Today In History
Today is Tuesday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2023. There are 306 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY
On Feb. 28, 1993, a gun battle erupted at a religious compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on weapons charges; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.
ON THIS DATE
1844: A 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded as the ship was sailing on the Potomac River, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others.
1849: The California gold rush began in earnest as regular steamship service started bringing gold-seekers to San Francisco.
1911: President William Howard Taft nominated William H. Lewis to be the first Black assistant attorney general of the United States.
1953: Scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Architect Frank Gehry is 94. Singer Sam the Sham is 86. Actor-director-dancer Tommy Tune is 84. Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 83. Actor Kelly Bishop is 79. Actor Stephanie Beacham is
76. Writer-director Mike Figgis is 75. Actor Mercedes Ruehl is 75. Actor Bernadette Peters is 75. Former Energy Secretary Steven Chu is 75. Actor Ilene Graff is 74. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is
70. Basketball Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley is
68. Actor John Turturro is 66. Rock singer Cindy Wilson is 66. Actor Rae Dawn Chong is 62. Actor Maxine Bahns is 54. Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 54. Rock singer Pat Monahan is 54. Author Daniel Handler (aka “Lemony Snicket”) is 53. Actor Tasha Smith is 52. Actor Rory Cochrane is 51. Actor Ali Larter is
47. Country singer Jason Aldean is 46. Actor Geoffrey Arend is 45. Actor Melanie Chandra (TV: “Code Black”) is
39. Actor Michelle Horn is 36. MLB relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman is 35. Actor True O’Brien is 29. Actor Madisen Beaty is
28. Actor Quinn Shephard is 28. Actor Bobb’e J. Thompson is 27.