Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2018. 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.

› 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.)

› 1986: The U.S. Senate approved telecasts of its debates on a trial basis.

› 1991: Operation Desert Storm came to a conclusion.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress Joanne Woodward is 88. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is

84. Opera singer Mirella Freni is 83. Actress Barbara Babcock is 81. Actor Howard Hesseman is 78. Actress Debra Monk is

69. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 58. Country singer Johnny Van Zant (Van Zant) is 58. Rock musician Leon Mobley (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals) is

57. Actor Noah Emmerich is 53. Rhythm and blues singer Chilli (TLC) is

47. Rock musician Jeremy Dean (Nine Days) is 46. Rhythm and blues singer Roderick Clark is

45. Country-rock musician Shonna Tucker is

40. Chelsea Clinton is

38. Rock musician Jake Clemons (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 38. Rhythm and blues singer Bobby Valentino is 38. Singer Josh Groban is 37. Banjoist Noam Pikelny is 37. Rock musician Jared Champion (Cage the Elephant) is

35. Actress Kate Mara is

35. Actress Lindsey Morgan is 28.