February 16:

1804: During the First Barbary War, Lt. Stephen Decatur led a daring mission in Tripoli to destroy the Philadelphia, captured in October 1803.

1894: John Wesley Hardin was pardoned after 15 years in prison for murder.

1923: Archaeologist Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamen to reveal the treasures therein.

1962: Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique was published.

1984: Bill Johnson was the first American to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing.

February 17:

1801: Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the U.S. This was the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to the opposition. It was a brutal campaign with much mud being slung. Because Jefferson and his running mate, Aaron Burr (yes, that Aaron Burr), were tied with the same number of electoral votes, the election was decided by the House of Representatives.

1865: The Union Army under Gen. Sherman's command sacked Columbia, S.C.

1904: Premiere of Madame Butterfly

1947: Voice of America began first radio broadcasts to the Soviet Union.

1972: The Volkswagen Beetle became the world's best selling car.

1979: China invaded Vietnam

Historian, Washington started last night on the History Channel. Did you watch it?

Unfortunately, no. I don't have cable. I was not even aware. However, from what I've heard, the History Channel has declined in quality in recent years. Apparently, they have too much about UFOs, truckers in Alaska, etc. and not enough actual history content. I hope that is not true.

This is the first time I have watched this channel in a while. Only now because of Washington. It has started out really good. It will cover 3 nights. Grant is next. Starting to see better programming.

The History Channel started out with lots of quality programming then seems to have declined a bit. Nice to see they still have some of that old spark. History can be fascinating if presented properly. Not enough people realize that.

February 18:

1885: Publication of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

1929: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the first winners of their awards.

1930: Discovery of Pluto, 9th planet although it's status has been demoted.

1943: The Gestapo arrested members of the White Rose resistance group in Munich Hans School and his sister Sophie. They would later be executed for daring to speak out against the Nazis.

2001: Dale Earnhardt was called in a crash during the Daytona 500.

2003: Arsonist started a fire in a subway in South Korea.

2010: Wikileaks published the first documents obtained from Bradley Manning.

February 19:

1473: Birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus

1807: Aaron Burr was arrested for treason.

1847: The Donner party survivors were rescued.

1878: Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.

1942: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order authorizing the forceful removal of Japanese-Americans from their homes into internment camps.

1945: U.S. Marines invaded the Japanese island of Iwo Jima.

historian said:

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February 19:

1473: Birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus

1807: Aaron Burr was arrested for treason.

1847: The Donner party survivors were rescued.

1878: Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.

1942: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order authorizing the forceful removal of Japanese-Americans from their homes into internment camps.

1945: U.S. Marines invaded the Japanese island of Iwo Jima.

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Interesting day

February 20:

1792: Pres. George Washington signed legislation organizing the U.S. Postal Service as a Cabinet department led by the Postmaster General and guaranteeing that newspapers could be delivered inexpensively.

1919: Habibullah Khan, the leader of Afghanistan who had kept his country neutral during WWI despite pressure from Turkey and anti-British citizens, was assassinated.

1962: John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth.

1998: Tara Lipinski became the youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist.

February 21:

1848: Publication of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

1885: Dedication of the Washington Monument.

1916: Beginning of the Battle of Verdun, an 11-month long bloodbath during WWI in which both sides together suffered close to a million casualties with nothing of consequence gained.

1918: Allied troops captured Jericho.

1948: Founding of NASCAR.

1965: Malcolm Little (aka Malcolm X) assassinated.

1970: National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger began secret negotiations with the North Vietnamese.

1972: Pres. Richard Nixon arrived in China.

February 12 update:

1990: Robert Griffin III's birthday

I did not realize this before!

40 years ago today. Maybe the greatest moment in sports.

Jack Bauer said:

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40 years ago today. Maybe the greatest moment in sports.

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That was the Gold Metal game (good stuff) but he greatest was defeating the USSR the game before

February 22:

1732: George Washington's birthday

1819: The Florida Purchase Treaty (aka Adams-Onis Treaty) was signed by Spanish minister de Onis & U.S. Secretary of State John Q. Adams--the greatest Secretary of State in U.S. history. Besides purchasing Florida, the U.S. also clearly settled the southern border of the Louisiana Territory.

1847: Beginning of the Battle of Buena Vista

1942: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered Gen. Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines as the Japanese were on the verge of conquest. MacArthur vowed to return.

