Today In History

[Edwin1961]

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2008. There are 330 days left in the year. Today is Fat Tuesday.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 5, 1631, the co-founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, and his wife, Mary, arrived in Boston from England.

On this date:
In 1783, Sweden recognized the independence of the United States.

In 1811, George, Prince of Wales, was named the Prince Regent due to the insanity of his father, Britain's King George III.

In 1887, Verdi's opera "Otello" premiered at La Scala.

In 1897, the Indiana House of Representatives passed, 67-0, a measure redefining the method for determining the area of a circle, which included altering the value of pi. (The bill died in the Indiana Senate.)

In 1917, Congress passed, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, an immigration act severely curtailing the influx of Asians.

In 1917, Mexico's constitution was adopted.

In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court; critics accused Roosevelt of attempting to "pack" the high court.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for Army Lt. Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty before the Vietnam cease-fire.

In 1983, former Nazi Gestapo official Klaus Barbie, expelled from Bolivia, was brought to Lyon, France, to stand trial. (He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison — he died in 1991.)

In 1988, the Arizona House impeached Gov. Evan Mecham, setting the stage for his trial in the state Senate, where he was convicted of obstructing justice and misusing funds.

Ten years ago: Democratic fund-raiser Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie pleaded not guilty in Washington to charges he had raised illegal donations to buy influence in high places. (Trie pleaded guilty in May 1999 to a felony count and a misdemeanor and was sentenced later that year to four months of home detention and three years' probation.)

Five years ago: Secretary of State Colin Powell urged the U.N. Security Council to move against Saddam Hussein, saying Iraq had failed to disarm, was harboring terrorists and was hiding behind a "web of lies." Longtime CBS News radio reporter Larry LeSueur died in Washington at age 93.

One year ago: President Bush unveiled a $2.9 trillion budget, which proposed a big spending increase for the Pentagon while pinching domestic programs.

NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested in Orlando, Fla., accused of trying to kidnap a perceived rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Claude King is 85. The Rev. Andrew M. Greeley is 80. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron is 74. Actor Stuart Damon is 71. Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn is 69. Television producer-writer Stephen J. Cannell is 67. Actor David Selby is 67. Singer-songwriter Barrett Strong is 67. Football Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach is 66. Singer Cory Wells (Three Dog Night) is 66. Movie director Michael Mann is 65. Rock singer Al Kooper is 64. Actress Charlotte Rampling is 62. Actress Barbara Hershey is 60. Actor Christopher Guest is 60. Actor Tom Wilkinson is 59. Actor-comedian Tim Meadows is 47. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh is 46. Actress Laura Linney is 44. Rock musician Duff McKagan (Velvet Revolver) is 44. Rock singer Chris Barron (Spin Doctors) is 40. Singer Bobby Brown is 39. Country singer Sara Evans is 37. Actor Jeremy Sumpter is 19.

Thought for Today: "Politics in America is the binding secular religion." — Theodore H. White, American political writer (1915-1986)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Ash Wednesday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2008. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill.

On this date:
In 1756, America's third vice president, Aaron Burr, was born in Newark, N.J.

In 1778, the United States won official recognition from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris.

In 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1899, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

In 1933, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the so-called "lame duck" amendment, was proclaimed in effect by Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

In 1952, Britain's King George VI died; he was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II.

In 1959, the United States successfully test-fired for the first time a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1978, Muriel Humphrey took the oath of office as a U.S. senator from Minnesota, filling the seat of her late husband, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

In 1992, 16 people were killed when a C-130 military transport plane crashed in Evansville, Ind.

In 1996, a Turkish-owned Boeing 757 jetliner crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from the Dominican Republic, killing 189 people, mostly German tourists.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair redoubled their pledge to use military force against Iraq if necessary; during a joint news conference in which the subject of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky came up, Clinton said he would "never" resign. President Clinton signed a bill changing the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Five years ago: Edging closer to war, President Bush declared "the game is over" for Saddam Hussein and urged skeptical allies to join in disarming Iraq. ABC's "20/20" aired a British documentary on Michael Jackson in which the singer revealed he sometimes let children sleep in his bed.

One year ago: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki complained that the long-awaited Baghdad security operation was off to a slow start, but he also reassured Iraqis that security forces would live up to their responsibilities. Singer Frankie Laine died in San Diego at age 93.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor is 91. Actor Patrick Macnee is 86. Actor Rip Torn is 77. Actress Mamie Van Doren is 77. Actor Mike Farrell is 69. Former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw is 68. Singer Fabian is 65. Actress Gayle Hunnicutt is 65. Actor Michael Tucker is 64. Producer-director-writer Jim Sheridan is 59. Singer Natalie Cole is 58. Actor Jon Walmsley is 52. Actress Kathy Najimy is 51. Rock musician Simon Phillips (Toto) is 51. Actor-director Robert Townsend is 51. Actor Barry Miller is 50. Actress Megan Gallagher is 48. Rock singer Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) is 46. Country singer Richie McDonald is 46. Singer Rick Astley is 42. Rock musician Tim Brown (Boo Radleys) is 39. Actor Brandon Hammond is 24.

