On this day, Feb. 17
1815 The United States and Britain exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
1863 The International Red Cross was founded in Geneva.
1897 The forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting in Washington.
1944 During World War II, U.S. forces invaded Eniwetok Atoll, encountering little initial resistance from Imperial Japanese troops. (The Americans secured the atoll less than a week later.)
1959 The United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite that carried meteorological equipment.
1964 The Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state had to be roughly equal in population.
1972 President Richard M. Nixon departed the White House with his wife, Pat, on a historic trip to China.
1995 Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings (he was later sentenced to a minimum of 200 years in prison).
2014 Jimmy Fallon made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show.”
2015 Vice President Joe Biden opened a White House summit on countering extremism and radicalization, saying the United States needed to ensure that immigrants were fully included in the fabric of American society to prevent violent ideologies from taking root at home.
Today’s birthdays: Actor-comedian Barry Humphries (aka “Dame Edna”), 89. Actor Christina Pickles, 88. Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, 87. Actor Brenda Fricker, 78. Actor Becky Ann Baker, 70. Actor Rene Russo, 69. Actor Richard Karn, 67. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, 60. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy, 60. TV personality Rene Syler, 60. Movie director Michael Bay, 59. Singer Chante Moore, 56. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311), 53. Actor Dominic Purcell, 53. Olympic gold and silver medal skier Tommy Moe, 53. Actor Denise Richards, 52. Rock singer-musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), 51. Actor Jerry O’Connell, 49. Country singer Bryan White, 49. Actor Kelly Carlson, 47. Actor Ashton Holmes, 45. Actor Conrad Ricamora, 44. Actor Jason Ritter, 43. TV personality Paris Hilton, 42. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 42. TV host Daphne Oz, 37. Actor Chord Overstreet, 34.