On this day, Rihanna, byname of Robyn Rihanna Fenty, (born February 20, 1988, St. Michael parish, Barbados), Barbadian pop and rhythm-and-blues (R&B) singer who became a worldwide star in the early 21st century, known for her distinctive and versatile voice and for her fashionable appearance. She was also known for her beauty and fashion lines. […]
Today In History
Today In History: 17 February 1996 Biak Earthquake and Tsunami Kills 108
The 1996 Biak earthquake, or the Irian Jaya earthquake, that occurred on 17 February at 14:59:30 local time near Biak Island Indonesia left at least 108 people dead, 423 injured, and 58 missing. It destroyed 5,043 houses and left 10,000 homeless with an estimated total damage of US$4.2 million. The earthquake, which occurred on the New Guinea […]
Today In History: 16 Feb 600 AD – “God Bless You” Declared During Bubonic Plague
On this day in the year 600 AD, Pope Gregory the Great declared “God bless you” to be the correct response to a sneeze. It was once thought that sneezing was an omen of death, since many dying people fell into sneezing fits. The Pope introduced the response of “God bless you” when the plague […]
Today In History: 15 Feb 1898 U.S.S. Maine Exploded in Havana Harbor Killing 268 Men
At 9:40pm on February 15, 1898, the battleship U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing 268 men and shocking the American populace. The reasons for war were many, but there were two immediate ones. America’s support of the ongoing struggle by Cubans and Filipinos against Spanish rule, and the mysterious explosion of the battleship U.S.S […]
Today In History: 14th February Celebration of Valentine’s Day
On this day, the celebration of Valentine’s Day is believed to date back to ancient Rome, where a festival called Lupercalia was held in mid-February to venerate fertility and the coming of spring. The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14. The festival involved various rituals, including the exchange […]
This Week in History: Feb 2005 YouTube is Founded by Three Former PayPal Employees
YouTube was founded by three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim– in February 2005. In November 2006, Google bought the site for US$1.65 billion, and has since operated as one of Google’s subsidiaries. It was registered on February 14, 2005, by Chen, Hurley, and Karim, who had come up with the idea […]
January 1899: Samoa is Split between Germany and America
By Historian Ronald G. Mayer Jr. 16 Jan 1899 – it was 124 years ago that the United States Congress ratified the Anglo German Treaty of 1899, splitting the islands of Samoa into German and American hands. Around the turn of the century control over the islands of Samoa not only caused a civil war […]
Today in History: Kevin Costner born in Lynwood California and Grew Up in Compton
Born 18 January 1955 as Kevin Michael Costner, the American actor, producer, film director and musician has received various accolades including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Costner was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had no prior connections to […]
Today in History: The Prohibition Period led to Gangsterism and Deaths from Poisoning
by Ray Setterfield, Today in History. January 16, 1920 — The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution came into effect on this day, making the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquor illegal. It was the start of a 13-year era known as Prohibition that led to gangsterism, “speakeasies”, and widespread flouting of the […]
15 January 1559: Elizabeth I Crowned Queen of England
Today in History: Sunday 15 January 1559. Two months after the death of her half-sister, Queen Mary I of England, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, is crowned Queen Elizabeth I at Westminster Abbey in London. Queen Elizabeth I was the last Tudor monarch – born at Greenwich on 7 […]