 Today's highlight in history:
On Feb. 22, 1732 (New Style date), the first president of the United
States, George Washington, was born in Westmoreland County in the
Virginia Colony.
On this date:
In 1784, a U.S. merchant ship, the Empress of China, left New York
for the Far East to trade goods with China.
In 1862, Jefferson Davis, already the provisional president of the
Confederacy, was inaugurated for a six-year term following his
election in November 1861.
In 1865, Tennessee adopted a new constitution which included the
abolition of slavery.
In 1909, the Great White Fleet, a naval task force sent on a
round-the-world voyage by President Theodore Roosevelt, returned
after more than a year at sea.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first radio
broadcast from the White House as he addressed the country over 42
stations.
In 1935, it became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White
House.
In 1940, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) was enthroned at age 4
in Lhasa, Tibet.
In 1959, the inaugural Daytona 500 race was held; although Johnny
Beauchamp was initially declared the winner, the victory was later
awarded to Lee Petty.
In 1967, more than 25,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched
Operation Junction City, aimed at smashing a Vietcong stronghold
near the Cambodian border. (Although the communists were driven out,
they later returned.)
In 1973, the United States and China agreed to establish liaison
offices.
In 1980, the "Miracle on Ice" took place in Lake Placid, N.Y., as
the United States Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets, 4-3. (The
U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)
In 1987, pop artist Andy Warhol died at a New York City hospital at
age 58; talk-show host David Susskind was found dead in his
Manhattan hotel suite; he was 66.
Ten years ago: Police in San Diego arrested David Westerfield
in connection with the disappearance of seven-year-old Danielle van
Dam. (Westerfield was later sentenced to death for Danielle's
murder.) The Angolan army and government announced the killing of
UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi. Cartoon animator Chuck Jones died in
Newport Beach, Calif., at age 89.
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Five years ago: Britain's Ministry of Defense announced that
Prince Harry, a second lieutenant in the British army, would be
deployed to Iraq (officials later reversed the decision because of
insurgent threats). The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Iran had
ignored a Security Council ultimatum to freeze uranium enrichment,
and instead had expanded its program by setting up hundreds of
centrifuges.
One year ago: A defiant Moammar Gadhafi vowed to fight to his
"last drop of blood" and roared at supporters to strike back against
Libyan protesters to defend his embattled regime. A magnitude-6.1
earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, killed 184 people. Somali
pirates shot to death four Americans taken hostage on their yacht
several hundred miles south of Oman. Former White House chief of
staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago.
Today's birthdays: Announcer Don Pardo is 94. Actor Paul
Dooley is 84. Hollywood "ghost singer" Marni Nixon is 82. Movie
director Jonathan Demme (DEH'-mee) is 68. Actor John Ashton is 64.
Actress Miou-Miou is 62. Actress Julie Walters is 62. Basketball
Hall of Famer Julius Erving is 62. Actress Ellen Greene is 61.
Former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is 60. White House adviser David
Axelrod is 57. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 53. World Golf Hall of Famer
Vijay Singh is 49. Actress-comedian Rachel Dratch is 46. Actor Paul
Lieberstein (TV: "The Office") is 45. Actress Jeri Ryan is 44. Actor
Thomas Jane is 43. Actress Tamara Mello is 42. Actress-singer Lea
Salonga (LAY'-uh suh-LONG'-guh) is 41. Actor Jose Solano is 41.
International Tennis Hall-of-Famer Michael Chang is 40. Rock
musician Scott Phillips is 39. Actress Drew Barrymore is 37. Actress
Liza Huber is 37. Singer James Blunt is 35. Rock singer Tom
Higgenson (Plain White T's) is 33. Actor Zach Roerig (TV: "The
Vampire Diaries") is 27. Actor Daniel E. Smith is 22.
Thought for today: "It is better to offer no excuse than a
bad one." -- President George Washington (1732-1799)
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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