Today February 25th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
138 – The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor.
1570 – Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1793 – George Washington holds the first Cabinet meeting as President of the United States.
1797 – Colonel William Tate and his force of 1000-1500 soldiers surrender after the Last Invasion of Britain
1836 – Samuel Colt receives an American patent for the Colt revolver.
1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress.
1901 – J.P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.
1912 – Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
1919 – Oregon places a 1 cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
1921 – Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, occupied by Bolshevist Russia.
1925 – Glacier Bay National Monument (now Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve) is established in Alaska.
1925 – The diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union were established.
1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, DC becomes the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission.
1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.
1933 – The USS Ranger is launched, becoming the US Navys first custom-built aircraft carrier.
1941 – February strike: First general & physical protest against Nazi anti-Jewish behaviour & -laws (Amsterdam)
1942 – Battle of Los Angeles: a UFO flying over wartime Los Angeles causes a blackout order at 2:25 a.m. and attracts a barrage of anti-aircraft fire, killing 3 civilians.
1945 – World War II: Turkey declares war on Germany.
1948 – The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia takes control of government in Czechoslovakia and the period of the Third Republic ends.
1951 – The first Pan American Games are held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1954 – Gamal Abdul Nasser is made premier of Egypt.
1956 – In his speech On the Personality Cult and its Consequences Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.
1969 – Germany gives $5 million to an Arab terrorist as ransom for the passengers and crew of a hijacked jumbo jet.
1971 – The first unit of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, first commercial nuclear power station in Canada, goes online.
1980 – The Suriname government ( elected after gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1975 ) was overthrown by a military coup which was initiated with the bombing of the police station from an army ship of the coast of the nations capital; Paramaribo
1986 – People Power Revolution: President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the first Filipino woman president.
1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi Scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
1992 – Khojaly massacre: about 613 civilians killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan
1994 – Mosque of Abraham massacre: In the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Dr. Baruch Kappel Goldstein opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors. Subsequent rioting kills 26 more Palestinians and 9 Israelis.
2008 – The country of Kosovo declares independence from Serbia.
Births
1398 – Xuande, Emperor of China (d. 1435)
1591 – Friedrich von Spee, German writer (d. 1635)
1643 – Ahmed II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1695)
1663 – Pierre Antoine Motteux, French-born English dramatist (d. 1718)
1682 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist (d. 1771)
1692 – Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz, German adventurer and writer (d. 1775)
1707 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian writer (d. 1793)
1714 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, Chancellor of France (d. 1792)
1714 – Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet, British admiral (d. 1782)
1725 – Karl Wilhelm Ramler, German poet (d. 1798)
1752 – John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806)
1778 – José de San Martín, Argentine general and liberator of South America (d. 1850)
1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter, graphic artist and sculptor (d. 1919)
1842 – Karl May, German writer (d. 1912)
1845 – George Reid, fourth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918)
1855 – George Bonnor, Australian cricketer (d. 1912)
1855 – Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet (d. 1886)
1860 – Sir William Ashley, economic historian (d. 1927)
1861 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher and educator (d. 1925)
1866 – Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher (d. 1952)
1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian tenor (d. 1921)
1877 – Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist (d. 1935)
1883 – Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone (d. 1981)
1885 – Sylvia Brett, Lady Brooke, Ranee of Sarawak (d. 1971)