Thought for Today: "We are suffering from too much sarcasm." Marianne Moore, American poet (1887-1972)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Thursday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2008. There are 328 days left in the year. This is the Lunar New Year of the Rat.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 7, 1964, The Beatles began their first American tour as they arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

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 1861, the general council of the Choctaw Indian nation adopted a resolution declaring allegiance with the South "in the event a permanent dissolution of the American Union takes place."

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

In 1936, President Franklin 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 General Omar Bradley.

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.

In 1984, space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk.

Ten years ago: The Winter Olympic Games opened in Nagano, Japan. It was announced that Carl Wilson, a founding member of The Beach Boys, had died in Los Angeles from complications of lung cancer; he was 51.

Five years ago: The government raised its terror threat level to "high risk" orange, warning of a growing possibility that the al-Qaida network would launch an attack against the United States to coincide with Muslim holy days. President Bush courted the leaders of France and China in an uphill struggle to win U.N. backing for war with Iraq. Tom Christerson, the longest-living recipient of a fully self-contained artificial heart, died at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky., after 512 days on the AbioCor; he was 71. Colombian guerillas bombed the exclusive El Nogal social club in Bogota, killing 36 people and injuring 160 others.

One year ago: U.S. officials confirmed a new security operation was under way in Baghdad; U.S. armor rushed through streets, and Iraqi armored personnel carriers guarded bridges and major intersections. A Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter was shot down by insurgents in Anbar, killing all seven people on board. In a first, the Food and Drug Administration approved alli, a diet pill that can be bought without a prescription.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Wilma Lee Cooper is 87. Author Gay Talese is 76. Actor Miguel Ferrer is 53. Reggae musician Brian Travers (UB40) is 49. Actor James Spader is 48. Country singer Garth Brooks is 46. Rock musician David Bryan (Bon Jovi) is 46. Actor-comedian Eddie Izzard is 46. Actor-comedian Chris Rock is 43. Actor Jason Gedrick is 41. Actor Ashton Kutcher is 30. Actress Tina Majorino is 23.

Thought for Today: "The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline." — O.A. "Bum" Phillips, American football coach

[Edwin1961]

Today is Friday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2008. There are 327 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 8, 1968, three college students were killed in a confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, S.C., during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley.

On this date:
In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1693, a charter was granted for the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

In 1837, the Senate selected the vice president of the United States, choosing Richard Mentor Johnson after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict over control of Manchuria and Korea, began as Japanese forces attacked Port Arthur.

In 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated.

In 1915, D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking as well as controversial silent movie epic about the Civil War, "The Birth of a Nation," premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1924, the first execution by gas in the United States took place at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City as Gee Jon, a Chinese immigrant convicted of murder, was put to death.

In 1974, the last three-man crew of the Skylab space station returned to Earth after spending 84 days in space.

In 1978, the deliberations of the Senate were broadcast on radio for the first time as members opened debate on the Panama Canal treaties.

In 1989, 144 people were killed when an American-chartered Boeing 707 filled with Italian tourists slammed into a fog-covered mountain in the Azores.

Ten years ago: Olga Danilova of Russia won the first gold medal of the Nagano Winter Games in 15-kilometer classical cross-country skiing.

Five years ago: The chief U.N. arms inspectors arrived in Baghdad for a new round of crucial talks with Iraqi officials. In a jab at major U.S. allies, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told a security conference in Munich that countries such as France and Germany that favored giving Iraq another chance to disarm were undermining what slim chance existed to avoid war. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans marched in support of 9,000 oil workers fired for leading a two-month strike against President Hugo Chavez.

One year ago: Model, actress and tabloid sensation Anna Nicole Smith died in Florida at age 39 of an accidental drug overdose. A federal judge in Fargo, N.D., sentenced Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. to death for the slaying of college student Dru Sjodin. Rival Palestinian leaders signed an agreement on a power-sharing government at Saudi-brokered talks in Mecca.

