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 |