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February 18th
0999 - Died this day, Gregory V [Bruno], first German Pope. 1478 - Died this day, George, Duke of Clarence, was murdered in the Tower of London. He was drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine. (Malmsey - a sweet Madeira wine, C15: < Med. L Malmasia, corruption of the Greek, Monembasia, Greek port from which the wine was shipped.) 1516 - Born this day, Queen Mary I, also known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants. 1564 - Died this day, Michelangelo, Renaissance artist and sculptor, died in Rome at the age of 88. The prolific Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect and poet was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in March of 1475. 1571 - A group of Spanish Jesuits in the Chesapeake Bay area, led by Fray Batista Segura, were murdered by the Indians they had come six months earlier to convert. The massacre led ultimately to the withdrawal of all Jesuits living in Florida as well. 1678 - John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress was first published, in England. Bunyan was frequently imprisoned for preaching without a license. During these sequestered times, between 1660-1672, Bunyan collected the ideas enabling him to pen this masterpiece of Christian literature. 1688 - At a monthly meeting in Germantown, Pennsylvania, a group of Quakers and Mennonites became the first white body in English America to register a formal protest against slavery. The historic 'Germantown Protest' denounced both slavery and the slave trade. 1754 - Born this day, Count Alessandro Volta, the physicist who made the world's first battery, was born in Como, Italy. 1781 - Born this day, Henry Martyn, Anglican missionary to Persia. Martyn first sailed for the East in 1805. His great linguistic gifts led him to translate the New Testament both into Hindustani and Arabic, before his premature death at the age of 31. 1784 - Born this day, Niccolo Paganini, Italian composer and violinist, was born in Genoa. 1795 - Born this day, George Peabody, in South Danvers (now renamed Peabody), Massachusetts, USA. Merchant and financier, philanthropist. 1813 - Czar Alexander entered Warsaw at the head of his Army. 1848 - Born this day, Louis Comfort Tiffany, glassware artist and designer. 1859 - Born this day, Shalom Aleichem [Solomon Rabinowitz], Yiddish author, author (Fiddler on the Roof). 1861 - Victor Emmanuel II became the first King of Italy. 1861 - Jefferson F. Davis was inaugurated as the Confederacy's provisional president at a ceremony held in Montgomery, Alabama. 1862 - Born this day, Charles M. Schwab, 'Boy Wonder' of the steel industry. President of both US Steel and Bethlehem Steel. 1865 - Union troops forced the Confederates to abandon Fort Anderson, North Carolina. 1867 - The Augusta Institute was founded in Georgia. Established as an institution of higher learning for black students, it moved to Atlanta in 1879, and in 1913 changed its name to Morehouse College. 1878 - The bitter and bloody Lincoln County War began with the murder of Billy the Kid's mentor, Englishman rancher John Tunstall. 1885 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, was published in New York. 1900 - Boer War - The Battle of Paardeburg commenced. 1907 - 600,000 tons of grain were sent to Russia to relieve the famine there. 1909 - Born this day, Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (Angle of Repose). 1915 - Germany's blockade of Britain by submarine began. 1920 - Vuillemin and Chalus completed their first flight over the Sahara Desert. 1920 - Born this day, Jack Palance, actor. 1922 - Born this day, Helen Gurley Brown, in Green Forest, Arkansas. After publishing her book Sex and the Single Girl (1962), in 1965 she became an editor, and then later editor in chief, at Cosmopolitan magazine. 1926 - In Mexico, five ancient Mayan cities were discovered by archaelogists. 1929 - Born this day, Len [Leonard Cyril] Deighton, English author, spy thriller writer (The Ipcress File, Fighter). 