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This Day in History

   1616 - A smallpox epidemic among Indians relieved future New England colonies of the threat of major hostilities with the Indians. The tribes from the Penobscot River in Maine to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island were virtually destroyed. It was not so much the white man that defeated the American natives, but the diseases they brought with them from the old world.
    1618 - In a move to compel church attendance, Governor Samuel Argall of Virginia decreed that all who failed to attend church service would be imprisoned in the guardhouse, “lying neck and heels in the Corps of Gard ye night following and be a slave ye week following.” Sunday dancing, fiddling, card playing, hunting, and fishing were also forbidden.
http://www.famousamericans.net/sirsamuelargall/
    1630 - Popcorn was introduced to English colonists by Quadequine, brother of Massasoit, who brought a bag of it to dinner.
http://ks.essortment.com/whatisthehist_rsdt.htm
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/popcorn1.html
    1631 - The first public thanksgiving, a fast day, was celebrated in Massachusetts Bay Colony, though many private celebrations had been recorded before this.
    1656 - Congregation Shearith Israel, the first Jewish congregation in America, consecrated the first Jewish cemetery in New York City. The plot occupied a piece of ground in the section now known as Chatham Square.
    1732 – Birthday of the United States’ first President, George Washington (d. 1799) in Westmoreland County, VA.   There is insufficient space here to properly note the accomplishments of America’s first war hero and leader. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb22.html
    1773 - The memorable "Cold Sabbath" in New England history. Many persons froze extremities while going to church, according to weather historian David Ludlum
    1775 – The first U.S. stock company, a cloth maker, offered shares at 10 cents each.
    1778 - Birthday of Rembrandt Peale (d. 1860) at Bucks County, PA. American portrait and historical painter, son of artist Charles Willson Peale.
    1784 - The Empress of China, first trading ship sent to China from the United States, set sail from New York, arriving in China on August 28.
    1819 - The Florida Purchase treaty was signed by Spain and the U.S. After having lost several decisive sea battles with the British, and the French, Spain was ready to abandon its several centuries of settlements in the new world. In a triumph of diplomacy by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Spain ceded the remainder of its old province of Florida at no cost beyond that of U.S. assumption of up to $5,000,000 of the claims of U.S. citizens against Spain. Adams also obtained for the U.S. a transcontinental southern boundary that legitimized U.S. interests on the northern side of the line to the Pacific. Florida became a state in 1845.
    1819 - James Russell Lowell (d. 1891), poet/essayist/diplomat, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/auth/lowell.htm
http://www.selfknowledge.com/267au.htm
    1825 – Russia and Great Britain established the Canada-Alaska boundary with the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1825.
    1847 - At the Battle of Buena Vista, U.S. forces under Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated the Mexicans under Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The war would end in 1848 by which terms Mexico recognized Texas a part of the US and ceded to the use 500,000 square miles of territory, including all of the future states of California, Nevada, and Utah, almost all of New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. In return, the U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15,000,000. The war resulted in 1721 dead and 4102 wounded. In addition, some 11,115 Americans died of disease as a result of the war. The total cost of the war was estimated at $97,500,000. The U.S. became an enormous continental republic, but the acquisition of the new territory aggravated the dispute between slavery and antislavery forces.
    1847 - As one of his last official acts, Alcalde (Spanish for mayor) Washington A. Bartlett certified the accuracy of the new town plan for San Francisco before the County Recorder. Lt. Bartlett became the first American alcalde, or mayor, of Yerba Buena after Sloate took possession of California for the US from Mexico. He was elected to succeed himself as mayor at the first election held under the new regime, on September 15, 1846. Bartlett was involved in the Donner Party tragedy; upon news being received at Yerba Buena of the disaster, Bartlett collected clothing and provisions to relieve the survivors. In one of his last acts as mayor, he formally changed the name of Yerba Buena on January 30, 1847 to that which it is known by today: San Francisco. Bartlett, as an experienced surveyor, also ordered the creation of some of the first maps of the city-to-be. Montgomery Street was named for his commanding officer, and Bartlett Street is most probably named for him.
    1854 – The Republican Party held its first meeting, in Michigan.
    1855 – The Pennsylvania State University was founded in State College as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania.
    1856 – The Republican Party held its first national meeting, in Pittsburgh.
    1860 – Organized baseball was played in San Francisco for the first time.
