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February 29th
0468 - Died this day, Pope Hilarius, calendar reformer, (birth date unknown). 1288 - Scotland established as one when a woman could propose marriage to a man! If he refused, he was required to pay a fine. 1468 - Born this day, Pope Paul III, last Renaissance pope (1534-49). 1504 - Columbus used a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians. 1584 - Born this day, Pope Hilarius. 1604 - Died this day, John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, aged about 74. 1692 - Sarah Good and Tituba, an Indian servant, were accused of witchcraft, in Salem. 1692 - Born this day, Edward Cave, in England, printer (Gentlemen's Magazine). 1696 - Born this day, Esprit Joseph Antoine Blanchard, composer. 1704 - The town of Deerfield, Massachusetts was raided by French Canadians and Indians who were trying to retrieve their church bell that had been shipped from France. The bell was to hang in the Canadian Indian's village church. Neither the raiders nor the residents of Deerfield were aware that the bell had been stolen from the ship. The Deerfield folks had purchased the bell from a privateer, unaware that it belonged to the Indian congregation. 47 people were killed in the incident. 1728 - Born this day, Robert Bage, English writer (Criticism by Peter Faulkner). 1736 - Born this day, Anna Lee, in Manchester, England, founder (Shaker movement in America). 1760 - During a battle near the Isle of Man, English Captain Elliot, with 3 frigates, defeated Thurot’s French force of 3 frigates, killing Thurot and causing all 3 of his ships to surrender. 1784 - The Marquis de Sade was transferred from Vincennes fortress to the Bastille. 1784 - Born this day, Franz K.L. von Klenze, German architect (Hermitage, St-Petersburg). 1792 - Born this day, Gioacchino Rossini, in Pesaro, Italy, composer (Barber of Seville). 1792 - Born this day, Karl Ernst von Baler, in Russia, naturalist (discovered human ovum). 1796 - Jay's Treaty was proclaimed, it settled some differences with England. (What other country? the US?) 1816 - (King) Willem II married Russian great monarch Anna Paulowna. 1820 - Born this day, Adolf Schimon, composer. 1828 - Born this day, Antonio Guzman Blanco, president Venezuela. 1832 - Charles Darwin visited Bahia, Brazil. 1836 - Rossini's opera Les Huguenots premiered in Paris. 1840 - Born this day, John Philip Holland, in Ireland, American-based inventor who pioneered the submarine. 1844 - Died this day, Thaddaus Weigl, composer, aged 67. 1848 - Neufchatel declared independence from Switzerland. 1852 - Died this day, John Landseer, printer, engraver for the Royal Academy. 1856 - Hostilities in the Russo-Turkish War ceased. 1860 - Born this day, Herman Hollerith, inventor, first electric tabulating machine - the forerunner of the calculator. 1868 - Died this day, [Charles] Louis I [Augustus], King of Bayern (Lola Montez). 1880 - The Gotthard railway tunnel between Switzerland and Italy opened. 1880 - J. Palisa discovered asteroid #214 Aschera. 1884 - Born this day, Alfred Sendrey, composer. 1892 - Britain and the US signed a treaty on seal hunting in the Bering Sea. 1896 - Born this day, Omer C.F.L. Tulippe, Belgian geographer. 1896 - Born this day, William W. Wellman, in Brookline, Massachusetts, director (Star is Born). 1896 - Born this day, Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, composer. 1900 - Born this day, Edna Swithenbank Manley, Jamaican sculptor, wife of Prime Minister. 1900 - Born this day, Giorgos Seferis [Yorgos Seferis], in Smyrna, Asia Minor, Greek diplomat, poet. Nobel Prize in Literature 1963. Died in 1971. 1904 - Born this day, Jimmy Dorsey, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, orchestra leader, bandleader (Stage Show). 1904 - In Washington, DC, a seven-man commission was created to hasten the construction of the Panama Canal. Work began on 4 May. 1904 - Born this day, Alan Richardson, composer. 1904 - Born this day, John 'Pepper' Martin, baseball player (NL stolen base leader 1933, 1934, 1936). 