1930 - On this date in 1930, Pluto, generally the ninth most distant planet from the sun, was discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh. The existence of an unknown ninth planet was first proposed by Percival Lowell, who theorised that wobbles in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune were caused by the gravitational pull of an unknown planetary body. Lowell calculated the approximate location of the hypothesised ninth planet and searched for more than a decade until found. With a surface temperature estimated at approximately -360 Fahrenheit, Pluto was appropriately given the Roman name for the god of the underworld in Greek mythology. Pluto's average distance from the sun is nearly four million miles, and it takes approximately 248 years to complete one orbit. It also has the most elliptical and tilted orbit of any planet, and at its closest point to the sun it passes inside the orbit of Neptune, the eighth planet. 1931 - Born this day, Toni Morrison, Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author (The Bluest Eye, Beloved). 1932 - Manchurian independence was formally declared. 1933 - Born this day, Yoko Ono, artist, singer, in Tokyo, Japan. Wife of former Beatles member John Lennon. 1933 - Born this day, Sir Bobby Robson, football manager. 1934 - Born this day, Audre Lord, poet. 1935 - Rome reported sending troops to Italian Somalia. 1939 - The Golden Gate Exposition opened in San Francisco. 1941 - Born this day, Herman Santigo, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers, 1956 UK No.1 single Why Do Fools Fall In Love. 1942 - Plimsoll lines were beginning to appear on hotel and public baths as a fuel shortage hit Britain. Even the King had them painted on baths in Buckingham Palace. Five inches of hot water was the maximum suggested. Shared baths were encouraged. Soap and razor blades were in short supply and women used beetroot for lipstick and soot for eye make-up. 1943 - During World War II (WWII) fighting, German General Erwin Rommel takes three towns in Tunisia, North Africa. 1944 - The US Army and Marines invaded Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific. 1945 - US Marines stormed ashore at Iwo Jima. 1945 - Born this day, Jimmy Jewell, Gallagher & Lyle, 1976 UK No.6 single I Wanna Stay With You. 1947 - Born this day, Dennis Deyoung, vocals, keyboards, Styx, 1979 US No.1 and 1980 UK No.6 single Babe. 1948 - Born this day, Sinead Cusack, actress. 1950 - Born this day, Cybill Shepherd, model, actress, in Memphis, Tennessee. 1952 - Born this day, Judy Kay Newton [Juice Newton], 1981 US No.2 single Queen Of Hearts. 1952 - Born this day, Randy Crawford, US female singer, 1980 UK No.2 single One Day I'll Fly Away, and with the Crusaders, 1979 UK No.5 single Street Life. 1953 - Born this day, Robbie Bachman, Bachman Turner Overdrive, 1974 US No.1 and UK No.2 single You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet. 
1954 - Born this day, John Travolta, in Englewood, New Jersey, actor, singer, 1978 UK and US No.1 single with Olivia Newton John, You're The One That I Want. Films - The Devil's Rain (1975), The Tenth Level (1976), Carrie (1976), Saturday Night Fever (1977) Oscar nominated, Moment By Moment (1978) with Lily Tomlin, Grease (1978) with Olivia Newton-John, Urban Cowboy (1980), De Palma's Blow Out (1981), Two of a Kind (1983), Staying Alive (1983), the Sylvester Stallone-directed sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Perfect (1985).
The Experts (1989), Look Who's Talking (1989) with Kirsty Alley, Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Eyes of an Angel (1991) and Shout (1991), Look Who's Talking Now (1993). Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), Get Shorty and White Man's Burden (both in 1995). Michael (1996), John Woo's action-adventure thriller Broken Arrow (1996) and also Phenomenon (1996). Also did the 1987 ABC-TV special: Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter. She's So Lovely (1997), Mad City (1997), Face Off (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), Primary Colors (1998), A Civil Action (1998), The General's Daughter (1999), Battlefield Earth (2000), Lucky Numbers (2000). Also Swordfish (2001), directed by Dominic Sena. With Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones, and Sam Shepard. Domestic Disturbance (2001). 1954 - East and West Berlin dropped thousands of propaganda leaflets on each other after the end of a month long truce. 1955 - Born this day, Brian James, The Damned, 1986 UK No.3 single Eloise, also with Lords Of The New Church. 1956 - The Platters The Great Pretender, started a two run at No.1 on the US singles chart. It was a No.5 hit in the UK. 1960 - The Winter Olympics opened in Squaw Valley, California. 1960 - Born this day, Greta Scacchi, actress. 