Today's Birthdays: Composer-conductor John Williams is 76. Actor Jack Larson is 75. Former ABC News anchor Ted Koppel is 68. Actor Nick Nolte is 67. Comedian Robert Klein is 66. Actor-rock musician Creed Bratton is 65. Country singer Dan Seals is 60. Singer Ron Tyson is 60. Actress Brooke Adams is 59. Actress Mary Steenburgen is 55. Author John Grisham is 53. Rock singer Vince Neil (Motley Crue) is 47. Rock singer-musician Sammy LLanas (The BoDeans) is 47. Actor Gary Coleman is 40. Actress Mary McCormack is 39. Actor Seth Green is 34. Actor Josh Morrow is 34. Rock musician Phoenix (Linkin Park) is 31. Actor Ryan Pinkston is 20. Actress Karle Warren ("Judging Amy") is 16.

Thought for Today: "To maintain one's ideals in ignorance is easy." — Uta Hagen, German-born actress (1919-2004)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Saturday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2008. There are 326 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 9, 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

On this date:
In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was born in Charles City County, Va.

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected the provisional president of the Confederate States of America.

In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established.

In 1942, daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, W.Va., Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged the State Department was riddled with Communists.

In 1964, The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS.

In 1971, the crew of Apollo 14 returned to Earth after man's third landing on the moon.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov died at age 69, less than 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was succeeded by Konstantin U. Chernenko.

In 2001, a U.S. Navy submarine collided with a Japanese fishing boat off the Hawaiian coast, killing nine men and boys aboard the boat.

Ten years ago: The Pentagon said it was sending up to 3,000 U.S. ground troops to the Persian Gulf region to discourage what one official called "any creative thinking" by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. At the Nagano Games, German Georg Hackl won the men's luge for the third consecutive Olympics.

Five years ago: President Bush told congressional Republicans at a policy conference that Iraq had fooled the world for more than a decade about its banned weapons and the United Nations was now facing "a moment of truth" in disarming Saddam Hussein. The leaders of Germany and Russia renewed their calls for a peaceful resolution in Iraq, restating their opposition to any U.S.-led war to disarm and oust Saddam Hussein. The U.S. Navy ended its last bombing exercises on Puerto Rico's Vieques Island. The West beat the East 155-145 in the first double overtime game in NBA All-Star history.

One year ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Munich, Germany, that serial numbers and other markings on bombs suggested that Iranians were linked to deadly explosives used by Iraqi militants. British actor Ian Richardson, who portrayed immoral politician Francis Urquhart in the satirical TV drama "House of Cards," died in London at age 72.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Kathryn Grayson is 86. Television journalist Roger Mudd is 80. Actress Janet Suzman is 69. Actress-politician Sheila James Kuehl ("The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis") is 67. Singer-songwriter Carole King is 66. Actor Joe Pesci is 65. Singer Barbara Lewis is 65. Author Alice Walker is 64. Actress Mia Farrow is 63. Singer Joe Ely is 61. Actress Judith Light is 59. Rhythm-and-blues musician Dennis "DT" Thomas (Kool & the Gang) is 57. Actor Charles Shaughnessy is 53. Country singer Travis Tritt is 45. Actress Julie Warner is 43. Country singer Danni Leigh is 38. Actor Jason George is 36. Actor-producer Charlie Day is 32. Actress Ziyi Zhang is 29. Actor David Gallagher is 23. Actress Marina Malota is 20. Actress Camille Winbush ("The Bernie Mac Show") is 18.

Thought for Today: "If we knew where opinion ended and fact began, we should have discovered, I suppose, the absolute." — Alec Waugh, English author (1898-1981)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Sunday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2008. There are 325 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 10, 1967, the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified as Minnesota and Nevada adopted it.

On this date:
In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War.

In 1840, Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1841, Upper Canada and Lower Canada were proclaimed united under an Act of Union passed by the British Parliament.

In 1942, the former French liner Normandie capsized in New York Harbor a day after it caught fire while being refitted for the U.S. Navy.

In 1942, RCA Victor presented Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with a "gold record" for their recording of "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which had sold more than 1 million copies.

In 1949, Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" opened at Broadway's Morosco Theater with Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman.

In 1962, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

In 1968, U.S. figure skater Peggy Fleming won America's only gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

In 1989, Ron Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first black to head a major U.S. political party.

In 2005, playwright Arthur Miller died in Roxbury, Conn., at age 89 on the 56th anniversary of the Broadway opening of his "Death of a Salesman."

Ten years ago: Dr. David Satcher was confirmed by the Senate to be surgeon general. Voters in Maine become the first to repeal a state gay rights law. Monica Lewinsky's mother, Marcia Lewis, testified before the grand jury investigating her daughter's relationship with President Clinton. Speedskater Hiroyasu Shimizu won Japan's first gold medal of the Nagano Olympics, in the 500-meter event.

