announced that Jon Pertwee would be leaving the role of the Doctor on “Doctor Who” at the end of the program’s 11th series.

In 1976, the drama “Taxi Driver”, starring Robert DeNiro and directed by Martin Scorsese, was released in the U.S.

In 1985, the crime drama "Witness," starring Harrison Ford, was released in the U.S. by Paramount Pictures.

In 1989, 144 people were killed when an American-chartered Boeing 707 filled with Italian tourists slammed into a fog-covered mountain in the Azores.

In 1993, General Motors sued NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" had rigged two car-truck crashes to show that some GM pickups were prone to fires after certain types of crashes. (The suit was settled the following day by NBC.)

 

Written by Joe Raposo:

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 9th

In 1773, William Henry Harrison, briefly the 9th President of the U.S., was born in Charles City County, VA.

In 1775, the British Parliament declared the colony of Massachusetts in rebellion.

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected provisional president of the Confederate States of America at a congress held in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established.

In 1889, US president Grover Cleveland signed a bill elevating the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to a Cabinet-level agency.

In 1895, the first intercollegiate basketball game was played as Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the Porkers of Hamline College, 9-3.

In 1901, actor Brian Donlevy, best-known for both his “film noir” roles and as the first cinematic incarnation of Prof. Quatermass, was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

In 1928, artist Frank Frazetta was born in Brooklyn.

In 1936, actor Clive Swift was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Years later, he’d play Richard Bucket (not Bouquet) on “Keeping Up Appearances”, one of my Mom’s favorite Brit-Coms.

In 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II.

Also in 1942, Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.

In 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

In 1945, HMS Venturer sank U-864 off the coast of Fedje, Norway, in a rare instance of submarine-to-submarine combat.

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, WV, Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI), charged the State Department was riddled with Communists.

In 1960, the official groundbreaking ceremony is held for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first star to be dedicated on the historic walkway belonged to the actress Joanne Woodward.

In 1964, The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," broadcast from New York by CBS-TV. Others featured on the program included impressionist Frank Gorshin, the comedy team of Charlie Brill & Mitzi McCall, and the Broadway cast of “Oliver!”, including future Monkee Davy Jones.

In 1965, the first United States troops with a combat mission, a Marine Corps Hawk air defense missile battalion, were sent to South Vietnam.

In 1969, the first test flight of the Boeing 747 took place.

In 1971, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in California's San Fernando Valley claimed 65 lives.

Also in 1971, the crew of Apollo 14 (Alan B. Shepard, Jr.; Stuart A. Roosa and Edgar D. Mitchell) returned to Earth after man's third landing on the Moon.

In addition in 1971, pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov, age 69, died in Moscow, 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was followed by Konstantin U. Chernenko.

In 2002, Britain's Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, died in London at age 71.

In 2006, actor Phil Brown, best-known for playing Uncle Owen in “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope”, died in Woodland Hills, CA at age 89.

In 2009, Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) admitted that he had taken banned substances from 2001 to 2003.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 10th:

In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War in North America).

In 1840, Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1841, Upper Canada and Lower Canada were proclaimed united under an Act of Union passed by the British Parliament.

In 1870, the YWCA was founded in New York City.

In 1893, actor/singer/comedian Jimmy Durante was born in Manhattan. It was years later that he’d tell us to look under the Big W.

In 1906, actor Lon Chaney, Jr. was born in Oklahoma City. The lycanthropic roles would come later.

In 1929, composer/conductor Jerry Goldsmith was born in Los Angeles.

In 1933, the first singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegram Co. in New York.

In 1939, actor/TV host Peter Purves was born in Preston, Lancashire, England. He’s known to British audiences for his tenure on the children’s series “Blue Peter”, and worldwide for playing Companion Steven Taylor on “Doctor Who”.

In 1940, MGM released the animated short "Puss Gets the Boot," the debut of Tom and Jerry (although in this cartoon, the cat is called "Jasper" by its owner while the mouse was dubbed "Jinx" by creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera).

In 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra received a gold record for their recording of "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which had sold more than one million copies. It was the first gold record ever presented to an artist.

In 1947, actor Michael Keating, best-known for playing Vila on “Blake’s 7”, was born in North London, England.

In 1949, Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" opened at Broadway's Morosco Theater with Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman.

In 1956, Little Richard recorded “Long Tall Sally” at the J&M Studio in New Orleans.

In 1959, a major tornado tore through the St. Louis area, killing 21 people and causing heavy damage.

In 1962, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

In 1964, the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collided with and sank the destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, killing 82.

