Leap Day (also known as Bachelor's Day): In 1288, Scotland enacted a law allowing women to propose marriage on Leap Day; the man was fined if he refused.

1968 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band wins a Best Album Grammy.

1960 First Playboy Club is opened by Hugh Hefner in Chicago.

1944 First woman secretary of a national political party Dorothy McElroy Vredenburgh is appointed secretary of the Democratic National Committee.

1940 First black actress to win an Oscar Hattie McDaniel wins for her supporting role in Gone With The Wind.

1796 First U.S. extradition treaty with a foreign country The Jay Treaty - signed with Great Britain in 1794 - is proclaimed law.

1704 Deerfield Massacre French and Indians attack the garrison in Deerfield Massachusetts to recover a stolen bell. Forty-seven people were killed and 120 were taken prisoner.

1692 Salem Witch Trials Ten young girls accuse Sarah Good and a female slave of bewitching them. In the following months 20 people would be executed for witchcraft. Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church

1504 Columbus frightens the Indians by making the moon go out, he knew there would be a lunar eclipse that night.

1940 Gretchen Christopher American singer, with the high school group The Fleetwoods. Music: Come Softly to Me (1959, #1) and Mr. Blue (1959, #1).

1920 Howard Nemerov d. 1991 American Pulitzer-winning poet, third U.S. poet laureate.

1904 Jimmy Dorsey d. 1957 American bandleader of the Big Band Era, brother of Tommy.

1900 Jean Negulesco d. 1993 Rumanian film director. Film: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and Three Coins in a Fountain (1954).

1896 William Augustus Wellman d. 1975 American film director, Wings (1927, winner of the first Best Picture Oscar), Public Enemy (1931), and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).

1840 John Philip Holland d. 1914 Irish-born American inventor. He designed and built the first modern-style submarine (1881) and the first practical submarine (1898).

1792 Gioacchino Antonio Rossini d. 1868 Italian operatic composer. Opera: The Barber of Seville (1816) and William Tell (1829).

1736 Ann Lee d. 1784 English mystic, religious leader, founded Shakerism in America (1774).

1692 John Byrom d. 1763 English poet. Writings: Three Black Crows and Fig and Sutton. He invented and published (1767) a system of shorthand titled The Universal English Shorthand.

1964 Frank Albertson b. 1909 American actor. Film: It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Sam Wainwright), and Bye Bye Birdie (1963, Sam the Mayor).

1960 Melvin Purvis b. 1903 American FBI agent, was the FBI agent in charge during the killings of John Dillinger and "Pretty Boy" Floyd.

1908 Pat Garrett b. 1850 American sheriff, shot and killed Billy the Kid (1881).

1868 Louis I b. 1786 King of Bavaria (1825-48), he made dancer Lola Montez a countess and gave her authority over state affairs. This led to the revolution (1848) which forced his resignation.

468 Saint Hilary b. ???? religious leader, 46th Pope (461-468).

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