Today (or Any Day) in History
February 23
Today in History
0303: Emperor Diocletian orders general persecution of Christians
1836: Mexican army lays seige to the Alamo;
1861: By popular referendum, Texas becomes 7th state to secede from US
1886: London Times publishes world's 1st classified ad
1904: US acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million
1934: Casey Stengel becomes manager of Brooklyn Dodgers
1940: Walt Disney's animated movie "Pinocchio," released
1945: US flag is raised over Iwo Jima, 750 miles from Japan.
1945; Canadian troops occupy Kalkar
1960: Demolition begins on Brooklyn's Ebbets Field (opened in 1913)
1966: Aldo Moro forms Italian government
1970: Holy Eucharist given by women for 1st time in Roman Catholic service
1981: Rebels storm the Spanish Parliament
1987: Supernova 1987A in LMC 1st seen; 1st naked-eye supernova since 1604
1988: 15th Winter Olympic games opens in Calgary, Alberta
Notable Births
1685: George Frederick Handel (composer: Messiah)
1899: Erich Kastner, Dresden, German author (Emil & the Detective) Died: 1974
1916: George Abel, Canada, ice hockey player (Olympic-gold-1972)
1930: Elston Howard (baseball: New York Yankees catcher: American League Baseball Writers' Award [1963])
1938: Sylvia Chase (newscaster: ABC News and 20/20)
1938: Diana Varsi (actress: Peyton Place, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)
1939: Peter Fonda (director, actor: Easy Rider, Futureworld, The Wild Angel's, Love and a .45; Jane's brother; Henry's son; Bridget's Dad)
1944: Johnny Winter (John Dawson III) (musician: Still Alive and Well, Second Winter)
1946: Rusty Young (musician: steel Guitar: group: Poco: Keep on Tryin', Crazy Love, Heart of the Night)
1950: Steve Priest (musician: bass: group: The Sweet: Little Willy)
1950: Jim Youngblood (football: LA Rams linebacker: Super Bowl XIV)
1960: Naruhito, crown prince of Japan
Notable Deaths
0155: Polycarp, disciple of Apostle John, arrested & burned at stake
1554: Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, Lady Jane Grey's father, executed
1924: Thomas Woodrow Wilson, 28th US President (1913-21), dies
1944: Leo Hendrick Baekeland, inventor (Bakelite), dies
1945: Alexsei Tolstoi, Russian author
2002: Chuck Jones (born September 21, 1912) director of more than 300 classic Warner Brothers cartoons.
2004: Don Cornell(Louis Varlaro), Big band singer(It isn't Fair, I'll Walk Along, I'm Yours, Heart of My Heart, This is the Beginning of the End, Hold My Hand, The Bible Tells Me So, Most of All, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing) who performed for over sixty years. Emphysema Born: April 21, 1919 (or 1924)
2004: Carl Anderson, singer, actor. "Judas" in Jesus Christ Superstar. Leukemia. Born: February 27, 1945