This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 05 1994 White supremacist convicted of killing Medgar Evers On February 5, 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in the murder of African American civil rights leader Medgar Evers, over 30 years after the crime occurred. Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his Jackson, Mississippi, home on June 12, 1963, while his wife, Myrlie, and t... read more 19th Century 1883 Southern Pacific Railroad completes New Orleans to California route American Revolution 1777 Georgia constitution abolishes primogeniture and entail Ancient Rome 146 BCE Punic Wars, between Rome and Carthage, come to an end Art, Literature, and Film History 1919 United Artists created Colonial America 1631 Roger Williams arrives in America Crime 2012 Husband of missing Utah woman kills self and two young sons Great Depression 1937 FDR announces “court-packing” plan Immigration 1917 Immigration act passed over President Wilson’s veto Latin American History 1917 Mexican constitution proclaimed Sports 1934 Hank Aaron is born U.S. Government and Politics 2003 Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at UN, justifies US invasion of Iraq U.S. Presidents 1826 Millard Fillmore marries Abigail Powers World War II 1941 Hitler to Mussolini: Fight harder!

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 06

1952 King George VI dies; Elizabeth becomes queen On February 6, 1952, after a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the older of the king’s two daughters and next in line to succeed him, was in Kenya at the time of her father’s death; she was off... read more

19th Century 1891 Dalton Gang commits its first train robbery

American Revolution 1778 Franco-American alliances signed

Art, Literature, and Film History 1937 "Of Mice and Men" is published 1998 Austrian superstar Falco dies

Civil War 1865 Confederate general John Pegram killed

Crime 1998 Mary Kay Letourneau goes back to prison

Roaring Twenties 1928 Woman claiming to be Anastasia Romanov arrives in the U.S.

Slavery 1820 Formerly enslaved people depart on journey to Africa

Sports 1958 Man United players among victims of plane crash 1993 Tennis great Arthur Ashe dies of AIDS

U.S. Presidents 1911 Ronald Reagan born 1985 The “Reagan Doctrine” is announced

World War I 1917 German sub sinks U.S. passenger ship California

World War II 1943 Mussolini fires his son-in-law

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 07 1964 The Beatles arrive in New York On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York’s Kennedy Airport—and “Beatlemania” arrives. It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before with “I ... read more 1990s 1992 European Union treaty signed American Revolution 1775 Benjamin Franklin publishes “An Imaginary Speech” Cold War 1962 Full U.S.-Cuba embargo is announced Crime 1881 Plea bargaining gains favor in American courts 1968 Forensic evidence solves a crime EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1904 The Great Baltimore Fire begins Holocaust 1979 Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death,” dies Natural Disasters & Environment 1812 Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi Space Exploration 1984 Navy captain becomes the first human to perform an untethered space walk U.S. Presidents 2002 President George W. Bush announces plan for “faith-based initiatives”

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 08 1943 Americans secure Guadalcanal On February 8, 1943, Japanese troops evacuate Guadalcanal, leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign. The American victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomons, a group of 992 islands and atolls, 347 of which ... read more The Greatest Story Never Told From Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones comes The 1619 Project, a docuseries based on the New York Times multimedia project, that examines the legacy of slavery in America and its impact on our society today. Stream Now Art, Literature, and Film History 1915 “The Birth of A Nation” opens, glorifying the KKK 1990 Del Shannon, a ‘60s songwriter, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound 1994 Jack Nicholson smashes windshield in episode of road rage Black History 1968 Three protestors die in the Orangeburg Massacre Civil War 1862 Battle of Roanoke Island Cold War 1949 Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary sentenced Crime 1924 First execution by lethal gas 1983 Irish race horse stolen European History 1587 Mary, Queen of Scots beheaded 1725 Peter the Great dies 1904 The Russo-Japanese War begins Native American History 1887 Cleveland signs the Dawes Severalty Act Natural Disasters & Environment 1978 New England digs out after blizzard Sports 1936 Jay Berwanger picked No. 1 in first NFL draft 1986 Spud Webb wins dunk contest

