Today In History

Today is Saturday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2021. There are 314 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1905: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.

ON THIS DATE

› 1792: President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department.

› 1839: Congress prohibited dueling in the District of Columbia.

› 1933: Congress proposed the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal Prohibition.

› 1962: Astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean 800 miles southeast of Bermuda.

› 1965: America’s Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed on the moon, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.

› 1998: Tara Lipinski of the U.S. won the ladies’ figure skating gold medal at the Nagano Olympics; Michelle Kwan won the silver.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor Sidney Poitier is

94. Racing Hall of Famer Bobby Unser is 87. Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 84. Movie director Mike Leigh is 78. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 75. Actor Sandy Duncan is

75. Actor Peter Strauss is

74. Rock musician Billy Zoom (X) is 73. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is 70. Actor John Voldstad is

70. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is 67. Actor Anthony Head is

67. Country singer Leland Martin is 64. Actor James Wilby is 63. Actor Willie Garson is 57. Actor French Stewart is 57. Actor Ron Eldard is 56. Model Cindy Crawford is 55. Actor Lili Taylor is 54. Actor Andrea Savage is 48. Singer Brian Littrell is 46. Actor Lauren Ambrose is

43. Actor Jay Hernandez is 43. Actor Chelsea Peretti is 43. Country musician Coy Bowles is 42. Actor Michael Zegen is

42. Actor Majandra Delfino is 40. Actor Jocko Sims is 40. Singer-musician Chris Thile is 40. AComedian Trevor Noah is 37. Actor Jake Richardson is

36. Actor Daniella Pineda is 34. Actor Miles Teller is

34. Singer Rihanna is 33. Actor Jack Falahee is 32.