Today's Puzzle
Why can't you use "Beef Stew" as a password?
What Happened On
U.S. Marines during the battle for Hue
U.S. Marines during the battle for Hue
Vietnam War - Tet Offensive
February 24, 1968
The Tet Offensive ends as U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recapture the capital of Hue. It was one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War.
First U.S. Rocket to Reach Outer Space
February 24, 1949
The first U.S. rocket to reach outer space is launched at White Sands, New Mexico. It reached an altitude of 250 miles (400 km) and a maximum speed of 5,150 mph (8,288 kmh).
This was part of the Bumper WAC program which combined a German V-2 rocket and the WAC Corporal sounding rocket to study problems pertaining to two-stage high-speed rockets. The V-2 rocket was the first stage. After it shut down, there was a high altitude "bump", which provided the name for the rocket.
The V-2 was developed by Wernher von Braun's team of German researchers, who surrendered to the United States at the end of World War II.
The first rocket to reach outer space was a German V-2 rocket in 1944.
The Kármán line defines the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, and is defined as beginning 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level. It is named after Hungarian-American engineer and physicist Theodore von Kármán (1881-1963), who in 1957 was the first person to attempt to derive such an altitude limit.
Photo Credit: Erik Liljeroth, Nordiska museet
Photo Credit: Erik Liljeroth, Nordiska museet
Nylon's First Commercial Production
February 24, 1938
The E.I. du Pont Co. begins the first commercial production of nylon, manufacturing it for toothbrush bristles. Nylon stockings went on sale in 1939.
Nazi Party Founded
February 24, 1920
The National Socialist German Workers' Party (NAZI) is founded. Hitler became the party's leader the following year.
Initially, anti-big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalism, in the 1930s its focus shifted to anti-Semitic and anti-Marxist themes.
Roman Persecution of Christianity
February 24, 303
First official Roman edict for the persecution of Christians is published, by Roman Emperor Diocletian. It prohibited Christians from assembling for worship; ordered the destruction of their scriptures, liturgical books, and places of worship across the empire; Christians could not respond to actions brought against them in court; Christian senators, veterans, and soldiers were deprived of their ranks; and Christian imperial freedmen were re-enslaved.
Iraq War - No WMDs
February 24, 2001
Secretary of State Colin Powell on Iraqi WMDs: "He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors."
However, in 2003 he would claim, "I'm absolutely sure that there are weapons of mass destruction.…"
Photos from Mariner 6 as it approached Mars - July 29-31, 1969
Photos from Mariner 6 as it approached Mars - July 29-31, 1969
First Close-Up Pictures of Mars
February 24, 1969
U.S. space probe Mariner 6 is launched, sending back the pictures in July.
Boston Strangler
February 24, 1967
Albert DeSalvo escapes from a mental institution. He was captured the next day. A month earlier, he had been convicted of a rape charge unrelated to the stranglings. He had confessed to being the "Boston Strangler" and murdering 13 women in the Boston area between 1962-64.
Presidential Impeachment
February 24, 1868
The U.S. House of Representative votes to begin impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson. They adopted 11 articles of impeachment detailing his "high crimes and misdemeanors", in accordance with Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. The action stemmed from Johnson's violation of the Tenure of Office Act which was passed over his veto in 1867. He had suspended Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in violation of the Tenure of Office Act which required him to get congressional approval.
He missed being impeached in the Senate by one vote.
Territory of Arizona
February 24, 1863
Territory of Arizona is established by the U.S. Congress.
Birthdays
Apple Computer Co-Founder
Steven Paul Jobs
Born February 24, 1955 d. 2011
American businessman, co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. (1975) working out of his parents' garage.
Inventor of the Modern Submarine
John Philip Holland
Born February 24, 1841 d. 1914
Irish-born American inventor. He designed and built the first modern-style submarine (1881) and the first practical submarine (1898). His Holland VI was the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the US Navy (1900, USS Holland), and the first Royal Navy submarine (1901, HMS Holland 1).
His submarines were the first having power to run submerged for any considerable distance, and the first to combine electric motors for submerged travel and gasoline engines for use on the surface.
Wilhelm Karl Grimm
Born February 24, 1786 d. 1859
German author. He and his brother Jakob Grimm created Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812-15), a collection of German folk tales. This included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Pied Piper of Hamlin. Critics of the time considered some of the tales as unsuitable for children. They made changes from the originals in future editions, such as switching the "evil mother" to the "evil stepmother" in the stories of Snow White and Hansel and Gretel.
