This Day In History — M*A*S*H goes off the air

February 28

1784
John Wesley issues “Deed of Declaration” formally establishing the Methodist Church.

1849
The steamship California landed in San Francisco, bringing the first East Coasters to the Gold Rush.

1916
Henry James, American novelist and critic, died.

1948
The last British troops left India.

1953
James Watson and Francis Crick described their theory that two DNA strands were coiled in a double helix.

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 was shot to death in central Stockholm.

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.

Birthdays

Linus Pauling
1901–1994, American Chemist.

Michel de Montaigne
essayist (1533)

Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur
physicist and naturalist (1683)

Mary Lyon
educator (1797)

Ben Hecht
writer (1894)

Bugsy Siegel
mobster (1906)

Zero Mostel
actor (1915)

Mario Andretti
auto racing driver (1940)