Today In History

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2020. There are 316 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1945: Operation Detachment began during World War II as some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful monthlong battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.

ON THIS DATE

› 1807: Former Vice President Aaron Burr, accused of treason, was arrested in the Mississippi Territory, in present-day Alabama. (Burr was acquitted at trial.)

› 1878: Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for “an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines.”

› 1968: The children’s program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” created by and starring Fred Rogers, made its network debut on National Educational Television, a forerunner of PBS, beginning a 31-season run.

› 1986: The U.S. Senate approved, 83-11, the Genocide Convention, an international treaty outlawing “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,” nearly 37 years after the pact was first submitted for ratification.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Singer Smokey Robinson is 80. Actress Carlin Glynn is 80. Former Sony Corp. Chairman Howard Stringer is 78. Singer Lou Christie is 77. Actor Michael Nader is

75. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) is 72. Actor Stephen Nichols is 69. Author Amy Tan is

68. Actor Jeff Daniels is

65. Rock singer-musician Dave Wakeling is 64. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 63. Actor Ray Winstone is 63. Actor Leslie David Baker is

62. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 61. Tennis Hall of Famer Hana Mandlikova is 58. Singer Seal is 57. Actress Jessica Tuck is 57. Country musician Ralph McCauley (Wild Horses) is 56. Rock musician Jon Fishman (Phish) is 55. Actress Justine Bateman is 54. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 53. Actress Bellamy Young is 50. Rock musician Daniel Adair is 45. Pop singer-actress Haylie Duff is 35. Actress Arielle Kebbel is 35. Christian rock musician Seth Morrison (Skillet) is 32. Actor Luke Pasqualino is 30. Actress Victoria Justice is 27. Actor David Mazouz (TV: “Gotham”) is 19. Actress Millie Bobby Brown is 16.