Popularized "Satan's Drink"
Clement VIII
Born February 24, 1536 d. 1605
Italian religious leader, 231st Pope (1592-1605). Declared that, "This Satan's drink (coffee) is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it." He is responsible for the popularity of coffee use among Catholics. Coffee use was previously discouraged because it was believed to be the "bitter invention of Satan" due to its use among Muslims.
Manon Rhéaume
Born February 24, 1972
Canadian female athlete. She was the first woman to play in one of the four major pro sports leagues (1992, goalie for the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues. They lost 4-6). She also played on the Canada women's national ice hockey team, winning Gold Medals at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 1992 and 1994, and the Silver Medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Mitch Hedberg
Born February 24, 1968 d. 2005
American comedian. Jokes:
• "I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it."
• "You know, I'm sick of following my dreams, man. I'm just going to ask where they're going and hook up with 'em later."
• "This is just between you and me and everybody else you tell."
Edward James Olmos
Born February 24, 1947
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Miami Vice (Lt. Martin Castillo).
Barry Bostwick
Born February 24, 1945
American actor. Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, Brad Majors).
James Farentino
Born February 24, 1938 d. 2012
American actor. TV: The Bold Ones (Neil Darrell) and Dynasty (Dr. Nick Toscanni).
Michel Legrand
Born February 24, 1932 d. 2019
French Oscar-winning film composer. Film Music: Summer of '42 (1971, Oscar) and Brian's Song (1972, Oscar).
Abe Vigoda
Born February 24, 1921 d. 2016
American actor. TV: Barney Miller (1975-77, Detective Fish). Film: The Godfather (1972, Salvatore Tessio).
Marjorie Main (Mary Tomlinson)
Born February 24, 1890 d. 1975
American actress. Ma of the Ma and Pa Kettle films (1947-55).
Charles V
Born February 24, 1500 d. 1558
King of Spain (1516-56) and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1519-56). He declared Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic.
Deaths
Don Knotts
Died February 24, 2006 b. 1924
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Search For Tomorrow (1953-55, the mute Wilbur Peabody), The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68, Barney Fife), and Three's Company (1979-84, Mr. Furley). Film: The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), and The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975).
Dinah Shore (Fannye Rose Shore)
Died February 24, 1994 b. 1916
American singer, Emmy-winning TV personality. She won a total of 10 Emmy awards, more than any other performer. She had her own TV variety show, The Dinah Shore Show, from 1951-57.
At eighteen months old, she developed polio. The disease left her with a deformed foot and limp.
She was the first Jewish cheerleader at Vanderbilt University.
Sally Kellerman
Died February 24, 2022 b. 1937
American actress. Film: M*A*S*H (1970, Hot Lips). TV: Star Trek (1966, episode: Where No Man Has Gone Before) and the Hidden Valley salad dressing commercials.
Durward Knowles
Died February 24, 2018 b. 1917
British sailor. He tied the record for longest span of Olympic competition (1948-88). He is one of only four athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years, along with fencer Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier, sailor Magnus Konow, and sailor Paul Elvstrøm.
Dennis Weaver
Died February 24, 2006 b. 1924
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Gunsmoke (deputy Chester Goode, Emmy), Gentle Ben (Tom Wedloe), and McCloud (title role).
Dennis Weaver and Valerie Harper founded L.I.F.E. in 1983, a charity that fed thousands of needy in Los Angeles.
Henny Youngman
Died February 24, 1998 b. 1906
British-born American comedian. Quote: "Women today are crazy! I mean, take my wife… please!"
Jean Rogers (Eleanor Lovegreen)
Died February 24, 1991 b. 1916
American actress, Dale Arden of the Flash Gordon movie serials (1936-38).
George Gobel
Died February 24, 1991 b. 1919
American Emmy-winning TV and Radio star. TV: The George Gobel Show (1954-60).
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes
Died February 24, 1990 b. 1919
American magazine publisher.
Virginia Bruce
Died February 24, 1982 b. 1910
American actress. Film: The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Invisible Woman (1941).
Robert Marc Séguin
Died February 24, 1875 b. 1786
the Elder, French engineer. He and Guillaume Henry Dufour designed and built the first permanent wire-cable suspension bridge (1823) and the multiple-fire-tube boiler for locomotive steam engines.
Thomas Bowdler
Died February 24, 1825 b. 1754
English physician. The term "bowdlerize" - meaning self-righteous censorship - is derived from his rewrites of Shakespeare and parts of the Old Testament in which he removed all text he considered offensive.
Robert Fulton
Died February 24, 1815 b. 1765
American inventor, steamboat pioneer.
Henry Cavendish
Died February 24, 1810 b. 1731
English chemist, physicist. Discovered nitric acid and was the first to recognize that hydrogen and oxygen combined to make water.