February 15th

Today's Highlight in History:
On February 15th, 1898, the US battleship "Maine" mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor, killing more than 260 crew members and bringing the United States closer to war with Spain.
On this date:
In 1564, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa.

In 1764, the city of St. Louis was established.

In 1820, American suffragist Susan B. Anthony was born in Adams, Massachusetts.

In 1879, President Hayes signed a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court.

In 1933, President-elect Roosevelt escaped an assassination attempt in Miami that claimed the life of Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak.

In 1942, the British colony Singapore surrendered to the Japanese during World War Two.

In 1965, Canada's new maple-leaf flag was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa.

In 1982, 84 men were killed when a huge oil-drilling rig, the "Ocean Ranger," sank off the coast of Newfoundland during a fierce storm.

In 1989, the Soviet Union announced that the last of its troops had left Afghanistan, after more than nine years of military intervention.

In 1992, Benjamin L. Hooks announced plans to retire as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Ten years ago: President Bush and the leaders of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru met in Cartagena, Colombia, for a drug-fighting summit.

Five years ago: The FBI arrested Kevin Mitnick, its "most wanted hacker," and charged him with cracking security for some of the nation's most protected computers. (Mitnick was released this past January 21st after serving five years behind bars.) A fire roared through a three-story nightclub in Taichung, Taiwan, killing at least 64 people.

One year ago: President Clinton continued his whirlwind visit to Mexico, where he conferred with President Ernesto Zedillo. The body of Amadou Diallo, the unarmed West African gunned down by New York City police, was returned to his native Guinea.

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每日格言

"Like all dreamers I confuse disenchantment with truth."

-- Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher (1905-1980)