TODAY IN HISTORY

Yesterday was Monday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2023. There are 314 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

On Feb. 20, 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.

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

2003 — A fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during a concert by the group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, RI, killing 100 people and injuring about 200 others.

YESTERDAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 86. Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is 82. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito is 81. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,

R-Ky., is 81. Movie director Mike Leigh is 80. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 77. Actor Sandy Duncan is 77. Actor Peter Strauss is 76. Rock musician Billy Zoom (X) is 75. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is 72. Actor John Voldstad is 72. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is 69. Actor Anthony Head is 69. Country singer Leland Martin is 66. Actor James Wilby is

65. Rock musician Sebastian Steinberg is 64. Comedian Joel Hodgson is 63. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 60. Rock musician Ian Brown (Stone Roses) is 60. Actor French Stewart is 59. Actor Ron Eldard is 58. Model Cindy Crawford is 57. Actor Andrew Shue is 56. Actor Lili Taylor is 56. Actor Andrea Savage is

50. Singer Brian Littrell is 48. Actor Lauren Ambrose is 45. Actor Jay Hernandez is 45. Actor Chelsea Peretti is 45. Country musician Coy Bowles is 44. Actor Michael Zegen is

44. Actor Majandra Delfino is 42. Actor Jocko Sims is 42. Singer-musician Chris Thile is

42. Actor-singer Jessie Mueller is 40. Comedian Trevor Noah is 39. Singer Rihanna is 35. Actor Jack Falahee is 34.