This week in history
Feb 18, 2001
WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.
Feb 19, 1674
England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third AngloDutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.
Feb 20, 1998
American figure skater Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest gold-medalist, age 15, at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Feb 21, 1808
Without a previous declaration of war, Russian troops cross the border to Sweden at Abborfors in eastern Finland, thus beginning the Finnish War, in which Sweden will lose the eastern half of the country (e.g. Finland) to Russia.
Feb 22, 2006
At least six men stage Britain’s biggest robbery, stealing £53 million (about B2.13 billion) from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent.
Feb 23, 1905
Chicago attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world’s first service club.
Feb 24, 2008
Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another three years.