    1864 – The second day/last day of Battle of Okolona, MS. Confederate cavalry, commanded by Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, faced over 7,000 cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. William Sooy Smith and defeated them, causing 100 casualties for the loss of 50.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/ms013.htm
    1864 - Battle at Dalton, Georgia. From Vicksburg, Mississippi, Union Gen. Sherman launched a campaign to take the important railroad center at Meridian and, if the situation was favorable, to push on to Selma and threaten Mobile, in order to prevent the shipment of Confederate men and supplies. To counter the threat, Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered troops into the area. While these operations unfolded, Thomas determined to probe Gen. Johnston's army in the hope that Johnston's loss of two divisions, sent to reinforce Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk as he withdrew from Meridian to Demopolis, Alabama, would make him vulnerable. Skirmishing and intense fighting occurred throughout the demonstration. At Crow Valley on the 25th, Union troops almost turned the Rebel right flank, but ultimately it held. On the 27th, Thomas's army withdrew, realizing that Johnston was ready and able to counter any assault.
    1865 - Battle of Wilmington NC (Fort Anderson). Occupied by Federals, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg ordered the evacuation of Wilmington, burning cotton, tobacco, and government stores. A similar event happened in the burning of Atlanta, where Union troops were blamed for the destruction, but in reality it was the fleeing Confederate army not wanting to leave supplies, buildings or any aid to the occupying Union army. The Union army captures Fort Fisher with the great help of the “colored infantry division.” Today the fort is a national historical site, also housing the famous North Carolina Aquarium, receiving over 1 million visitors each year.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/nc016.htm
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-1882810244-1
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/fisher/fisher.htm
http://www.ncaquariums.com/newsite/ff/ffindex.htm
    1876 - Johns Hopkins University opens, the first research university in the United States.
http://webapps.jhu.edu/jhuniverse/information_about_hopkins/about_jhu/
a_brief_history_of_jhu/index.cfm
http://www.jhu.edu/
    1879 - Frank Woolworth opened his first store at Utica, New York. The store was a great disappointment as its sales after a few weeks were as low as $2.50 a day. Woolworth moved his store in June, 1879 to Lancaster, PA, where it proved a success. He came up with the idea for a five-cent store on September 24, 1878, in Watertown, NY, when he originated a “five-cent table” in the store of Moore and Smith during the week of the county fair. The first joint venture of the Woolworth brothers in Harrisburg, PA, was called the “Great 5 Cent Store.” In 1997, the closing of the chain was announced. Macy's, Montgomery Ward, K-Mart, the White House, among others, have filed bankruptcy as Wal-Mart and Costco and e-commerce have changed the "department store" business.
    1884 - Birthday of Abe Attell (d. 1970), a boxer born Albert Knoehr at San Francisco, CA. Attell held the featherweight championship for 11 years, 1906-1912, when boxing was not quite as organized as it could have been. A heavy gambler and known associate of Arnold Rothstein, he got involved in baseball's Black Sox scandal. In 1920, Attell was accused of being the messenger between the gangster Rothstein and the White Sox players during the planning stages of the fix of the 1919 World Series, actually delivering $10,000 to the player-conspirators.   He avoided prosecution, first by fleeing to Canada and then by convincing authorities that there were two Abe Attells and the other one was the guilty party.
    1888 - General A.M. Winn leads a parade in San Francisco, celebrating the passage of California's 8-hour work day law.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/earlylabor.html
    1888 - John Reid of Scotland demonstrated golf to Americans in Yonkers, New York
    1889 - President Cleveland signs the Omnibus Admissions Act to admit the Dakotas, Montana and Washington State. One final amendment to the Omnibus Bill was particularly significant for Washington. Representative Springer of Illinois, chairman of the House Committee on Territories, wanted to rename Washington as the state of Tacoma. The move sparked considerable controversy in Washington, including a letter by ex-governor Watson Squire charging that the Northern Pacific had chosen the name for the city of Tacoma, had wanted to change the name of Mt. Rainier to Tacoma, and now wanted to rename the state. Watson argued the importance of keeping the name as a "trademark" and in honor of George Washington: “And is not this commonwealth one of the monuments erected to the father of the republic? Why impiously seek to tear it down? Is the monument unworthy of the name? Only an ignoramus could harbor the thought!” The Omnibus Bill would have renamed the state Tacoma until the final vote on February 20, at which time the name of Washington was restored. It was signed by President Cleveland on the 22nd to honor the first President of the United States.
http://www.appeal-law.com/constitution/voorhees.shtml
    1892 - Birthday of Edna St. Vincent Millay (d. 1950), American poet ("My candle burns at both ends . . ."), at Rockland, ME.
