February 12th
Today in1733, Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe, at the site of Savannah.
Today in1793, the first fugitive slave law in America passed; requiring the return of escaped slaves.
Today in 1870,women gained the right to vote in the Utah territory…and lost it in 1887.
Today in 1878,the first baseball catcher’s mask was patented.
Today in 1892,Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was declared to be a national holiday.
Today in 1909,the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, America's oldest civil rights organization,was founded.
Today in 1915,the cornerstone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, DC.
Today in 1973,thefirst release of American POWs from the Vietnam conflict took place. Those 116 Prisoners Of War were flown from Hanoi to the Philippines.
Today in 1973,the State of Ohio went metric, and became the first in the U.S. to post metric distance signs.
Today in 1998,the American Medical Association called for a voluntary five-year moratorium on human cloning, rather than the outright ban President Clinton had backed. The board of trustees of the largest U.S. doctors' group said it supports research that is important to human health. It urged Congress not to interfere with current human, animal or cellular cloning research that is not directly aimed at producing a human being.
Today in 1999,swarms of anxious travelers were left stranded when American Airlines again scrubbed more than a thousand flights after its pilots defied a court order and continued their mass sickout.
Today in 1999,theSenate acquitted President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice, ending a 13-month drama that catapulted an affair with a White House intern into only the second presidential impeachment trial in history. The vote allowed the 42ndpresident to finish his term in office. Senators voted 50-50 on the impeachment article accusing Clinton of obstruction of justice, far short of the two-thirds required for conviction. Earlier, senators rejected the charge of perjury by a 55- 45 vote, as 10 Republicans joined the Democrats. In a brief statement following the Senate vote, the president said he was "profoundly sorry" for his actions, and urged the country to move on. Monica Lewinsky “moved on,” too. After appearing in a series of ads for the Jenny Craig weight loss company, she also garnered success with designing a line of handbags.
Today in 2000,Michelle Kwan won her third straight U.S. Figure Skating Championships crown, while Michael Weiss successfully defended the men's title.
Today in2001,the space probe NEAR Shoemaker landed on the asteroid Eros. It was the first time that any craft had landed on a small space rock.
Today in 2002,Kenneth Lay, the former Enron CEO testified that he was refusing to testify before the Congress –invoking his 5thamendment rights. Saying he was saddened by what has happened to Enron and its employees, he plead the fifth and refused to answer questions.
Today in 2004,Mattel announced that "Barbie" and "Ken" were breaking up. The dolls had met on the set of their first television commercial together in 1961…and more than 40 years of dating meant “goodbye” wasn’t forever. The pairre united on Valentine’s Day 2011.
Today in 2004,the city of San Francisco, California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Today in 2016,Pope Francis met Patriarch Kirill in Havana –the first meeting between Catholic and Russian Orthodox church heads for nearly 1,000 years.
Today in 2017,the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam in California threatened to collapse– and 180-thousand residents were ordered to evacuate. The damage was severe.
Today in 2018,portraits of Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley and Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald were unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.