| The censure was passed by the theologians upon the propositions of Galileo—to the effect that the Sun is the centre of the world and immovable from its place and admonish him to abandon the said opinion. Failure to abstain altogether from teaching or defending this opinion and doctrine and even from discussing it could result in his imprisonment. |  |
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| Mass was celebrated for the first time at St Joseph's Church the only Roman Catholic church built and maintained in the American colonies before the Revolutionary War. |
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| The House of Representatives passed the 15th Amendment on February 25, 1869, by a vote of 144 to 44, and the Senate passed the 15th Amendment on February 26. The 15th Amendment stated that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." |
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| The pneumatic subway would make its official debut on February 26, 1870. Alfred Beach invited the press and assorted dignitaries. The twenty-two-seat subway car impressed observers with its rich upholstery and spaciousness, not to mention comfortable ride. Delighted with the initial response, Beach boasted that this subway was merely the forerunner of a line that would run for miles up and down Manhattan Island. "We propose to operate a subway all the way to Central Park, " said Beach, "about five miles in all. When it's finished we should be able to carry 20,000 passengers a day at speeds up to a mile a minute." |
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| The two Clydesdale horses together weighed only 3,500 lb. The load was made up of 50 logs of white pine, piled on a special sledge and pulled across snow for a distance of 284 yards (259 m). It all happened as long ago as February 26, 1893, at Nester in Michigan. Afterwards these logs were first displayed at the World’s Fair in Chicago and then sold. The buyer used it to build a home. The logs totalled 36,055 board feet of timber. |
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| In 1895, Michael Joseph Owens (1859-1923) of Toledo, Ohio patented a glass-blowing machine that was capable of producing five pieces at a time by placing five molds surrounding molten glass in front of a blowing pipe. Each piece was made "without seams or roughness." Owens was a co-founder of the glass industry in Toledo. |
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| In 1915 he began a year's contract with Essanay film studios, and further developed his film skills, adding new levels of depth and pathos to the Keystone-style slapstick. In 1916, he signed a lucrative deal with the Mutual Film Corporation to produce a dozen two-reel comedies. He was given near complete artistic control, and produced twelve films over an eighteen month period that are classics of the cinema. Chaplin later said the Mutual period was the happiest of his career. At the conclusion of the Mutual contract in 1918, Chaplin built his own Hollywood studio and production company, and assumed an unparalleled degree of artistic and financial control over his productions. |
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| Grand Canyon National Game Preserve (established in 1906), became Grand Canyon National Park by an Act of Congress in 1919. Grand Canyon National Park covers 1,218,375 acres in northwestern Arizona. It includes 105 miles of the most colorful part of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. |  |
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| George Parks, who later became governor of the Territory, carried out an examination of the area for the Federal Government. Parks received letters of protest from the settlers at Strawberry Point. On February 26, 1925, Coolidge established Glacier Bay National Monument, with an area of 1,820 square miles, about half that of the temporary withdrawal. Strawberry Point was not included. |  |
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| The birth of present-day Grand Teton National Park involved controversy and a struggle that lasted several decades. Animosity toward expanding governmental control and a perceived loss of individual freedoms fueled anti-park sentiments in Jackson Hole that nearly derailed establishment of the park. The original Grand Teton National Park, set aside by an act of Congress in 1929, included only the Teton Range and eight glacial lakes at the base of the mountains. |
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| After witnessing a traffic accident, Garrett A. Morgan felt compelled to improve the situation. The result? The precursor to the modern traffic signal, patented on November 23, 1923. "The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and an all-directional stop position. This 'third position' halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely." His light was used throughout North America before being replaced by today's familiar red/yellow/green traffic lights. Morgan eventually sold the rights to his invention to General Electric. He also received a government citation for his invaluable invention. |
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| The Braves’ Judge Fuchs called Ruth and offered him a job. The offer was not to usurp McKechnie, but to be a player for a year and have a chance to take over for McKechnie when his contract expired the following season. The Yankees refused to take anything for Ruth -- they were happy to give him his release and wished him well in Boston. |  |
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| In 1935, the feasibility of radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) was demonstrated to Air Ministry officials at Daventry, England, by Robert Watson-Watt, a Scottish physicist. Earlier, while working on methods of using radio-wave detection to locate thunderstorms in order to provide warnings to airmen, he realized that it could be used to track enemy aircraft for air defense. The test showed that a RAF Heyford bomber flying in the main beam of a BBC short-wave radio transmitter gave back reflected signals to the ground on three occasions that the aircraft passed overhead. By 1939, the outbreak of WW II, the military installed a chain of radar stations along the east and south coasts of England to prevent a German invasion. |
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| From February 26-March 2, the B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II of the 43rd Bombardment Group, completed the first non-stop around-the-world flight from and to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona. The 23,452 mile (37,742 km) journey takes 94 hours 1 minute. |
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| Evelyn had two number one hits: “A Little Bird Told Me” and “Powder Your Face With Sunshine” Her other top ten hits were “Dance With a Dolly With a Hole in Her Stockings,” “Chickory Chick” and “Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes.” |  |
