Today In History

Today is Friday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2023. There are 323 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY

On Feb. 17, 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.

ON THIS DATE

› 1815: The United States and Britain exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

› 1863: The International Red Cross was founded in Geneva.

› 1864: During the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley in the first naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank.

› 1897: The forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting in Washington.

› 1944: During World War II, U.S. forces invaded Eniwetok Atoll, encountering little initial resistance from Imperial

Japanese troops. (The Americans secured the atoll less than a week later.)

› 1959: The United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite that carried meteorological equipment.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor-comedian Barry Humphries (aka “Dame Edna”) is 89. Actor Christina Pickles is 88. Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown is 87. Actor Brenda Fricker is 78. Actor Becky Ann Baker is 70. Actor Rene Russo is 69. Actor Richard Karn is 67. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is 60. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy is 60. TV personality Rene Syler is 60. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is 53. Actor Dominic Purcell is 53. Olympic gold and silver medal skier Tommy Moe is 53. Actor Denise Richards is 52. Rock singer-musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 51. Actor Jerry O’Connell is 49. Country singer Bryan White is 49. Actor Kelly Carlson is 47. Actor Ashton Holmes is 45. Actor Conrad Ricamora is 44. Actor Jason Ritter is 43. TV personality Paris Hilton is 42. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 42. TV host Daphne Oz is 37. Actor Chord Overstreet is 34.