Today in History
Today is Monday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2016. There are 327 days left
in the year. This is the Chinese New Year of the Monkey. Today's
Highlight in History: On Feb. 8, 1966, during the Vietnam War,
President Lyndon B. Johnson and South Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Cao Ky
(nuh-WEN' kow ky) concluded their meetings in Hawaii by issuing the
"Declaration of Honolulu," which asserted the resolve of their
countries to defeat the Communists. On this date: In 1587, Mary, Queen
of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was
implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. In 1862,
the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, ended in
victory for Union forces led by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. In 1910, the
Boy Scouts of America was incorporated. In 1915, D.W. Griffith's
groundbreaking as well as controversial silent movie epic about the
Civil War, "The Birth of a Nation," premiered in Los Angeles under its
original title, "The Clansman. In 1922, President Warren G. Harding had
a radio installed in the White House. In 1942, during World War II,
Japanese forces began invading Singapore, which fell a week later. In
1952, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed her accession to the British throne
following the death of her father, King George VI. In 1965, Eastern Air
Lines Flight 663, a DC-7, crashed shortly after takeoff from New York's
John F. Kennedy International Airport; all 84 people on board were
killed. The Supremes' record "Stop! In the Name of Love! was released
by Motown. In 1968, three college students were killed in a
confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, South Carolina,
during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley. In
1976, Martin Scorsese's graphic urban drama "Taxi Driver," starring
Robert De Niro, was released by Columbia Pictures. In 1989, 144 people
were killed when an American-chartered Boeing 707 filled with Italian
tourists slammed into a fog-covered mountain in the Azores. In 1996, in
a ceremony at the Library of Congress, President Bill Clinton signed
legislation revamping the telecommunications industry, saying it would
"bring the future to our doorstep. Ten years ago: President George W.
Bush condemned deadly rioting sparked by cartoons of the prophet
Muhammad as he urged foreign leaders to halt the spreading violence. U2
captured five Grammy awards for their album "How to Dismantle An Atomic
Bomb," including album of the year. Five years ago: Wael Ghonim
(WY'-uhl goh-NEEM'), a 30-year-old Google executive who'd helped ignite
Egypt's uprising, appeared before protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square
for the first time after being released from detention; he told them,
"We won't give up. One year ago: A riot erupted outside a major soccer
stadium in Egypt, with a stampede and fighting between police and fans
killing at least 19 people. At the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Sam
Smith won best new artist, record of the year, song of the year for
"Stay with Me" and best pop vocal album; Beck won album of the year for
"Morning Phase. Today's Birthdays: Composer-conductor John Williams is
84. Newscaster Ted Koppel is 76. Actor Nick Nolte is 75. Comedian
Robert Klein is 74. Actor-rock musician Creed Bratton is 73. Singer Ron
Tyson is 68. Actress Brooke Adams is 67. Actress Mary Steenburgen is
63. Author John Grisham is 61. Retired NBA All-Star and College
Basketball Hall of Famer Marques Johnson is 60. Actor Henry Czerny is
57. The president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, is 56. Rock
singer Vince Neil (Motley Crue) is 55. Rock singer-musician Sammy
Llanas (YAH'-nus) (The BoDeans) is 55. Former Environmental Protection
Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson is 54. Movie producer Toby
Emmerich is 53. Actress Mary McCormack is 47. Rock musician Keith
Nelson (Buckcherry) is 47. Basketball Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning is
46. Dance musician Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (Daft Punk) is 42. Actor
Seth Green is 42. Actor Josh Morrow is 42. Rock musician Phoenix
(Linkin Park) is 39. Actor Jim Parrack is 35. Folk singer-musician Joey
Ryan (Milk Carton Kids) is 34. Actress-comedian Cecily Strong is 32.
Rock musician Jeremy Davis is 31. Rock musician Max Grahn (Carolina
Liar) is 28. Actor Ryan Pinkston is 28. Professional surfer Bethany
Hamilton is 26. Actress Karle Warren is 24. Thought for Today:
"Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; an argument an exchange of
ignorance. Robert Quillen, American journalist (1887-1948). (