Five years ago: France, Germany and Belgium jointly vetoed a U.S.-backed measure to authorize NATO to make plans to protect Turkey if Iraq attacked it. Iraq agreed to allow U-2 surveillance flights over its territory, meeting a key demand by U.N. inspectors searching for banned weapons; President Bush, however, brushed aside Iraqi concessions as too little, too late. A Chinese court convicted U.S.-based dissident Wang Bingzhang on spying and terrorism charges and sentenced him to life in prison. President Nixon's press secretary, Ron Ziegler, died in Coronado, Calif., at the age of 63. Former Minnesota Congressman Clark MacGregor, who'd led the Nixon re-election campaign in 1972, died in Pompano Beach, Fla., at age 80.

One year ago: Democrat Barack Obama announced his bid for president, telling thousands at the campaign's kickoff in Springfield, Ill.: "Let us transform this nation." Gen. David Petraeus took charge of U.S. forces in Iraq. The AFC defeated the NFC 31-28 in the Pro Bowl.

Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Leontyne Price is 81. Actor Robert Wagner is 78. Singer Roberta Flack is 71. Singer Jimmy Merchant (Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers) is 68. Olympic gold-medal swimmer Mark Spitz is 58. Country singer Lionel Cartwright is 48. Movie director Alexander Payne ("Sideways") is 47. ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos is 47. Actress Laura Dern is 41. Country singer Dude Mowrey is 36. Actress Elizabeth Banks is 34. Pop singer Rosanna Taverez (Eden's Crush) is 31. Country musician Jeremy Baxter (Carolina Rain) is 28. Rock singer Eric Dill (The Click Five) is 26. Rock musician Ben Romans (The Click Five) is 26. Actress Emma Roberts is 17. Actress Makenzie Vega is 14. Actress Chloe Moretz is 11.

Thought for Today: "Culture is on the horns of this dilemma: if profound and noble it must remain rare, if common it must become mean." — George Santayana, Spanish-born philosopher (1863-1952)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Monday, Feb. 11, the 42nd day of 2008. There are 324 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 11, 1858, a French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have experienced the first of 18 visions of a lady dressed in white in a grotto near Lourdes. (The Catholic Church later accepted that the visions were of the Virgin Mary; Bernadette, who died in 1879 at age 35, was canonized in 1933.)

On this date:
In 1812, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a redistricting law favoring his party — giving rise to the term "gerrymandering."

In 1847, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.

In 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln departed Springfield, Ill., for Washington.

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City.

In 1937, a 6-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors Corps. ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.

In 1945, President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II.

In 1972, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company and Life magazine canceled plans to publish what turned out to be a fake autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

In 1979, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Iran.

In 1986, Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky was released by the Soviet Union after nine years of captivity as part of an East-West prisoner exchange.

In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.

Ten years ago: Attorney General Janet Reno asked for an independent prosecutor to investigate whether Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt had misled Congress in connection with an Indian casino controversy. (The counsel, Carol Elder Bruce, found no wrongdoing on Babbitt's part.) Skier Jonny Moseley won the first U.S. gold medal at Nagano, in men's moguls freestyle; Picabo Street won the women's super-G. Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati was stripped of his gold medal after testing positive for marijuana. (The medal was later reinstated).

Five years ago: Addressing a historic rift within NATO, Secretary of State Colin Powell told a congressional hearing the future of the military alliance was at risk if it failed to confront the crisis with Iraq. The al-Jazeera Arab satellite station broadcast what was believed to be a new audio statement from Osama bin Laden urging Iraqis to carry out suicide attacks on Americans.

One year ago: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, marking the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, vowed his country would not give up uranium enrichment. The Dixie Chicks won five Grammys in a defiant comeback after being shunned over their anti-President Bush comments about the Iraq war. Harvard University named historian Drew Gilpin Faust its first female president.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Leslie Nielsen is 82. Actor Conrad Janis is 80. Actress Tina Louise is 74. Actor Burt Reynolds is 72. Songwriter Gerry Goffin is 69. Bandleader Sergio Mendes is 67. Rhythm-and-blues singer Otis Clay is 66. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt is 57. Actor Philip Anglim is 56. Actress Catherine Hickland is 52. Rock musician David Uosikkinen (The Hooters) is 52. Actress Carey Lowell is 47. Singer Sheryl Crow is 46. Actress Jennifer Aniston is 39. Actor Damian Lewis is 37. Actress Marisa Petroro is 36. Singer D'Angelo is 34. Actor Brice Beckham is 32. Rock MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) is 31. Singer-actress Brandy is 29. Actor Matthew Lawrence is 28. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kelly Rowland is 27. Actress Q'orianka Kilcher is 18. Actor Taylor Lautner is 16.

Thought for Today: "We had better live as we think, otherwise we shall end up by thinking as we have lived." — Paul Bourget, French author (1852-1935)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 12, the 43rd day of 2008. There are 323 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in present-day Larue County, Ky.

