February 9, Today in History

there are now 4 different history gadgets
444:	Death of St. Cyril of Alexandria
720:	Death of Umar II
1088:	Death of Muiredach MacRory (Marianus Scotus), Abbot of Ratisbon
1098:	Ridwan fails to relieve the Crusader's Siege of Antioch
1119:	Coronation of Pope Calixtus II in France
1292:	First Scottish Parliament assembles at Scone
1401:	Burning of a Mr. Sawtre as a Lollard heretic
1458:	Marriage of Mathias I, King of Hungary, to Catherine of Bohemia
1507:	Pereira discovers Santa Appolionia Island, later named Reunion...and the Dodo bird
1555:	Burning of Dr. Rowland Taylor as an heretic
1555:	John Hooper, deprived Bishop of Gloucester, burnt for heresy
1567:	Murder of Lord Henry Darley, husband of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
1588:	The Duke of Medina-Sidonia appointed to head the Spanish Armada
1619:	Burning of Lucilio Vanini, aka "Giulio Cesare," freethinker
1773:	William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States His term in office was the shortest in our nation's history -- 32 days. born
1799:	The USS Constellation captures the French frigate Insurgente off the coast of Wisconsin
1814:	Samuel Tilden, philanthropist born
1825:	After no presidential candidate won the necessary majority, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams the sixth president of the United States
1846:	William Maybach, German engineer, designed the first Mercedes automobile born
1861:	Tennessee votes against secession
1861:	The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis president and Alexander H. Stephens vice president
1870:	The US Weather Bureau was established
1874:	Imagist poet Amy Lowell in Brookline, Massachusetts (What's O'Clock, Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds). born
1877:	U.S. Weather Service is founded
1891:	Actor Ronald Colman (Lost Horizon, Prisoner of Zenda, Around the World in 80 Days, Romola) born
1893:	Verdi's final opera premiered at La Scala. "Falstaff" was a big success
1895:	The first college basketball game was played as Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the "Porkers" of Hamline College, 9-3
1897:	This was not one of Debussy's best days when his wife found a love letter in his pocket that made it clear he was having an affair. The ensuing fight, which featured his wife threatening to shoot herself, got into the papers and harmed Debussy professionally for awhile
1899:	Actor Brian Donlevy (Destry Rides Again, Wake Island, Arizona Bushwackers, Five Golden Dragons, Jesse James, Dangerous Assignment) born
1902:	Doctor Doyen of Paris, performs a successful operation on Siamese twins from the Barnum and Bailey Circus
1904:	Japanese troops land near Seoul, Korea, after disabling two Russian cruisers
1906:	Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first black writer in the United States to support himself by writing, died in Dayton, Ohio
1909:	Former Secretary of State Dean Rusk born
1909:	The first forestry school was incorporated at Kent, Ohio
1909:	France agrees to recognize German economic interests in Morocco in exchange for political supremacy
1914:	Entertainer and author Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Louise Hovick) ( Seattle, Washington). Her autobiography, "Gypsy," was made into a Broadway musical and a motion picture. She died in 1970. born
1914:	Singer and actress Carmen (de Cunha) Miranda (Mama Eu Quero, The Lady with the Tutti Frutti Hat) born
1914:	Entertainer and author Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Louise Hovick) ( Seattle, Washington). Her autobiography, "Gypsy," was made into a Broadway musical and a motion picture. She died in 1970
1922:	The U.S. Congress establishes the World War Foreign Debt Commission
1923:	Actress (Zelma Hednick) Kathryn Grayson (Kiss Me Kate, Show Boat, The Kissing Bandit, It Happened in Brooklyn, Anchors Aweigh). born
1923:	Dobrolet, the Soviet state airline, was formed. It was renamed Aeroflot in 1932
1928:	Television journalist Roger Mudd born
1931:	Sculptor Robert Morris born
1932:	America entered the 2-man bobsled competition for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games held at Lake Placid, New York
1933:	Golfer Jo Ann Prentice born
1933:	The Oxford Union Society at Oxford University debated, then approved, 275-to-153, a motion stating "this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country," a stand that was widely denounced by other Britons
1939:	Actress Janet Suzman born