In 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified as Minnesota and Nevada adopted it.

In 1968, U.S. figure skater Peggy Fleming won America's only gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

In 1971, the album “Tapestry” by Carole King was released in the U.S. In 1989, Ron Brown was elected the first black chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

In 1995, the British suspense movie “Shallow Grave” was released in the U.S. Its cast included Christopher Eccleston before he received his Doctorate, and Ewan McGregor before his received his officer’s commission in the Grand Army of the Republic.

In 1996, in the first game of a six-game match, an IBM computer dubbed “Deep Blue” became the first machine to beat a reigning world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. (Kasparov went on to win the match 4-2.)

In 1999, recording for the soundtrack of “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace”, conducted by composer John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, began at Abbey Road Studios.

In 2005, Playwright Arthur Miller died in Roxbury, Connecticut, at age 89 on the 56th anniversary of the Broadway opening of "Death of a Salesman."

In 2012, the 3-D version of “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace” was released in the U.S.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 11th:

In 1534, Henry VIII of England was recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.

In 1812, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a redistricting law favoring his Democratic-Republican Party — giving rise to the term "gerrymandering."

In 1858, a French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, reported the first of 18 visions of a lady dressed in white in a grotto near Lourdes. (The Catholic Church later accepted that the visions were of the Virgin Mary.)

In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson began in Tennessee. (Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant captured the fort five days later.)

In 1926, actor Leslie Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Years later, people would forget that he started out as a pretty good dramatic actor.

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City.

In 1934, actress/singer/author Tina Louise was born in New York City. She’s best-known for playing a passenger on a particular three-hour tour.

In 1936, actor/director Burt Reynolds was born in Waycross, GA. He’d later make it very cool to drive a black Trans Am.

In 1937, a six-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.

In 1938, BBC Television produced the world's first ever science fiction TV program, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Capek play “R.U.R.”, that coined the term "robot".

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement, in which Stalin agreed to declare war against Imperial Japan following Nazi Germany's capitulation (in return, the Soviet Union would acquire territories lost to Japan in the Russo-Japanese War).

In 1960, “Tonight Show” host Jack Paar walked off the show during that night’s program, protesting NBC’s censorship of a joke he told the previous night. (He returned to the show on March 7th.)

In 1963, author/poet Sylvia Plath committed suicide in London at age 30.

Also in 1963, The Beatles recorded all of the tracks for their first album to be released in the U.K., "Please Please Me." John Lennon had a bad cold and belted out "Twist and Shout" in one take.

In 1964, The Beatles performed their first U.S. concert, at the Coliseum in Washington.

In 1972, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Life magazine canceled plans to publish what had turned out to be a fake autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

Also In 1972, David Bowie first performed as "Ziggy Stardust," at a show in Tollworth, England.

In 1975, Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party.

In 1989, Rev. Barbara C. Harris became the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, in a ceremony held in Boston.

In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.

In 2012, singer/songwriter/producer/actress Whitney Houston died in Beverly Hills at age 48.

In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation during a routine morning meeting of Vatican cardinals. (The 85-year-old pontiff was succeeded by Pope Francis.)

In 2015, journalist Bob Simon, correspondent for CBS news, died in a car accident in New York City at age 73.

Also in 2015, a university student was murdered as she resisted an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women.

In 2016, scientists announced the first detection of gravitational waves predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 12th:

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who'd claimed the throne of England for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being condemned for high treason.

In 1733, Englishman James Oglethorpe founded Georgia, the 13th of the original Thirteen Colonies, and its first city at Savannah (known then as Georgia Day).

In 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in present-day Larue County, Kentucky.

Also in 1809, naturalist/geologist Charles Darwin was born in The Mount, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

In 1818, Chile officially proclaimed its independence, more than seven years after initially renouncing Spanish rule.

In 1893, General of the Army Omar Bradley was born in Randolph County, MO.

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

Also in 1909, New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happened when the SS Penguin, an inter-island ferry, sank and exploded at the entrance to Wellington Harbor.

In 1914, the groundbreaking took place for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1915, the cornerstone was laid for the Lincoln Memorial.

Also in 1915, actor Lorne Greene was born in Ottawa. Later on, he’d be known for playing the main focus of the “Cartwright Curse”.

In 1924, George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" premiered in New York.

In 1931, the Universal Horror movie “Dracula”, starring Bela Lugosi, premiered in New York City.

In 1936, actor Joe Don Baker was born in Groesbeck, TX.