On this date:
In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who'd claimed the throne of England for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being condemned for high treason.

In 1818, Chile officially proclaimed its independence, more than seven years after initially renouncing Spanish rule.

In 1870, women in the Utah Territory gained the right to vote. (However, that right was taken away in 1887).

In 1908, the first round-the-world automobile race began in New York. (It ended in Paris the following July with the drivers of the American car, a Thomas Flyer, declared the winners over teams from Germany and Italy.)

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

In 1912, Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty.

In 1915, the cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C., a year to the day after groundbreaking.

In 1940, the radio play "The Adventures of Superman" debuted with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel.

In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.

In 1999, the Senate acquitted President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Ten years ago: A federal judge threw out President Clinton's new line-item veto authority. At Nagano, Japan, Norwegian Bjorn Daehlie became the first man to win six Winter Olympic gold medals, as he placed first in the 10-kilometer classical cross-country race.

The U.N. nuclear agency declared North Korea in violation of international treaties, sending the dispute to the Security Council. India conducted its fourth missile test of 2003, firing a supersonic cruise missile capable of hitting major cities in Pakistan. Holiday Inn chain founder Kemmons Wilson died in Memphis, Tenn., at age 90.

One year ago: Teen gunman Sulejman Talovic shot nine people, killing five, at a Salt Lake City mall before he was shot and killed by police. Car bombs shattered Baghdad's oldest and largest market, killing at least 78 people.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director Franco Zeffirelli is 85. Actor Louis Zorich is 84. Baseball Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Joe Garagiola is 82. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) is 78. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell is 74. Actor Joe Don Baker is 72. Author Judy Blume is 70. Rock musician Ray Manzarek (The Doors) is 69. Country singer Moe Bandy is 64. Actress Maud Adams is 63. Actor Cliff DeYoung is 63. Actor Michael Ironside is 58. Rock musician Steve Hackett is 58. Rock singer Michael McDonald is 56. Actress Joanna Kerns is 55. Actor-former talk show host Arsenio Hall is 53. Actress Christine Elise is 43. Actor Josh Brolin is 40. Singer Chynna Phillips is 40. Rock musician Jim Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies) is 38. Rhythm-and-blues musician Keri Lewis is 37. Actor Jesse Spencer ("House, M.D.") is 29. Actress Sarah Lancaster is 28. Actress Christina Ricci is 28.

Thought for Today: "Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still." — President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 13, the 44th day of 2008. There are 322 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 13, 1935, a jury in Flemington, N.J., found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was later executed.)

On this date:
In 1542, the fifth wife of England's King Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery.

In 1795, the University of North Carolina became the first U.S. state university to admit students with the arrival of Hinton James, who was the only student on campus for two weeks.

In 1914, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, known as ASCAP, was founded in New York.

In 1920, the League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden.

In 1945, the Soviets captured Budapest, Hungary, from the Germans.

In 1960, France exploded its first atomic bomb, in the Sahara Desert.

In 1980, the 13th Winter Olympics opened in Lake Placid, N.Y.

In 1984, Konstantin Chernenko was chosen to be general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party's Central Committee, succeeding the late Yuri Andropov.

In 1988, the 15th winter Olympics opened in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Ten years ago: Dr. David Satcher was sworn in as surgeon general during an Oval Office ceremony. The United Auto Workers reached a tentative contract agreement with Caterpillar Inc. (Union members rejected the agreement, which was revised and later ratified, ending a bitter, 6 1/2-year dispute.)

Five years ago: Clara Harris, who'd run down her cheating husband with her Mercedes after catching him with his mistress, was convicted by a Houston jury of murder despite her claim that she'd hit him accidentally while in a heartsick daze. (Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison.) An investigative panel found that superheated air almost certainly seeped through a breach in space shuttle Columbia's left wing and possibly its wheel compartment during the craft's fiery descent, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts. A U.S. government plane carrying four Americans and a Colombian went down in rebel territory in southern Colombia; the executed bodies of an American and the Colombian were found in the wreckage. Walt W. Rostow, an adviser to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, died in Austin, Texas, at age 86.

One year ago: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney officially entered the 2008 presidential race in Michigan, the place of his birth. With Democrats in control, House members debated Iraq in an emotional and historic faceoff over a war that Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned as a commitment with "no end in sight."

Today's Birthdays: Former test pilot Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager is 85. Actress Kim Novak is 75. Actor George Segal is 74. Actress Carol Lynley is 66. Singer-musician Peter Tork (The Monkees) is 66. Actress Stockard Channing is 64. Talk show host Jerry Springer is 64. Actor Bo Svenson is 64. Singer Peter Gabriel is 58. Actor David Naughton is 57. Rock musician Peter Hook is 52. Actor Matt Salinger is 48. Singer Henry Rollins is 47. Actor Neal McDonough is 42. Singer Freedom Williams is 42. Actress Kelly Hu is 40. Rock musician Todd Harrell (3 Doors Down) is 36. Singer Robbie Williams is 34. Rhythm-and-blues performer Natalie Stewart (Floetry) is 29. Actress Mena Suvari is 29.

