Fun On this date in history...

The Chronicle’s cover from Feb. 12, 1927, features more than two dozen headlines, some of which are good enough for framing:

“‘Wed me or die,’ fiat of wooer to rich widow”

“Cow reveals her proud achievement in installments”

“James, prepare the bath! Tramps living in luxury”

Some seem a bit out of place today:

“Forty arrested in battle at Harvard”

“Two dead, two shot in butchers’ war”

“Girl leads Amazon army to victory in Nicaragua”

“Wyoming votes against creating divorce mill”

One awesome story even got four headlines:

“U.S. captures $200,000 rum ship in bay”

“Hijacker gun battle marks seizure of liquor barge”

“Captain of camouflaged ‘dynamite’ craft held; higher-ups sought”

“Speed boat attack on Coast Guard men foiled by machine gun fire”

But then, of course, there’s the coup de grace:

“Drunken hogs, on hind legs, lead drys to still”

If headlines sell papers, it’s a wonder that even one edition of this front page made it off the rack and into the archives.

 

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 2001, the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touched down in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.

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.

In 2017, singer Al Jarreau died in Los Angeles at age 76.

 

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 arrived 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, were 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 her 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.

Also in 1960, Black college students stage the first of the Nashville sit-ins at three lunch counters in Nashville, TN.

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 1984, Konstantin Chernenko succeeded the late Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

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.

 

The Chronicle’s front page from Feb. 13, 1935, covered the Macon’s final flight before falling into the ocean.

“She went down in an offshore drizzle, just as night was closing down. Her gray length was last seen dipping toward the ocean. Then she soared in her death throes, and was lost to view in the mist.”

Pulitzer Prize winner Royce Brier wrote those words on The Chronicle’s front page on Feb. 13, 1935, after the USS Macon, a famed Navy airship nearly 800 feet long, fell into the sea off the Big Sur coast.

An explosion had occurred on board and an SOS was sent out: “Falling,” the warning said. Then, “wait.” A splash-down soon was seen 100 miles from San Francisco.

“Then began a desperate two-hour search of the dark seas,” Brier wrote in 1935. “Naval vessels, with their giant searchlights, made a murky daylight of the scene. ... Seven lifeboats filled with survivors, including Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley, were taken aboard the cruisers.”

The rescue mission was a success, for the most part. With two of the 80-strong dead, the tragedy was much less severe than the fate of the Macon’s sister dirigible, the Akron, which was destroyed in an East Coast thunderstorm, killing 73.

Today, the Macon’s wreckage has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, though its exact location in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary remains a mystery.

History lesson: A previous version of this article featured a line about an "NRA ad" at the top of the page. Thanks to reader and retired journalist Randy Alfred and a little better-late-than-never research of our own, we now know that the emblem is that of the National Recovery Administration, not the National Rifle Association. The former was a government agency established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the economy during the Great Depression by implementing fair-practice codes. And it's not an ad; it's a badge indicating membership and compliance. Mea culpa.

 

^ I've been fascinated by the Akron and Macon for decades. They were flying aircraft carriers, capable of holding up to 5 small airplanes in an internal hangar, and able to launch and recover them in flight. If I could have any job ever, F9C pilot on the Macon would make the short list.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 14th:

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

In 1779, English explorer Captain James Cook was killed by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.

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

In 1884, future President Theodore Roosevelt's wife Alice, and mother “Mittie” died, only hours apart.

Well!! In 1894, actor/comedian/musician Jack Benny was born in Chicago.

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

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

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

In 1916, actor Ed Platt was born in Staten Island, NY. The troubles with the Cone of Silence would come along later.

In 1924, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. of New York was formally renamed International Business Machines Corp., or IBM.

In 1927, actress Lois Maxwell was born Kitchener, Ontario. Her secretarial work for MI6 would come later.

In 1929, the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in a Chicago garage as seven associates of mobster Bugs Moran, a rival of mobster Al Capone, were gunned down.

In 1943, German General Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps launched an offensive against an Allied defensive line in Tunisia, North Africa. The Kasserine Pass was the site of the U.S.’s first major battle defeat of the war.

In 1945, during World War II, British and Canadian forces reached the Rhine River in Germany.

In 1959, the fantasy movie “Ercole e la Regina di Lidia”, starring Steve Reeves as Hercules, was released in Italy. Re-titled “Hercules Unchained”, it would reach the U.S. in July, 1960.

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

In 1970, actor/writer/producer/director Simon Pegg was born in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, England. The zombies, Star Fleet and the disdain for the PT would come later.

In 1972, "Grease" opened off-Broadway at the Eden Theater. Original cast members included Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau. The show moved to Broadway later in the year.

Also in 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began a week as co-hosts of “The Mike Douglas Show”.

