Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 5th:

In 1597, a group of early Japanese Christians were killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society.

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 1778, South Carolina became the second state to ratify 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.

In 2018, the second teaser trailer for the “Star Wars” movie “Solo” was released on-line, following a premiere showing on “Good Morning, America” on ABC-TV.

 

And in a late entry for Feb. 4th, the NFL Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl by beating the New England Patriots. No concrete evidence exists yet over whether Eli Manning's SuperBowl commercial played some sort of supernatural role in the Eagles victory. Though actor/comedian Kevin Hart will go down as one of (if not the first) actors to ever drop an F-bomb on a live SuperBowl post game broadcast.

 

The Chronicle’s cover from Feb. 6, 1974, featured the news that Patricia Hearst — granddaughter of media magnate William Randolph Hearst and daughter of San Francisco Examiner executive Randolph A. Hearst — had been kidnapped from her Berkeley apartment at gunpoint.


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“The kidnapers (the spelling at the time), described as ‘acting like commandos,’ fired at least four rifle and pistol shots at witnesses as they carried Miss Hearst, blindfolded and screaming, from the apartment of her fiance at 2603 Benvenue Ave.,” The Chronicle’s Charles Raudebaugh reported.

Twenty-five years later, Chronicle reporter William Carlsen would write: “The act of terror that struck a quiet Berkeley neighborhood on the night of Feb. 4, 1974, reminded the nation that the radical political turmoil that had begun in the 1960s was still in full force, at least in the Bay Area.”

The saga would stretch over years, from the first “communique” to an L.A. shootout to Hearst’s indictment, arrest, “trial of the century” and release from prison.

Decades after the news first splashed across the front page, it’s still a captivating story.

A moment on news judgment: Juxtaposing the armed abduction of the daughter of the rival paper’s editor and president with a story headlined “She’s jealous: Mayor’s wife blames politics” seems like an odd choice four decades later. We’ll chalk it up to the tyranny of the deadline and Joseph Alioto’s unquestionable front-page appeal.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 6th:

In 1788, Massachusetts became the 6th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

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 1918, British women over the age of 30 who met minimum property qualifications, got the right to vote when the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed by Parliament.

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.

Also in 1959, the first successful test firing of a Titan ICBM was accomplished at Cape Canaveral, FL.

In 1971, during the second of two Lunar EVAs for the Apollo 14 mission, Mission Commander Alan Shepard hit the first golf shot on the Moon.

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 1978, The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four inches an hour.

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.

In 2017, actor/comedian/activist “Professor” Irwin Corey, “The World’s Foremost Authority”, died in New York City at age 102.

 

The Chronicle’s cover from Feb. 7, 1966, is a real treat. We have a gigantic banner headline stripped above the nameplate heralding, “The students talk: Drugs on the campus.” Are we referring to the evils of heroin or LSD in this Washington Post-Newsweek reprint? Nope, we’re talking about reefer. Here are the first two paragraphs of the special report:

“‘Senses are very acute. I get hung up on all kinds of things, sometimes I even get taste hallucinations. One time I thought water should taste like Coca-Cola and it actually did ...’

“So spoke Dianne, an Ohio State student, bubbling over with the eerie details of a jag on ‘pot’ — marijuana — the kick that has crept onto the campuses of more institutions than parents and college deans imagine.”

Wow.

Then we have “To be a she.” It’s actually a pretty good headline, and the story seems to be written straightforward, given the social mores of the time. Obviously, today it’s a nonstory.

A further perusal down the page and we find this chestnut: “Hotels smelling of misery abound on Skid Row. In dark lobbies, old people sit in rows like sick birds on a fence.”

Pretty sure three current Chronicle editors just got indigestion from hearing me type that.

Decades later, The Chronicle’s name is the same but the standards are less sensational.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 7th:

In 1795, The 11th Amendment, dealing with each state’s sovereign immunity, to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

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, 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 2013, Mississippi officially certified the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery.

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

In 2017, actor Richard Hatch, best-known for his work on both the original and reimagined versions of “Battlestar Galactica”, died in Los Angeles at age 71.

 

The Chronicle’s front page from Feb. 8, 1971, covered the invasion of Laos during the Vietnam War with a powerful package of stories, headlines and a classic photo.

"South Vietnamese ground troops with American helicopter and artillery support pushed into Laos early today in what President Nguyen Van Thieu called a ‘limited’ drive against Communist supply lines,” the United Press reported.