Thought for Today: "An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason." — C.S. Lewis, English author (1898-1963)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Thursday, Feb. 14, the 45th day of 2008. There are 321 days left in the year. This is St. Valentine's Day.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 14, 1929, the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone's gang were gunned down.

On this date:
In 1778, the American ship Ranger carried the recently adopted Star and Stripes to a foreign port for the first time as it arrived in France.

In 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state.

In 1894, comedian Jack Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky in Waukegan, Ill.

In 1895, Oscar Wilde's final play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," opened at the St. James' Theatre in London.

In 1903, the Department of Commerce and Labor was established. (It was divided into separate departments of Commerce and Labor in 1913.)

In 1912, Arizona became the 48th state of the Union.

In 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago; its first president was Maud Wood Park.

In 1962, First lady Jacqueline Kennedy conducted a televised tour of the White House.

In 1979, Adolph Dubs, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Kabul by Muslim extremists and killed in a shootout between his abductors and police.

In 1988, Broadway composer Frederick Loewe, who wrote the scores for "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," died in Palm Springs, Calif., at age 86.

Ten years ago: Authorities officially declared Eric Rudolph a suspect in the bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic and offered a $100,000 reward. Russia's Ilya Kulik won the men's figure skating gold medal at the Nagano Olympics.

Five years ago: In a dramatic showdown, major powers rebuffed the United States in the U.N. Security Council and insisted on more time for weapons inspections in Iraq. Earlier, chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix told the Council his teams had not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. "Dolly" the cloned sheep was put down after premature aging and disease marred her short existence and raised questions about the practicality of copying life.

One year ago: Challenged on the accuracy of U.S. intelligence, President Bush told a news conference there was no doubt the Iranian government was providing armor-piercing weapons to kill American soldiers in Iraq, and he said he would fight any attempt by the Democratic-controlled Congress to cut off money for the war. ConAgra recalled all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter made at a Georgia plant because of a salmonella outbreak.

Today's Birthdays: TV personality Hugh Downs is 87. Actress-singer Florence Henderson is 74. Country singer Razzy Bailey is 69. Jazz musician Maceo Parker is 65. Movie director Alan Parker is 64. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 64. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire) is 61. TV personality Pat O'Brien is 60. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 60. Cajun singer-musician Michael Doucet is 57. Actor Ken Wahl is 51. Opera singer Renee Fleming is 49. Actress Meg Tilly is 48. Singer-producer Dwayne Wiggins is 47. Actor Enrico Colantoni is 45. Actor Zach Galligan is 44. Actor Valente Rodriguez is 44. Rock musician Ricky Wolking (The Nixons) is 42. Tennis player Manuela Maleeva is 41. Rock musician Kevin Baldes (Lit) is 36. Rock singer Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) is 36. Actor Freddie Highmore is 16.

Thought for Today: "We are effectively destroying ourselves by violence masquerading as love." — R.D. Laing, Scottish psychiatrist (1927-1989)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Friday, Feb. 15, the 46th day of 2008. There are 320 days left in the year.

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.

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)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Saturday, Feb. 16, the 47th day of 2008. There are 319 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 16, 1862, during the Civil War, some 14,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered at Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's victory earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender Grant.")

On this date:
In 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates.

In 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized in New York City.

In 1918, Lithuania proclaimed its independence, which lasted until World War II (it again declared independence in 1990).

In 1923, the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen's recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.

In 1945, American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II.

In 1959, Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

In 1968, the nation's first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated, in Haleyville, Ala.

In 1977, Janani Luwum, the Anglican archbishop of Uganda, and two other men were killed in what Ugandan authorities said was an automobile accident.

In 1988, seven people were shot to death during an office rampage in Sunnyvale, Calif., by a man who was obsessed with a co-worker. (The gunman, Richard Farley, is under sentence of death.)

In 1996, 11 people were killed in a fiery collision between an Amtrak passenger train and a Maryland commuter train in Silver Spring, Md.

Ten years ago: A China Airlines Airbus A300-600R trying to land in fog near Taipei, Taiwan, crashed, killing all 196 people on board and six people on the ground. Skier Hermann Maier of Austria won the Super-G and Katja Seizinger of Germany won the women's downhill at the Nagano Olympics; Russia's Pasha Grishuk and Yeggeny Platov won the ice dancing event.

