THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Today is Thursday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2021. There are 309 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History:
On Feb. 25, 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.
On this date:
In 1793, President George Washington held the first Cabinet meeting on record at his Mount Vernon home; attending were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.
In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.
In 1919, Oregon became the first state to tax gasoline, at one cent per gallon.
In 1950, “Your Show of Shows,” starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris, debuted on NBC-TV.
In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser became Egypt’s prime minister after the country’s president, Mohammed Naguib, was effectively ousted in a coup.
In 1964, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.
In 1983, playwright Tennessee Williams was found dead in his New York hotel suite; he was 71.
In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers.
In 2010, in Vancouver, the Canadian women beat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title.
In 2018, China’s official news agency said the country’s ruling Communist Party had proposed scrapping term limits for China’s president, appearing to lay the groundwork for Xi Jinping to rule as president beyond 2023.
Woonsocket
The Museum of Work & Culture, a division of the Rhode Island Historical Society, is currently closed to the public, but offers virtual tours on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Tickets for the virtual tours can be purchased by visiting rihs.org.
Blackstone Valley/State
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park will once again offer its annual winter lecture series discussing the Blackstone Valley’s role as an incubator for revolutionary thought and action. This six-part series, hosted via Zoom, will cover a variety of topics, including labor reform, ethnic religion and politics, the cotton economy and architecture. Presentations begin on Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. and lectures will be offered on Feb. 20, March 6, March 20 and
April 3. The lectures are free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, and can be found at https://bit.ly/RevolutionInTheAir.
Cumberland
Storytime (on Zoom) is back at the Cumberland Public Library! Beginning Jan. 12, join the library Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom to enjoy great stories, songs and rhymes with the Children’s Staff! Online registration is required at least 2 hours prior to the start of the program. Register for each storytime individually. For additional information, please contact the Children’s Room at (401) 333-2552, ext. 3, visit www.cumberlandlibrary.org, or email read@ cumberlandlibrary.org.
• Cumberland Library’s own Lynne Daigneault is bringing healthy and delicious recipes to the table for February. New episodes are released every other Tuesday to the library YouTube channel. You can register if you would
like to be notified when new episodes go live.
Pawtucket
The Empowerment Factory, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Education, is offering free elementary youth art classes from January through May. Each participating child will receive a creativity kit to accompany live online classes taught by The Empowerment Team. These fun, free classes combine art, science, and social emotional learning. Starting Jan. 5, all Rhode Island elementary students are eligible to register for up to 2 sessions. Space is limited. Families are encouraged to visit www.empowermentfactory.org/free-art-adventures and sign up for an alert to be notified via email when registration opens. Registration is limited and begins Jan. 5.
Pawtucket
Pawtucket Open Market is held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the historic Hope Artiste Village for a fun shopping experience featuring local farmers, artists and vintage vendors. Sunnyside Food Truck will be serving up tasty meals and snacks all day.
Bellingham
• The Easter Bunny is busy preparing for the big day on April 4, so the Bellingham Women of Today will be helping him send personal letters to anyone on your list. The cost is $2 for each letter or three for $5. Send the name and address of a recipient along with your name, phone number and any information you would like added to the letter with check made out to BWOT to BWOT, PO Box 405, Bellingham, Massachusetts 02019 before March 17. Contact us at BWOTevents@hotmail.com and visit us on Facebook. • The Bellingham Council on Aging book club will be reading The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. As have all of his books, this one had a great review – a bit of a thriller! Join the book club via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for a discussion.
Providence
Soul food-focused restaurant Kin Southern Table & Bar, located in the Biltmore Garage at 71 Washington Street, is set for a soft opening in March. The restaurant will include offerings such as fried green tomatoes, kale salad, fried chicken sandwich, chicken and waffles and baked mac and cheese. To start, Kin will be open Tuesday – Saturday for lunch and dinner. The opening will focus on takeout with limited indoor dining. The restaurant hopes to eventually add Sunday brunch as well.
Uxbridge
St. Mary Parish will be offering “The Search” as part of its Lenten Adult Faith Formation program, which is offered both virtually and in-person. “The Search” is an innovative video series from Augustine Institute that tackles the key questions of the human heart. You are invited to attend the multi-session program to better understand life and death, sorrow and happiness, science and faith and the meaning and purpose of life. These topics and others will be explored with experts from multiple fields of science, medicine, psychology, art and religion. Join the church for what should be a very thought-provoking experience each Monday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beginning Feb. 15 and running through March 29. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed for the in-person session. To register for “The Search”or to ask any questions, email thesearch@stmaryuxbridge.org or call the parish office at (508) 278-2226.
March 7 Valley Talks, a series of biweekly historical lectures by the Museum of Work & Culture, continues. Writer and historical reenactor Paul Bourget will examine the Sentinelle Affair, the local underground movement that led to the excommunication of 61 congregants. The Movement Sentinelliste, one of the most divisive periods in Woonsocket’s history, caused battle lines to be drawn among French-Canadians in St. Ann’s Parish and throughout New England. Bourget will discuss the roots of the movement, its impact on the city, and the long-term ramifications of the members’ actions. March 21: Author David Vermette will discuss how the U.S. mainstream perceived French-Canadians when they were an immigrant community in New England at the turn of the 20th century.