Today in History
Significant Events
- 1519 Hernán Cortés leaves Cuba for the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico with 11 ships and 500 men
- 1678 John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" is published in Holborn, London, by Nathaniel Ponder
- 1861 King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia becomes first King of Italy
- 1885 Mark Twain publishes the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the US
- 1917 1st major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [NS=Mar 3]
- 2014 Ukrainian Revolution of 2014 begins as protesters, riot police and unknown shooters take part in violent events in the capital, Kiev, culminating after five days in the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych
Today in Film & TV
- 1952 4th Emmy Awards: first time awards presented based on nationwide basis, "The Red Skelton Show", Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca win
Today in Music
- 1735 1st opera performed in America, "Flora", in Charleston, South Carolina
Today in Sport
- 2001 Crash during Daytona 500 race on last lap claims life of Dale Earnhardt, prompting sport to implement new safety procedures
Famous Birthdays
Qin Shi Huang
(259 BC - 210 BC)
Alessandro Volta
(1745 - 1827)
Yoko Ono
86th Birthday
Tomorrow's Famous Birthdays
Nicolaus Copernicus
(1473 - 1543)
Lee Marvin
(1924 - 1987)
Hana Mandlikova
Turns 56
Would You Believe?
Fort St. Louis is established by a Frenchman at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to Texas.
On this day in 1685
Famous Weddings
- 1922 Football player George Halas (27) weds Minnie Bushing
- 1937 Actress Mary Astor (30) weds film editor Manuel del Campo (23) in Yuma, Arizona
- 1940 Molecular biologist Francis Crick (23) weds Ruth Doreen Dodd
Kublai Khan
Martin Luther
Michelangelo
André Gide
Deng Xiaoping
Harper LeeThis Month in History
Nat King Cole's Struggle With Racism
Sure, he had unique talent and a golden voice, but as Nat King Cole, who died on this day, was to discover, that wasn't enough for American racists.
February 15, 1965
A Deadly Bite, Or King Tut's Revenge?
It was one of the most spectacular archaeological finds – but was the disturbed Tutankhamun a sleeping tiger?
February 16, 1923
Buried at Sea: The Casket That Carried JFK
John F. Kennedy's aides struggling to load the casket containing the slain President aboard Air Force One is an enduring image. But what happened to the casket?
February 18, 1966
Final Deadly Performance of a Twisted Actor
From a celebrated family of actors came a young man with a twisted mind whose last performance involved the death of a president.
February 20, 1817
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