9 History Lessons + 6 Births & 4 Deaths for February 23, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1455 – The Gutenberg Bible, the first major book printed using movable type, was published, marking the start of the “Gutenberg Revolution” and the age of the printed book in the West.
- 1836 – The Siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas, as Mexican troops under General Antonio López de Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo Mission.
- 1903 – Cuba leased Guantanamo Bay to the United States “in perpetuity” as a coaling and naval station.
- 1942 – During World War II, a Japanese submarine fired shells at an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California, marking the first Axis attack on the U.S. mainland.
- 1945 – U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, an iconic moment captured in a famous photograph by Joe Rosenthal.
- 1954 – The first mass inoculation of children against polio using the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- 1980 – American speed skater Eric Heiden won his fifth gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, setting a world record in the 10,000-meter event.
- 1991 – French forces unofficially started the Persian Gulf ground war by crossing the Saudi-Iraqi border.
- 2020 – Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was fatally shot while jogging in Georgia, leading to nationwide protests and discussions about racial injustice.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1955 – Howard Jones, English singer-songwriter known for hits like “Things Can Only Get Better” (70)
- 1965 – Kristin Davis, American actress best known for her role in “Sex and the City” (60)
- 1981 – Josh Gad, American actor and singer, voice of Olaf in “Frozen” (44)
- 1982 – Aziz Ansari, American comedian and actor known for “Parks and Recreation” (43)
- 1983 – Emily Blunt, British actress known for roles in “The Devil Wears Prada” and “A Quiet Place” (42)
- 1994 – Dakota Fanning, American actress who rose to fame as a child star in “I Am Sam” (31)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1821 – John Keats, English Romantic poet known for works like “Ode to a Nightingale” (age 25)
- 1848 – John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States and prominent diplomat (age 80)
- 1855 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields (age 77)
- 1965 – Stan Laurel, British-American comedian and actor, one half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy (age 74)
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