On this date:
In 1801, the US House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.
In 1809, the Ohio legislature voted to establish Miami University in present-day Oxford. (The school opened in 1824.)In 1817, a street in Baltimore became the first to be lighted with gas from America's first gas company.
In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, S.C., by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine H. L. Hunley, which also sank.
In 1865, Columbia, S.C., burned as the Confederates evacuated and Union forces moved in. (It's not clear which side set the blaze.)
In 1897, the forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting, in Washington.
In 1904, the original two-act version of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" was poorly received at its premiere at La Scala in Milan, Italy.
In 1908, sportscaster Red Barber was born in Columbus, Miss.
In 1933, Newsweek magazine was first published.
In 1947, the Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet Union.
Fifty years ago, in 1959, the United States launched Vanguard 2, a satellite which carried meteorological equipment.
In 1964, the Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state had to be roughly equal in population.
In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon departed on his historic trip to China.
In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison.
In 1995, Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings that also wounded 19 people.
In 1996, world chess champion Garry Kasparov beat IBM supercomputer "Deep Blue," winning a six-game match in Philadelphia.
Ten years ago: In a satellite-linked address to college campuses across the country, President Bill Clinton made his case for shoring up Social Security and Medicare. Israeli security guards shot and killed three Kurds who had forced their way into the Israeli consulate in Berlin; the protesters were enraged by reports that Israel had aided in the arrest of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
In 2002, the new Transportation Security Administration took over supervision of aviation security from the airline industry and the Federal Aviation Administration.
In 2003, twenty-one people were killed in a stampede at a crowded nightclub in Chicago.
Five years ago: John Kerry won the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary, with John Edwards placing second and Howard Dean coming in a distant third. Cingular Wireless agreed to pay nearly $41 billion dollars in cash to buy AT&T Wireless Services. Former Mexican president Jose Lopez Portillo died in Mexico City at age 83.
In 2005, President George W. Bush named John Negroponte to be the government's first national intelligence director.
In 2005, Iraq's electoral commission certified the results of the Jan. 30 elections and allocated 140 of 275 National Assembly seats to the United Iraqi Alliance, giving the Shiite-dominated party a majority in the new parliament.
One year ago: President George W. Bush rejected proposed Democratic changes to his prized international AIDS relief program, issuing a challenge to Congress from Tanzania to "stop the squabbling" and renew it as is. Kosovo declared itself a nation in defiance of Serbia and Russia. Ryan Newman snapped an 81-race winless streak, giving car owner Roger Penske his first Daytona 500 victory. The East beat the Western Conference 134-128 in the NBA All-Star Game.
Thought for Today: "Life has got to be lived — that's all there is to it. At 70, I would say the advantage is that you take life more calmly. You know that 'this, too, shall pass!'" — Eleanor Roosevelt, American first lady (1884-1962).
Today's Birthdays February 17
Bandleader Orrin Tucker is 98. Actor Hal Holbrook is 84. Mystery writer Ruth Rendell is 79. Singer Bobby Lewis is 76. Comedian Dame Edna (AKA Barry Humphries) is 75. Country singer-songwriter Johnny Bush is 74. Football Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown is 73. Actress Mary Ann Mobley is 70. Actress Brenda Fricker is 64. Actress Rene Russo is 55. Actor Richard Karn is 53. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 47. Basketball player Michael Jordan is 46. Actor-comedian Larry the Cable Guy is 46. TV personality Rene Syler is 46. Movie director Michael Bay is 44. Singer Chante Moore is 42. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is 39. Actor Dominic Purcell is 39. Actress Denise Richards is 38. Rock singer-musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 37. Actor Jerry O'Connell is 35. Country singer Bryan White is 35.
Today In Entertainment History
On February 17th, 1960, Elvis Presley received his first gold album, for the album called "Elvis." It included the songs "Rip It Up," "Old Shep" and "Ready Teddy."
In 1970, singer Joni Mitchell announced her retirement from live performances. She was back to doing shows within the year.
In 1971, James Taylor made his prime-time TV debut on "The Johnny Cash Show." Taylor sang "Fire and Rain" and "Carolina on My Mind."
In 1972, Pink Floyd premiered "Dark Side of the Moon" in concert at London's Rainbow Theater. The album was released the next year.
In 1976, The Eagles released their "Greatest Hits" album. [Horrible day in music history, until 1979. — Ed.]
In 1979, The Clash kicked off its first US tour in New York.
In 1982, jazz pianist Thelonius Monk died after a long illness at the age of 64. [Then horrible again. — Ed.]
In 1988, in Hollywood, Florida, a 12-year-old fan of Motley Crue set his legs on fire while trying to imitate a stunt in the group's "Live Wire" video. He suffered burns over ten percent of his body. Motley Crue said the band's stunts should not be tried at home. [Nor should any of their "music" be tried at home, or anywhere else. — Ed.]
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