    1906 - Black evangelist William J. Seymour first arrived in Los Angeles and began holding revival meetings. The "Azusa Street Revival" later broke out under Seymour's leadership, in the Apostolic Faith Mission located at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles. It was one of the pioneering events in the history of 20th century American Pentecostalism.
    1907 - Birthday of trumpeter Rex Stewart (d. 1967), Philadelphia, PA
    1907 – Actor Robert Young (d. 1998) was born in Chicago. He is best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father character in “Father Knows Best,” and the physician Marcus Welby in “Marcus Welby, M.D.”
    1909 – The Great White Fleet, the first U.S. fleet to circle the globe, returns to Virginia. It consisted of 16 battleships along with various escorts. President Theodore Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability. Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds to build American sea power. Beginning with just 90 small ships, over one-third of them wooden, the navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels. The hulls of these ships were painted a stark white,
    1912 - Thirty-five starving women and children were beaten and arrested at the train station of Lawrence, Massachusetts, when they tried to go to temporary homes in Philadelphia. Workers were striking the lowering of wages and poor working conditions in the textile plants.
    1915 – Tenor Saxophone player Buddy Tate’s (d. 2002) birthday, born George Holmes Tate in Sherman, Texas.
http://elvispelvis.com/buddytate.htm
    1918 - Robert Wadlow (d. 1940), the tallest man in recorded history, was born at Alton, IL. Though only 9 lbs. at birth, by age 10, Wadlow already stood over 6 feet tall and weighed 210 lbs. When Wadlow died at age 22, he was a remarkable 8 feet 11.1 inches tall, 490 lbs. His gentle, friendly manner in the face of constant public attention earned him the name "Gentle Giant." Wadlow died July 15, 1940, at Manistee, MI, of complications resulting from a foot infection.
    1918 - A spectacular Chinook wind at Granville, ND, caused the temperature to spurt from a morning low of 33 degrees below zero to an afternoon high of 50 degrees above zero.
    1918 – One of television’s best-known voices, Don Pardo (d. 2014), was born in Westfield, MA. Pardo was noted for his 70-year tenure with NBC, working as the announcer for early incarnations of such shows as “The Price is Right,” “Jackpot,” “Jeopardy!,” “Three on a Match,” “Winning Streak,” and “NBC Nightly News.” His longest, and best-known, announcing job was for NBC's “Saturday Night Live,” a job he held for 39 seasons, from the show's debut in 1975 until his death.
    1918 – Charley Finley (d. 1996) was born in LaPorte, IN. The longtime owner of the Kansas City Athletics and Oakland Athletics, prior to buying the A's, Finley had tried to buy the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox, and been considered as a potential owner of the expansion Los Angeles Angels. History recognizes him as one of the most innovative owners in the game. Among his famous stunts were a mechanical rabbit that would pop out of the ground near home plate to deliver fresh baseballs to the umpire, a live mascot mule (named Charlie O) and an attempt to introduce orange-colored baseballs for better night vision. He had his teams wear garish uniforms in gold and green, and attempted to dump the venerable "Athletics" nickname in favor of the more-modern sounding "A's." He was among the first to understand the importance of the newly-created amateur draft and used it to build a lineup of young stars such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Sal Bando, soon making the club a contender. The A's won the AL West for five consecutive seasons, from 1971-5, and they captured three straight World Series from 1972-4. The teams were also notable for wearing mustaches, something done at Finley's insistence to enhance the A's image.   Finley was convinced that speed was one of the keys to winning ballgames and forced his teams to carry a full-time pinch-runner throughout the 1970s. He used a track star with no baseball experience – Herb Washington - in the role but although the sprinter had great speed, his lack of baseball instincts was a problem. And like the former owner of the Philadelphia Athletics, when finances proved to be a problem, he went about selling or trading his stars – Vida Blue, Gene Tenace and others - until the Commissioner cancelled them for the good of the game.
    1920 - Honky-tonk piano player Del Wood (d. 1989) was born Adelaide Hendricks in Nashville, Tennessee. She recorded a ragtime version of a fiddle tune called "Down Yonder" in 1951 and came up with a million-seller. Jerry Lee Lewis has cited Del Wood as one of the artists he listened to in his early years.
