February 24


February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are
310 days remaining, 311 in leap years. By Roman custom February 24 is the
day added to a leap year, and the occurrence of February 29 is merely a
consequence of this.

Events

   * 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the
     persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire
   * 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar
   * 1803 - The Supreme Court of the United States, in Marbury v. Madison,
     establishes the principle of judicial review.
   * 1836 - Samuel Colt receives a patent for the Colt revolver
   * 1839 - William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel.
   * 1848 - King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne
   * 1863 - Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
   * 1868 - The first parade to have floats occurs at Mardi Gras in New
     Orleans, Louisiana.
   * 1868 - After Andrew Johnson tried to dismiss United States Secretary of
     War Edwin M. Stanton, he becomes the first President of the United
     States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives.
     Johnson would later be acquitted by the United States Senate.
   * 1909 - The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded
   * 1917 - World War I: United States ambassador to the United Kingdom
     Walter H. Page is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany
     offers to give the American Southwest back to Mexico if Mexico will
     declare war on the United States
   * 1924 - Johnny Weissmuller finishes the 100-meter swimming event in 57
     2/5 seconds breaking the world record.
   * 1925 - A thermite (magnesium bomb) is used for the first time by
     breaking-up a 250,000-ton ice jam clogging the St. Lawrence River near
     Waddington, New York.
   * 1938 - A nylon bristle toothbrush becomes the first commercial product
     (DuPont) to be made with nylon yarn.
   * 1942 - Propaganda: The Voice of America begins broadcasting.
   * 1945 - Egyptian Premier Ahmed Maher Pasha is killed in Parliament after
     reading a decree.
   * 1946 - Juan Peron is elected president of Argentina.
   * 1948 - Cold War: The Communist Party seizes control of Czechoslovakia
   * 1968 - Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted - South Vietnam
     recaptures HuŽ
   * 1981 - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of Charles, Prince of
     Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.
   * 1981 - Jean Harris is convicted of murdering Dr. Herman Tarnower, the
     author of the bestselling The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet
   * 1983 - A special commission of the United States Congress releases a
     report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World
     War II.
   * 1988 - The Supreme Court of the United States sides with Larry Flynt's
     Hustler magazine by overturning a lower court decision to award Jerry
     Falwell $200,000 for defamation.
   * 1989 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a three-million-US dollar
     bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
   * 1989 - A United Airlines Boeing 747 bound to New Zealand from Honolulu,
     Hawaii rips open during flight, sucking 9 passenger and crew out of the
     first class section. Luckily most passengers and crew were still belted
     to their seats at the time.
   * 1996 - The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European
     Union and for the Roman Catholic Church
   * 1999 - LaGrand Case: The State of Arizona executes Karl LaGrand, a
     German national involved in an armed robbery that led to a death.
     Karl's brother Walter is executed a week later, in spite of Germany's
     legal action in the International Court of Justice to attempt to save
     him.
   * 1999 - A domestic airliner crashes in southeast China killing all 64
     aboard.
   * 2002 - February 8 through February 24 - 2002 Winter Olympic Games in
     Salt Lake City, Utah

Births

   * 1500 - Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (+ 1558)
   * 1774 - Prince Adolphus of the United Kingdom, 1st Duke of Cambridge
   * 1786 - Wilhelm Grimm, philologist, folklorist (+ 1859)
   * 1836 - Winslow Homer, artist
   * 1848 - Andrew Inglis Clark, Tasmanian Politician
   * 1874 - Honus Wagner, Baseball great
   * 1885 - Chester Nimitz, United States admiral (+ 1966)
   * 1890 - Marjorie Main, actress (+ 1975)
   * 1903 - Franz Burda, German publisher (+ 1986)
   * 1909 - August Derleth, writer (+ 1971)
   * 1914 - Zachary Scott, actor (+ 1965)
   * 1921 - Abe Vigoda, actor
   * 1922 - Richard Hamilton, pop-art painter
   * 1922 - Steven Hill, actor
   * 1932 - Michel Legrand, composer
   * 1934 - Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy (+ 2000)
   * 1942 - John Neumeier, choreographer
   * 1942 - Joseph Lieberman, politician, candidate for Vice President of
     the United States
   * 1943 - George Harrison, member of The Beatles (+ 2001)
   * 1946 - Barry Bostwick, actor
   * 1947 - Edward James Olmos, actor
   * 1955 - Alain Prost, Formula One driver
   * 1955 - Steve Jobs, computer pioneer
   * 1956 - Paula Zahn, journalist
   * 1958 - Sammy Kershaw, musician
   * 1962 - Michelle Shocked, musician
   * 1966 - Billy Zane, actor
   * 1970 - Jeff Garcia, quarterback

Deaths

   * 1815 - Robert Fulton, inventor
   * 1975 - Nikolai Bulganin, Premier of the Soviet Union
   * 1990 - Malcolm Forbes, publisher
   * 1991 - George Gobel, comedian
   * 1991 - John Daly, journalist, game show host
   * 1993 - Bobby Moore, English footballer
   * 1994 - Dinah Shore, actress, singer
   * 1998 - Henny Youngman, comedian
   * 1999 - Andre Dubus, writer
   * 2003 - Christopher Hill, historian