Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Feb. 12, the 43rd day of 2017. There are 322 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin in Hardin (now LaRue) County, Kentucky.

On this date:

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who had claimed the throne of England for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being condemned for high treason.

In 1818, Chile officially proclaimed its independence, more than seven years after initially renouncing Spanish rule.

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

In 1914, groundbreaking took place for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1915, the cornerstone was laid for the Lincoln Memorial.

In 1924, George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" premiered in New York.

In 1942, painter Grant Wood, creator of "American Gothic," died in Iowa City, Iowa, a day before his 51st birthday.

In 1959, the redesigned Lincoln penny -- with an image of the Lincoln Memorial replacing two ears of wheat on the reverse side -- went into circulation.

In 1963, a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 720 broke up during severe turbulence and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 43 people aboard.

In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.

In 1988, former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. ended his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, endorsing Kansas Sen. Bob Dole.

In 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Ten years ago: A trench coat-clad teenager opened fire at Trolley Square, a Salt Lake City mall, killing five people and wounding four others before he was shot and killed by police. Car bombs shattered Baghdad's oldest and largest market, killing at least 78 people.

Five years ago: State governor Henrique Capriles won Venezuela's first-ever opposition presidential primary by a wide margin. Adele emerged as the top winner at the Grammy Awards, winning six trophies, including record and song of the year (for "Rolling in the Deep") and album of the year (for "21"), in a ceremony shadowed by the death of Whitney Houston the day before. Irish character actor David Kelly ("Waking Ned Devine") died in Dublin at age 82.

One year ago: Pope Francis, while en route to Mexico, embraced Patriarch Kirill during a stopover in Cuba in the first-ever meeting between a pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. New York Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia became the first player to receive a lifetime ban under Major League Baseball's drug agreement after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance for the third time.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director Franco Zeffirelli is 94. Actor Louis Zorich is 93. Movie director Costa-Gavras is 84. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell is 83. Actor Joe Don Baker is 81. Author Judy Blume is 79. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is 75. Country singer Moe Bandy is 73. Actress Maud Adams is 72. Actor Cliff DeYoung is 71. Actor Michael Ironside is 67. Rock musician Steve Hackett is 67. Rock singer Michael McDonald is 65. Actress Joanna Kerns is 64. Actor-talk show host Arsenio Hall is 61. Actor John Michael Higgins is 54. Actor Raphael Sbarge is 53. Actress Christine Elise is 52. Actor Josh Brolin is 49. Singer Chynna Phillips is 49. Rock musician Jim Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies) is 47. Rhythm-and-blues musician Keri Lewis is 46. Actor Jesse Spencer is 38. Actress Sarah Lancaster is 37. Actress Christina Ricci is 37. NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III is 27. Actress Jennifer Stone is 24. Actresses Rylie and Baylie Cregut (TV: "Raising Hope") are seven.

Thought for Today: "Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating of his temper and loss of self-control." -- President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).