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 09 1971 Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame On February 9, 1971, pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his fastball, showmanship and the longevity of his playing career, which spanned five decades, was induc... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1960 Joanne Woodward earns first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1964 America meets the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” Civil War 1864 Union general George Custer marries Cold War 1950 Senator McCarthy says communists are in State Department Crime 1960 Coors brewery heir is kidnapped Sports 1992 Magic Johnson returns for All-Star Game U.S. Government and Politics 1825 Presidential election decided in the House U.S. Presidents 1773 William Henry Harrison is born World War I 1918 Ukraine signs peace treaty with Central Powers World War II 1942 The Normandie catches fire 1942 Daylight saving time instituted

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 10 1996 World chess champion Garry Kasparov loses game to computer On February 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in ... read more 19th Century 1846 Latter-day Saints begin exodus to Utah Art, Literature, and Film History 1957 Laura Ingalls Wilder, chronicler of American frontier life, dies 1972 Ziggy Stardust makes his earthly debut 2006 Final episode of “Arrested Development” airs on Fox 2014 Iconic child star Shirley Temple dies at 85 Cold War 1962 U.S.-Soviet spy swap Colonial America 1763 The French and Indian War ends Crime 1992 Star boxer Mike Tyson convicted of rape Inventions & Science 1966 Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader testifies before Congress Natural Disasters & Environment 1970 Avalanche buries skiers in France Vietnam War 1971 Journalists killed in helicopter crash

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 11 1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990. In 1944, Mandela, a lawyer, joined the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest Black political organization in South Africa, where he became a leader of Johannesbur... read more 21st Century 2020 World Health Organization officially names novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 Art, Literature, and Film History 1778 Voltaire returns to Paris from exile 1960 The Payola scandal heats up 2012 Pop superstar Whitney Houston dies at age 48 Crime 1916 Women’s rights activist arrested Native American History 1805 Sacagawea gives birth to her first child Religion 1858 St. Bernadette claims to see the Virgin Mary Space Exploration 1970 Japan launches its first satellite Sports 1878 First US cycling club formed World War II 1945 Yalta Conference ends

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 12 1909 The NAACP is founded On February 12, 1909, the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, a group that included African American leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett announced the formation of a new organization. Called the National Association for the... read more Sports History This Week Former Super Bowl champion, Doug Williams, weighs in on why Black quarterbacks have been a rarity in pro football. Listen Now American Revolution 1789 Ethan Allen dies Art, Literature, and Film History 1924 “Rhapsody In Blue,” by George Gershwin, performed for first time 1938 Judy Blume, popular young-adult author, is born 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "The Gates" opens in New York's Central Park 2008 Hollywood writers’ strike ends after 100 days Asian History 1912 Last emperor of China abdicates Crime 1976 Actor Sal Mineo is killed in Hollywood EUROPEAN HISTORY 2002 Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic goes on trial for war crimes Latin American History 1817 Revolutionary leader José de San Martín routs Spanish forces in Chile Slavery 1793 Congress enacts first fugitive slave law U.S. Presidents 1809 Abraham Lincoln is born 1999 President Bill Clinton acquitted on both articles of impeachment Vietnam War 1972 Cambodians launch attack to retake Angkor Wat 1973 Release of U.S. POWs begins World War I 1917 American schooner Lyman M. Law is sunk World War II 1941 German General Erwin Rommel arrives in Africa

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 13 1945 Firebombing of Dresden On the evening of February 13, 1945, a series of Allied firebombing raids begins against the German city of Dresden, reducing the “Florence of the Elbe” to rubble and flames, and killing roughly 25,000 people. Despite the horrendous scale of destruction, it arguably accomplished little stra... read more 19th Century 1861 First Medal of Honor action Art, Literature, and Film History 1914 ASCAP is founded Crime 1982 Serial killer strikes in Colorado European History 1689 William and Mary proclaimed joint sovereigns of Britain 1984 Chernenko becomes general secretary of Soviet Communist Party Inventions & Science 1633 Galileo arrives in Rome to face charges of heresy Sports 1923 First all-Black professional basketball team organized 1998 Downhill skier Hermann Maier crashes in Olympics U.S. Presidents 1905 Teddy Roosevelt discusses America’s race problem Vietnam War 1965 Lyndon Johnson approves Operation Rolling Thunder World War I 1920 League of Nations recognizes perpetual Swiss neutrality

