HISTORY

Thursday, February 25, 2021 Today is Thursday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2021. There are 309 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 25, 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.

On this date:

In 1793, President George Washington held the first Cabinet meeting on record at his Mount Vernon home; attending were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan. In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1919, Oregon became the first state to tax gasoline, at one cent per gallon.

In 1950, “Your Show of Shows,” starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris, debuted on NBC-TV.

In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser became Egypt’s prime minister after the country’s president, Mohammed Naguib, was effectively ousted in a coup.

In 1964, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

In 1983, playwright Tennessee Williams was found dead in his New York hotel suite; he was 71. In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers.

In 2010, in Vancouver, the Canadian women beat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title.

In 2018, China’s official news agency said the country’s ruling Communist Party had proposed scrapping term limits for China’s president, appearing to lay the groundwork for Xi Jinping to rule as president beyond 2023. (China’s rubber-stamp lawmakers approved that change on March 11.)

Ten years ago: The Obama White House broke decades of tradition, naming Jeremy Bernard the first man to ever serve as social secretary in the female-dominated East Wing. Suze Rotolo, artist and girlfriend of singer Bob Dylan, who was his lyrical muse when he came to prominence in the early 1960s, died in New York at age 67.

Five years ago: Brawling from the get-go, a fiery Marco Rubio went after Donald Trump during their Republican debate in Houston, lacerating the front-runner’s position on immigration, his privileged background, his speaking style and more; Ted Cruz piled on, too, questioning Trump’s conservative credentials. A gunman stormed into a Hesston, Kansas, factory and shot 17 people, killing three, before being shot dead by police.

One year ago: U.S. health officials warned that the coronavirus was certain to spread more widely in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to be prepared. President Donald Trump, speaking in India, said the virus was “very well under control” in the U.S. Civil protection officials in Italy said the number of virus cases there had increased by 45% in a 24-hour period; Italy had confirmed a total of 11 deaths. Six European nations announced cases of COVID-19 in people who had recently traveled from northern Italy. U.S. stock indexes added a second consecutive day of losses, falling more than 3 percent. Former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, who was a force for stability in the Middle East for nearly 30 years before being forced from power in an Arab Spring uprising, died at a Cairo hospital; he was 91.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Ann Mccrea is 90. Actor Tom Courtenay is 84. Former CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 84. Actor Diane Baker is 83. Actor Karen Grassle is 79. Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 79. Former professional wrestler Ric Flair is 72. Humorist Jack Handey is 72. Movie director Neil Jordan is 71. Rock singer-musician/actor John Doe (X) is 68. Rock musician Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) is 64. Rock singer-musician Mike Peters (The Alarm; Big Country) is 62. Comedian Carrot Top is 56. Model and actor Veronica Webb is 56. Actor Alexis Denisof is 55. Actor Tea (TAY’-AH) Leoni is 55. Actor Lesley Boone is 53. Actor Sean Astin is 50. Singer Daniel Powter is 50. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 48. R&B singer Justin Jeffre is 48. Actor Anson Mount is 48. Comedian-actor Chelsea Handler is 46. Actor Rashida Jones is 45. Country singer Shawna Thompson (Thompson Square) is 43. Actor Justin Berfield is 35. Actors James and Oliver Phelps (“Harry Potter” movies) are 35. Actor Jameela Jamil is 35. Rock musician Erik Haager (Carolina Liar) is 34.

Friday, February 26, 2021 Today is Friday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2021. There are 308 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 26, 1993, a truck bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. (The bomb failed to topple the North Tower into the South Tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both structures were destroyed in the 9⁄11 attack eight years later.)

On this date:

In 1904, the United States and Panama proclaimed a treaty under which the U.S. agreed to undertake efforts to build a ship canal across the Panama isthmus.

In 1940, the United States Air Defense Command was created. In 1942, “How Green Was My Valley” won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1941, beating out nine other films, including “The Maltese Falcon” and “Citizen Kane.”

In 1945, authorities ordered a midnight curfew at nightclubs, bars and other places of entertainment across the nation.

In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.

In 1966, South Korean troops sent to fight in the Vietnam War massacred at least 380 civilians in Go Dai hamlet.

In 1984, the last U.S. Marines deployed to Beirut as part of an international peacekeeping force withdrew from the Lebanese capital.

In 1994, a jury in San Antonio acquitted 11 followers of David Koresh of murder, rejecting claims they had ambushed federal agents; five were convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

In 1998, a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease. In 2014, Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill pushed by social conservatives that would have allowed people with sincerely held religious beliefs to refuse to serve gays.

In 2017, at the 89th Academy Awards, “Moonlight,” an LGBT coming of age drama, won three Oscars, including best picture of 2016 (in a startling gaffe, the musical “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as the best picture winner before the error was corrected).

In 2019, after making his way from Pyongyang in an armored train, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vietnam’s capital ahead of a summit with President Donald Trump, who arrived later in the day aboard Air Force One.

Ten years ago: In a statement, President Barack Obama said Moammar Gadhafi had lost his legitimacy to rule and urged the Libyan leader to leave power immediately. Space shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station, making its final visit before being parked at a museum. Five years ago: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stunned the Republican establishment by endorsing Donald Trump for president.

One year ago: President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. was “very, very ready” for whatever threat the coronavirus would bring; he put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of overseeing the country’s response. The World Health Organization reported that the number of new coronavirus cases outside China had exceeded the number of new infections in China for the first time. Brazil’s government confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in Latin America; a 61-year-old man who had traveled to Italy had tested positive. Facebook said it was banning ads that made false claims about products tied to the coronavirus. As Christians around the world marked the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday, worshipers found churches closed and rituals changed by virus fears. An employee at a Wisconsin brewery opened fire on co-workers, killing five of them before taking his own life. Maria Sharapova retired from professional tennis at the age of 32, after a career that included five Grand Slam titles.

