TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Saturday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2024. There are 318 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 17, 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.
On this date:
In 1815, the United States and Britain exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. In 1863, the International Red Cross was founded in Geneva. In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate handcranked submarine HL Hunley in the first naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank. In 1897, the forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting in Washington. In 1959, the United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite that carried meteorological equipment. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon departed the White House with his wife, Pat, on a historic trip to China. In 2013, Danica Patrick won the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any Sprint Cup race. In 2014, Jimmy Fallon made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show.” In 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 Christina Pickles is 89. Actor Brenda Fricker is 79. Actor Becky Ann Baker is 71. Actor Rene Russo is 70. Actor Richard Karn is 68. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 62. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is 61. Singer Chante Moore is 57. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is 54. Actor Dominic Purcell is 54. Olympic gold and silver medal skier Tommy Moe is 54. Actor Denise Richards is 53. Rock singermusician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 52. Actor Jerry O’Connell is 50. Actor Jason Ritter is 44. TV personality Paris Hilton is 43. Actor Joseph GordonLevitt is 43.