1904 - Born this day, Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenber etc. dorff, Sr., near Hamburg, Germany. One christian name for each letter of the alphabet. (Anyone kow what the proper surname is?) 1916 - Born this day, Howard Nemerov, poet. 1916 - Died this day, Edward Keurvels, Flemish conductor, composer (Parisina), aged 62. 1920 - Born this day, Arthur Franz, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, actor (Invaders From Mars, Young Lions). 1920 - Born this day, James Mitchell, in Sacramento, California, actor (Palmer-All My Children). 1920 - Born this day, Louise Wood, director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72). 1920 - Born this day, Michele Morgan [Simone Roussel], in France, actress (Joan of Paris). 1920 - Miklos Horthy de Nagybanya became the Regent of Hungary just six months after leading a counter-revolution. 1924 - Born this day, Al Rosen, baseball player and executive. 1928 - Died this day, Armando V. Diaz, Italian marshal, minister of War (1922-24). 1928 - Born this day, Joss Ackland, actor. 1932 - Died this day, 'Big Ed' Morris, pitcher (Boston Red Sox). 1932 - There was a failed coup attempt by the fascist Lapua-motion in Finland. 1932 - Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers teamed up to record Shine for Brunswick Records. 1936 - Fanny Brice brought her little girl character 'Baby Snooks' to radio on The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air on CBS Radio. Miss Brice presented the character and later sang My Man on the program. She was 44 at the time, and was known as America's 'Funny Girl' long before Barbra Streisand brought her even greater fame and notoriety nearly 30 years later. 1936 - Born this day, Alex Rocco, actor (Blue Knight, Stanley, Stunt Man). 1936 - Born this day, Alwin Schockemohle, in Germany, equestrian jumper (Olympic-gold-1976). 1936 - Born this day, Henri 'Rocket' Richard, NHL center (Montreal Canadiens). 1936 - Born this day, Jack R. Lousma, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Colonel USMC, astronaut (Skylab 3, STS-3). 1936 - Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a second neutrality act. 1938 - Born this day, Mario Andretti, racing driver. 1940 - Born this day, Gretchen Christopher, The Fleetwoods, 1959 US No.1 and UK No.6 single Come Softly To Me. 1940 - Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Oscar. She won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind. GWTW also won Best Picture, Best Actress for Vivien Leigh's performance and Best Director for Victor Fleming, Best Screenplay for Sidney Howard's writing plus awards for Color Cinematography, Interior Decoration and Film Editing. Other Oscar winners on were Best Actor, Robert Dunat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and Best Supporting Actor, Thomas Mitchell in Stagecoach. 1944 - The invasion of the Admiralty Islands began on this date as US General Douglas MacArthur led his forces in 'Operation Brewer'. Troops surged onto Los Negros, following a month of Allied advances in the Pacific. 1944 - Born this day, Dennis Farina, actor (Mike Torello-Crime Story). 1944 - The first woman appointed secretary of a national political party was named to the Democratic National Committee. Dorothy McElroy Vredenburgh of Alabama began her new appointment. 1944 - The Office of Defense Transportation, for the second year, restricted attendance at the Kentucky Derby to residents of the Louisville area to prevent a railroad traffic burden during wartime. 1948 - Born this day, Patricia McKillip, US science fiction writer (Fool's Run). She won the World Fantasy Award in 1975 for The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and the Locus Award in 1980 for Harpist in the Wind. 1948 - Born this day, Nikolai Pimenov, in USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976). 1948 - Born this day, Yuri Pimenov, in USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976). 1952 - New York City pedestrians were told when to walk and when not to as four signs were installed at 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square. Each sign flashed 'Walk' for 22 seconds, then 'Don't Walk' for ten seconds before the 'Don't Walk' turned red for 58 seconds more. 1952 - Born this day, Bart Stupak, (Representative-D-Michigan). 