    1922 - Trumpeter Joe Wilder (d. 2014) birthday, Colwyn, PA.
    1923 – Transcontinental airmail service was initiated.
    1927 – Singer Guy Mitchell (d. 1999) was born Albert George Cernik in Detroit. An American pop singer, successful in the US, the UK and Australia, he sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. Mitch Miller, in charge of talent at Columbia Records, noticed Cernik in 1950 when he joined Columbia and took his new stage name at Miller's urging: Miller supposedly said, "…my name is 'Mitchell' and you seem a nice 'guy', so we'll call you Guy Mitchell." His first hit was "My Heart Cries for You" (1951). He ventured into rock ‘n’ roll with songs including "Heartaches by the Number," "Rock-a-Billy," "The Same Old Me," and his biggest hit, "Singing the Blues," which was number one for 10 weeks in 1956.
    1929 – Before the term existed, one of the game’s first closers, Ryne Duren (d. 2011), was born in Cazenovia, WI. A hard-throwing right-hander, Duren was frightening to bat against because he only intermittently had control of his prodigious fastball. Known to teammates simply as "Rhino", his thick "Coke bottle" glasses, a reputation for heavy drinking, and a tendency to throw warm-up pitches against the backstop only heightened batters' uneasiness. The scene in “Bull Durham” where Nuke LaLoosh hits the mascot bull in the on-deck circle was a take-off on Duren’s warmup pitches upon entering the game. He led the league in saves for the Yankees in 1958. Following his playing career, Duren spent many years involved in Alcoholics Anonymous and the recovery movement.
    1932 – Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (d. 2009) was born in Boston. A Democrat Senator from Massachusetts, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and was the fourth longest-serving senator in United States history, having served there for almost 47 years. The most prominent living member of the Kennedy family for many years, he was the last surviving son of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose F. Kennedy; the youngest brother of President Kohn F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, both victims of assassination; and the father of Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy.   Kennedy entered the Senate in a November, 1962 special election to fill the seat once held by his brother John.
    1934 – George “Sparky” Anderson (d. 2010) was born in Bridgewater, SD. He managed the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine to the 1975 and 1976 World Series championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues. His 2,194 career wins are the 6th-most for a manager in Major League history. Anderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
    1936 - Although heat and spring and summer, early 1936 brought record cold to parts of the U.S. Sioux Center, IA reported 42 inches of snow on the ground, a state record.
    1936 - The temperature at Langdon, ND, climbed above zero for the first time in six weeks. Readings never got above freezing during all three winter months.
    1938 - The St. Louis Cardinals signed TCU All-American football star and Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh as a shortstop. He started with the Cards in spring training but was assigned to the minors. He did not play any more seasons as a pro baseball player, devoting his time thereafter to football.
    1944 – Robert Kardashian (d. 2003) was born in LA. He gained national recognition as O.J. Simpson’s friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. He had four children with his first wife, Kris: Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob, all of whom have become well known for appearing on their family reality television series.
    1944 - MONTGOMERY, JACK C., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry dust prevailed in the
Division. Place and date: Near, Padiglione, Italy, 22 February 1944. Entered service at: Sallisaw, Okla. Birth: Long, Okla. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 22 February 1944, near Padiglione, Italy. Two hours before daybreak a strong force of enemy infantry established themselves in 3 echelons at 50 yards, 100 yards, and 300 yards, respectively, in front of the rifle platoons commanded by 1st Lt. Montgomery. The closest position, consisting of 4 machineguns and 1 mortar, threatened the immediate security of the platoon position. Seizing an Ml rifle and several hand grenades, 1st Lt. Montgomery crawled up a ditch to within hand grenade range of the enemy. Then climbing boldly onto a little mound, he fired his rifle and threw his grenades so accurately that he killed 8 of the enemy and captured the remaining 4. Returning to his platoon, he called for artillery fire on a house, in and around which he suspected that the majority of the enemy had entrenched themselves. Arming himself with a carbine, he proceeded along the shallow ditch, as withering fire from the riflemen and machine gunners in the second position was concentrated on him. He attacked this position with such fury that 7 of the enemy surrendered to him, and both machineguns were silenced. Three German dead were found in the vicinity later that morning. 1st Lt. Montgomery continued boldly toward the house, 300 yards from his platoon position. It was now daylight, and the enemy observation was excellent across the flat open terrain which led to 1st Lt. Montgomery's objective. When the artillery barrage had lifted, 1st Lt. Montgomery ran fearlessly toward the strongly defended position. As the enemy started streaming out of the house, 1st Lt. Montgomery, unafraid of treacherous snipers, exposed himself daringly to assemble the surrendering enemy and send them to the rear. His fearless, aggressive, and intrepid actions that morning, accounted for a total of 11 enemy dead, 32 prisoners, and an unknown number of wounded. That night, while aiding an adjacent unit to repulse a counterattack, he was struck by mortar fragments and seriously wounded. The selflessness and courage exhibited by 1st Lt. Montgomery in alone attacking 3 strong enemy positions inspired his men to a degree beyond estimation.
