Today in history

On Feb. 3, 1690, the first papermoney in America was issued by the colony of Massachusetts. (The currency was used to pay soldiers fighting awar against Quebec.)

In 1894 illustrator Norman Rock well was born in New York.

In1913 the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal incometax, was ratified.

In1943 during World War II, the U.S. transport ship Dorchester sank after being hit by a torpedo. (Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men and went down with the ship.)

In1959 a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, claimed the lives of early rock ’n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.

In 1966 the Soviet probe Luna 9 becamethe first man made object tomake a soft landing on the moon.

In 1995 the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, in the pilot’s seat for the first time in NASA history.

In 2003 a bandoning a 2-month-long general strike that failed to oust President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s workers returned towork in all sectors but the vital oil industry. In 2004 John Kerry won Democratic presidential contests in five out of seven states.

In 2006 an Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during badweather, killing more than 1,000 passengers. Also in 2006, actor Al Lewis (“The Munsters”) died in New York; hewas 95.

In2013 the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII, a game that was interrupted by a 34-minute power outage at the Super dome in New Orleans.