TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY:

1836 - British Parliament officially proclaims the colony of South Australia and formally defines its boundaries.

1879 - The foundation stone for Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building is laid.

1937 - 3000 Ethiopians are massacred by Italian forces.

1942 - Approximately 150 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin.

1945 - During World War II, about 30,000 U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima.

1959 - Cyprus was granted its independence with the signing of an agreement with Britain, Turkey and Greece.

1985 - Cherry Coke was introduced by the Coca-Cola Company.

1986 - The Soviet Union launched the Mir space station.

1997 - Deng Xiaoping of China died at the age of 92. He was the last of China’s major revolutionaries.

2008 - Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency. His brother Raul was later named as his successor.

Birthdays

Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernick) 1473 - Polish astronomer

David Garrick 1717 - Actor, playwright

Sven Hedin (Sven Anders Hedin) 1865 - Explorer, geographer

Sir Cedric Hardwicke 1893 Actor

Louis Calhern (Carl Henry Vogt) 1895 - Actor

Nydia Westman 1902 Actress

John Bubbles (John William Sublett) 1902 - Actor

Merle Oberon (Thompson) 1911 - Actress

Stan Kenton 1912 Carson McCullers 1917 Author

Lee Marvin 1924 - Actor John Frankenheimer 1930 - Director

Russ Nixon 1935 - Baseball player

Bob Engemann 1936 - Singer (The Lettermen)

Carlin Glynn 1940 Smokey Robinson 1940 Singer (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)

Bobby Rogers 1940 - Singer (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)

Lou Christie (Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco) 1943 - Singer

Michael Nader 1945