| On this date in: |
| 1861 |
Texas voted to secede from the Union. |
| 1862 |
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly. |
| 1896 |
Puccini’s opera “La Boheme” premiered in Turin, Italy. |
| 1920 |
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was established. |
| 1946 |
Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations. |
| 1960 |
Four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., where they’d been refused service. |
| 1968 |
During the Vietnam War, Saigon’s police chief, Nguyen Ngoc Loan, executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head. |
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| AP Photo/Eddie Adams |
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| 1979 |
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini received a tumultuous welcome in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile. |
| 1982 |
“Late Night with David Letterman” premiered on NBC. |
| 1999 |
Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gave a videotaped deposition for senators weighing impeachment charges against President Bill Clinton. |
| 2004 |
Singer Janet Jackson’s breast was briefly exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show. |
| 2009 |
The Pittsburgh Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl with a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. |
| 2011 |
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced he would not run for a new term but rejected protesters’ demands he step down immediately. |
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| Video |
| Highlights of This Day in History |
| Today’s Birthdays: |
| Actor (“Dexter”) turns 46 years old today. |
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| AP Photo/Dan Steinberg |
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|
| Name |
Profession |
Age |
| Bob Shane |
Singer (The Kingston Trio) |
83 |
| Don Everly |
Singer |
80 |
| Garrett Morris |
Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”) |
80 |
| Joy Philbin |
TV personality |
76 |
| Terry Jones |
Actor, writer (Monty Python) |
75 |
| Mike Enzi |
U.S. senator, R-Wyo. |
73 |
| Bill Mumy |
Actor, writer (“Lost in Space”) |
63 |
| Linus Roache |
Actor (“Law and Order”) |
53 |
| Princess Stephanie |
Member of Monaco’s royal family |
52 |
| Sherilyn Fenn |
Actress |
52 |
| Lisa Marie Presley |
Rock singer, daughter of Elvis Presley |
49 |
| Pauly Shore |
Actor, comedian |
49 |
| Big Boi |
Rapper (Outkast) |
42 |
| Lauren Conrad |
Reality TV personality (“The Hills”) |
31 |
| Harry Styles |
Singer (One Direction) |
23 |
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