 Today's highlight in history:
On Feb. 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon departed the White
House with his wife, Pat, on a historic trip to China, which he
called "a journey for peace."
On this date:
In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie
between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson
president; Burr became vice president.
In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was
rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, S.C., by the Confederate
hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley, which also sank.
In 1865, Columbia, S.C., burned as the Confederates evacuated and
Union forces moved in. (It's not clear which side set the blaze.)
In 1897, the forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress
of Mothers, convened its first meeting, in Washington.
In 1904, the original two-act version of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama
Butterfly" was poorly received at its premiere at La Scala in Milan,
Italy.
In 1933, Newsweek was first published by Thomas J.C. Martyn under
the title "News-Week."
In 1947, the Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet
Union.
In 1959, the United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite which
carried meteorological equipment on board.
In 1964, the Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that
congressional districts within each state had to be roughly equal in
population.
In 1986, Johnson & Johnson announced it would no longer sell
over-the-counter medications in capsule form, following the death of
a woman who had taken a cyanide-laced Tylenol capsule.
In 1988, Lt. Col. William Higgins, a Marine Corps officer serving
with a United Nations truce monitoring group, was kidnapped in
southern Lebanon by Iranian-backed terrorists (he was later slain by
his captors).
In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee to
life in prison (he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate in Nov.
1994).
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush opened a three-nation
Asian tour in recession-wracked Japan, where he urged Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi (joon-ee-chee-roh koh-ee-zoo-mee) to follow
through on long-promised economic reforms. The new Transportation
Security Administration took over supervision of aviation security
from the airline industry and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Ward Burton took advantage of Sterling Marlin's blunder for his
first victory in the Daytona 500. (Marlin, who appeared in control
of the race, was penalized for getting out of his car and pulling
briefly on a damaged fender during the stoppage.)
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Five years ago: Senate Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to
repudiate President George W. Bush's deployment of 21,500 additional
combat troops to Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a
surprise visit to Baghdad. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., Marine Lance
Cpl. Robert B. Pennington was sentenced to 8 years in military
prison for his role in the kidnapping and killing of an Iraqi
civilian. Former French Cabinet minister Maurice Papon, convicted of
complicity in crimes against humanity for his role in deporting Jews
during World War II, died near Paris at age 96.
One year ago: A group of Democratic Wisconsin lawmakers
blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill, refusing to show up
for a vote and then abruptly leaving the state in an effort to force
Republicans to the negotiating table. Iowa high school wrestler Joel
Northrup defaulted on his first-round state tournament match rather
than face Cassy Herkelman, one of the first girls ever to qualify
for the event, saying that wrestling a girl would conflict with his
religious beliefs.
Today's birthdays: Actor Hal Holbrook is 87. Mystery writer
Ruth Rendell is 82. Singer Bobby Lewis is 79. Actor-comedian Barry
Humphries (aka "Dame Edna") is 78. Country singer-songwriter Johnny
Bush is 77. Actress Christina Pickles is 77. Football Hall-of-Famer
Jim Brown is 76. Actress Mary Ann Mobley is 73. Actress Brenda
Fricker is 67. Actress Rene Russo is 58. Actor Richard Karn is 56.
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 50. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael
Jordan is 49. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy is 49. TV
personality Rene Syler is 49. Movie director Michael Bay is 48.
Singer Chante Moore is 45. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is
42. Actor Dominic Purcell is 42. Olympic gold medal skier Tommy Moe
is 42. Actress Denise Richards is 41. Rock singer-musician Billie
Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 40. Actor Jerry O'Connell is 38.
Country singer Bryan White is 38. Actress Kelly Carlson is 36. Actor
Ashton Holmes is 34. Actor Jason Ritter is 32. TV personality Paris
Hilton is 31. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 31. Actor Chord
Overstreet (TV: "Glee") is 23. Actress Meaghan Martin is 20.
Thought for today: "Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally
hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away.
But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven
from one field unfurls it in another." -- Helen Hunt Jackson,
American author (1831-1885)
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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