Today in History

Today is Sunday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2012. There are 316 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 19, 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the U.S. military to exclude people from designated areas. (The order was used to relocate and intern American residents of Japanese ancestry, a majority of whom were native-born U.S. citizens.)

On this date:

In 1473, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.

In 1803, Congress voted to accept Ohio's borders and constitution.

In 1846, the Texas state government was formally installed in Austin, with J. Pinckney Henderson taking the oath of office as governor.

In 1878, Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for "an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines."

In 1881, Kansas prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.

In 1942, Japanese warplanes raided the Australian city of Darwin; at least 243 people were killed.

In 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.

In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.

In 1976, calling the issuing of Executive Order 9066 "a sad day in American history," President Gerald R. Ford issued a proclamation confirming that the order had been terminated with the formal cessation of hostilities of World War II.

In 1983, 13 people were found shot to death at a gambling club in Seattle's Chinatown in what became known as the Wah Mee Massacre. (Two Chinese immigrants were convicted of the killings and sentenced to life in prison.)

In 1992, Irish Republican Army member Joseph Doherty was deported from the United States to Northern Ireland following a ten-year battle for political asylum. (Doherty was imprisoned for killing a British army commando in 1980; he was freed in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement.)

In 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China's major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92.

Ten years ago: Addressing Japan's national legislature, President George W. Bush said the country's recession-ravaged economy was "on the path to reform," and urged the Diet to help curb the spread of terrorism in the region; Bush then traveled to South Korea for a two-day visit. NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft began mapping the Red Planet. In Salt Lake City, a win by bobsledders Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers gave the United States 21 medals in the Winter Games; Flowers became the first black athlete to strike gold at the Winter Olympics.

Five years ago: Three-way talks in the Mideast between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli and Palestinian leaders, initially billed as a new U.S. push to restart peace efforts, ended with little progress other than a commitment to meet again. Hundreds of gay couples were granted the same legal rights, if not the title, as married couples as New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions. Actress Janet Blair died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 85.

One year ago: Security forces in Libya and Yemen fired on pro-democracy demonstrators as the two hard-line regimes struck back against the wave of protests that had already toppled autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia. The world's dominant economies, meeting in Paris, struck a watered-down deal on how to smooth out trade and currency imbalances blamed for a global financial crisis.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Smokey Robinson is 72. Singer Bobby Rogers (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is 72. Actress Carlin Glynn is 72. Sony Chairman, CEO and President Howard Stringer is 70. Singer Lou Christie is 69. Actor Michael Nader is 67. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) is 64. Actor Stephen Nichols is 61. Author Amy Tan is 60. Actor Jeff Daniels is 57. Rock singer-musician Dave Wakeling is 56. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 55. Actor Ray Winstone is 55. Actor Leslie David Baker (TV: "The Office") is 54. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 53. Britain's Prince Andrew is 52. Tennis Hall-of-Famer Hana Mandlikova is 50. Singer Seal is 49. Actress Jessica Tuck is 49. Country musician Ralph McCauley (Wild Horses) is 48. Rock musician Jon Fishman (Phish) is 47. Actress Justine Bateman is 46. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 45. Rock musician Daniel Adair is 37. Pop singer-actress Haylie Duff is 27.

Thought for Today: "Passion and prejudice govern the world; only under the name of reason." -- John Wesley, English theologian (1703-1791).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.