1888 – John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State (d. 1959)
1889 – Homer S. Ferguson, United States Senator (d. 1982)
1890 – Dame Myra Hess, English pianist (d. 1965)
1890 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician (d. 1986)
1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual leader (d. 1969)
1895 – Lew Andreas, American basketball coach (d. 1984)
1901 – Zeppo Marx, American actor (d. 1979)
1903 – King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1986)
1908 – Frank G. Slaughter, American novelist (d. 2001)
1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American fashion editor and politician (d. 1992)
1912 – Brenda Joyce, American actress
1913 – Jim Backus, American actor (d. 1989)
1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor (d. 1988)
1914 – John Arlott, English cricket journalist (d. 1991)
1916 – Reinhard Bendix, German sociologist (d. 1991)
1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author (d. 1993)
1918 – Barney Ewell, American athlete (d. 1996)
1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (d. 1995)
1918 – Rena Kyriakou, Greek pianist (d. 1994)
1919 – Karl H. Pribram, Austrian neuroscientist
1920 – Gérard Bessette, Canadian author (d. 2005)
1921 – Pierre Laporte, Canadian statesman (d. 1970)
1927 – Ralph Stanley, American musician
1928 – Larry Gelbart, American comedy writer
1929 – Christopher George, American actor (d. 1983)
1929 – Tommy Newsom, American bandleader (d. 2007)
1932 – Tony Brooks, English race car driver
1932 – Faron Young, American singer (d. 1996)
1934 – Bernard Bresslaw, English actor (d. 1993)
1934 – Tony Lema, American golfer (d. 1966)
1935 – Sally Jessy Raphaël, American talk show host
1937 – Tom Courtenay, English actor
1937 – Bob Schieffer, American broadcast journalist
1937 – Barbara Piasecka Johnson, widow of John Seward Johnson I
1938 – Diane Baker, American actress
1938 – Herb Elliott, Australian runner
1940 – Billy Packer, American sports broadcaster
1940 – Danny Cater, American baseball player
1940 – Ron Santo, American baseball player
1942 – Karen Grassle, American actress
1943 – George Harrison, English musician (The Beatles) (d. 2001)
1943 – Wilson da Silva Piazza, Brazilian footballer
1945 – Herbert Léonard, French singer
1945 – Elkie Brooks, English singer
1946 – Franz Xaver Kroetz, German dramatist
1946 – Jean Todt, French executive director of Scuderia Ferrari
1947 – Lee Evans, American athlete
1947 – Doug Yule, American bass guitarist (The Velvet Underground)
1948 – Danny Denzongpa, Indian actor
1948 – Aldo Busi, Italian writer
1949 – Ric Flair, American professional wrestler
1950 – Neil Jordan, Irish director
1950 – Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina
1950 – Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish alpine skier (d. 2006)
1951 – Don Quarrie, Jamaican runner
1951 – James Brown, American sportscaster
1951 – César Cedeño, Dominican baseball player
1952 – Jerry Chamberlain, American musician
1952 – Joey Dunlop, Irish motorcycle racer (d. 2000)
1952 – Inger Segelström, Swedish politician
1953 – José María Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain
1953 – Kim Yeong-cheol, South Korean actor
1954 – John Doe, American musician
1957 – Sérgio Marques, Portuguese politician
1958 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player
1959 – Carl Marotte, Canadian actor
1959 – Mike Peters, Welsh musician (The Alarm)
1960 – Tony Grimaud, Maltese-born singer and songwriter
1960 – Stefan Blöcher, German field hockey player
1961 – Davey Allison, American race car driver (d. 1993)
1961 – Todd Blackledge, American football player
1962 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker
1963 – Paul O Neill, American baseball player
1964 – Lee Evans, English comedian
1964 – Don Majkowski, American football player
1965 – Carrot Top, American comedian
1965 – Brian Baker, American guitarist
1966 – Alexis Denisof, American actor
1966 – Samson Kitur, Kenyan athlete (d. 2003)
1966 – Téa Leoni, American actress
1966 – Nancy O Dell, American reporter and television personality
1966 – Samantha Phillips, American actress
1968 – Sandrine Kiberlain, French actress
1968 – Evridiki, Greek Cypriot singer
1969 – Paul Trimboli, Australian soccer player
1970 – Julie Hesmondhalgh, English actress
1971 – Sean Astin, American actor
1971 – Dave Harris, American disc jockey
1971 – Daniel Powter, Canadian musician
1973 – Justin Jeffre, American singer (98 Degrees)
1973 – Anson Mount, American actor
1973 – Julio José Iglesias, Spanish singer
1973 – Normann Stadler, German triathlete
1975 – Chelsea Handler, American comedian and actress
1976 – Rashida Jones, American actress, writer, model, and musician
1976 – Chris Pitman, American keyboardist and member of Guns N Roses
1977 – Sarah Jezebel Deva, English singer
1977 – Josh Wolff, American footballer
1979 – Jennifer Ferrin, American actress
1979 – David Hoflin, Swedish-born Australian Actor
