TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2024. There are 315 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.

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

1987 — A bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 87. Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is 83. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito is 82. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is 82. Movie director Mike Leigh is 81. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 78. Actor Sandy Duncan is 78. Actor Peter Strauss is 77. Rock musician Billy Zoom (X) is 76. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is 73. Actor John Voldstad is 73. Newspaper heiress Patricia

Hearst is 70. Actor Anthony Head is 70. Country singer Leland Martin is 67. Actor James Wilby is 66. Rock musician Sebastian Steinberg is 65. Comedian Joel Hodgson is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 61. Rock musician Ian Brown (Stone Roses) is 61. Actor French Stewart is 60. Actor Ron Eldard is 59. Model Cindy Crawford is 58. Actor Andrew Shue is 57. Actor Lili Taylor is 57. Actor Andrea Savage is 51. Singer Brian Littrell is 49. Actor Lauren Ambrose is 46. Actor Jay Hernandez is 46. Actor Chelsea Peretti is 46. Country musician Coy Bowles is 45. Actor Michael Zegen is 45. Actor Majandra Delfino is 43. Comedian Trevor Noah is 40. Singer Rihanna is 36.