1952 - Born this day, Raisa Smetanina, in USSR, cross country skier (Olympic-gold-1976, 1980) 1952 - Born this day, [Timothy] Tim Powers, US sci-fi author (Epitaph in Rust, Night Moves). 1952 - Dick Button won his 5th consecutive world figure skating title. 1956 - An Islamic Republic was established in Pakistan. 1956 - President Eisenhower announced he would seek a second term of office. 1960 - President John F. Kennedy made the 'missile gap' a presidential campaign issue. 1960 - KRET TV channel 23 in Richardson, Texas (PBS) began broadcasting. 1960 - A report from the White House stated that America's kids were getting too fat! 1960 - Twenty years after its initial US release, Disney's Fantasia was re-released in Sweden. 1960 - Agadir in Morocco was hit by an earthquake that killed 12,000 people (1/3 the population) in 15 seconds. The city of Agadir was totally destroyed. 1960 - The first Playboy Club to feature 'bunnies' opened in Chicago, Illinois. 1964 - Dawn Fraser got her 36th world record. The Australian swimmer was timed at 58.9 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle in Sydney, Australia. 1964 - Born this day, James Ogilvy, son of Princess Alexandra 1964 - The Lockheed SR-71 'Blackbird' 2,000mph warplane, had its first public showing. 1964 - The United States was in the grip of Beatlemania! I Want to Hold Your Hand, by the lads from Liverpool, was in its 5th week at No.1 on the pop charts. It stayed there until 21 March, when it was replaced by She Loves You, which was replaced by Can't Buy Me Love, which was finally replaced by Hello Dolly, by Louis Armstrong, on 9 May 1964. 14 straight weeks of No.1 stuff by the Beatles! 1964 - A shuttlecock drive record was set by Frank Rugani. Mr. Rugani slammed the birdie 79-feet, 8-1/2 inches in a test at San Jose, California. (24.3 metres). 1964 - The 9th Winter Olympic games opened at Innsbruck, Austria. 1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson revealed the US had secretly developed the A-11 jet fighter. 1964 - North Carolina high school basketball teams played to a 56-54 score in 13 overtimes. 1964 - Cilla Black started a four week run at No.1 in the UK singles chart with a cover of Dionne Warwick's US hit Anyone Who Had A Heart. This week's UK top ten was the first ever to feature only UK acts. 1964 - The first night of a 29 date twice nightly tour featured The Searchers, Bobby Vee and Dusty Springfield, at The Adelphi Cinema, in Slough, Bucks. 1964 - The Hollies appeared on ITV's Thank Your Lucky Stars. 1968 - Ex Supremes singer Florence Ballard married Thomas Chapman in Detroit. 1968 - The Beatles won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Sgt. Pepper also won Grammys for Best Contemporary Album, Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical, and Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. Despite the wins for The Beatles, they would only win one more Grammy in subsequent years, despite impressive later works such as Abbey Road. Other big winners at the ceremony were The 5th Dimension (four Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Single, and Best Contemporary Group Performance for Up, Up and Away), Glen Campbell (four total: Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance for By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Solo Male Vocal Performance for Gentle on My Mind), Bobbie Gentry (four total: Best New Artist, Best Vocal Performance, Female, and Best Contemporary Female Solo Vocal Performance, and Best Arrangement, shared with Jimmie Haskell, for Ode to Billie Joe), and Aretha Franklin (two total: Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Female Vocal Performance for Respect. The theme song from the TV show Mission: Impossible, composed by Lalo Schifrin, won two Grammys. 1968 - The first pulsar was discovered (CP 1919 by Jocelyn Burnell at Cambridge). 1972 - John Lennon's visa expires, sparking a 4-year fight for his 'green card' to remain in the US. 1972 - Hank Aaron became the first baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year. 1972 - Born this day, Antonio Sabato Jr, actor (Jagger-General Hospital). 