    1945 - CHAMBERS, JUSTICE M., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Colonel. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3rd Assault Battalion Landing Team. 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: On Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. from 19 to 22 February 1945. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Born: 2 February 1908, Huntington, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 3d Assault Battalion Landing Team, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, from 19 to 22 February 1945. Under a furious barrage of enemy machinegun and small-arms fire from the commanding cliffs on the right, Col. Chambers (then Lt. Col.) landed immediately after the initial assault waves of his battalion on D-day to find the momentum of the assault threatened by heavy casualties from withering Japanese artillery, mortar rocket, machinegun, and rifle fire. Exposed to relentless hostile fire, he coolly reorganized his battle-weary men, inspiring them to heroic efforts by his own valor and leading them in an attack on the critical, impregnable high ground from which the enemy was pouring an increasing volume of fire directly onto troops ashore as well as amphibious craft in succeeding waves. Constantly in the front lines encouraging his men to push forward against the enemy's savage resistance, Col. Chambers led the 8-hour battle to carry the flanking ridge top and reduce the enemy's fields of aimed fire, thus protecting the vital foothold gained. In constant defiance of hostile fire while reconnoitering the entire regimental combat team zone of action, he maintained contact with adjacent units and forwarded vital information to the regimental commander. His zealous fighting spirit undiminished despite terrific casualties and the loss of most of his key officers, he again reorganized his troops for renewed attack against the enemy's main line of resistance and was directing the fire of the rocket platoon when he fell, critically wounded. Evacuated under heavy Japanese fire, Col. Chambers, by forceful leadership, courage, and fortitude in the face of staggering odds, was directly instrumental in insuring the success of subsequent operations of the 5th Amphibious Corps on Iwo Jima, thereby sustaining and enhancing the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1945 - Birthday of '60s folk-rock singer Oliver, born William Oliver Swofford (d. 2000), N. Wilkesboro, NC.
    1946 - Dizzy Gillespie first records “Night in Tunisia,” NYC (Vi 40-0130)
    1950 – Julius Erving was born in East Meadow, NY. One of the giants of professional basketball, Dr. J helped popularize the modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and playing above the rim. Erving helped legitimize the start-up ABA and was the best-known player in that league when it merged with the NBA after the 1975–76 season. He is the sixth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam-dunking from the free throw line and was the only player voted Most Valuable Player in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. Erving was inducted in 1993 into the Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary team. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time.
    1956 - Eighty well-known boycotters, including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Edward Nixon marched to the sheriff’s office in the Montgomery County, Alabama courthouse, where they gave themselves up for arrest. On Feb 20, 1956, white city leaders of Montgomery, Alabama, issued an ultimatum to black organizers of the three-month-old Montgomery bus boycott. They said if the boycott ended immediately there would be "no retaliation whatsoever." If it did not end, it was made clear they would begin arresting black leaders. Two days later, they were booked, finger printed and photographed. The next day the story was carried by newspapers all over the world.
    1956 - For the first time, Elvis Presley hit the music charts as "Heartbreak Hotel" began to climb to number one on pop charts. It reached the top on April 11, 1956 and stayed there for eight weeks.
    1956 - Billboard reviews James Brown's debut record "Please, Please, Please:" "A dynamic, religious fervor runs through the pleading solo here. Brown and the Famous Flames group let off plenty of steam.”