Today’s Birthdays: Countryrock musician Paul Cotton (Poco) is 78. Actor-director Bill Duke is 78. Singer Mitch Ryder is 76. Actor Marta Kristen (TV: “Lost in Space”) is 76. Rock musician Jonathan Cain (Journey) is 71. Singer Michael Bolton is 68. The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Reh’-jehp Ty’-ihp Ur’-doh-wahn), is 67. Actor Greg Germann is 63. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA., is 63. Bandleader John Mcdaniel is 60. Actor-martial artist Mark Dacascos is 57. Actor Jennifer Grant is 55. Rock musician Tim Commerford (Audioslave) is 53. Singer Erykah Badu (Ehr’-ihkah bah-doo’) is 50. Actor Maz Jobrani (TV: “Superior Donuts”) is 49. R&B singer Rico Wade (Society of Soul) is 49. Olympic gold medal swimmer Jenny Thompson is 48. R&B singer Kyle Norman (Jagged Edge) is 46. Actor Greg Rikaart is 44. Rock musician Chris Culos (O.A.R.) is 42. R&B singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 42. Pop singer Nate Ruess (roos) (fun.) is 39. Tennis player Li Na is 39. Latin singer Natalia Lafourcade is 37. Actor Teresa Palmer is 35.

Saturday, February 27, 2021 Today is Saturday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2021. There are 307 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 27, 1933, Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag (Ryks’-tahg), was gutted by fire; Chancellor Adolf Hitler, blaming the Communists, used the fire to justify suspending civil liberties.

On this date:

In 1922, the Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of women to vote.

In 1939, the Supreme Court, in National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., effectively outlawed sit-down strikes.

In 1942, the Battle of the Java Sea began during World War II; Imperial Japanese naval forces scored a decisive victory over the Allies. In 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified.

In 1968, at the conclusion of a CBS News special report on the Vietnam War, Walter Cronkite delivered a commentary in which he said the conflict appeared “mired in stalemate.”

In 1973, members of the American Indian Movement occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. (The occupation lasted until the following May.)

In 1982, Wayne Williams was found guilty of murdering two of the 28 young Blacks whose bodies were found in the Atlanta area over a 22-month period. (Williams, who was also blamed for 22 other deaths, has maintained his innocence.)

In 1991, Operation Desert Storm came to a conclusion as President George H.W. Bush declared that “Kuwait is liberated, Iraq’s army is defeated,” and announced that the allies would suspend combat operations at midnight, Eastern time.

In 1998, with the approval of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s House of Lords agreed to end 1,000 years of male preference by giving a monarch’s first-born daughter the same claim to the throne as any first-born son.

In 2003, children’s television host Fred Rogers died in Pittsburgh at age 74.

In 2010, in Chile, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami killed 524 people, caused $30 billion in damage and left more than 200,000 homeless.

In 2015, actor Leonard Nimoy, 83, world famous to “Star Trek” fans as the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer Mr. Spock, died in Los Angeles. Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic Russian opposition leader and sharp critic of President Vladimir Putin, was gunned down near the Kremlin.

Ten years ago: “The King’s Speech” won four Academy Awards, including best picture; Colin Firth won best actor for his portrayal of Britain’s King George VI. Frank Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I who’d also survived being a civilian prisoner of war in the Philippines in World War II, died in Charles Town, West Virginia, at age 110. Duke Snider, 84, the Baseball Hall of Famer who helped the Dodgers bring their only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died in Escondido, California.

Five years ago: Hillary Clinton overwhelmed Bernie Sanders in the South Carolina primary. A cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia went into effect across Syria. A violent altercation between Ku Klux Klan members and counter-protesters in Anaheim, California, left three people stabbed. “Fifty Shades of Grey” nabbed five prizes at the Golden Raspberry Awards: worst screenplay, actor, actress, screen combo, and film of the year in a tie with “Fantastic Four.”

One year ago: U.S. stocks posted their worst one-day drop since 2011, as worldwide markets plummeted amid growing anxiety about the coronavirus; the Dow tumbled nearly 1,200 points. President Donald Trump declared that a widespread U.S. outbreak of the virus was not inevitable, even as top health authorities at his side warned that more infections were coming. Vice President Mike Pence convened his first meeting of the president’s coronavirus task force, a day after he was designated as the government’s point person for the epidemic. Saudi Arabia closed off the holiest sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims due to the coronavirus.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Joanne Woodward is 91. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 87. Actor Barbara Babcock is 84. Actor Howard Hesseman is 81. Actor Debra Monk is 72. Rock singer-musician Neal Schon (Journey) is 67. Rock musician Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) is 64. Actor Timothy Spall is 64. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 61. Country singer Johnny Van Zant (Van Zant) is 61. Rock musician Leon Mobley (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals) is 60. Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy is 60. Actor Adam Baldwin is 59. Actor Grant Show is 59. Actor Noah Emmerich is 56. Actor Donal Logue (Doh’-nuhl LOHG) is 55. R&B singer Chilli (TLC) is 50. Rock musician Jeremy Dean (Nine Days) is 49. Country-rock musician Shonna Tucker is 43. Chelsea Clinton is 41. Actor Brandon Beemer is 41. Rock musician Cyrus Bolooki (New Found Glory) is 41. Rock musician Jake Clemons (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 41. R&B singer Bobby V is 41. Singer Josh Groban is 40. Banjoist Noam (cq) Pikelny is 40. Rock musician Jared Champion (Cage the Elephant) is 38. Actor Kate Mara is 38. TV personality Jwoww (AKA Jenni Farley) is 35. Actor Lindsey Morgan is 31.