TODAY’S HISTORY LESSON – FEB 2
962 Pope John XII crowns German King Otto I the Great Emperor
1349 By this date at least 200 people a day were being buried in London as a result of the Black Death
1494 Columbus begins the practice of using Indians as slaves.
1571 All eight members of a Jesuit mission in Virginia are murdered by Indians who pretended to be their friends.
1709 British sailor Alexander Selkirk is rescued by William Dampier after being marooned on a desert island for 5 years, his story inspires “Robinson Crusoe
1848 The Mexican War was ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty turned over portions of land to the U.S., including Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The U.S. gave Mexico $15,000,000 and assumed responsibility of all claims against Mexico by American citizens. Texas had already entered the U.S. on December 29, 1845.
1861 The “Organized Incorporated Territory of Nevada” is created, lasting until October 31st, 1864
1863 Samuel Langhorne Clemens used a pseudonym for the first time. He is better remembered by the pseudonym which is Mark Twain
1870 The press agencies Havas, Reuter and Wolff sign an agreement whereby between them they can cover the whole world.
1887 In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.
1892 Longest boxing match under modern rules; 77 rounds in Nameoki, Illinois between Harry Sharpe & Frank Crosby
1916 U.S. Senate votes independence for Philippines, effective in 1921.
1922 It was 2:22:22 on 2/2/22
1932 Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) organized in the US to provide financial support to state and local governments and to make loans to banks, railroads, mortgage associations and other businesses
1934 Alfred Rosenberg is made philosophical chief of the Nazi Party.
1942 LA Times urges security measures against Japanese-Americans
1958 Syria joins Egypt in United Arab Republic
1959 Arlington and Norfolk, Va., peacefully desegregate public schools.
1960 The U.S. Senate approves 23rd Amendment calling for a ban on the poll tax.
1964 GI Joe, debuts as a popular American boy’s toy
1971 US Congressional Black Caucus organizes with Charles C. Diggs Jr. its first Chair
1972 Angry demonstrators burn the British Embassy in Dublin to the ground in protest at the shooting dead of 13 people on ‘bloody sunday’
1980 FBI releases details of Abscam, a sting operation that targeted 31 elected & public officials for bribes for political favors
1989 The final Russian armored column left Kabul, Afghanistan, after nine years of military occupation.
1990 South African President F. W. de Klerk promises to free Nelson Mandela & legalizes ANC & 60 other political organisations
1998 U.S. President Clinton introduced the first balanced budget in 30 years.
2004 It was reported that a white powder had been found in an office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) later confirmed that the powder was the poison ricin.
** history.net, onthisday.com, infoplease.com, timeanddate.com, thepeoplehistory.com, on-this-day.com **