    1957 - Top Hits
“Too Much” - Elvis Presley
“Young Love” - Tab Hunter
“Love is Strange” - Mickey & Sylvia
“Young Love” - Sonny James
    1957 - In a small club in Blytheville, Arkansas, Jerry Lee Lewis plays "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Although Lewis did not write the tune, it was a favorite of his since he first heard it a year earlier. This is the first time Lewis adds his own words to replace those he has forgotten.
    1957 - Famed US dance instructor Arthur Murray reported that enrollment in his dance studios has increased ten percent since the "rock and roll craze" has swept the country.
    1957 - The Film "Don't Knock the Rock," featuring appearances by Alan Freed, Little Richard and Bill Haley, opens at the Paramount Theatre in New York.
    1958 - The Silhouettes topped Cash Box Magazine's Best Sellers Chart with "Get A Job" after Dick Clark started playing it on his TV show, American Bandstand. The group got their name from the 1957 song by The Rays, (covered by Herman's Hermits in the 60's) and the inspiration for the tune came from writer Rick Lewis' mother, when she chided her son to "get up in the morning and go out and get a job."
    1958 - Roy Hamilton's record, "Don't Let Go," hit #13 for its first week on record charts, making it the first stereo record to make the pop music charts. The year 1958 saw several stereo recordings, including: "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes" by Chuck Willis, "Yakety Yak" by the Coasters, "Born Too Late" by The Poni-Tails, "It's All in the Game" by Tommy Edwards and "What Am I Living For" by Chuck Willis.
    1958 – The movie “The Big Beat,” a virtual rewrite of 1957's “Rock Around The Clock,” opens in Detroit, featuring The Diamonds, The Del-Vikings, The Mills Brothers, and Fats Domino, who sings the hit title track.
    1959 - The first running of the Daytona 500, the race that has become the most important event on the NASCAR calendar, took place at the newly-opened Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Drivers Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp crossed the finished line in what appeared to be a dead heat, but photographs and film, examined later, showed Petty to be the winner.
    1960 - "Theme from A Summer Place" by Percy Faith began its nine-week run at the top of the Billboard singles chart. It remains the longest-running number-one instrumental in the history of the chart and brought Faith a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961.
    1965 - Top Hits
“This Diamond Ring” - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“My Girl” - The Temptations
“The Jolly Green Giant” - The Kingsmen
“I've Got a Tiger by the Tail” - Buck Owens
    1965 - In the Bahamas, filming got underway for the Beatles' second movie, "HELP!" Other scenes were shot in England and Austria. The film opened in North America in August.
    1965 - The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Cinderella,” starring newcomer Lesley Ann Warren, debuted on CBS. It received a Nielsen rating of 42.3 and was among the highest-rated single programs in the history of television.
    1968 - Genesis, a group formed as a songwriters' cooperative by three English schoolboys, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, release its first single, "The Silent Sun."
    1969 - The Foundations' "Build Me Up Buttercup" peaks at #3 on the pop chart
    1969 - Barbara Jo Rubin became the first woman jockey to win a thoroughbred horse race in the United States. She rode Cohesion to victory by a neck over Reely Beeg in the ninth race at Charles Town Race Track in West Virginia.
    1969 - FOX, WESLEY L., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Leesburg, Va. Born: 30 September 1931, Herndon, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer of Company A, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fox's company came under intense fire from a large well concealed enemy force. Capt. Fox maneuvered to a position from which he could assess the situation and confer with his platoon leaders. As they departed to execute the plan he had devised, the enemy attacked and Capt. Fox was wounded along with all of the other members of the command group, except the executive officer. Capt. Fox continued to direct the activity of his company. Advancing through heavy enemy fire, he personally neutralized 1 enemy position and calmly ordered an assault against the hostile emplacements. He then moved through the hazardous area coordinating aircraft support with the activities of his men. When his executive officer was mortally wounded, Capt. Fox reorganized the company and directed the fire of his men as they hurled grenades against the enemy and drove the hostile forces into retreat. Wounded again in the final assault, Capt. Fox refused medical attention, established a defensive posture, and supervised the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his marines to such aggressive action that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex. Capt. Fox's heroic actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1969 - LANG, GEORGE C., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 20 April 1947, Flushing, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Lang, Company A, was serving as a squad leader when his unit, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission, encountered intense fire from a well-fortified enemy bunker complex. Sp4c. Lang observed