In 1940, actor Ralph Bates, best-known for his work with Hammer Films and on the BBC series “Poldark”, was born in Bristol, England.

In 1961, Soviet Union launched Venera 1 towards Venus.

In 1940, the radio play "The Adventures of Superman" debuted on WOR-AM in New York City, with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel.

In 1945, actor Gareth Thomas, best-known for playing Blake on “Blake’s 7”, was born in Wales.

In 1950, actor/director/writer Michael Ironside was born in Toronto. Years later, his characters would, respectively, make people’s heads explode and fight alien insects.

In 1959, the redesigned Lincoln penny — with an image of the Lincoln Memorial replacing two ears of wheat on the reverse side — went into circulation.

In 1963, a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 720 broke up during severe turbulence and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 43 people aboard.

In 1964, the thriller “Seven Days in May”, starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, was released in the U.S.

In 1967, police raided the English country home of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards in a search for drugs. Singer Mick Jagger was there at the time. They were both charged three months later.

In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.

In 1980, actress Christina Ricci was born in Santa Monica, CA.

In 1993, the comedy “Groundhog Day”, starring Bill Murray, was released in the U.S.

In 1993, the comedy “Groundhog Day”, starring Bill Murray, was released in the U.S.

In 1993, the comedy “Groundhog Day”, starring Bill Murray, was released in the U.S. (Okay, that’s enough, pal.)

In 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

In 2000, cartoonist Charles M. Schulz died in Santa Rosa, CA at age 77.

In 2002, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic went on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. (Before a verdict was reached, he was found in his cell dead of an apparent heart attack in 2006.)

In 2004, the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

In 2014, actor/writer Sid Caesar, best-known for his work on “Your Show of Shows”, died in Beverly Hills at age 91.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 13th:

In 1542, the fifth wife of England's King Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery.

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.

In 1689, following Britain's bloodless Glorious Revolution, Mary, the daughter of the deposed king, and William of Orange, her husband, are proclaimed joint sovereigns of Great Britain under Britain's new Bill of Rights.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was officially declared winner of the 1860 presidential election as electors cast their ballots.

In 1914, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, also known as ASCAP, was founded in New York.

In 1919, actor/singer Tennessee Ernie Ford was born in Bristol, TN.

In 1920, the League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland.

In 1923, Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier, was born in Myra, WV.

In 1932, actress/director/aviatrix Susan Oliver was born in New York City. She’s known to “Star Trek” fans as Vina in the series’ original pilot, “The Cage”.

Also in 1932, actress Barbara Shelley, best-known for his work in British horror & science fiction movies & TV shows, was born in Marylebone, London.

In 1933, actress Caroline Blakiston, known to “Star Wars” fans as Mon Mothma in “Return of the Jedi”, was born in Chelsea, London.

In 1935, a jury in Flemington, NJ, found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was later executed.)

In 1939, author/theologian/pastor R.C. Sproul was born in Pittsburgh, PA.

In 1942, singer/songwriter/musician/Monkee Peter Tork was born in Washington, D.C.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden.

Also in 1945, the Soviets captured Budapest, Hungary, from the Germans.

In 1950, singer/songwriter/musician Peter Gabriel was born in Chobham, Surrey, England.

In 1958, actress Pernilla August was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Later on, she’d play the mother of that nice Skywalker kid from Mos Espa.

In 1960, France exploded its first atomic bomb in the Sahara Desert.

In 1965, during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, an extended bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese.

In 1975, a late-night arson fire set by a disgruntled custodian broke out on the 11th floor of the north tower of New York's World Trade Center; the blaze spread to six floors, but caused no direct casualties.

In 1980, the 13th Winter Olympics opened in Lake Placid, New York.

In 1988, the 15th Winter Olympics opened in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

In 1991, two laser-guided “smart bombs” destroyed the Amiriyah shelter in Baghdad. Allied forces said the bunker was being used as a military communications outpost, but Iraqi officials reported over 400 Iraqi civilians inside were killed.

In 2000, the last original “Peanuts” comic strip appeared in newspapers one day after the death of Charles M. Schulz.

In 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a historic apology to the Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations.

In 2016, Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died near Marfa, TX at age 79.

 

I forgot one...

In 1990, on "Mystery Science Theater 3000", the episode featuring the monster movie "The Black Scorpion" was broadcast on the Comedy Channel. It featured the last appearance (to date) of Josh (J. Elvis) Weinstein as both Dr. Laurence Ehrhardt and Tom Servo.

 

On this date the world ends.