1942:	Singer-songwriter Carole (Klein) King (Loco-motion, It Might as Well Rain Until September, It's Too Late, Jazzman). born
1942:	Songwriter Barry Mann born
1942:	Chiang Kai-shek meets with Sir Stafford Cripps, the British viceroy in India. Detachment 101 harried the Japanese in Burma and provided close support for regular Allied forces
1942:	The US Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War Two
1942:	Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward
1943:	Actor Joe Pesci. born
1943:	The Russians take back Kursk 15 months after it fell to the Nazis
1943:	The World War Two battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces
1944:	Singer Barbara Lewis (Make Me Your Baby, Hello Stranger, Baby I'm Yours). born
1944:	Author Alice Walker. born
1945:	Actress (Maria de Lourdes Villers) Mia Farrow. born
1946:	Stalin announces the new five-year plan for the U.S.S.R., calling for production boosts of 50 percent
1947:	Singer Joe Ely. born
1949:	Actress Judith Light. born
1950:	In a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy, R-WI, charged that the State Department was riddled with Communists
1950:	Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged the State Department was infested with communists
1951:	Rhythm-and-blues musician Dennis "DT" Thomas (Kool & the Gang). born
1951:	Actress Greta Garbo gets U.S. citizenship
1953:	The French destroy six Viet Minh war factories hidden in the jungles of Vietnam
1955:	Actor Charles Shaughnessy born
1962:	An agreement was signed to make Jamaica an independent nation within the British Commonwealth later in the year
1963:	Country singer Travis Tritt. born
1963:	The first Boeing 727 took off. It became the world's most popular way to fly. A total of 1,832 aircraft was built before production stopped in 1984
1964:	Action doll "GI Joe" born
1964:	The U.S. embassy in Moscow is stoned by Chinese and Vietnamese students
1964:	An estimated 73 million viewers tuned in as the Beatles made their first live American television appearance, on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They were paid $2,400.00. 50,000 requests came in for 728 available seats
1969:	The Boeing 747 flew its inaugural flight ushering in the age of the jumbo jet
1971:	An earthquake measuring 6.6 struck the San Fernando Valley in California, killing 58 people. Property damage reached $900 million
1971:	The "Apollo 14" spacecraft returned to Earth after man's third landing on the moon
1978:	Canada expels 11 Soviets in spying case
1981:	Bill Haley died on this day in Harlingen, Texas. He was 55. Haley recorded with his group, The Comets, what became known as the anthem of rock and roll: "Rock Around the Clock" from the movie, "Blackboard Jungle"
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
1985:	Actor David Gallagher born
1985:	In his Saturday radio address, President Reagan accused Congress of thwarting his administration's efforts to run the government more economically
1985:	Seoul admits using force against opposition leader Kim Dae Jung
1987:	Former national security adviser Robert C. McFarlane, who was facing tough questions about his role in the Iran-Contra affair, attempted suicide by swallowing Valium, but survived
1988:	Actress Marina Malota ("Bette") born
1988:	One day after Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev announced that Soviet troops could start withdrawing from Afghanistan by the following May. U.S. officials welcomed the offer, but urged a swifter timetable for total withdrawal
1989:	President Bush, in his first major speech to Congress, proposed a $1.16 trillion "common sense" budget for fiscal 1990
1990:	The Perrier Group of America Inc. announced it was voluntarily recalling its inventory of mineral water in the United States after tests showed the presence of benzene in a small number of bottles
1991:	Voters in Lithuania overwhelmingly endorsed independence from the Soviet Union in a non-binding plebiscite
1991:	Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin L. Powell met with ,military commanders in Saudi Arabia to evaluate a possible ground assault against Iraqi forces
1992:	The government of Algeria declared a state of emergency to quell spreading Muslim fundamentalist unrest
1992:	Magic Johnson returned to professional basketball by playing in the NBA All-Star game. (Johnson was named most valuable player as his team, the Western Conference, defeated the Eastern Conference 153-to-113.)
