TODAY’S HISTORY LESSON – FEB 28
1066 Westminster Abbey, the most famous church in England, opens its doors.
1574 On the orders of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, two Englishmen and an Irishman are burnt for heresy.
1646 Roger Scott was tried in Massachusetts for sleeping in church
1704 Indians attack Deerfield, Mass. killing 40 and kidnapping 100.
1784 John Wesley issues “Deed of Declaration” formally establishing the Methodist Church.
1847 Colonel Alexander Doniphan and his ragtag Missouri Mounted Volunteers ride to victory at the Battle of Sacramento, during the Mexican War.
1859 Arkansas legislature requires free blacks to choose exile or slavery
1861 The territory of Colorado is established.
1879 “Exodus of 1879” southern blacks flee political/economic exploitation
1916 Haiti becomes the first U.S. protectorate.
1924 U.S. troops are sent to Honduras to protect American interests during an election conflict.
1935 Nylon is invented
1947 February 28 Incident: Anti-government uprising in Taiwan is violently put down by Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang-led Republic of China government with the loss of 18,000-28,000 lives. Marks the beginning of the White Terror
1953 James Watson and Francis Crick described their theory that two DNA strands were coiled in a double helix.
1967 In Mississippi, 19 are indicted in the slayings of three civil rights workers.
1972 President Richard Nixon ends historic week-long visit to China
1982 AT&T looses record $7 BILLION for fiscal year ending on this day
1983 The final episode of M*A*S*H aired. It was the most watched television program in history.
1986 Swedish prime minister Olof Palme is assassinated
Even though over 130 people have confessed to the murder, the case has never been solved.
1991 The first Gulf War ends
The armed conflict had lasted a little over half a year and claimed over 100,000 civilian casualties.
1993 Four federal agents were killed in Waco, Texas, after they tried to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff.
1994 Brady Law, imposing a wait-period to buy a hand-gun, went into effect
1997 FBI agent Earl Pitts pleads guilty to selling secrets to Russia
2013 Pope Benedict XVI resigns
The pope whose birth name is Joseph Ratzinger was the first leader of the Catholic Church to resign since 1415.
** history.net, onthisday.com, infoplease.com, timeanddate.com, thepeoplehistory.com, on-this-day.com **