an emplacement from which heavy fire was coming. Unhesitatingly, he assaulted the position and destroyed it with hand grenades and rifle fire. Observing another emplacement approximately 15 meters to his front, Sp4c. Lang jumped across a canal, moved through heavy enemy fire to within a few feet of the position, and eliminated it, again using hand grenades and rifle fire. Nearby, he discovered a large cache of enemy ammunition. As he maneuvered his squad forward to secure the cache, they came under fire from yet a third bunker. Sp4c. Lang immediately reacted, assaulted his position, and destroyed it with the remainder of his grenades. After returning to the area of the arms cache, his squad again came under heavy enemy rocket and automatic weapons fire from 3 sides and suffered 6 casualties. Sp4c. Lang was 1 of those seriously wounded. Although immobilized and in great pain, he continued to direct his men until his evacuation was ordered over his protests. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness exhibited by this soldier over an extended period of time were an inspiration to his comrades and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
    1969 - LAW, ROBERT D., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company 1 (Ranger), 75th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. place and date: Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Born: 15 September 1944, Fort Worth, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Law distinguished himself while serving with Company 1. While on a long-range reconnaissance patrol in Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Sp4c. Law and 5 comrades made contact with a small enemy patrol. As the opposing elements exchanged intense fire, he maneuvered to a perilously exposed position flanking his comrades and began placing suppressive fire on the hostile troops. Although his team was hindered by a low supply of ammunition and suffered from an unidentified irritating gas in the air, Sp4c. Law's spirited defense and challenging counterassault rallied his fellow soldiers against the well-equipped hostile troops. When an enemy grenade landed in his team's position, Sp4c. Law, instead of diving into the safety of a stream behind him, threw himself on the grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Law's extraordinary courage and profound concern for his fellow soldiers were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1971 - An outbreak of tornadoes hit northeastern Louisiana and northern and central Mississippi. The tornadoes claimed 121 lives, including 110 in Mississippi. Three tornadoes accounted for 118 of the deaths. There are 1600 persons injured, 900 homes were destroyed or badly damaged, and total damage was $19 million.
    1973 - Roberta Flack receives a gold record for "Killing Me Softly with His Song" which was Number One for five weeks. Composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gabriel, the song was written in collaboration with Lori Leiberman, who recorded the song in late 1971. According to Leiberman, the song was born of a poem she wrote after experiencing a strong reaction to the song "Empty Chairs," written, composed, and recorded by Don McLean. She then related this information to Gimbel, who took her feelings and put them into words. Then, Gimbel passed the words on to Fox, who set them to music. Don McLean said he didn’t know the song described him.
    1973 - Top Hits
“Crocodile Rock” - Elton John
“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?” - Hurricane Smith
“Dueling Banjos” - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
“I Wonder if They Ever Think of Me” - Merle Haggard
    1974 - The first women's basketball game took place in Madison Square Garden and the management, convinced that the women couldn't draw a crowd, also scheduled a man's game afterwards. Following the women's game, the crowd of nearly 12,000 left and the men played before empty seats.
    1980 - The Miracle on Ice...the US Olympic hockey team upset the team from the Soviet Union, 4-3, at the Lake Placid Winter Games to earn a victory often called the “Miracle on Ice.” The Americans went on to defeat Finland two days later and win the gold medal. Sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game on ABC, picked up on the countdown and delivered his famous call: “11 seconds, you've got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!!”   They lit the fire at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    1981 - The Duke Ellington musical "Sophisticated Ladies," starring Phyllis Hyman, opened on Broadway. The Grammy's are awarded: Tracy Chapman wins Best New Artist; Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy" wins Best Song and Record and Jethro Tull wins the first Hard Rock/Metal Grammy.
    1981 - Top Hits
“9 to 5” - Dolly Parton
“I Love a Rainy Night” - Eddie Rabbitt
“Woman” - John Lennon
“Southern Rains” - Mel Tillis
    1986 - A twelve-day siege of heavy rain and snow, which produced widespread flooding and mudslides across northern and central California, finally came to an end. The storm caused more than 400 million dollars property damage. Bucks Lake, located in the Sierra Nevada Range, received 49.6 inches of rain during the twelve-day period.
    1986 - Having just acquired all 45 episodes of “The Monkees,” cable channel MTV airs them all in a 22-hour marathon, sparking a completely unexpected career revival for the prefab pop group.