1993:	The general manager of the Metropolitan Opera said he'd "never say never" regarding the possible future use of soprano Kathleen Battle. Joseph Volpe fired Battle after she reportedly was rude to other cast members and failed to show up for rehearsals
1993:	NBC News announced it had settled a defamation lawsuit brought by General Motors over the network's "inappropriate demonstration" of a fiery pickup truck crash on its "Dateline NBC" program
1994:	PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres initialed an agreement on security measures that had been blocking implementation of a peace accord
1994:	NATO delivered an ultimatum to Bosnian Serbs to remove heavy guns encircling Sarajevo, or face air strikes. Hours before the ultimatum was issued, the Bosnian Serbs agreed to withdraw their artillery and mortars
1995:	Former Sen. J. William Fulbright died in Washington at age 89
1996:	In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, a former member of the city's beach detail shot and killed five former co-workers before killing himself
1996:	A collision of rush-hour commuter trains in Secaucus, New Jersey, claimed the lives of both engineers and a passenger
1996:	The Irish republican Army ended its cease-fire with a truck bombing in London that killed two and injured 37
1997:	Best Products closed the last of its stores, a victim of the diminishing allure of the catalog showroom concept of retailing
1997:	The East beat the West in the NBA All-Star game, 132-to-120
1998:	The Pentagon said it was sending up to 3000 US ground troops to the Persian Gulf region to discourage what one official called "any creative thinking" by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
1998:	At the Nagano Games, German Georg Hackl won the men's luge for the third consecutive Olympics. Winter Olympics weather disruptions caused postponements and rescheduling. Games organizers had to rearrange the schedules of thousands of security guards, bus drivers, caterers and ticket collectors
1998:	President Clinton declared much of California a major disaster area as the state's rain-weary residents prepared to get pummeled again by a fresh storm moving in from the Pacific. The announcement opened the door for federal aid to 27 California counties which were hit with flooding, mudslides, evacuations and power outages caused by a string of El Nino-driven storms that began Feb. 2
1998:	Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze survived an ambush. The unidentified ambushers waged an attack against his mototcade with grenades and firearms. Speaking on television shortly after the assassination attempt, the former Soviet foreign minister urged his compatriots to remain calm as troops and armored vehicles moved onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi
1999:	The Senate began closed-door deliberations in President Clinton's impeachment trial, even though members from both parties acknowledged that the two-thirds margin for conviction could not be attained
2000:	Hackers stepped up their "denial of service" attacks on popular Internet sites, zeroing in on such targets as ETrade and ZDNet, inconveniencing millions of Web users and unnerving Wall Street
2000:	Boeing Company engineers and technical workers began a 40-day strike
2001:	The American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School
2005:	Danish Elections have endorsed the current Centre-Right Coalition
2005:	Brazil dismisses English language skills on Diplomatic career admission
2005:	FARC surround Colombian town
2005:	Star ousted from galaxy by black hole
2005:	Baugur makes a US$1,8 billion bid for Somerfield
2005:	Hamas dampens Palestinian-Israeli truce
2005:	Carly Fiorina ousted from HP
2005:	FBI Investigates 1/4 Million Poisoned Dollars class=
2005:	Israel-Palestine ceasefire begins with violence
2006:	George Deutsch resigns NASA post after Texas A&M refutes his resume
2006:	Sweden reaffirms aims for oil-free economy
2006:	US Senate offices evacuated
2006:	Bird flu spreading through Indonesia and China
2006:	Home Office release statistics showing drop in UK's violent crime
2006:	Repeal of ministerial control of RU486 bill passes Australian Senate
2006:	Berlin court repeals preliminary injunction against Wikimedia Germany
2006:	Neil Entwistle, suspect in murder of wife and child, arrested in England
2006:	700,000 march in Beirut; Hezbollah leader lambasts Bush and Rice
