February 09
1861
Jefferson Davis was chosen as the president of the Confederate States of America.
1943
The battle of Guadalcanal ended with an American victory.
1950
Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed he had evidence there were card-carrying members of the Communist Party in the State Department.
1964
The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1991
Lithuanians voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union.
2001
A U.S. nuclear sub struck the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing boat.
Birthdays
William Henry Harrison
1773–1841, American President.
Amy Lowell
poet (1874)
Dean Rusk
secretary of state (1909)
J. M. Coetzee
novelist (1940)
Carole King
pop songwriter, singer (1942)
Joe Pesci
actor (1943)
Alice Walker
author (1944)
Mia Farrow
actor (1945)
Vince Papale
football player (1946)
Zhang Ziyi
actor (1979)