Today in History for 22nd February 2023

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

1888 - “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends
1915 - Germany begins "unrestricted" submarine war
1932 - Purple Heart (the Badge of Military Merit) award reinstituted
1941 - Roy Harris' "Ballad of a Railroad Man" premieres
1972 - US President Richard Nixon, meets with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing
1973 - US and China agree to establish liaison offices in Beijing and Washington, D.C.

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1773 - Matthijs Ignatius van Bree, Belgian painter of historical subjects, born in Antwerp (d. 1839)
1822 - Adolf Kussmaul, German physician (stomach pump, Kuszmaul disease), born in Graben (d. 1902)
1918 - Sid Abel, Canadian NHL hockey player (1948-49 Hart Trophy), born in Melville, Saskatchewan (d. 2000)
1926 - (Alan) "Bud" Yorkin, American film and television producer and director (Divorce American Style; All in the Family; Sanford And Son), born in Washington, Pennsylvania (d. 2015)
1939 - George Haslam, British avant-garde jazz baritone saxophonist, and tárogató player, born in Preston, Lancashire, England
1969 - Thomas Jane, American actor, born in Baltimore, Maryland

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1897 - Charles Blondin, French acrobat and tight rope walker, dies at 72
1921 - Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1864)
1968 - Omer CFL Tulippe, Belgian geographer, dies at 71
1976 - Florence Ballard, American pop and RandB singer (The Supremes, 1959-67 - "Buttered Popcorn"; "Where Did Our Love Go"), dies of a heart attack at 32
1996 - Helmut Schoen, Germany football coach (manager of West Germany (1964-1978, 1974 World Cup), dies at 80
1997 - Albert Shanker, American labor leader (Amer Fed of Teachers), dies at 68

More Famous Deaths »

[+ Charlie]

I remember when today used to be a federal holiday to celebrate George Washington's birthday (he would be 291 years old today). Then they decided there were too many federal holidays in February, and lumped him together with all the other Presidents. Sad.