Today In History
Today is Wednesday, Feb. 22, the 53rd day of 2023. There are 312 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY
On Feb. 22, 2021, the number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 topped 500,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
ON THIS DATE
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1630: English colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony first sampled popcorn brought to them by a Native American named Quadequina for their Thanksgiving celebration.
› 1732: The first president of the United States, George Washington, was born in Westmoreland County in the Virginia Colony.
› 1784: A U.S. merchant ship, the Empress of China, left New York for the Far East to trade goods with China.
› 1935: It became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White House.
› 1959: The inaugural Daytona 500 race was held; although Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner, the victory was later awarded to Lee Petty.
› 1967: More than 25,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City, aimed at smashing a Viet Cong stronghold near the Cambodian border. (Although the communists were driven out, they later returned.)
› 1980: The “Miracle on Ice” took place in Lake Placid, New York, as the United States Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets, 4-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Actor Paul Dooley is
95. Actor James Hong is
94. Actor John Ashton is
75. Actor Miou-Miou is
73. Actor Julie Walters is 73. Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving is
73. Actor Ellen Greene is
72. Former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is 71. Former White House adviser David Axelrod is 68. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 64. Actor-comedian Rachel Dratch is 57. Actor Paul Lieberstein is 56. Actor Thomas Jane is 54. TV host Clinton Kelly is
54. Actor Tamara Mello is 53. Actor-singer Lea Salonga is 52. Actor Jose Solano is 52. International Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang is 51. Rock musician Scott Phillips is 50. Singer James Blunt is 49. Actor Drew Barrymore is 48. Actor Liza Huber is 48. Rock singer Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s) is 44. Rock musician Joe Hottinger (Halestorm) is 41. Actor Zach Roerig is 38.