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Saturday, February 07, 2009

This day in history

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[February 07, 2009]  (AP)  Today is Saturday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2009. There are 327 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 7, 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.

On this date:

In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England.

In 1857, a French court acquitted author Gustave Flaubert of obscenity for his serialized novel "Madame Bovary."

In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 1,500 buildings.

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized a flag for the office of the vice president.

In 1943, the government announced the start of shoe rationing, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person for the remainder of the year.

In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.

In 1964, The Beatles began their first American tour as they arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 1971, women in Switzerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed.

In 1974, the island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain.

In 1983, Elizabeth H. Dole was sworn in as the first female secretary of transportation by the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Ten years ago: Jordan's King Hussein died of cancer at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah. NASA launched the Stardust spacecraft on a mission to chase a comet in hopes of collecting a sample of comet dust.

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Five years ago: John Kerry won the Washington state and Michigan Democratic presidential primaries.

One year ago: John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his campaign. Fourteen refinery workers were killed in a sugar dust explosion near Savannah, Ga. A gunman opened fire at a Kirkwood, Mo., council meeting, killing two police officers and three city officials before being fatally shot by law enforcers. In Los Angeles, a man who claimed responsibility for the deaths of three relatives opened fire on a SWAT unit, killing one officer; the gunman was killed by a police sniper. After two months of delay, shuttle Atlantis blasted into orbit with Europe's gift to the international space station, a $2 billion science lab named Columbus.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Wilma Lee Cooper is 88. Author Gay Talese is 77. Actor Miguel Ferrer is 54. Reggae musician Brian Travers (UB40) is 50. Comedy writer Robert Smigel is 49. Actor James Spader is 49. Country singer Garth Brooks is 47. Rock musician David Bryan (Bon Jovi) is 47. Actor-comedian Eddie Izzard is 47. Actor-comedian Chris Rock is 44. Actor Jason Gedrick is 42. Actress Essence Atkins is 37. Rock singer-musician Wes Borland (Black Light Burns) is 34. Actor Ashton Kutcher is 31. Actress Tina Majorino is 24.

Thought for Today: "A cruel story runs on wheels, and every hand oils the wheels as they run." - Ouida (Marie Louise de la Ramee), English writer (1839-1908).

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

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