5 History Lessons + 4 Births & 4 Deaths for February 26, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from exile on the island of Elba, returning to France to begin his “Hundred Days” rule.
- 1919 – The Grand Canyon is established as a National Park by an act of the U.S. Congress.
- 1991 – Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait during the Gulf War.
- 1993 – A truck bomb detonates below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing six people and injuring over 1,000.
- 2012 – Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American, is fatally shot in Sanford, Florida, leading to nationwide protests and discussions about racial profiling.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1943 – Bill Duke, American actor and director known for “Predator” and “Sister Act” (82)
- 1950 – Jonathan Cain, American musician and keyboardist for the band Journey (75)
- 1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer-songwriter known for hits like “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” (72)
- 1971 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter and actress, often dubbed the “Queen of Neo-Soul” (54)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1813 – Robert R. Livingston, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who administered the presidential oath of office to George Washington (age 66)
- 1903 – Richard Jordan Gatling, American inventor best known for creating the Gatling gun (age 84)
- 1965 – Jimmie Lee Jackson, American civil rights activist whose death inspired the Selma to Montgomery marches (age 26)
- 2014 – Paco de Lucía, Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and producer (age 66)
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