Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2020. There are 310 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

On this date:

In 1793, President George Washington held the first Cabinet meeting on record at his Mount Vernon home; attending were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver.

In 1862, Nashville, Tennessee, became the first Confederate state capital to be occupied by the North during the Civil War.

In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser became Egypt's prime minister after the country's president, Mohammed Naguib, was effectively ousted in a coup.

In 1964, Eastern Airlines Flight 304, a DC-8, crashed shortly after taking off from New Orleans International Airport, killing all 58 on board.

In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers. At the Winter Olympics in Norway, Oksana Baiul of Ukraine won the gold medal in ladies' figure skating while Nancy Kerrigan won the silver and Chen Lu of China the bronze; Tonya Harding came in eighth.

In 2007, "The Departed" won best picture at the Academy Awards; its director, Martin Scorsese, won an Oscar on his sixth nomination.

In 2018, China's official news agency said the country's ruling Communist Party had proposed scrapping term limits for China's president, appearing to lay the groundwork for Xi Jinping to rule as president beyond 2023. (China's rubber-stamp lawmakers approved that change on March 11.)

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama convened a health care summit with Democrats and Republicans; after a day of debate and disagreement, the president concluded the talkfest with a bleak assessment that an accord might not be possible. In Vancouver, the Canadian women beat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title. Americans Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane finished 1-2 in a Nordic combined race. Yuna Kim of South Korea won ladies' figure skating.

Five years ago: Secretary of State John Kerry fielded dozens of questions from House Foreign Affairs Committee members worried about what Iran could get in a deal being negotiated to block its ability to make an atomic weapon.

One year ago: R&B star R. Kelly pleaded not guilty to allegations that he sexually abused four people dating back to 1998, including three underage girls. The Trump administration announced new sanctions on allies of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro as it struggled to find new ways to boost his opponent. Responding to director Spike Lee, who had used an Oscars acceptance speech to urge mobilization for the 2020 election, President Donald Trump tweeted that Lee did a "racist hit on your President."

Today's Birthdays: Actress Ann McCrea is 89. Actor Tom Courtenay is 83. Former CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 83. Actress Diane Baker is 82. Actress Karen Grassle is 78. Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 78. Former professional wrestler Ric Flair is 71. Humorist Jack Handey is 71. Movie director Neil Jordan is 70. Rock singer-musician/actor John Doe (X) is 67. Rock musician Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) is 63. Rock singer-musician Mike Peters (The Alarm; Big Country) is 61. Comedian Carrot Top is 55. Actress Veronica Webb is 55. Actor Alexis Denisof is 54. Actress Tea Leoni is 54. Actress Lesley Boone is 52. Actor Sean Astin is 49. Singer Daniel Powter is 49. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Justin Jeffre is 47. Rock musician Richard Liles is 47. Actor Anson Mount is 47. Comedian-actress Chelsea Handler is 45. Actress Rashida Jones is 44. Country singer Shawna Thompson (Thompson Square) is 42. Actor Justin Berfield is 34. Actors James and Oliver Phelps ("Harry Potter" movies) are 34. Actress Jameela Jamil is 34. Rock musician Erik Haager (Carolina Liar) is 33.

Thought for Today: "Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom." -- Herbert Spencer, British philosopher (1820-1903).

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