Five years ago: More than 100,000 people demonstrated in the streets of San Francisco to protest a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq. Michael Waltrip raced past leader Jimmie Johnson to win the rain-shortened Daytona 500 for the second time in three years. Eleanor "Sis" Daley, the matriarch of Chicago's Daley political clan, died at age 95.

One year ago: The Democratic-controlled House issued a symbolic rejection of President Bush's decision to deploy more troops to Iraq, approving the nonbinding resolution by a vote of 246-182. An Italian judge indicted 25 suspected CIA agents and a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel in the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect. (The proceedings have been suspended pending a ruling on the Italian government's request to throw out the indictments.)

Today's Birthdays: Singer Patty Andrews is 90. Kim Jong Il, the president of North Korea, is 66. Actor Jeremy Bulloch is 62. Actor Pete Postlethwaite is 62. Actor William Katt is 57. Actor LeVar Burton is 51. Actor-rapper Ice-T is 50. Actress Lisa Loring is 50. Tennis Hall of Fame player John McEnroe is 49. Rock musician Andy Taylor is 47. Rock musician Dave Lombardo (Slayer) is 43. Rock musician Taylor Hawkins (Foofighters) is 36. Singer Sam Salter is 30. Rapper Lupe Fiasco is 26. Actor Mike Weinberg is 15.

Thought for Today: "I am content to define history as the past events of which we have knowledge and refrain from worrying about those of which we have none — until, that is, some archaeologist digs them up." — Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian (1912-1989)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Sunday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2008. There are 318 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 17, 1801, the House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.

On this date:
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 1908, sportscaster Walter Lanier "Red" Barber was born in Columbus, Miss.

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 1964, the Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state had to be roughly equal in population.

In 1972, President Nixon departed on his historic trip to China.

In 1988, Lt. Col. William Higgins, a Marine Corps officer serving with a United Nations truce monitoring group, was kidnapped in southern Lebanon. (He was later slain by his captors).

Ten years ago: President Clinton, preparing Americans for possible air strikes against Iraq, said military force is never the first answer "but sometimes it's the only answer." A jury in Fort Worth, Texas, convicted former Naval Academy midshipman Diane Zamora of killing a 16-year-old romantic rival. (Zamora and her ex-boyfriend, former U.S. Air Force Academy cadet David Graham, are serving life sentences in the slaying of Adrianne Jones.) An Iranian crowd cheered as U.S. wrestlers carried the Stars and Stripes into an international meet in Tehran. The U.S. women's hockey team won the gold medal at Nagano, Japan, defeating Canada 3-1.

Five years ago: Twenty-one people were killed in a stampede at the crowded E2 nightclub in Chicago. European Union leaders declared their solidarity with the United States, warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq faced one "last chance" to disarm peacefully but calling war a last resort. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died of heatstroke at a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hospital, less than 24 hours after complaining of dizziness during a spring training workout. An estimated 40 million viewers tuned in to the finale of Fox's reality show "Joe Millionaire," in which Evan Marriott chose Zora Andrich.

One year ago: Senate Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to repudiate President 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 eight 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.

Today's Birthdays: Bandleader Orrin Tucker is 97. Actor Hal Holbrook is 83. Mystery writer Ruth Rendell is 78. Singer Bobby Lewis is 75. Comedian Dame Edna (AKA Barry Humphries) is 74. Country singer-songwriter Johnny Bush is 73. Football Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown is 72. Actress Mary Ann Mobley is 69. Actress Brenda Fricker is 63. Actress Rene Russo is 54. Actor Richard Karn is 52. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 46. Basketball player Michael Jordan is 45. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy is 45. TV personality Rene Syler is 45. Movie director Michael Bay is 44. Singer Chante Moore is 41. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is 38. Actor Dominic Purcell is 38. Actress Denise Richards is 37. Rock singer-musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 36. Actor Jerry O'Connell is 34. Country singer Bryan White is 34. Actress Kelly Carlson is 32. Actor Jason Ritter is 28. TV personality Paris Hilton is 27. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 27.

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)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Monday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2008. There are 317 days left in the year. This is Presidents Day.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 18, 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time.

On this date:
In 1546, Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben.

In 1564, artist Michelangelo died in Rome.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Ala.

In 1930, photographic evidence of Pluto (now designated a "dwarf planet") was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

In 1960, the eighth Winter Olympic Games were formally opened in Squaw Valley, Calif., by Vice President Nixon.

In 1967, American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer died in Princeton, N.J., at age 62.

In 1970, the "Chicago Seven" defendants were found innocent of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention; five were convicted of violating the Anti-Riot Act of 1968. (Those convictions were later reversed).

In 1977, the space shuttle Enterprise, sitting atop a Boeing 747, went on its maiden "flight" above the Mojave Desert.