In 1975, author/humorist P.G. Wodehouse, died in Southampton, NY at age 93.

In 1980, Walter Cronkite announced his retirement as anchorman on “The CBS Evening News”.

Also in 1980, the superhero movie “L’uomo Puma” was released in Italy, where it was made. Years later, under the title “The Pumaman”, it would be memorably MSTed.

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

Also in 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.

In 2005, the creators of the video-sharing website YouTube activated its domain name, www.youtube.com (the site uploaded its first video the following April.)

In 2008, a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall of Northern Illinois University, resulting in six fatalities (including the gunman) and 21 injuries.

In 2013, Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged with murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in South Africa; he was later convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in jail.

In 2018, a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, leaving 17 people dead and 15 wounded.

 

The Chronicle cover from Feb. 15, 1968, looks like it was made with a typewriter and rubber cement. There’s a good reason for that: Most editorial employees were on strike.

 

^ Wow. That should be in the Everything Retro thread.

 

Feb. 16, 1898

 

If I may...

ON FEBRURY 15th:

In 1764, the site of present-day St. Louis was established by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau.

In 1820, social reformer/feminist/suffragette Susan B. Anthony was born in Adams, MA.

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

In 1907, actor/singer Caesar Romero was born in New York City. His role as the Clown Prince of Crime would come later.

In 1923, actor Keene Curtis, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Grand Moff Tarkin in the radio drama based on the original movie, was born in Salt Lake City, UT.

In 1927, actor/comedian Harvey Korman was born in Chicago. His struggles not to crack up when acting with Tim Conway would come later.

In 1928, author/illustrator Norman Bridwell, the creator of Clifford the Big Red Dog, was born in Kokomo, IN.

In 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt escaped an assassination attempt in Miami that mortally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak; gunman Giuseppe Zangara was executed on March 20th.

In 1935, aviator/astronaut Roger B. Chaffee was born in Grand Rapids, MI.

In 1939, the John Ford western “Stagecoach”, starring John Wayne and Claire Trevor, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1941, Duke Ellington recorded "Take the A Train" with his big band. It became the orchestra's theme song.

In 1942, following an assault by Japanese forces on Singapore, British Gen. Arthur Percival surrendered. About 80,000 Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers became prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.

In 1944, Allied bombers destroyed the monastery atop Monte Cassino in Italy.

In 1946, ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, was formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

In 1950, the Disney animated feature “Cinderella” premiered in Boston.

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

In 1954, Canada and the United States agreed to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.

Also in 1954, cartoonist/writer/producer Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” and “Futurama”, was born in Portland, OR.

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

In 1965, singer Nat King Cole died in Santa Monica, CA at age 45.

Also in 1965, Canada's new maple-leaf flag, which replaced the "Red Ensign" design, was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa.

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

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

In 1983, comedian Joel Hodgson made his TV debut on “Late Night with David Letterman”.

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

In 1995, the FBI arrested Kevin Mitnick, its "most wanted hacker," and charged him with cracking security for some of the nation's most protected computers. (Mitnick ended up serving five years behind bars.)

In 2002, a private funeral was held at Windsor Castle for Britain's Princess Margaret, who had died six days earlier at age 71.

In 2013, a meteor exploded over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blew out windows and rocks buildings.

In 2016, Disney announced that filming had begun in London at Pinewood Studios for the next “Star Wars” movie, later officially titled, “Star Wars: Episode VIII- The Last Jedi”.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 16th:

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

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

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

In 1903, actor/comedian/ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was born in Decatur, MI. Charlie would come along later.

In 1904, actor James Baskett was born in Indianapolis, IN. He’s best-known for playing Uncle Remus in the Disney movie, “Song of the South”. He’d later be awarded an Oscar, the first African-American actor to receive one, for his performance. Good luck trying to find a copy of the movie, though.

In 1909, actor Hugh Beaumont was born in Eudora, KS. Years later, he’d help inflict Rock Climbing on Joel & the ‘bots, and later play Wally & Beav’s father.

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

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

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

Also in 1945, actor Jeremy Bulloch was born in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. He’s known to “Star Wars” fans as the first Mandaloran they saw, and to Whovians for knocking off the first Sontaran they saw.

In 1957, actor/producer/director LeVar Burton was born in Landstuhl, West Germany. He’d later start wearing a very interesting style of eyewear on syndicated TV.

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

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

In 1964, actor Christopher Eccleston was born in Langworthy, Lancashire, England. The Doctorate would come along later.

In 1967, on “Star Trek”, the episode “Space Seed” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured the first appearance of Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonian Singh, Jim Kirk’s deadliest enemy.

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

In 1986, actor/director/singer Howard da Silva died in Ossining, NY at age 76. He’s perhaps best-known today for his role as Benjamin Franklin in the Broadway and film versions of “1776”.

