On this day, Feb. 20

1839 Congress prohibited dueling in the District of Columbia.

1905 The U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, by a 7-2 vote, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.

1968 The Penn Sheraton Hotel went on the auction block after Local 327 Hotel and Restaurant Workers refused to accept management’s terms to end their 43-daylong strike.

1998 Tara Lipinski of the U.S. won the ladies’ figure skating gold medal at the Nagano Olympics in Japan; Michelle Kwan won the silver.

2008 An Allegheny County jury convicted landscaper Patrick Stollar of first-degree murder for the strangling and stabbing of Jean Heck, 78, in her Upper St. Clair home in 2003.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s

“Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin Today’s birthdays: Actor Sidney Poitier, 94. Racing Hall of Famer Bobby Unser, 87. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, 79. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 79. Movie director Mike Leigh, 78. Actor Brenda Blethyn, 75. Actor Sandy Duncan, 75. Actor Peter Strauss, 74. Rock musician Billy Zoom (X), 73. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, 70. Actor John Voldstad, 70. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, 67. Actor Anthony Head, 67. Country singer Leland Martin, 64. Actor James Wilby, 63. Rock musician Sebastian Steinberg, 62. Comedian Joel Hodgson, 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, 58. Rock musician Ian Brown (The Stone Roses), 58. Actor Willie Garson, 57. Actor French Stewart, 57.

Actor Ron Eldard, 56. Model Cindy Crawford, 55. Actor Andrew Shue, 54. Actor Lili Taylor, 54. Actor Andrea Savage, 48. Singer Brian Littrell, 46. Actor Lauren Ambrose, 43. Actor Jay Hernandez, 43. Actor Chelsea Peretti, 43. Country musician Coy Bowles, 42. Actor Michael Zegen, 42. Actor Majandra Delfino, 40. Actor Jocko Sims, 40. Singer-musician Chris Thile, 40. Actor-singer Jessie Mueller, 38. MLB AllStar pitcher Justin Verlander, 38. Comedian Trevor Noah, 37. Actor Jake Richardson, 36. Actor Daniella Pineda, 34. Actor Miles Teller, 34. Singer Rihanna, 33. Actor Jack Falahee, 32.

Thought for today: “I’ve always believed in the adage that the secret of eternal youth is arrested development.”