1961 - Born this day, Jasper Stainthorpe, Then Jerico, 1989 UK No.13 single Big Area. 1962 - Robert F. Kennedy said that US troops would stay in Vietnam until Communism was defeated. 1962 - On weekend leave from marine training, The Everly Brothers appeared on the US Ed Sullivan show, in full uniform and with regulation cropped hair, singing their new single, Crying In The Rain. 1963 - Born this day, Rob Andrew, rugby player. 1964 - The United States cut military aid to five nations in a reprisal for having trade relations with Cuba. 1964 - Muriel Resnik's Any Wednesday premiered in New York, NY. 1964 - Born this day, Matt Dillon, actor. 1964 - The Papandreou government took power in Greece. 1965 - 27 copper miners died in an avalanche in Granduc Mountain, British Columbia. 1965 - Frank Gifford announced his retirement from football intending to go in to broadcasting. 1965 - Gambia gained independence from Britain (Now a National Day). 1965 - Fade Out-Fade In opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City for 72 performances. 1965 - The Kinks had their second UK No.1 single with Tired Of Waiting For You. 1965 - The British Medical Council suggested a drink-drive limit of 'about a dozen whiskies'. 1966 - Born this day, Dr Dre, actor and rapper, NWA, 1990 UK No.26 single Express Yourself, and solo, 1996 US No.1 and UK No.6 single California. Also host of Yo! MTV Raps. 1966 - Born this day, Tommy Scott, vocals, Space, 1996 UK No.14 single Female Of The Species. 1966 - Beach Boy Brian Wilson recorded Good Vibrations. 1966 - The Silencers with Dean Martin and Stella Stevens was released. 1967 - Bob Seagren set a pole vault record at 17 feet 3 inches. 1967 - Softball pitcher Eddie Feigner, struck out 6 straight major leaguers. 1967 - The Buckingham's started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Kind Of A Drag, the groups only US No.1. It didn't make the UK chart. 1967 - Born this day, Colin Jackson, athlete. 1967 - The National Art Gallery in Washington agreed to buy a Da Vinci for a record $5 million. 1968 - Three US pilots that were held by the Vietnamese arrived in Washington. 1968 - British Standard Time (BST) was introduced. Summer Time became permanent, but arguments prevailed and a reversion to GMT came in October 1971. 1968 - David Gilmour joined rock group Pink Floyd. 1968 - 10,000 people demonstrated against the US in the Vietnam War in West-Berlin. 1968 - The 10th Winter Olympics games closed at Grenoble, France. 1968 - Born this day, Molly Ringwald, actress. 1969 - Doug Walters scored a second innings century after scoring 242 in first innings. 1969 - The PLO attacked an El-Al plane in Zurich, Switzerland. 1971 - Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band made their New York debut at Unganos. 1972 - The California Supreme Court voided the death penalty. 1972 - John and Yoko end a week of co-hosting Mike Douglas Show 1972 - The California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty. 1972 - Giulio Andreotti was sworn in as premier of Italy. 1973 - A 54-kg octopus measuring 7 metres across was captured in Hood Canal, Washington. 1973 - Belgian Emile Puttemans ran a 3000 metres indoors in a record 7 minutes 39.2 seconds. 1973 - Sandra Palmer won the LPGA Pompano Beach Golf Classic. 1974 - Randolph Hearst gave $2 million in free food for the poor in order to open talks for his daughter Patty. 1974 - NASA launched the Italian satellite San Marcos C-2 to a height of 235 miles or 843 km. 1974 - US ambassador to India, Daniel Moynihan, presented a $2,046,700,000 cheque (check). 1975 - The second American Music Awards were presented. 1975 - Italy broadened its abortion law. 1977 - George Harrison released True Love. 1977 - Colin Croft and Joel Garner had their Test Cricket debuts vs Pakistan in Bridgetown. 1977 - America's re-usable Space Shuttle made its maiden flight attached to the top of a Boeing 747. 1978 - Abba started a three week run at No.1 in the UK with the single Take A Chance On Me, the groups seventh No.1 in the UK. 1978 - The first Iron Man Triathlon comprising a swim, a bike ride, and a marathon, was held in Kona, Hawaii. 1978 - Winners at this years Grammy Awards included Fleetwood Mac, Album of the year for Rumours, The Eagles, Record of the year for Hotel California and Best pop vocal performance, The Bee Gees for How Deep Is Your Love. 1979 - A temperature of -52 degrees F (-47 degrees C), was recored at Old Forge, New York. A state record. 1979 - The miniseries Roots The Next Generations premiered on ABC TV. 1979 - NASA launched space vehicle S-202. 