1980 – Antonio Burks, American basketball player
1980 – Christy Knowings, American actress
1981 – Jamie Lynn, American model
1981 – Shahid Kapoor, Indian actor
1981 – Park Ji-Sung, South Korean footballer
1981 – Misty Giles, American beauty queen and Survivor contestant
1982 – Chris Baird, Irish footballer
1982 – Anton Volchenkov, Russian ice hockey player
1982 – Bert McCracken, American singer (The Used)
1982 – Maria Kanellis, American model and professional wrestler
1982 – Tara Wilson, Canadian actress
1983 – Eduardo da Silva, Brazilian-born Croatian footballer
1984 – Logan Leistikow, American director and actor
1984 – Lovefoxxx, Brazilian singer (CSS)
1985 – Joakim Noah, American basketball player
1985 – Benji Marshall, New Zealand rugby player
1986 – Justin Berfield, American actor
1986 – James and Oliver Phelps, English actors
1986 – Danny Saucedo, Swedish singer
1987 – Eva Avila, Canadian singer
1990 – Alejandra Andreu, Miss International 2008
1991 – Tony Oller, American actor
1998 – Brendon Baerg, American actor
Deaths
1246 – Dafydd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd
1522 – William Lilye, English classical scholar
1536 – Berthold Haller, German-born reformer (b. 1492)
1553 – Hirate Masahide, Japanese diplomat and tutor of Oda Nobunaga (suicide) (b. 1492)
1558 – Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal and France (b. 1498)
1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English politician (b. 1566)
1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general (b. 1583)
1643 – Marco da Gagliano, Italian composer (b. 1582)
1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish scholar (b. 1580)
1682 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (b. 1639)
1713 – King Frederick I of Prussia (b. 1657)
1715 – Pu Songling, Chinese writer (b. 1640)
1723 – Sir Christopher Wren, English architect (b. 1632)
1756 – Eliza Haywood, English actress and writer (b. 1693)
1798 – Louis-Jules Mancini-Mazarini, Duc de Nivernais, French diplomat and writer (b. 1716)
1805 – Thomas Pownall, British colonial statesman (b. 1722)
1831 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German writer (b. 1752)
1850 – Daoguang, Emperor of China (b. 1782)
1852 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet (b. 1779)
1860 – Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman, educator, and lexicographer (b. 1790)
1899 – Paul Julius Reuter, German-born journalist (b. 1816)
1912 – Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 1852)
1919 – Josef Christiaens, Belgian racing driver (b. 1879)
1922 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (b. 1869)
1934 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (b. 1873)
1945 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian writer and photographer (b. 1893)
1950 – George Minot, American physician, Nobel laureate (b. 1885)
1953 – Sergei Winogradsky, Russian scientist (b. 1856)
1957 – George Bugs Moran, American gangster (b. 1893)
1964 – Grace Metalious, American writer (b. 1924)
1966 – James D. Norris, American sports businessman (b. 1906)
1970 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-born American painter (b. 1903)
1971 – Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1884)
1975 – Elijah Muhammad, American Black Muslim leader (b. 1897)
1978 – Daniel Chappie James Jr., American general (b. 1920)
1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright (b. 1911)
1987 – James Coco, American actor (b. 1930)
1993 – Eddie Constantine, American-born actor and singer (b. 1917)
1993 – Mary Walter, Filipino actress (b. 1912)
1994 – Baruch Goldstein, American-born mass murderer (b. 1956)
1994 – Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer (b. 1914)
1996 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-born actor (b. 1940)
1998 – Celestine Tate Harrington, a quadriplegic street musician and writer.
1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1912)
2001 – Sir Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer (b. 1908)
2003 – Tom O Higgins, Irish Chief Justice (b. 1916)
2003 – Alberto Sordi, Italian actor (b. 1920)
2004 – Donald Hings, Canadian inventor (b. 1907)
2005 – Peter Benenson, English founder of Amnesty International (b. 1921)
2006 – Darren McGavin, American actor (b. 1922)
2006 – Charlie Wayman, English footballer (b. 1922)
2007 – William R. Anderson, CO USS Nautilus submarine, US Congressman (b. 1921)
2007 – Mark Spoelstra, American singer/songwriter (b. 1940)
2008 – Ashley Cooper, Australian race car driver (b. 1980)
2008 – Hans Raj Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India (b. 1912)
2008 – Static Major, American singer (b. 1974)
2008 – Charles Chan, Father of Jackie Chan (b. December 18, 1914)
Holidays and observances
Kuwait s national day.
People Power Day, special holiday in the Philippines.
February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani,OSB
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