TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

On this day in history:

1673 - The first recorded wine auction took place in London. 1815 - The USS Constitution, under Captain Charles Stewart fought the British ships Cyane and Levant. The Constitution captures both, but lost the Levant after encountering a British squadron. The Constitution and the Cyane returned to New York safely on May 15, 1815. The Cyane was purchased and became the USS Cyane.

1872 - Silas Noble and J.P. Cooley patented the toothpick manufacturing machine. 1901 - The first territorial legislature of Hawaii convened. 1903 - Royal approval of the new Australian flag is finally gazetted.

1913 - The first peg marking the start of development of the city of Canberra is driven in by King O’Malley.

1962 - Astronaut John Glenn pilots ‘Friendship 7’ in the first US manned orbital mission. 1981 - An inquest into the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain finds that she was taken by a dingo.

1993 - Two ten-year-old boys were charged by police in Liverpool, England, in the abduction and death of a toddler. The two boys were later convicted.

1998 - American Tara Lipinski, at age 15, became the youngest gold medallist in winter Olympics history when she won the ladies’ figure skating title at Nagano, Japan.

2002 - In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire raced through a train killing at least 370 people and injuring at least 65. 2003 - During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others. 2005 - Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.

2010 - In Madeira Island, Portugal, heavy rain causes floods and mudslides, resulting in at least 43 deaths, in the worst disaster in the history of the archipelago.

2015 - Two trains collide in the Swiss town of Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and Swiss Federal Railways cancelling some services.