2006:	ESPN trades Al Michaels for "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit"
2007:	A leading figure in the Bush administration's march to war in Iraq used questionable intelligence about Saddam Hussein's links to al Qaeda to help justify the 2003 invasion, a Pentagon watchdog agency said in a report on Friday
2007:	Hamas urged the West on Friday to accept a new Palestinian unity government but leading officials from the Islamist group said they would never recognize Israel nor abide by existing peace accords
2007:	A Florida medical examiner was performing an autopsy on the body of former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith on Friday as her mother said drugs may have contributed to her daughter's sudden death
2007:	Judge orders body of Anna Nicole Smith preserved until February 20 hearing on baby's paternityMedical examiner plans 3 p.m. ET news conference after conducting autopsy on Smith, 39Large amounts of prescription drugs found in Smith's room, sources tell CNNThe former Playmate died Thursday in Florida
2007:	Reality TV star and former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith died Thursday after being found unconscious in her hotel room. Since then hundreds of CNN.com readers have sent in their thoughts, well-wishes and memories of Smith
2007:	Serial numbers and markings on explosives used in Iraq provide "pretty good" evidence that Iran is providing either weapons or technology for militants there, Defense Secretary Robert Gates asserted Friday
2007:	Ford Taurus to be revived
2007:	China accused of torturing Chinese-Canadian prisoner
2007:	New video game genre promises to 'boost psychological health'
2007:	HIV vaccine trial set to begin in South Africa
2007:	Washington State Initiative would require married couples to have kids
2007:	Palestinians, Israelis clash in Jerusalem over construction at Temple Mount
2007:	RCMP memorial for fallen Alberta mounties delayed
2007:	Dutch parties agree on government formation
2007:	Canada, U.S. officials to meet about border security
2007:	New legislation may effectively ban iPod use in parts of New York state
2008:	Mike Huckabee vowed on Saturday to stay in the Republican Party's nominating race for the presidential election in November, despite trailing far behind rival John McCain
2008:	U.S. space shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on Saturday on a mission to deliver Europe's first permanent space research facility
2008:	Turkey's parliament lifted a ban on Saturday on female students wearing the Muslim headscarf at university, a landmark decision that some Turks fear will undermine the foundations of their secular state
2008:	Louisiana, a state physically and economically damaged by Hurricane Katrina, could be a key political state this year -- something not lost on both Democratic campaigns as they drum up last-minute votes
2008:	Alleged kidney harvester arrested in Nepal
2008:	Memorial service takes place for Heath Ledger
2008:	Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with International Space Station
2008:	London's Camden Market in flames
2008:	American mystery writer Phyllis A. Whitney dies at age 104
2008:	Quake strikes around Mexico-U.S. border
2008:	Huckabee wins Kansas and Louisiana
2008:	Scotland Yard says suicide bomb blast killed Bhutto, not bullet
2009:	Omar Khadr, the youngest inmate and only Westerner held at Guantanamo Bay, is charged in the 2002 death of a U.S. soldier. President Obama's order to close the detention facility at Gitmo, however, has left his case in limbo. Like the other 245 Gitmo detainees, Khadr, 22, could be tried in the U.S. and face a life sentence. Or, as a Canadian citizen, he may be sent back to Canada, where he could avoid trial and be set free
2009:	A suicide car bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul killed four American soldiers and an interpreter Monday, the U.S. military said
2009:	A massive fire engulfed a newly constructed, unoccupied luxury hotel in central Beijing on Monday night
2009:	Airplane crash in Brazil kills 24
2009:	More than 160 dead in bushfires in Australia
2009:	Saudi most-wanted list includes former Guantanamo captives
2009:	No injuries, deaths after car-bomb explodes in Madrid, Spain
2009:	US Court of Appeals reduces sentence for former Philippines officer in spy case

Tuesday, February 9th

Today in History