1946: American diplomat George F. Kennan sent the Long Telegram to the State Dept. It analyzed what the Soviets were doing in Europe and laid out the framework for the policy of Containment soon to be implemented by Pres. Truman.

1968: End of the failed Tet Offensive during which the Viet Minh attacked numerous South Vietnamese positions simultaneously but failed to hold onto any of them. It became a propaganda victory for the communists when Walter Cronkite reported it a victory for them.

1980: U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviet team in the Olympics held at Lake Placid, NY.

2014: El Chapo, the world's most wanted drug lord, was captured in Mexico.

No, this video clip is the US vs Soviets. Listen ahead just before the 1 minute mark for the line, "Do you believe in miracles?"

Jack Bauer said:

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40 years ago today. Maybe the greatest moment in sports.

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It's hard to really enjoy this clip cutting onions while watching it

February 23:

1778: Prussian military expert Friedrich von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge. The Patriot soldiers had a rough winter but with von Steuben's help, they used their time wisely with training that produced a professional army capable of defeating the British in open battle.

1861: President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Washington, D.C. amid high security in preparation for his inauguration after several southern states (including Texas) had already seceded from the Union.

1868: Birthday of W.E.B. DuBois

1945: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, the American flag was raised on Mt. Suribachi. This is the first time a foreign flag had ever been raised on Japanese soil and resulted in the most famous war photograph in history.



1954: First polio vaccine was administered.

1980: Eric Heiden won the 10,000 meter speed skating race in the Olympics while also setting a world record.

historian said:

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February 23:

1778: Prussian military expert Friedrich von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge. The Patriot soldiers had a rough winter but with von Steuben's help, they used their time wisely with training that produced a professional army capable of defeating the British in open battle.

1861: President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Washington, D.C. amid high security in preparation for his inauguration after several southern states (including Texas) had already seceded from the Union.

1868: Birthday of W.E.B. DuBois

1945: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, the American flag was raised on Mt. Suribachi. This is the first time a foreign flag had ever been raised on Japanese soil and resulted in the most famous war photograph in history.



1954: First polio vaccine was administered.

1980: Eric Heiden won the 10,000 meter speed skating race in the Olympics while also setting a world record.

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a nice day for patriotism

True. Every item can be seen as an example of American accomplishment. Even WEB DuBois was one of the founders of the NAACP which would eventually provide leadership for some of the greatest civil rights accomplishments ever (Brown v Board of Education, Rosa Parks, etc) before becoming radicalized in more recent years.

35 years ago today...

February 24:

1803: The Supreme Court under new Chief Justice John Marshall, decided the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison, establishing judicial review.

1836: Col. William Barrett Travis sent out a all for help from the Alamo, under siege by Santa Anna's army.

1840: Former president John Q. Adams began arguing the Amistad case before the Supreme Court.

1868: Pres. Andrew Johnson was impeached. He deliberately violated a very questionable law so that it could be tested in the courts.

1917: The British government presented to America's ambassador to the UK the Zimmerman Telegram, which they had intercepted and deciphered. In it, the German government proposed an alliance with Mexico: if the Mexicans would attack the U.S., the Germans would help them recover territories lost in the Mexican-American War. The U.S. would declare war on Germany in April.

1946: Juan Peron was elected president of Argentina.

1991: U.S.-led coalition forces launched the ground offensive against the Iraq Army in occupation of Kuwait during the Gulf War.

historian said:

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February 24:

1803: The Supreme Court under new Chief Justice John Marshall, decided the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison, establishing judicial review.

1836: Col. William Barrett Travis sent out a all for help from the Alamo, under siege by Santa Anna's army.

1840: Former president John Q. Adams began arguing the Amistad case before the Supreme Court.

1868: Pres. Andrew Johnson was impeached. He deliberately violated a very questionable law so that it could be tested in the courts.

1917: The British government presented to America's ambassador to the UK the Zimmerman Telegram, which they had intercepted and deciphered. In it, the German government proposed an alliance with Mexico: if the Mexicans would attack the U.S., the Germans would help them recover territories lost in the Mexican-American War. The U.S. would declare war on Germany in April.

1946: Juan Peron was elected president of Argentina.

1991: U.S.-led coalition forces launched the ground offensive against the Iraq Army in occupation of Kuwait during the Gulf War.

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I wasn't aware of the Zimmerman telegram.

