9 History Lessons + Days of 5 Birth & 3 Deaths for February 22, 2025
Today’s History:
1371 – Robert II succeeded to the throne of Scotland, initiating the Stuart dynasty.
1819 – Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
1879 – Frank Woolworth opened the first “Five Cent Store” in Utica, New York.
1943 – Members of the White Rose resistance group, including Sophie and Hans Scholl, were executed in Nazi Germany.
1959 – The inaugural Daytona 500 race was held; Lee Petty was declared the winner.
1972 – The Official Irish Republican Army detonated a car bomb at Aldershot Barracks, England, killing seven.
1980 – The “Miracle on Ice”: The U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in Lake Placid, New York.
1997 – Scientists in Scotland announced the successful cloning of an adult mammal, a sheep named “Dolly.”
2011 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, resulting in 185 deaths.
Today’s Birthdays:
1950 – Julius Erving, American Basketball Hall of Famer (75)
1959 – Kyle MacLachlan, American actor known for “Twin Peaks” (66)
1968 – Jeri Ryan, American actress recognized for “Star Trek: Voyager” (57)
1974 – James Blunt, English singer-songwriter famous for “You’re Beautiful” (51)
1975 – Drew Barrymore, American actress known for “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (50)
Today’s Deaths:
1512 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer after whom the Americas are named (age 57)
1987 – Andy Warhol, American artist and leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art (age 58)
2019 – Stanley Donen, American film director and choreographer known for “Singin’ in the Rain” (age 94)
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