Historical Events and Current Affairs on February 24

1208: St Francis of Assisi, 26, received his vocation in Portiuncula Italy
1296: Pope Boniface VIII degree Clericis Iaicos
1389: Battle at Falk”ping: Danes defeat King Albert of Sweden
1496: England's Henry VII ends commercial dispute with Flanders
1510: Pope Julius II excommunicates the republic of Venice
1525: Battle at Pavia: Emperor Karel V's troops beat French king
1525: Fran‡ois I caught taken/8700 killed
1525: Imperial forces defeat French in battle of Pavia
1527: Ferdinand of Austria crowned as king of Bohemia
1528: Hungarian anti-king J nos Z polyai & Sultan Suleiman signs treaty
1530: 1st imperial coronation by a Pope, Charles V crowned by Clement V
1538: King Ferdinand of Austria & King J nos Z polyai of Hungary sign
1538: Peace of Grosswardein
1541: Santiago, Chile founded by Pedro de Valvidia (or 2/12)
1552: Privileges of Hanseatic League in England are abrogated
1582: Pope Gregory XIII announces New Style (Gregorian) calendar
1597: Flemish painter Frederick of Valckenborch becomes porter of
1597: Frankfurt-on-Main
1607: Claudio Monteverdi's opera "Orfeo," premieres in Mantua
1613: English princess Elizabeth marries earl Frederik of Palts
1708: Prince Johan Willem Friso sworn in as viceroy of Groningen
1711: Handel's opera "Rinaldo" premieres, London
1779: George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes (Ind) from British
1786: Charles Cornwallis appointed governor-general of India
1793: French troops conquer Breda
1803: Supreme Court 1st rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury v Madison)
1807: 17 die & 15 wounded in a crush to witness execution of Holloway,
1807: Heggerty & Elizabeth Godfrey in England
1821: Mexico gains independence from Spain
1835: Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is 1st Indian lang monthly mag
1836: 3,000 Mexicans attack 182 Texans at Alamo, lasts 13 days
1839: Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia
1848: King Louis-Philippe abdicates, 2nd French republic declared
1855: US Court of Claims forms for cases against govt
1857: 1st perforated US postage stamps delivered to govt
1857: LA Vineyard Society organized
1863: Arizona Territory created
1863: Forrest's raid on Brentwood, Tennessee
1864: -Feb 25] Battle of Tunnel Hill, GA (Buzzard's Roost)
1868: 1st US parade with floats (Mardi Gras-Mobile Alabama)
1868: House of Reps vote 126 to 47, to impeach President Andrew Johnson
1876: Henrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt," premieres in Oslo
1881: De Lesseps' Co begins work on Panama Canal
1888: Louisville, Ky becomes 1st govt in US to adopt Australian ballot
1891: French troops under capt Archinard occupy Di‚na West Sudan
1894: Nicaragua captures Tegucigalpa, Honduras (National Day, sort of)
1895: Cuban war for independence begins
1896: Victoria all out for 43 vs South Australia, Jones 6-15 Jarvis 4-27
1902: Battle at Yzer Spruit: Boer general De la Rey beats British
1903: US signs agreement acquiring a naval station at Guantanamo Bay Cuba
1905: Simplon tunnel in Switzerland completed
1914: Frank Craven's "Too Many Cooks," premieres in NYC
1917: German plan to get Mexican help in WW I exposed (Zimmerman telegram)
1917: Red Sox sell Smokey Joe Wood, his arm dead at 26, to Cleve for $15,000
1917: Russian revolution breaks out (3/8 NS)
1918: Estonia declares independence from Russia
1920: NSDAP begins at Hofbr„uhaus Mnich
1920: Peace treaty gives Estonia independence
1921: 1st transcontinental flight in 24 hrs flying time arrives Florida
1923: Flying Scotsman goes into service
1923: Mass arrests in US of mafia
1924: Greek parliament proclaims republic
1924: Johnny Weissmuller, swims 100m record (57 2/5 secs)
1924: Mahatma Gandhi released from jail
1925: Thermit explosive 1st used to break up ice jam, Waddington, NY
1927: John Golden Theater (Theatre Masque) opens at 252 W 45th St NYC
1932: Malcolm Campbell drives record speed (253.96 mph) at Daytona
1933: Final demonstration of German communist party in Berlin
1933: League of Nations tells Japanese to pull out of Manchuria
1937: 1st US group hospital-medical cooperative authorized, Wash, DC
1938: #1552 Bessel, 2678 Aavasaksa, 2690 Ristiina, 3272, #3281 & #4181 Kivi
1938: A Bohrmann discovers asteroids #1998 Titius & #2665
1938: Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
1938: Y Vaisala discovers asteroids #1483 Hakoila, #1551 Argelander,
1939: Roy Harris' 3rd Symphony, premieres in Boston
1940: Frances Langford records "When You Wish Upon a Star"
1941: 43 Geuzen resistance fighter trial opens in the Hague
1941: Anti nazi meeting at Noordermarkt Amsterdam
1942: Voice of America begins broadcasting (in German)
1943: Gen-major Bradley flies to Algiers
1943: Texas League announces it will quit for the duration of WW II
1944: Argentina coup by Juan Peron minister of war
1945: Egypt & Syria declares war on nazi-Germany
1945: Manila freed from Japanese
1945: Nazi occupiers begin state of siege
1946: Juan Peron elected President of Argentina
1948: Communist Party seizes complete control of Czechoslovakia
1949: Israel & Egypt sign an armistice agreement
1949: V-2/WAC-Corporal 1st rocket to outer space, White Sands, NM, 400 km
1950: Labour wins British parliamentary election
1951: "Bless You All" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 84 perfs
1951: Ice Pairs Championship at Milan won by Ria Baran & Paul Falk of GER
1951: Ladies Figure Skating Champion in Milan won by Jeanette Altwegg of GRB
1951: Men's Figure Skating Championship in Milan won by Richard Button USA
1955: "Silk Stockings" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 461 performances
1955: Pact of Baghdad between Iraq & Turkey signed
1960: Italian govt of Segni falls
1960: US beats Germany in Olympic hockey finals round, 9-1
1961: Explorer (10) fails to reach Earth orbit
1962: "New Faces of '62" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 28 performances
1962: "Sail Away" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 167 performances
1962: General mobilization in Indonesia over New-Guinea
1962: US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1964: Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing title
1965: Beatles begin filming "Help" in Bahamas
1965: East German president Ulbricht visits Egypt
1966: Coup ousts Pres Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana
1966: US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1968: "Darling of the Day" closes at George Abbott NYC after 31 perfs
1968: 1st pulsar discovered (CP 1919 by Jocelyn Burnell at Cambridge)
1968: Discovery of 1st pulsar announced
1968: Gary Unger begins NHL consecutive game record of 914 games
1968: Jocelyn Bell discovers 1st pulsar
1968: US troops reconquer Hue Vietnam
1969: Mariner 6 launched for Mars flyby
1970: 29 Swiss Army officers die in avalanche (Reckingen, Switzerland)
1970: Heintje Simons (14) wins 7 gold records
1970: KVDO TV channel 3 in Salem, OR (IND) begins broadcasting
1971: Algeria nationalizes French oil companies
1974: Atje Keulen-Deelstra becomes world champ all-round skater
1974: Pakistan officially recognizes Bangladesh
1976: Cuba adopts its constitution
1976: Jules Feiffer's "Knock Knock," premieres in NYC
1976: Leonid Brezhnev opens 25th congress of CPSU
1977: Pres Carter announces US foreign aid will consider human rights
1978: Kevin Porter, NJ, sets NBA record with 29 assists in a game
1979: Highest price ever paid for a pig, $42,500, Stamford, Texas
1979: War between North & South Yemen begins
1980: "Canterbury Tales" closes at Rialto Theater NYC after 16 performances
1980: Rangers score 5 power-play goals against Islanders
1980: USA Olympic hockey team defeated Finland, 4-2, to win the gold medal
1981: Boston Celtics begin 18 NBA game win streak
1981: Britain's Prince Charles announces engagement to Lady Diana Spencer
1981: Jean Harris is convicted of murdering Scarsdale diet doctor Tarnower
1982: 24th Grammy Awards: Betty Davis Eyes, Double Fantasy wins
1982: Wayne Gretzky scores NHL-record 78th goal of season en route to 92
1983: Dow Jones closes above 1100 mark for 1st time
1983: USSR performs underground nuclear test
1984: Iraq resumes air attack on Iran
1985: Birendra, Bir Bikram Shah Dev crowned King of Nepal
1985: Jim Kelly (Houston USFL) passes for pro football record 574 yds
1985: Yul Brynner reprised his role in "The King & I"
1986: Texas Air buys Eastern Airlines for $676 million
1986: Voyager 2, 1st Uranus flyby
1987: 29th Grammy Awards: Higher Love, Graceland, Bruce Hornsby wins
1987: LA Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores his 36,000th NBA point
1987: Radio personality Larry King suffers a heart attack
1988: South African apartheid regime bans the UDF
1988: Supreme Ct votes 8-0 Jerry Falwell cannot collect for Hustler parody
1989: 150-million-year-old fossil egg (oldest dinosaur embryo) found
1989: Harold E Ballard sells CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats to David Braley
1989: Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offers $1M-$3M bounty on Salman
1989: Margaret Ray found in David Letterman's home, claims to be his wife
1989: Rushdie's death due to his novel, "Satanic Verses"
1989: US Boeing 747 loses parts of roof over Pacific, 9 die
1989: US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1991: "Those Were The Days" closes at Edison Theater NYC after 126 perfs
1991: End of World League of American Football's (WLAF) 1st draft
1991: US & allies begin a ground war assault on Iraqi troops
1993: 35th Grammy Awards: Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton wins
1994: Scoreboard is unveiled at new Cleve Indians' park (Jacobs Field)
1995: Dow-Jones hits record 4011.74
1996: Cuba downs 2 US planes
1997: Deng Xiaoping, leader of China, cremated (died Feb 19th)
1997: South Africa announces it is constructing largest modern day blimp
1998: Elton John knighted
2008: 12 killed as bus falls into roadside pond at Sonapur, Assam, India
2008: CBI asks Indian Government to revoke passport of arms dealer Suresh Nanda
2008: Former Microsoft worker and the fifth employee of Microsoft Ric Weiland leaves $65 million to gay rights and HIV/AIDS organizations
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Achievement in Film Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song): Falling Slowly Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in Once
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Achievement in Music (Score): Dario Marianelli in Atonement
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Achievement in Sound Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Actor in Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Actor in Supporting Role: Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Actress in Leading Role: Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Actress in Supporting Role: Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Film: Ratatouille
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Art Direction: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Best Picture: No Country for Old Men featuring Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit in There Will Be Blood
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Costume Design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Directing: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen in No Country for Old Men
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner in Taxi to the Dark Side
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Documentary Short: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth in Freeheld
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Live Action Short Film: Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Makeup: La Vie en Rose
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Short Film (Animated): Peter & the Wolf
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Sound Mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects: The Golden Compass
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): No Country for Old Men
2008: Oscars 2008 - 80th Annual Academy Awards: Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Diablo Cody in Juno
2008: Ralph Nader enters 2008 United States Presidential Election as an independent candidate
2008: Raul Castro becomes new President of Cuba ending about 49 years of rule by Fidel Castro
2008: The Ugandan Government and the Lord's Resistance Army signs permanent ceasefire

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