In 1988, seven people were shot to death during an office rampage in Sunnyvale, California, by a man obsessed with a co-worker who was wounded in the attack. (The gunman, Richard Farley, is on death row.)

In 1994, more than 200 people were killed when a powerful earthquake shook Indonesia's Sumatra island.

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

In 2005, the NHL canceled what was left of its decimated schedule after a round of last-gasp negotiations failed to resolve differences over a salary cap — the flash-point issue that had led to a lockout.

In 2006, the last Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), the 212th MASH then-based at Miesau Ammo Depot in Germany, was decommissioned by the United States Army.

In 2016, politician/diplomat Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 6th Secretary General of the United Nations, died in Cairo, Egypt at age 93.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 17th:

In 1621, Myles Standish was appointed as first commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.

In 1801, after one tie vote in the Electoral College and 35 indecisive ballot votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, Vice President Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the U.S. over his running mate, Aaron Burr.

In 1815, the United States and Britain exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

In 1820, the U.S. Senate passed the Missouri Compromise, an attempt to deal with the dangerously divisive issue of extending slavery into the western territories.

In 1863, the International Red Cross was founded in Geneva.

In 1864, during the Civil War, the H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic.

In 1865, during the Civil War, Columbia, SC, burned as the Confederates evacuated and Union forces moved in. (It's not clear which side was responsible for setting the blaze, or whether it had been deliberate.)

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

In 1913, the Armory Show, a landmark modern art exhibit, opened in New York City.

In 1925, the first issue of “The New Yorker” magazine (bearing the cover date of Feb. 21) was published.

In 1929, actress Patricia Routledge was born in Tranmere, Merseyside, England. She’d later star in “Keeping Up Appearances”, one of my Mom’s favorite Brit-Coms.

In 1933, “Newsweek” magazine was first published under the title "News-Week."

In 1936, athlete/actor Jim Brown was born in St. Simons, GA.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. forces invaded Eniwetok Atoll, encountering little initial resistance from Imperial Japanese troops. (The Americans secured the atoll less than a week later.)

In 1949, Chaim Weizmann began his term as the first President of Israel.

In 1959, the United States launched Vanguard 2, the first weather satellite.

Also in 1959, the movie “House on Haunted Hill”, starring Vincent Price and directed by William Castle, was released in the U.S.

In 1965, NASA launched Ranger 8 on a mission to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon in preparation for the manned Apollo missions.

Also in 1968, on “Doctor Who”, part three of “The Web of Fear” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Nicholas Courtney as Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart.

In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon departed the White House with his wife, Pat, on a historic trip to China. The Vulcans would later create a proverb based on this.

In 1983, the comedy “Local Hero” was released in the U.S. The cast included the man who was Wedge Antilles, and the man who would be the Twelfth Doctor.

In 1985, Murray P. Haydon became the third person to receive a permanent artificial heart as doctors at Humana Hospital Audubon in Louisville, Kentucky, implanted the device. (Haydon lived 488 days with the heart.)

In 1995, Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings (he was later sentenced to a minimum of 200 years in prison).

In 2014, Jimmy Fallon made his debut as host of NBC's "Tonight Show."

In 2016, the Disney animated feature “Zootopia” premiered in Hollywood.

In 2017, wrestler/actor George “The Animal” Steele died in Cocoa Beach, FL at age 79.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 18th:

In 1546, Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben at age 62.

In 1564, artist Michelangelo Buonarroti died in Rome at age 88.

In 1791, Congress passed a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective March 4th, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de-facto independent largely unrecognized state.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time (after already being published in Britain and Canada).

In 1913, Mexican President Francisco I. Madero, Vice President Jose Maria Pino Suarez and Attorney General Adolfo Vallas Baca were ousted during a military coup led by Gen. Victoriano Huerta. Foreign Minister Pedro Lascurain became President for 45 minutes, the shortest term to date of any person as president of any country. At that point, Lascurain resigned in favor of Huerta, whom Lascurain had been forced to appoint as Interior Minister and next in line of succession. (Madero and Pino Suarez were killed on February 22nd.)

In 1919, actor Jack Palance was born in Hazle Township, PA. Believe it…or not.

In 1929, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the winners of the first Academy Awards. The actual awards weren’t given out until May 16th, in a ceremony and banquet held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

In 1930, photographic evidence of the PLANET Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

In 1931, cartoonist Johnny Hart, creator of “B.C.” and co-creator of “The Wizard of Id”, was born in Endicott, NY.

In 1942, The Imperial Japanese Army began the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore.

In 1943, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the wife of the Chinese leader, addressed members of the Senate and then the House, becoming the first Chinese national to address both houses of the U.S. Congress.

