NEA DATEBOOK

Today is the 55th day of 2021 and the 66th day of winter.

• TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1836, Colonel William Travis issued a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo in San Antonio.

In 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson.

In 1942, anti-aircraft guns were fired at the night skies due to erroneous reports of Japanese aircraft over Los Angeles.

In 2008, Fidel Castro’s brother Raul Castro was officially named president by Cuba’s parliament.

• TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), author; Winslow Homer (1836-1910), artist; George A. Moore (1852-1933), poet/dramatist; Honus Wagner (1874-1955), baseball player; Abe Vigoda (1921-2016), actor; Dominic Chianese (1931- ), actor; Joe Lieberman (1942- ), U.S. senator; Edward James Olmos (1947- ), actor; Steve Jobs (1955-2011), computer pioneer; Paula Zahn (1956- ), TV journalist; Mitch Hedberg (1968-2005), comedian; Floyd Mayweather Jr. (1977- ), boxer.

• TODAY’S FACT: The best actress category of the 85th Academy Awards (held on Feb. 24, 2013) featured both the oldest and the youngest female nominees for a lead acting Oscar. Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”) was age 86, and Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) was age 9.

• TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

• TODAY’S QUOTE: “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” — George A. Moore, “The Brook Kerith”

• TODAY’S NUMBER: $500 — investment by Phil Knight, which was matched by his business partner and former track coach, Bill Bowerman, to start Blue Ribbon Sports, the progenitor to Nike, in 1964.

• TODAY’S MOON: Between first quarter (Feb. 19) and full moon (Feb. 27).