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 14 270 St. Valentine beheaded On February 14, around the year 270 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, is said to have been executed. Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a di... read more 19th Century 1886 First trainload of oranges leaves Los Angeles American Revolution 1779 Patriots defeat Loyalists at Kettle Creek Art, Literature, and Film History 1989 Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini calls on Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses" Crime 1929 The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre 2018 Teen gunman kills 17, injures 17 at Parkland, Florida high school Exploration 1779 Captain Cook killed in Hawaii Latin American History 1989 Sandinistas agree to free elections Space Exploration 1990 "Pale Blue Dot" photo of Earth is taken Sports 1988 Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen falls after sister dies U.S. Presidents 1884 Theodore Roosevelt’s wife and mother die World War II 1943 Battle of the Kasserine Pass

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 15 1898 The USS Maine explodes in Cuba's Havana Harbor A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship USS Maine in Cuba’s Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 American crew members aboard. One of the first American battleships, the Maine weighed more than 6,000 tons and was built at a cost of more than $2 mil... read more 1960s 1965 Canada adopts maple leaf flag 21st Century 2003 Millions protest against the Iraq War in coordinated day of action Art, Literature, and Film History 1950 Disney’s “Cinderella” opens in theaters 1980 Lillian Hellman sues Mary McCarthy Cold War 1950 USSR and PRC sign mutual defense treaty Sports 1953 Albright becomes first female U.S. figure skater to win world title 1961 U.S. figure skating team killed in plane crash 1998 Dale Earnhardt Sr. wins his first Daytona 500 2002 IOC finds fraud, awards second gold in Winter Olympics skating event U.S. Presidents 1903 First Teddy bear goes on sale 1933 FDR escapes assassination attempt in Miami World War II 1942 Singapore falls to Japan

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 16 1923 Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut On February 16, 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. Because the ancient Egyptians saw their pharaohs as gods, they carefully preserved their bodies after death, burying them in elaborate tombs co... read more 19th Century 1804 U.S. Navy stages daring mission during First Barbary War 1878 Silver dollars made legal American Revolution 1778 John Adams prepares to sail for France Cold War 1951 Joseph Stalin attacks the United Nations Crime 1894 Gunslinger John Wesley Hardin is pardoned Inventions & Science 1968 First 9-1-1 call is placed in the United States Latin American History 1959 Fidel Castro sworn in as prime minister Sports 1984 Bill Johnson becomes first American to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing Vietnam War 1968 Tet Offensive results in many new refugees

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 17 1801 Thomas Jefferson is elected third U.S. president On February 17, 1801, Thomas Jefferson is elected the third president of the United States. The election constitutes the first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another in the United States. By 1800, when he decided to run for preside... read more 1970s 1979 China invades Vietnam 19th Century 1820 Senate passes Missouri Compromise American Revolution 1782 French and British battle in the Indian Ocean ART, LITERATURE AND FILM HISTORY 1904 “Madame Butterfly” premieres Civil War 1865 Union army sacks Columbia, South Carolina Cold War 1947 Voice of America begins broadcasts to Russia Crime 1906 Union leaders put on trial for assassination Inventions & Science 1972 Beetle overtakes Model T as world’s best-selling car Sports 1996 Chess champion Garry Kasparov defeats IBM’s Deep Blue 1998 US women win the first Winter Olympics hockey gold medal U.S. Presidents 1801 Thomas Jefferson is elected third U.S. president World War I 1915 Zeppelin L-4 crashes into North Sea

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 18 1885 Mark Twain publishes “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” On February 18, 1885, Mark Twain publishes his famous—and famously controversial—novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) first introduced Huck Finn as the best friend of Tom Sawyer, hero of his tremendously successful novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)... read more 19th Century 1878 Murder ignites Lincoln County War Art, Literature, and Film History 1929 First Academy Awards announced 1959 Ray Charles records “What’d I Say” at Atlantic Records Crime 2003 Arsonist sets fire in South Korean subway 2011 Green River serial killer pleads guilty to 49th murder Inventions & Science 1930 Pluto discovered