In 1988, Anthony M. Kennedy was sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2001, auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. died from injuries suffered in a crash at the Daytona 500; he was 49.

Ten years ago: President Clinton's foreign policy team encountered jeers during a town meeting at The Ohio State University while trying to defend the administration's threat to bomb Iraq into compliance with U.N. weapons edicts. Sportscaster Harry Caray died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 83.

Five years ago: Declaring that America's security should not be dictated by protesters, President Bush said he would not be swayed from compelling Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to disarm. An arson attack on two South Korean subway trains in the city of Daegu claimed 198 lives. (The arsonist was sentenced to life in prison.) Country singer Johnny PayCheck died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 64.

One year ago: A pair of bombs on a train headed from India to Pakistan killed 68 people. Twin car bombs blew up in a mostly Shiite area of Baghdad, killed at least 62 people. A military helicopter crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing eight U.S. service members; 14 survived with injuries. Kevin Harvick nosed out Mark Martin in a frantic wreck-filled finish to win the Daytona 500. The West routed the East, 153-132 in the NBA All-Star game.

Today's Birthdays: Former Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown is 86. Actor George Kennedy is 83. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., is 81. Author Toni Morrison is 77. Movie director Milos Forman is 76. Singer Yoko Ono is 75. Singer/songwriter Bobby Hart is 69. Singer Irma Thomas is 67. Singer Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers) is 67. Singer Dennis DeYoung is 61. Actress Sinead Cusack is 60. Producer-director-writer John Hughes is 58. Actress Cybill Shepherd is 58. Country singer Juice Newton is 56. Singer Randy Crawford is 56. Rock musician Robbie Bachman is 55. Rock musician Larry Rust (Iron Butterfly) is 55. Actor John Travolta is 54. Game show host Vanna White is 51. Actress Greta Scacchi is 48. Actor Matt Dillon is 44. Rapper Dr. Dre is 43. Actress Molly Ringwald is 40. Actress Sarah Brown is 33. Country singer-musician Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 31. Actor Tyrone Burton is 29. Actor Shane Lyons is 20.

Thought for Today: "Opinion is that exercise of the human will which helps us to make a decision without information." — John Erskine, American author and educator (1879-1951)

[Edwin1961]

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2008. There are 316 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful monthlong battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.

On this date:
In 1803, Congress voted to accept Ohio's borders and constitution.

In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr, accused of treason, was arrested in the Mississippi Territory, in present-day Alabama. (Burr was acquitted at trial.)

In 1846, the Texas state government was formally installed in Austin, with J. Pinckney Henderson taking the oath of office as governor.

In 1878, Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for "an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines."

In 1881, Kansas prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.

In 1942, President Roosevelt signed an executive order that gave the military the authority to relocate and intern U.S. residents, including citizens, of Japanese ancestry.

In 1942, Japanese warplanes, attacking in two waves, raided the Australian city of Darwin; at least 243 people were killed.

In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.

In 1983, 13 people were found shot to death at a gambling club in Seattle's Chinatown in what became known as the "Wah Mee Massacre." (Two Chinese immigrants were convicted of the killings and sentenced to life in prison.)

In 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China's major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92.

Ten years ago: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan set out for Iraq on a last-chance peace mission, saying he was "reasonably optimistic" about ending the standoff over weapons inspections without the use of force. At the Nagano Olympics, Austrian Hermann Maier won the men's giant slalom while Hilde Gerg of Germany won the women's slalom.

Five years ago: Missouri Congressman **** Gephardt announced his second candidacy for president with a pledge to repeal most of President Bush's tax cuts. An Iranian military plane carrying 275 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in southeastern Iran, killing all on board.

One year ago: Three-way talks between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli and Palestinian leaders, initially billed as a new U.S. push to restart peace efforts, ended with little progress other than a commitment to meet again. Hundreds of gay couples were granted the same legal rights, if not the title, as married couples as New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions. Actress Janet Blair died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 85.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Smokey Robinson is 68. Singer Bobby Rogers (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is 68. Actress Carlin Glynn is 68. Singer Lou Christie is 65. Actor Michael Nader is 63. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) is 60. Author Amy Tan is 56. Actor Jeff Daniels is 53. Rock singer-musician Dave Wakeling is 52. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 51. Actor Ray Winstone is 51. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 49. Britain's Prince Andrew is 48. Tennis Hall-of-Famer Hana Mandlikova is 46. Singer Seal is 45. Country musician Ralph McCauley (Wild Horses) is 44. Actress Justine Bateman is 42. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 41. Rock musician Daniel Adair is 33. Pop singer-actress Haylie Duff is 23.

Thought for Today: "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." — Pearl S. Buck, American author (1892-1973)