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From: "Mary" <>
Subject: [FOLKLORE FAMILY] Today in History - Feb. 9th
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 08:58:07 -0500


Today is Friday, February ninth, the 40th day of 2001.
There are 325 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:
On February ninth, 1943, the World War Two battle of Guadalcanal in the
southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces.

On this date:
In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison,
was born in Charles City County, Virginia.

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president
after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1861, the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America
elected Jefferson Davis president and Alexander H. Stephens vice president.

In 1870, the US Weather Bureau was established.

In 1893, Giuseppe Verdi's last opera, "Falstaff," was first performed, in
Milan, Italy.

In 1942, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to
coordinate military strategy during World War Two.

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy
(Republican, Wisconsin) charged the State Department was riddled with
Communists.

In 1964, The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on
"The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1971, the "Apollo 14" spacecraft returned to Earth after man's third
landing on the moon.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov died at age 69, less than 15 months
after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was succeeded by Konstantin U.
Chernenko.

Ten years ago: Voters in Lithuania overwhelmingly endorsed independence from
the Soviet Union in a non-binding plebiscite.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin L. Powell met
with military commanders in Saudi Arabia to evaluate a possible ground
assault against Iraqi forces.

Five years ago: In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a former member of the city's
beach detail shot and killed five former co-workers before killing himself.
A collision of rush-hour commuter trains in Secaucus, New Jersey, claimed
the lives of both engineers and a passenger.
The Irish Republican Army ended its cease-fire with a truck bombing in
London that killed two and injured 37.

One year ago: Hackers stepped up their "denial of service" attacks on
popular Internet sites, zeroing in on such targets as ETrade and ZDNet,
inconveniencing millions of Web users and unnerving Wall Street.
Boeing Company engineers and technical workers began a 40-day strike.

Today's Birthdays:
Actress Kathryn Grayson is 79.
Television journalist Roger Mudd is 73.
Actress Janet Suzman is 62.
Singer-songwriter Carole King is 59.
Actor Joe Pesci is 58.
Singer Barbara Lewis is 58.
Author Alice Walker is 57.
Actress Mia Farrow is 56.
Singer Joe Ely is 54.
Actress Judith Light is 52.
Rhythm-and-blues musician Dennis "DT" Thomas (Kool & the Gang) is 50.
Country singer Travis Tritt is 38.
Actress Julie Warner ("Family Law") is 36.
Country singer Danni Leigh is 31.
Actor David Gallagher is 16.
Actress Marina Malota ("Bette") is 13.


"Modesty is the conscience of the body."
-- Honore de Balzac, French author and dramatist (1799-1850).


(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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