1972 - The US Justice Department had recently settled an antitrust lawsuit in favour of International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. Newspaper columnist, Jack Anderson revealed a memo written by ITT's Washington lobbyist, Dita Beard, that connected ITT's funding of part of the Republican National Convention with the resulting lawsuit settlement. 1972 - Swimmer Mark Spitz was named the 1971 James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy winner as the top amateur athlete in America. 1972 - Karen and Richard Carpenter of Downey, California, received a gold record for the hit single Hurting Each Other. 1976 - Born this day, Ja Rule [Jeffrey Atkins], US rapper, 2001 UK No.4 with Jennifer Lopez, I'm Real, 2002 US No.1 and UK No.6 single Always On Time, 2001 US No.1 album Pain Is Love. 1976 - 10CC kicked off a 30-date UK tour at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon promoting their new album How Dare You. Also this week Eric Stewart had been nominated for a Grammy award in America for his work on the 'Original Soundtrack' album. 1976 - A 'Special Leap Year Concert', with The Stranglers, Nasty Pop, Deaf School and Jive Bombers, was held at London's Roundhouse. 1976 - Slik appeared at London's Victoria Theatre, tickets were 75p and £1.25. 1976 - H-E Schuster discovered asteroid #2105 Gudy. 1977 - Two members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were knocked unconscious after a scuffle broke out between the band and members of the Metropolitan police boxing team, who were holding a dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. 1980 - The glasses that Buddy Holly had been wearing when he died were discovered in a police file in Mason, Iowa after being their for over 21 years. Likewise the Big Bopper's watch. 1980 - Died this day, Yigol Alton, Israeli Foreign Minister, aged 61. 1980 - Gordie Howe became the first NHL player to score 800 career goals. 1980 - Michael Bracey ended 59 hours 55 minutes trapped in an lift, in England. 1984 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau announced he was stepping down. 1984 - Died this day, Roland Culver, actor (Thunderball), of heart problems aged 83. 1984 - Lee Thompson from Madness married his girlfriend Deborah. 1984 - John Francome rode his 1,000th National Hunt winner at Worcester, the second jockey ever to do so. 1988 - KWK-FM in St Louis, Missouri changed its call letters to WKBG. 1988 - New York City Mayor Koch called Reagan a 'Wimp' in the war on drugs. 1988 - A Nazi document implicated Kurt Waldheim in World War II (WWII) deportations. 1988 - Day by Day, a situation comedy, premiered on NBC-TV. It was one of the 'yuppie sitcoms' that were all over the TV dial in the late '80s. This particular one was about a suburban overachieving couple who dropped out and opened up a day-care center in their home to spend more quality time with their children. The quality time lasted just under five months. 1992 - U2's Zoo TV Tour, opened at The Lakeland Civic Centre Arena, in Florida. 1992 - Died this day, Earl Scheib, CEO (Earl Scheib Auto Paint), aged 85. 1992 - Mr. Big hit it big on the US charts, moving to No.1 with, To Be With You. It would be the biggest hit in the US for three weeks. It was a No.3 hit in the UK. 1992 - The Professional Spring Football League began. 1996 - Died this day, Wes Farrell, aged 56. He was one of the writers behind The Partridge Family, also wrote Hang On Sloopy, a 1965 hit for The McCoys. 1996 - Status Quo sued Radio 1 for £250,000 on the grounds that the BBC station were breaking the law by not including their new record on their playlist. 2000 - Eric Clapton was banned from driving for six months after speeding at 45mph in a 30mph zone near his home in Surrey. 2000 - Britain's banks voted to levy charges on customers for using each other's cash machines. 2000 - Sir Elton John stormed out of the opening of his new Broadway musical show, Aida, after 15 minutes complaining that his songs had been ruined. |
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.