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| Rock and Roll had just been born when Michigan congresswoman Ruth Thompson introduced a bill in the House that would prohibit mailing any pornographic recording. The offence would be punishable by five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. Just who would decide what is pornographic, is unclear. |
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| In 1955 the sisters had their first million-seller with another cover version, "Sincerely," originally recorded by the Moonglows. The McGuires' version stayed at number 1 in the USA for 10 weeks, and accelerated their breakthrough into the big time in clubs, theatres and on television. They sang on the Red Skelton Show and the Phil Silvers Show and appeared at the Waldorf Astoria, the Desert Inn, Las Vegas and the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles. |
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| Glenn was bathed in national attention. President John F. Kennedy awarded him the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He was invited to address a joint session of Congress, an honor normally reserved for top officials and visiting heads of state. Glenn told the assembly that the real benefits of space exploration were "probably not even known to man today. But exploration and the pursuit of knowledge have always paid dividends in the long run—usually far greater than anything expected at the outset." |
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| Nancy was on the same record label as her famous father, but they were going to drop her because her first few singles flopped. Things changed when they teamed her with producer Lee Hazlewood, who wrote this for her and had her lower her delivery. It was her first hit. |  |
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| "Hey Jude" was the first song released on Apple Records, The record label owned by The Beatles. It was recorded over 2 days with a 36 piece orchestra. Orchestra members clapped and sang on the fadeout. They earned double their normal rate for their efforts. This is the most commercially successful Beatles song. It was #1 in at least 12 countries. |  |
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| "Without You" was originally recorded by Badfinger in 1970. It was on their second album, "No Dice." It won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal in 1973. |  |
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| On Nov. 6, 1973, nine days after his final race, Aqueduct in New York held "Farewell to Secretariat" Day. A crowd of 32,900 came out on a Tuesday to see Big Red's final public appearance. Secretariat retired to stud at Claiborne Farm, Kentucky, moving into his daddy Bold Ruler's stall. He sired 41 stakes winners, and became a noted broodmare sire, but never achieved the success at stud that he had on the track. |
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| It took the Eagles 18 months to follow “One of These Nights” with their fifth album, "Hotel California." Released in December 1976, it was certified platinum in one week, hit number one in January 1977, and eventually sold over 10,000,000 copies. The singles "New Kid in Town" and "Hotel California" hit number one, and "Life in the Fast Lane" made the Top 20. 1978 proved to be a successful year for the band. The Eagles receive two Grammy awards: Best Vocal Arrangement for "New Kid In Town" and Record of the Year for “Hotel California.” |
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| Thriller's 14 minute video is one of the most popular ever. It started the trend of group dance scenes in pop videos, and was named the #1 video of all time in the VH1 100 Greatest Videos countdown. |  |
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| "Baby, Come to Me" was initially released in 1981 on Patti Austin's album Every Home Should Have One. In the spring of 1982, it peaked at #73 on the US charts. Months later, the song found new life when it was used in the ABC soap opera General Hospital for romantic scenes involving Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary) after his wife Laura temporarily left the show. ABC got lots of calls and letters about the song, and Warner Brothers Records decided to re-release this as a single due to popular demand. It hit #1 in the US in the early part of 1983. |
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1616 Spanish Inquisition delivers
injunction to Galileo
More ...
1732 First mass celebrated in American Catholic
church, (St Joseph's Church, Philadelphia)
More ...
1869 15th Amendment guaranteeing right to vote
sent to states
More ...
1870 First NYC subway line opens (pneumatic powered)
More ...
1893 2 Clydesdale horses set record by pulling
48 tons on a sledge, Michigan
More ...
1895 Michael Owens of Toledo, OH patents a glass-blowing
machine
More ...
1907 US Congress raised their own salaries to
$7500
1916 Mutual signs Charlie Chaplin to a film contract
More ...
1925 Glacier Bay National Monument established
in Alaska
More ...
1919 Congress established Grand Canyon National
Park in Arizona
More ...
1929 President Calvin Coolidge establishes Grand
Teton National Park
More ...
1930 First red & green traffic lights installed
(Manhattan, NYC)
More ...
1935 New York Yankees release Babe Ruth, he signs
with Boston Braves
More ...
1935 RADAR-Radio Detection & Ranging first
demonstrated (Robert Watson-Watt)
More ...
1938 First passenger ship equipped with radar
1949 USAF plane began first nonstop around-the-world
flight
More ...
1949 "Powder Your Face With Sunshine"
by Evelyn Knight topped the charts
More ...
1954 First typesetting machine (photo engraving)
used, Quincy MA
1954 Michigan Representative Ruth Thompson (R)
anti rock & roll legislation
More ...
1955 First aviator to bail out at supersonic speed
- G F Smith
1955 "Sincerely" by the McGuire Sisters
topped the charts
More ...
1960 For $105 you could buy a do-it-yourself fallout
shelter.
1962 US Supreme court disallows race separation
on public transportation
1962 Astronaut John Glenn addresses a joint
meeting of Congress
More ...
1966 "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
by Nancy Sinatra topped the charts
More ...
1970 Beatles release "Beatles Again"
aka "Hey Jude" album
More ...
1972 "Without You" by Nilsson topped
the charts
More ...
1973 Triple Crown horse Secretariat bought for
a record $5.7m
More ...
1975 First televised kidney transplant (Today
Show)
1977 "New Kid in Town" by the Eagles
topped the charts
More ...
1979 Last total eclipse of Sun in 20th century
for continental US
1981 Boston & Minnesota play most penalty-filled
NHL game-406 minute total
1983 Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album
goes to #1 & stays #1 for 37 weeks
More ...
1983 "Baby, Come to Me" by Patti Austin
& James Ingram topped the charts
More ...
1987 First release of Beatles compact discs
1998 Total solar eclipse in Venezuela-Pacific
Ocean (4m09)