1979 - The only time in living memory when snow has been known to fall in the Sahara Desert was on this day, in southern Algeria. It melted in half an hour. 1979 - Amy Alcott won the LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic. 1979 - President Zia ur-Rahman's National Party won the elections in Bangladesh. 1980 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Liberal Party won the elections in Canada. 1980 - During an interview, Rolling Stone Bill Wyman said that he intended to leave the band in 1982 on the groups 20th anniversary, he left in 1993. 1982 - Mexico devalued the peso by 30 percent to fight an economic slide. 1983 - NBA Indiana Pacers began a 28 game losing streak. 1984 - A revised concordat between Italy and the Vatican was signed. 1984 - Simple Minds scored their first UK No.1 album with Sparkle In The Rain. It was the bands 6th release. 1986 - San Antonio's Alvin Robertson scored an NBA 2nd quadruple double-20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals against Phoenix. 1987 - Bon Jovi were at No.1 on the US singles chart with Livin' On A Prayer. It made No.4 in the UK. 1988 - Anthony M. Kennedy was sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice. 1989 - Steve Garvey married Candace Thomas while at the same time, being accused of fathering children by 2 other women. 1989 - Sherri Turner won the LPGA Orix Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open/Itoki Pro-Am. 1989 - Debbie Gibson started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Electric Youth. 1989 - Fine Young Cannibals scored their only UK number 1 album with The Raw And The Cooked. 1989 - In the New Musical Express (NME) independent singles chart, at No.3 were New Order, at No.2 was Yazz with Fine Time and at No.1 was The Sundays with Can't Be Sure. The No.1 independent album was New Order's Technique. 1989 - An impostor claiming to be Madness vocalist Suggs caused havoc when he phoned Radio 1 and asked them to advertise a one-off gig in Newcastle, it also came to light that the man had been calling local radio stations and UK gig promoters. 1990 - Jane Crafter won the PGA Phar-Mor at Inverrary Golf Tournament. 1991 - Edmonton Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr returned to NHL after a season-long suspension for substance abuse and shut out New Jersey Devils 4-0. 1993 - Howard Stern's radio show began transmitting to Rochester, New York. 1994 - Actor Joe Pantoliano, aged 41, married model Nancy Sheppard, aged 31. 1994 - Dan Jansen skated a world record 1000 metres in 1 minute 12.43 seconds. 1994 - The Shreveport Pirates joined the CFL. The 4th US team. 1995 - Angela Kennedy swam a world record 100 metre butterfly. (Time ?). 1995 - Barb Thomas Whitehead won the Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1995 - Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) and Tommy Lee (Motley Crüe) got married. 1995 - Warnecke swam a world record 50 metre freestyle. (Time ?). 1995 - Died this day, Bob Stinson from The Replacements, from a drug overdose. 1996 - Tendulkar scored 127 in India's Cricket World Cup win over Kenya. 1998 - New York Rangers fired head coach Colin Campbell. 1998 - Oasis member Noel Gallagher's Epiphone Supernova guitar raised £4,600 in aid of Children In Need at a Bonhams of London Auction. 2000 - An American court ordered the release of FBI files relating to John Lennon's interests and activities including his support for the Irish Republican cause and the Workers Revolutionary Party. 2000 - Campaigners opposed to GM foods, stepped up pressure on the government for a ban by dumping four tonnes of GM soya beans outside Downing Street. 2001 - Died this day, Dr William H. Masters, one of the first and leading researchers in the field of human sexuality, died aged 85 of complications from Parkinson's Disease. Masters died at a hospital in Tuscon, Arizona. With his wife Virginia Johnson, he published Human Sexual Repsonse in 1966, which became a best seller despite its technical language. 2001 - Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said Britain would keep pressure on Saddam Hussein, despite criticism of the Anglo-US air strikes against Iraq. 2001 - Joe featuring Mystikal, started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Stutter. 2002 - Four men who plotted to snatch £200m in diamonds from the Dome were jailed for between 15 and 18 years. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.