Wednesday, February 24th
The 055th day of 2010.
There are 310 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
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On Feb. 24, 1868, the United States House of Representatives impeached President Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton; Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate. (Go to article.)
On Feb. 24, 1885, Chester W. Nimitz, whose work as U.S. naval commander contributed greatly to the defeat of Japan during World War II, was born. Following his death on Feb. 20, 1966, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On February 24, 1866, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about voting rights for African Americans. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1582 Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull outlining his calendar reforms. (The Gregorian Calendar is the calendar in general use today.)
1803 the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison ruled itself the final interpreter of constitutional issues.
1821 Mexico declared its independence from Spain.
1863 Arizona was organized as a territory.
1903 The United States signed an agreement acquiring a naval station at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
1920 The German Workers Party, which later became the Nazi Party, met in Munich to adopt its platform.
1942 The Voice of America went on the air for the first time.
1945 American soldiers liberated the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese control during World War II.
1980 The U.S. hockey team defeated Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
1981 Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Britain's Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
1983 A congressional commission released a report condemning the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II as a "grave injustice."
1997 The Food and Drug Administration named six brands of birth control as safe and effective "morning-after" pills for preventing pregnancy.
1998 Comedian Henny Youngman died at age 91.
1999 Lauryn Hill won five Grammys for her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," setting a record for a female artist that has since been broken by Beyonce.
2006 South Dakota lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions.
2006 NASA said 2005 was the warmest year in more than a century of record-keeping.
2007 The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution expressing "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
2008 Cuba's parliament named Raul Castro president, ending nearly 50 years of rule by his brother Fidel.
Current Birthdays
Edward James Olmos turns 63 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg Actor Edward James Olmos turns 63 years old today.
89 Abe Vigoda
Actor ("Fish," "Barney Miller")
88 Steven Hill
Actor ("Law and Order")
79 Dominic Chianese
Actor, singer ("The Sopranos")
78 Zell Miller
Former Georgia governor and senator
72 James Farentino
Actor
68 Joseph Lieberman
U.S. senator, I-Conn.
65 Barry Bostwick
Actor ("Spin City")
60 George Thorogood
Rock singer, musician
59 Debra Jo Rupp
Actress ("That '70s Show")
59 Helen Shaver
Actress
58 Fred Dean
Fooball Hall of Famer
54 Eddie Murray
Baseball Hall of Famer
54 Paula Zahn
Broadcast journalist
48 Michelle Shocked
Rock singer
46 Todd Field
Director ("In the Bedroom")
40 Jeff Garcia
Football player
36 Mike Lowell
Baseball player
36 Simeon Rice
Football player
36 Bonnie Somerville
Actress
29 Lleyton Hewitt
Tennis player
Historic Birthdays
Chester W. Nimitz
2/24/1885 - 2/20/1966
American commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-W.W.II
(Go to obit.)
31 Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
2/24/1463 - 11/17/1494
Italian scholar and philosopher
70 Charles Le Brun
2/24/1619 - 2/12/1690
French painter, designer and decorator
42 Johann Clauberg
2/24/1622 - 1/31/1665
French philosopher and theologian
68 George Curtis
2/24/1824 - 8/31/1892
American author and editor
74 Winslow Homer
2/24/1836 - 9/29/1910
American painter
76 Arrigo Boito
2/24/1842 - 6/10/1918
Italian poet, composer, and librettist
82 John Henry Comstock
2/24/1849 - 3/20/1931
American educator and researcher
81 Honus Wagner
2/24/1874 - 12/6/1955
American professional baseball player
86 Mary Ellen Chase
2/24/1887 - 7/28/1973
American scholar and writer
57 Henri Frankfort
2/24/1897 - 7/16/1954
American archaeologist
84 Bennie Oosterbaan
2/24/1906 - 10/25/1990
American college football player and coach
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SOURCE: The Associated Press
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