    1988 - A storm tracking across southern Canada produced high winds in the north central U.S. with gusted to 90 mph reported at Boulder, CO. The high winds snapped trees and power lines, and ripped shingles off roofs. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket was blown off their store in Havre, MT. An eighteen foot fiberglass bear was blown off its stand along a store front in West Cody, WY, and sailed east into downtown Cody before the owners were able to transport their wandering bear back home in a horse trailer.
    1989 - Top Hits
“Straight Up” - Paula Abdul
“Wild Thing” - Tone Loc
“Born to Be My Baby” - Bon Jovi
“Big Wheels in the Moonlight” - Dan Seals
    1989 - The Grammys are awarded: Tracy Chapman wins Best New Artist; Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy" wins Best Song and Record and Jethro Tull wins the first Hard Rock/Metal Grammy
    1989 - Strong northwesterly winds ushering cold arctic air into the north central U.S. produced snow squalls in the Great Lakes Region, with heavy snow near Lake Michigan. Totals in northwest Indiana ranged up to 24 inches at Gary, and up to 16 inches buried northeastern Illinois.
    1989 - Thunderstorms developing during the morning hours spread severe weather across Georgia and the Carolinas. Strong thunderstorm winds caused one death and thirteen injuries in North Carolina, and another four injuries in South Carolina.
    1992 - Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Albertville Olympics. Although she fell while performing a triple loop, she committed far fewer errors than her rivals, thus getting the gold medal. Midori Ito of Japan won the silver, Nancy Kerrigan of the United States the bronze. “Yamaguchi crafted her title on a feathery vision of artistic precision and elegance, with near total disdain for the latest trends in acrobatic jumping,” wrote Michael Janofsky in the New York Times.
    1994 - The Church of England announced officially that it would ordain women as priests. The first ordination of the 1,200 women in line for priesthood occurred 03-12-1994, with the first woman celebrating communion 03-13-1994, British Mother’s Day. The U.S. Episcopal Church had ordained 1,031 women by the time of the Church of England announcement. Thirty-five Anglican priests announced they would leave the church, some saying they would join the Roman Catholic Church and predicting as many as one-third of the men would leave over the ordination of women. It did not occur.
    1994 – Aldrich Ames and his wife were charged by the Department of Justice with spying for the Soviet Union. At the time of his arrest, Ames had compromised more CIA assets than any other mole in history until Robert Hanssen's arrest seven years later. A 31-year CIA counterintelligence analyst who committed espionage for the KGB, he was convicted of espionage in 1994. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Ultimately, Ames received $4.6 million from the Soviets, which allowed him to enjoy a lifestyle well beyond the means of a CIA officer. When, in August 1985, Ames' divorce became final, he immediately married Rosario. Understanding that his new wealth would raise eyebrows, he developed a cover story that his prosperity was the result of money given to him by his Colombian wife's wealthy family. To help fabricate this, Ames wired considerable amounts of his espionage profits to his new in-laws in Bogota, as well as to help improve their impoverished status. Ames' betrayal resulted in the deaths of a number of CIA assets. He pleaded guilty on April 28 and his wife received a five-year prison sentence for tax evasion and conspiracy to commit espionage as part of a plea bargain by Ames.
    1995 - Top Hits
“Take A Bow”- Madonna
“Creep”- TLC
“On Bended Knee”- Boyz II Men
“Another Night”- Real McCoy
    2001 - British newspaper Sunday Mirror reports that the Beatles, who have been broken up for 31 years, are nevertheless the top grossing recording group of the year 2000.
    2005 - Tom Umberg, a California state assemblyman, introduced legislation which would require professional sports franchises to use disclaimers if they do not play the majority of home games in the location used in their name. With his "Truth in Sports Advertising Act," the Anaheim Democrat was trying prevent the local team from changing its name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
    2006 – The LA Dodgers announced the team has extended the contract of Vin Scully through 2008. The Hall of Fame broadcaster, considered by many to be the best announcer in history, began his 57th year in the Dodger organization, which is believed to be the longest tenure of any on-air individual in sports history. Scully’s last year behind the mic was 2016.
    2017 – Major League Baseball adopted a significant rule change as part of a strategy to speed up the game: a pitcher will no longer need to throw four pitches deliberately outside the strike zone in order to issue an intentional walk. Instead, the defensive team's manager will simply need to signal his intention to the home plate umpire who will immediately direct the batter to first base. However, given that there is on average one intentional walk every 2.5 games, the change is expected to have only a minimal impact on playing time.

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