Today In History
Today is Monday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2017. There are 307 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 1911: Inventor Charles F. Kettering demonstrated his electric automobile starter in Detroit by starting a Cadillac’s motor with just the press of a switch, instead of hand-cranking.
ON THIS DATE
› 1801: The District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.
› 1922: The Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of women to vote.
› 1933: Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, was gutted by fire; Chancellor Adolf Hitler, blaming the Communists, used the fire to justify suspending civil liberties.
› 1939: The Supreme Court, in National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., effectively outlawed sit-down strikes. Britain and France recognized the regime of Francisco Franco of Spain.
› 1943: The U.S. government, responding to a copper shortage, began circulating one-cent coins made of steel plated with zinc (the steel pennies proved unpopular, since they were easily mistaken for dimes).
› 1951: The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified.
› 1960: The U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets, 3-2, at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)
› 1973: Members of the American Indian Movement occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. (The occupation lasted until the following May.)
› 1986: The U.S. Senate approved telecasts of its debates on a trial basis.
› 1991: Operation Desert Storm came to a conclusion as President George H.W. Bush declared that “Kuwait is liberated, Iraq’s army is defeated,” and announced that the allies would suspend combat operations at midnight, Eastern time.
› 1997: Divorce became legal in Ireland.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Actress Joanne Woodward is 87. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 83. Opera singer Mirella Freni is 82. Actress Barbara Babcock is 80. Actor Howard Hesseman is 77. Actress Debra Monk is 68. Rock singer-musician Neal Schon (Journey) is 63. Rock musician Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) is 60. Actor Timothy Spall is 60. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 57. Country singer Johnny Van Zant (Van Zant) is 57. Rock musician Leon Mobley (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals) is 56. Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy is 56. Actor Adam Baldwin is 55. Actor Grant Show is 55. Rock musician Mike Cross (Sponge) is 52. Actor Noah Emmerich is 52. Actor Donal Logue is 51. Rhythm and blues singer Chilli (TLC) is 46. Rock musician Jeremy Dean (Nine Days) is 45. Rhythm and blues singer Roderick Clark is 44. Country-rock musician Shonna Tucker (Drive-By Truckers) is 39. Chelsea Clinton is 37. Actor Brandon Beemer is 37. Rock musician Cyrus Bolooki (New Found Glory) is 37. Rock musician Jake Clemons (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 37. Rhythm and blues singer Bobby Valentino is 37. Singer Josh Groban is 36. Banjoist Noam Pikelny is 36. Rock musician Jared Champion (Cage the Elephant) is 34. Actress Kate Mara is 34. Actress Lindsey Morgan is 27.