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 Today's
highlight in history:
On Feb. 15, 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.
On this date:
In 1564, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa.
In 1764, the city of St. Louis was established by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau.
In 1820, American suffragist Susan B. Anthony was born in Adams, Mass.
In 1879, President Hayes signed a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court.
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 more than four weeks later.
In 1942, the British colony Singapore surrendered to the Japanese during World War II.
In 1961, 73 people, including an 18-member U.S. figure skating team en route to Czechoslovakia, were killed in the crash of a Sabena Airlines Boeing 707 in Belgium.
In 1965, Canada's new maple-leaf flag was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa.
In 1986, the Philippines National Assembly proclaimed Ferdinand E. Marcos president for another six years, following an election marked by allegations of fraud. (Marcos ended up being ousted from power.)
In 1989, the Soviet Union announced that the last of its troops had left Afghanistan, after more than nine years of military intervention.
Ten years ago: Monica Lewinsky's attorney, William Ginsburg, continued his harsh criticism of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr for alleged leaks of information to the news media, charging on CNN that his client's constitutional rights were being trampled. Two Japanese ski jumpers (Kazuyoshi Funaki and Masahiko Harada) leapt to gold and bronze medals in the 120-meter event at the Nagano Olympics.
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Five years ago: Millions of protesters around the world demonstrated against a possible U.S. attack on Iraq.
One year ago: National Guardsmen in Humvees ferried food, fuel and baby supplies to hundreds of motorists stranded for nearly a day on a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 78 in eastern Pennsylvania because of a monster storm. The U.S. Mint unveiled the newest $1 coin. Oscar-winning songwriter Ray Evans died in Los Angeles at age 92.
Today's birthdays: Actor Kevin McCarthy is 94. Actor Allan Arbus is 90. Country singer Hank Locklin is 90. Former Illinois Rep. John Anderson is 86. Comedian Harvey Korman is 81. Actress Claire Bloom is 77. Author Susan Brownmiller is 73. Songwriter Brian Holland is 67. Rock musician Mick Avory (The Kinks) is 64. Jazz musician Henry Threadgill is 64. Actress Jane Seymour is 57. Singer Melissa Manchester is 57. Actress Lynn Whitfield is 55. "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is 54. Model Janice Dickinson is 53. Actor Christopher McDonald is 53. Reggae singer Ali Campbell is 49. Actor Joseph R. Gannascoli is 49. Musician Mikey Craig (Culture Club) is 48. Country singer Michael Reynolds (Pinmonkey) is 44. Actor Michael Easton is 41. Actress Renee O'Connor is 37. Actress Sarah Wynter is 35. Rock singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus) is 32. Rock musician Ronnie Vannucci (The Killers) is 32. Actress Ashley Lyn Cafagna is 25.
Thought for today: "Like all dreamers, I confuse disenchantment
with truth." -- Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher (1905-1980)
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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