On This Day In History
Did You Know?
Circus owner P. T. Barnum buys his world-famous elephant Jumbo
Today in History in 1882
Would You Believe?
Arkansas legislature passes motion to pray for soul of journalist H. L. Mencken, after he calls the state the "apex of moronia"
Today in History in 1931
This day 103 years ago – 3 February 1919 – Éamon de Valera escaped from Lincoln Prison.
De Valera, Seán McGarry and Seán Milroy used a key assembled by fellow prisoner Peter de Loughry.
They were met by Michael Collins and Harry Boland, and fled to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. pic.twitter.com/OT0AbjYpv0
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) February 3, 2022
Happy 104th birthday to former US Army 1st Lt Vivian "Millie" Bailey, one of the first African American officers in the Women's Army, where she served as a commander. She celebrated her 102nd birthday by skydiving. https://t.co/0SJ9tDk6IM pic.twitter.com/qUsLy0OPVK
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) February 3, 2022
On this day in 1948, an all-white jury sentenced a Black woman and two of her teenage sons to death for killing an armed white man in self defense. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/mVPLahMq2I
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) February 3, 2022
February 4th
211 Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies, leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons, Caracalla and Geta
960 Coronation of Zhao Kuangyin as Emperor Taizu of the Song, initiating three centuries of Song Dynasty dominance in southern China
1789 1st US electoral college chooses George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President
1859 One of the oldest known copies of the Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is seen in Egypt by Constantin von Tischendorf who takes the manuscript home with him
1865 Robert E. Lee is named general-in-chief of Confederate forces
1969 The Palestine National Congress appoints Yasser Arafat chairman of the PLO
1988 Panamanian General Manuel Noriega indicted by US federal grand jury for drug trafficking and racketeering
2004 Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook from his Harvard dormitory room
In Feb 1923, biologist Hilde Mangold got her PhD for work on newt embryos, which was key to developmental biology. Her supervisor added his name to the thesis, and in 1935 - after Mangold's death in a kitchen fire - he won a Nobel Prize for the discovery. https://t.co/p4XAUd8NDN pic.twitter.com/ymtCMgqK0p
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) February 4, 2022
On this day in 1846, Alabama began statewide convict leasing, a practice later used to re-enslave Emancipated Black people criminalized by unjust laws. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/zLrjTPdE6p
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) February 4, 2022
4 February 1987. Flamboyant pianist, Władziu Valentino Liberace, died (aged 67). He was known simply as “Liberace”. He enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, records, films and TV shows. In the late 1950s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world. pic.twitter.com/bwR4yGDZzx
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) February 4, 2022
February 5th
1576 Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) abjures Catholicism at Tours
1597 A group of early Japanese Christians, known as the 26 Martyrs, are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society
1885 News of the fall of Khartoum reaches London
1885 King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal colonial possession
1945 US troops under General Douglas MacArthur enter Manilla
1969 United States population reaches 200 million
Did You Know?
The Royal Greenwich Observatory begin broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the "BBC pips".
Today in History in 1924
Would You Believe?
Largest Jell-O made (9,246 gallons of watermelon-flavor) in Brisbane
Today in History in 1981
In February 1972, 30,000 textile workers joined the Leeds Clothing Strike in Yorkshire, UK. Most were women, including Gertrude Roche; but the better paid, male tailors attempted a deal with management which left the women on much lower wages. https://t.co/ntHMIneCAN pic.twitter.com/ySjknhEwlu
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) February 5, 2022
On this day in 1917, Congress passed an Immigration Act that banned racial groups deemed "undesirable" from entering the U.S., and primarily barred Asian people. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/wwgTqzvPOC
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) February 5, 2022
February 6th
1508 Maximilian I proclaimed Holy Roman Emperor, 1st Emperor in centuries not to be crowned by the Pope
1778 France recognizes USA, signs Treaty of Alliance in Paris, 1st US treaty
1840 The Treaty of Waitangi is signed between 40 Māori Chiefs (later signed by 500) and representatives of the British crown in Waitangi, New Zealand. The treaty was designed to share sovereignty between the two groups.
1952 Queen Elizabeth II succeeds King George VI to the British throne and proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms including Canada, Australia and New Zealand
1989 Solidarity union leader Lech Wałęsa begins negotiating with Polish government
Did You Know?
The Sámi people of the far northern Nordic countries have an official day celebrating their existence
Today in History in 1992
Would You Believe?
American astronaut Alan Shepard is 1st to hit a golf ball on the moon
Today in History in 1971
This day 64 years ago – 6 February 1958 – Billy Whelan was one of 23 people who died when a flight carrying the Manchester United team crashed in Munich.
The Dublin-born player was 22 at the time.
Also on board were Jackie Blanchflower and Harry Gregg, both of whom survived. pic.twitter.com/mONGHI7paf
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) February 6, 2022
#OTD in 1749 Dr Johnson's play 'Mahomet and Irene' opened, starring Hannah Pritchard. A great star of the time, Pritchard was to be 'strangled'. The audience shouted 'murder!', the play was abandoned and Johnson changed the ending - but never forgave her. https://t.co/eLBlMmGtTS pic.twitter.com/vBVkkJG1Lv
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) February 6, 2022
On this day in 1902, a white mob seized Thomas Brown, a 19-year-old Black man, from a jail cell and lynched him on the lawn of the Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville, Kentucky. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/uT9BGXIH2u
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) February 6, 2022
February 7th
1238 The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir
1301 Edward of Caernarfon (later Edward II) becomes the first (English) Prince of Wales
1842 Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien
1856 Colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the 1st piece of legislation (the Electoral Act of 1856) anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot
1991 The IRA launches a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street during a cabinet meeting.
1992 Maastricht Treaty signed by 12 countries from the European Community (EC) to create the European Union (EU)
Did You Know?
Henry Clay declares in Senate "I had rather be right than president"
Today in History in 1839
Would You Believe?
All citrus fruit can be traced to the southeast foothills of the Himalayas, according to DNA study published in "Nature"
Today in History in 2018