Also in 1943, comedian/actor/writer/Goodie Graeme Garden was born in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In 1949, the detective series “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar”, initially starring Charles Russell, premiered on CBS Radio.

In 1954, the first Church of Scientology was established in Los Angeles.

In 1959, Ray Charles recorded “What’d I Say” at Atlantic Records studios in New York City.

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

In 1965, Frank Gifford announced his retirement from football for a career in broadcasting.

In 1966, the spy adventure “The Silencers”, featuring Dean Martin’s first appearance as Matt Helm, was released in the U.S.

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

In 1972, The California Supreme Court, in the case of People v. Anderson, invalidated the state's death penalty and commuted the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment.

In 1977, the Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle was carried on its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747.

In 1979, snow fell in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the only time in recorded history.

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

In 1991, The IRA exploded bombs in the early morning at Paddington Station and Victoria Station in London.

In 1993, actress Jacqueline Hill, best-known for playing Barbara Wright on “Doctor Who”, died in London at age 63.

In 1995, the NAACP replaced veteran chairman William Gibson with Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

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

Also in 2001, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2014, at least 76 people were killed and hundreds were injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kiev, Ukraine.

In 2017, Norma McCorvey died in Katy, TX at age 69. Under the pseudonym “Jane Roe”, she was the plaintiff in the controversial Roe v. Wade lawsuit that would eventually resulted in the banning of U.S. abortion laws. She’d later become a pro-life activist.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 19th:

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

In 1807, former U.S. Vice-President Aaron Burr was arrested in Alabama on charges of plotting to annex Spanish territory in Louisiana and Mexico to be used toward the establishment of an independent republic. (He was acquitted on September 1st.)

In 1819, British explorer William Smith discovered the South Shetland Islands, and claimed them in the name of King George III.

In 1846, in Austin, TX, the newly formed Texas state government was officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transferred power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States.

In 1859, Daniel E. Sickles, a New York Congressman, was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This was the first time this defense was successfully used in the United States.

In 1878, Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.

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

In 1915, during World War I, British and French warships launched their initial attack on Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles, a strait in northwestern Turkey. (The Gallipoli Campaign that followed proved disastrous for the Allies.)

Also in 1915, writer/producer Fred Freiberger was born in the Bronx. His tenure as Producer for the third season of the original “Star Trek” and the second season of “Space:1999” are still regarded as controversial among the show’s respective fans.

In 1932, physician/astronaut Joseph P. Kerwin, Science Pilot for the Skylab 2 mission, was born in Oak Park, IL.

In 1934, a blizzard began inundating the northeastern United States, with the heaviest snowfall occurring in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, clearing the way for the U.S. military to relocate and intern Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Also in 1942, nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attacked the northern Australian city of Darwin, killing 243 people.

In 1942, the original version of the wartime comedy “To Be or Not to Be”, starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1943, the Battle of Kassarine Pass in Tunisia began. It was the first big engagement between American and German forces in World War II, with the American’s suffering a significant defeat.

In 1944, actor/author/filmmaker Donald F. Glut was born in Pecos, TX. He’s best-known to “Star Wars” fans for writing the novelization of “The Empire Strikes Back”.

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

Also in 1945, Medal of Honor recipient Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, USMC was killed in action on Iwo Jima at age 28.

In 1953, Georgia approved the first literature censorship board in the United States.

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

In 1963, "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan was first published by W.W. Norton & Co.

In 1973, NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, TX was formally renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, after the recently deceased President.

In 1976, calling the issuing of Executive Order 9066 (authorizing the internment of Americans of Japanese, German and Italian descent) "a sad day in American history," President Gerald R. Ford issued a proclamation confirming that the order had been terminated with the formal cessation of hostilities of World War II.

In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released the album "Rumours." It sold more than 17 million copies.

In 1981, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled George Harrison "subconsciously plagiarized" the song "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons for his hit, "My Sweet Lord." Harrison was ordered to pay $587,000.

In 1985, the British soap opera "EastEnders" debuted on BBC 1.

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

In 2002, NASA’s Mars Odyssey space probe began mapping the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.

In 2008, an ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power; his brother Raul was later named to succeed him.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI approved sainthood for Mother Mary MacKillop, who became Australia's first saint.

In 2014, aviator/astronaut Dale Gardner, who served on the STS-8 and STS-51-A NASA space shuttle missions, died in Colorado Springs, CO at age 65.

Also in 2014, engineer/cosmonaut Valeri Kubasov died in Moscow, Russia at age 79. He served as Flight Engineer on two missions, Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 19 (the Russian part of the Apollo/Soyuz joint flight).

In 2016, author Harper Lee died in Monroeville, AL at age 89.

 

Lest we forget...