TODAY IN HISTORY
Today’s highlight:
On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beat- les arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy Interna- tional Airport to begin their first American tour.
On this date:
In 1943, the government abruptly announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (Rationing was lifted in October 1945.)
In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as U.S. Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.
In 1971, women in Swit- zerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed.
In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce Mccandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.
In 1985, U.S. Drug Enforce- ment Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped in Guadala- jara, Mexico, by drug traffick- ers who tortured and murdered him.
In 1991, Jean-bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of Haiti (he was overthrown by the military the following September).
In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah.
In 2009, a miles-wide section of ice in Lake Erie broke away from the Ohio shoreline, trapping about 135 fishermen, some for as long as four hours before they could be rescued (one man fell into the water and later died of an apparent heart attack).
In 2014, the Sochi Olympics opened with a celebration of Russia’s past greatness and hopes for future glory.
In 2020, two days after his acquittal in his first Senate impeachment trial, President Donald Trump took retribution against two officials who had delivered damaging testimony; he ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a national security aide and Gordon Sondland, his ambassador to the European Union.
Ten years ago: CIA Director-designate John Brennan strongly defended anti-terror attacks by unmanned drones under close questioning at a protest-disrupted confirmation hearing held by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Five years ago: Biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick SoonShiong struck a $500 million deal to buy the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-tribune and some other publications; the deal would take effect in June. St. John’s beat top-ranked Villanova, 79-75, for its second win that week over a top-five team. (St. John’s had earlier snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating fourthranked Duke.)
One year ago: President Joe Biden’s top science adviser Eric Lander resigned after the White House confirmed that an internal investigation found credible evidence that he mistreated his staff, marking the first Cabinet-level departure of the Biden administration.