TODAY IN HISTORY
TODAY IS SATURDAY, FEB. 25, the 56th day of 2017. There are 309 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY: On this date in 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox. In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver.
In 1905, the Upton Sinclair novel “The Jungle” was first published in serial form by the Appeal to Reason newspaper.
In 1940, a National Hockey League game was televised for the first time by New York City station W2XBS as the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2, at Madison Square Garden.
In 1956, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev harshly criticized the late Josef Stalin in a speech before a Communist Party congress in Moscow.
In 1957, Chicago gangster George “Bugs” Moran, a rival of Al Capone, died in prison at age 63.
In 1964, Eastern Airlines Flight 304, a DC-8, crashed shortly after taking off from New Orleans International Airport, killing all 58 on board. Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston.
In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.
In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
In 1994, an American-born Jewish settler opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims. He was beaten to death by worshippers.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Actor Tom Courtenay and former CBS newsman Bob Schieffer are 80. Actress Diane Baker is 79. Actress Karen Grassle is 75. Humorist Jack Handey is 68. Movie director Neil Jordan is 67. Actress Veronica Webb is 52. Actor Alexis Denisof and actress Tea Leoni are 51. Comedian Carrot Top is 50. Actor Sean Astin and singer Daniel Powter are 46. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr., rhythm-and-blues singer Justin Jeffre, rock musician Richard Liles and actor Anson Mount are 44. Comedian-actress Chelsea Handler is 42. Actress Rashida Jones is 41. Actors Justin Berfield, and James and Oliver Phelps (“Harry Potter” movies) are 31.