Today in History

Today is Friday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2022. There are 309 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 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 1919, Oregon became the first state to tax gasoline, at one cent per gallon.

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

In 1957, the Supreme Court, in Butler v. Michigan, overturned a Michigan statute making it a misdemeanor to sell books containing obscene language that would tend to corrupt "the morals of youth."

In 1973, the Stephen Sondheim musical "A Little Night Music" opened at Broadway's Shubert Theater.

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.

In 1997, a jury in Media, Pennsylvania, convicted chemical fortune heir John E. du Pont of third-degree murder, deciding he was mentally ill when he shot and killed world-class wrestler David Schultz. (Du Pont died in prison in December 2010 while serving a 13- to 30-year sentence; he was 72.)

In 2010, in Vancouver, the Canadian women beat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title.

In 2020, U.S. health officials warned that the coronavirus was certain to spread more widely in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to be prepared. President Donald Trump, speaking in India, said the virus was "very well under control" in the U.S.

Ten years ago: A gunman killed two American military advisers with shots to the back of the head inside Afghanistan's heavily guarded Interior Ministry as protests raged for a fifth day over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. army base. Lynn D. "Buck" Compton, 90, a veteran whose World War II exploits were depicted in the television miniseries "Band of Brothers," died in Burlington, Washington.

Five years ago: Democrats chose former Labor Secretary Tom Perez as their new national chairman during a meeting in Atlanta. A man accused of driving drunk plowed into a Mardi Gras parade crowd, injuring more than 30 people (Neilson Rizzuto later pleaded guilty to 11 felony counts of negligent vehicular injuring and 14 related misdemeanor counts; he was sentenced to roughly three years behind bars.) Actor Bill Paxton, 61, died in Los Angeles.

One year ago: The Senate parliamentarian ruled that an increase in the minimum wage would have to be dropped from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Democrats were trying to push through Congress. At a Senate hearing to examine wages at major companies, Costco's CEO said the company would increase its starting wage to $16 an hour, surpassing most of its main competitors.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Ann McCrea is 91. Actor Tom Courtenay is 85. Former CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 85. Actor Diane Baker is 84. Actor Karen Grassle is 80. Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 80. Former professional wrestler Ric Flair is 73. Humorist Jack Handey is 73. Movie director Neil Jordan is 72. Rock singer-musician/actor John Doe (X) is 69. Rock musician Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) is 65. Rock singer-musician Mike Peters (The Alarm; Big Country) is 63. Comedian Carrot Top is 57. Model and actor Veronica Webb is 57. Actor Alexis Denisof is 56. Actor Tea Leoni is 56. Actor Lesley Boone is 54. Actor Sean Astin is 51. Singer Daniel Powter is 51. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 49. R&B singer Justin Jeffre is 49. Actor Anson Mount is 49. Comedian-actor Chelsea Handler is 47. Actor Rashida Jones is 46. Country singer Shawna Thompson (Thompson Square) is 44. Actor Justin Berfield is 36. Actors James and Oliver Phelps ("Harry Potter" movies) are 36. Actor Jameela Jamil is 36. Rock musician Erik Haager (Carolina Liar) is 35.