Feb. 3, 2009 - Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2009. There are 331 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

Fifty years ago, on Feb. 3, 1959, a single-engine plane crashed shortly after midnight near Clear Lake, Iowa, claiming the lives of rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as pilot Roger Peterson. That same day, an American Airlines Lockheed Electra from Chicago crashed into New York's East River while approaching LaGuardia Airport, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.

On this date:

In 1809, 200 years ago, German composer Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg. Congress passed an act establishing the Illinois Territory effective March 1.

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens held a shipboard peace conference off the Virginia coast; the talks deadlocked over the issue of Southern autonomy.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

In 1916, Canada's original Parliament Buildings, in Ottawa, burned down.

In 1924, the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.

In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons. (He died just over a month later.)

In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a German torpedo. (Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men, and went down with the ship.)

In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first manmade object to make a soft landing on the moon.

In 1969, Yasser Arafat was elected chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee during a council meeting in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1989, Alfredo Stroessner, president of Paraguay for more than three decades, was overthrown in a military coup.

Ten years ago:

The Clinton administration told Congress a NATO-led peacekeeping force could be needed in Kosovo for three to five years and might include up to 4,000 American troops.

Five years ago:

John Kerry won Democratic presidential contests in five out of seven states. Work in the U.S. Senate slowed to a crawl, a day after ricin powder was found in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

One year ago:

The New York Giants scored a late touchdown for a spectacular Super Bowl win, 17-14, that ended
the New England Patriots' run at perfection.

Today's Birthdays:

Comedian Shelley Berman is 83.

Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 69.

Actress Bridget Hanley is 68.

Actress Blythe Danner is 66.

Singer Dennis Edwards is 66.

Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese is 64.

Singer-guitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 62.

Singer Melanie is 62.
Actress Morgan Fairchild is 59.

Actor Nathan Lane is 53.

Rock musician Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) is 53.

Actor Thomas Calabro is 50.

Actor-director Keith Gordon is 48.

Actress Michele Greene is 47.

Country singer Matraca Berg is 45.

Actress Maura Tierney is 44.

Actor Warwick Davis is 39.

Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee is 33.

Musician Grant Barry is 32.

Singer-songwriter Jessica Harp is 27.

Thought for Today:

"I can, therefore I am."

— Simone Weil,
French philosopher
(born this day in 1909, died 1943).