As important as this military campaign came to be, it’s not what makes the page memorable. To the left of the main story, a report from above the planet:

“America’s homeward-bound astronauts beamed a plea from Apollo 14 last night for peace in the world and continued space exploration to benefit all mankind,” the wire services reported.

From orbit, the words of Cmdr. Alan Shepard: “We’re reminded as we look at that shimmering crescent that is Earth that we still have fighting there. ... We are reminded that some men who have gone to Vietnam have not returned and that some are still being held as prisoners of war. ... It is our wish tonight that we can in some way contribute through our space program to better understanding peace throughout the world and help rectify these situations.”

Top O’ the Top of the News: “Gordie Howe scored two goals to lead Detroit past the Seals, 5-2, at Oakland. Page 45.” Put your hands together for the first mention of the California Golden Seals — aka the Oakland Seals — the Bay Area’s NHL team before the San Jose Sharks. Bark on.

 

happy 86th birthday, john williams.

 

(That's not our John Deere M, but it's a close cousin.)

 

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, NC, ended in victory for Union forces led by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside.

In 1865, Delaware voters rejected the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and voted to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratified 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 1960, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.

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.)

In 1996, The U.S. Congress passed the Communications Decency Act.

In 2006, composer/educator Akira Ifukube, best-known for his film scores for Toho, died in Tokyo at age 91.

In 2013, a blizzard disrupted transportation and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada.

 

Birthdays (besides John Williams)

• 1921 – Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
• 1922 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and banker (d. 1996)
• 1925 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (d. 2001)

 

These themes are familiar in 21st century California, but they were part of the front page from Feb. 9, 1977.


A well-designed two-story package contains a large photo of farmer Merv Freeman of Orland standing in an empty irrigation canal. Below that is a story about the East Bay Municipal Utility District voting for a 25 percent water cutback.

The farmers, though, would have been welcoming of any raindrops.

“‘It’s real bad — the situation is real bad,’ said Louis Aguilar, 42, who farms 260 acres of olive orchards with two brothers. ‘My father came here in 1935 and he can’t remember a year as bad as this.’

“District records, which go back 70 years, have never recorded back-to-back drought years,” the story continued.

Two years of intense drought was a slow-motion disaster in the mid-1970s. That puts our current four-year drought into perspective.

Making headlines: One of the big trends in online journalism is to write how/why headlines. For instance: How the 49ers collapsed in a few seasons. Or: Why Highway 101 is so full of potholes. Credit The Chronicle for being ahead of this trend, by a few decades: “How hopes and fields are drying up.”

Byline of the week: Dale Champion.

Top O’ the Top of the News: “Hordes of fans greeted David Nelson, of ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ TV fame, when he appeared at a savings-and-loan in Novato. Page 18.” Imagine if Ozzie Nelson had shown up at credit union. Stampede!

 

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 was 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.

 

Some 2/10 birthdays

• 1951 – Bob Iger, American media executive
  
• 1962 – Cliff Burton, American heavy metal bassist (d. 1986)
• 1967 – Laura Dern, American actress, director, and producer
• 1967 – Vince Gilligan, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1997 – Chloë Grace Moretz, American actress

 

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 1962, the Rat Pack movie “Sergeants 3” was released in the U.S.

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 1989, the science fiction movie “Slipstream” premiered in London. It starred Mark Hamill, Bill Paxton and Bob Peck.

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 he 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.

In 2014, actress/singer/dancer/businesswoman/diplomat Shirley Temple died in Woodside, CA at age 85.

In 2015, NBC News suspended Brian Williams, then the anchorman and managing editor of the “NBC Nightly News”, for six months without pay for his misrepresenting of events concerning an Iraq War story. The story was found to be untrue.

 

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 1943, during World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was selected to command the allied armies in Europe.

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 1994, actor/producer/director William Conrad died in Los Angeles at age 73.

In 1996, author Brian Daley died in Maryland at age 48. He’s well-known to “Star Wars” fans for his trilogy of Han Solo novels, as well as writing the scripts for the radio adaptations of the original “Star Wars” Trilogy.

In 2011, during the “Arab Spring”, the first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminated in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak from the presidency, and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 18 days of protests.

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.

In 2017, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan.

 

An addenum on the Brian Williams story. It Lester Holt would take over the chair on an interim basis following Williams suspension. Six months later he was made the permanent host for Nightly News making him the first African American solo anchor on evening news.

 

Besides President Lincoln's birthday today,

I'll let Deadpool announce Mr. Brolin: