February 18
1546 - Martin Luther, German leader of the Protestant Reformation, died in Germany.
1564 - Michelangelo, Italian painter, sculptor and architect, died.
1861 - Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama.
1885 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was published.
1930 - Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.
1953 - The first 3-D movie, Bwana Devil, opened in New York.
1970 - Five of the Chicago Seven defendants were found guilty of intent to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic national convention. (The convictions were later overturned.)
1972 - The California Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty.
1984 - Italy and the Vatican signed an accord under which Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion of Italy.
1988 - Anthony M. Kennedy was sworn in as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
2001 - Veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested, accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. (Hanssen pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison without parole.)
2006 - A Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament was sworn in.
2016 - In what was seen as a criticism of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Pope Francis said that a person who advocated building walls was “not Christian”; Trump quickly retorted it was “disgraceful” to question a person’s faith. (A Vatican spokesman said the next day that the pope’s comment was not intended as a “personal attack” on Trump.)
2017 - Norma McCorvey, whose legal challenge under the pseudonym “Jane Roe” led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision that legalized abortion but who later became an outspoken opponent of the procedure, died in Katy, Texas, at age 69.
2020 - President Donald Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for political corruption; Blagojevich left prison hours later and returned home to Chicago. (Trump also issued pardons or clemency to former New York City police commissioner Bernie Kerik, financier Michael Milken and a long list of others.)
Birthdays
30 - Le'Veon Bell (football player)
31 - Malese Jow (actress)
34 - Maiara Walsh (actress)
34 - Sarah Sutherland (actress)
34 - Shane Lyons (actor)
40 - Courtney Act (singer)
42 - Regina Spektor (singer)
45 - Ike Barinholtz (actor)
47 - Sarah Brown (actress)
48 - Jillian Michaels (TV host)
54 - Molly Ringwald (actress)
57 - Dr. Dre (rapper)
58 - Matt Dillon (actor)
62 - Greta Scacchi (actress)
63 - Jayne Atkinson (actress)
65 - Vanna White (game show host)
67 - John Pankow (actor)
68 - John Travolta (actor)
70 - Randy Crawford (singer)
72 - Cybill Shepherd (actress)
75 - Dennis DeYoung (singer)
76 - Jess Walton (actress)
81 - Irma Thomas (singer)
83 - Bobby Hart (singer)
89 - Yoko Ono (singer)
===================================
Today in Sports History - February 18
1918 - Georges Vezina (Montreal Canadiens) recorded the first shutout in NHL history. The event came in the third month of the NHL's first season.
1965 - Frank Gifford announced his retirement from football for a career in broadcasting.
1984 - The New York Knicks retired Bill Bradley's #24.
1984 - Reed Larson (Detroit Red Wings) became the highest scoring American-born player in NHL history. He passed Tom Williams when he got his 432nd point.
1986 - Alvin Robertson of the San Antonio Spurs records the second quadruple-double in NBA history with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a win over the Phoenix Suns.
1994 - At the Winter Olympic Games in Norway, U.S. speedskater Dan Jansen finally won a gold medal, breaking the world record in the 1,000 meters.
1995 - John Stockton of the Utah Jazz became the first player in NBA history with 10,000 career assists.
2001 - Dale Earnhardt Sr., age 49, died from injuries sustained in a crash at the Daytona 500.
2006 - American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000-meter speedskating in Turin, becoming the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history.
2021 - Naomi Osaka stopped Serena Williams’ latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title in the Australian Open semifinals.
1546 - Martin Luther, German leader of the Protestant Reformation, died in Germany.
1564 - Michelangelo, Italian painter, sculptor and architect, died.
1861 - Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama.
1885 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was published.
1930 - Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.
1953 - The first 3-D movie, Bwana Devil, opened in New York.
1970 - Five of the Chicago Seven defendants were found guilty of intent to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic national convention. (The convictions were later overturned.)
1972 - The California Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty.
1984 - Italy and the Vatican signed an accord under which Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion of Italy.
1988 - Anthony M. Kennedy was sworn in as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
2001 - Veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested, accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. (Hanssen pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison without parole.)
2006 - A Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament was sworn in.
2016 - In what was seen as a criticism of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Pope Francis said that a person who advocated building walls was “not Christian”; Trump quickly retorted it was “disgraceful” to question a person’s faith. (A Vatican spokesman said the next day that the pope’s comment was not intended as a “personal attack” on Trump.)
2017 - Norma McCorvey, whose legal challenge under the pseudonym “Jane Roe” led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision that legalized abortion but who later became an outspoken opponent of the procedure, died in Katy, Texas, at age 69.
2020 - President Donald Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for political corruption; Blagojevich left prison hours later and returned home to Chicago. (Trump also issued pardons or clemency to former New York City police commissioner Bernie Kerik, financier Michael Milken and a long list of others.)
Birthdays
30 - Le'Veon Bell (football player)
31 - Malese Jow (actress)
34 - Maiara Walsh (actress)
34 - Sarah Sutherland (actress)
34 - Shane Lyons (actor)
40 - Courtney Act (singer)
42 - Regina Spektor (singer)
45 - Ike Barinholtz (actor)
47 - Sarah Brown (actress)
48 - Jillian Michaels (TV host)
54 - Molly Ringwald (actress)
57 - Dr. Dre (rapper)
58 - Matt Dillon (actor)
62 - Greta Scacchi (actress)
63 - Jayne Atkinson (actress)
65 - Vanna White (game show host)
67 - John Pankow (actor)
68 - John Travolta (actor)
70 - Randy Crawford (singer)
72 - Cybill Shepherd (actress)
75 - Dennis DeYoung (singer)
76 - Jess Walton (actress)
81 - Irma Thomas (singer)
83 - Bobby Hart (singer)
89 - Yoko Ono (singer)
===================================
Today in Sports History - February 18
1918 - Georges Vezina (Montreal Canadiens) recorded the first shutout in NHL history. The event came in the third month of the NHL's first season.
1965 - Frank Gifford announced his retirement from football for a career in broadcasting.
1984 - The New York Knicks retired Bill Bradley's #24.
1984 - Reed Larson (Detroit Red Wings) became the highest scoring American-born player in NHL history. He passed Tom Williams when he got his 432nd point.
1986 - Alvin Robertson of the San Antonio Spurs records the second quadruple-double in NBA history with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a win over the Phoenix Suns.
1994 - At the Winter Olympic Games in Norway, U.S. speedskater Dan Jansen finally won a gold medal, breaking the world record in the 1,000 meters.
1995 - John Stockton of the Utah Jazz became the first player in NBA history with 10,000 career assists.
2001 - Dale Earnhardt Sr., age 49, died from injuries sustained in a crash at the Daytona 500.
2006 - American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000-meter speedskating in Turin, becoming the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history.
2021 - Naomi Osaka stopped Serena Williams’ latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title in the Australian Open semifinals.