Barbara Tuchman wrote an excellent brief monograph on the subject. I read it many years ago & it reminded me of the Ian Fleming novels I sometimes read as a teenager.

February 25:

1870: America's first black congressman was sworn in.

1948: Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. Edvard Benes, the elected president, was forced out in a bloodless coup.

1964: Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali) won his first heavy weight title.

February 26:

1564: Baptism of Christopher Marlowe, prominent English playwright.

1919: Grand Canyon National Park was established.

1929: Grand Tetons National Park was established.

1945: American forces recaptured the island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manilla Bay from Japanese control.

1990: The communist Sandinistas were defeated in Nicaraguan elections.

1993: First bombing of the World Trade Center by Islamofascist terrorists.

historian said:

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February 26:

1564: Baptism of Christopher Marlowe, prominent English playwright.

1919: Grand Canyon National Park was established.

1929: Grand Tetons National Park was established.

1945: American forces recaptured the island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manilla Bay from Japanese control.

1990: The communist Sandinistas were defeated in Nicaraguan elections.

1993: First bombing of the World Trade Center by Islamofascist terrorists.

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. In March 1994, Mohammed Salameh, Ahmad Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad, and Mahmoud Abouhalima were convicted by a federal jury for their role in the bombing, and each was sentenced to life in prison. Salameh, a Palestinian, was arrested when he went to retrieve the $400 deposit he had left for the Ryder rental van used in the attack.

Has to rank as dumbest terrorist in history.

Keyser Soze said:

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I remember exactly where I was when I heard the last 3 of those:

1987: was at my apartment watching WFAA (was transitioning between jobs)
1989: lunch at JG's Hamburgers on Greenville/635
1994: office in downtown Houston, visiting with another fervent BU grad

Too young to remember Clay over Liston; wouldn't think Maravich would have registered that much (especially since Wilt scored 100 in a game in 1962).

87 was a real wow moment. The wow wasnt JJ buying the team, it was firing Tom Landry

February 27:

1827: New Orleans students celebrated the first Mardi Gras.

1844: The Dominican Republic declared its independence.

1860: Matthew Brady took photographs of Pres. Lincoln.

1973: The American Indian Movement began their occupation of Wounded Knee.

February 28:

1784: John Wesley chartered the first Methodist Church in the US.

1861: Congress created the Colorado Territory.

1953: James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the chemical structure of DNA.

1983: Final Episode of the popular TV series M*A*S*H aired.

1987: Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev announced his willingness to negotiate a nuclear arms treaty. This would result in the INF Treaty, the first successful nuclear arms treaty, later that year.

1993: The ATF raided the compound of the Branch Davidian cultists in Mt Carmel, outside Waco.

1994: NATO took its first military action to deal with the genocide in the Balkans.

2013: Pope Benedict resigned.

historian said:

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February 28:

1784: John Wesley chartered the first Methodist Church in the US.

1861: Congress created the Colorado Territory.

1953: James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the chemical structure of DNA.

1983: Final Episode of the popular TV series M*A*S*H aired.

1987: Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev announced his willingness to negotiate a nuclear arms treaty. This would result in the INF Treaty, the first successful nuclear arms treaty, later that year.

1993: The ATF raided the compound of the Branch Davidian cultists in Mt Carmel, outside Waco.

1994: NATO took its first military action to deal with the genocide in the Balkans.

2013: Pope Benedict resigned.

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83 was great
93 marked the start of a great display of ineptitude. They could have stabbed the guy in town on any number of visits.

LIB,MR BEARS said:

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historian said:

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February 28:

1784: John Wesley chartered the first Methodist Church in the US.

1861: Congress created the Colorado Territory.

1953: James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the chemical structure of DNA.

1983: Final Episode of the popular TV series M*A*S*H aired.

1987: Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev announced his willingness to negotiate a nuclear arms treaty. This would result in the INF Treaty, the first successful nuclear arms treaty, later that year.

1993: The ATF raided the compound of the Branch Davidian cultists in Mt Carmel, outside Waco.

1994: NATO took its first military action to deal with the genocide in the Balkans.

2013: Pope Benedict resigned.

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83 was great
93 marked the start of a great display of ineptitude. They could have stabbed the guy in town on any number of visits.

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I assume you mean "nab" (apprehend) & not "stab". Even a nut case deserves his day in court.

There were very few aspects of the Clinton years that were not inept. Actually, that may be too kind: incompetent, corrupt, criminal come to mind as better labels.