Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2024. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain's King George VI, 56, died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his 25-year-old elder daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II.

On this date:

In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris.

In 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1815, the state of New Jersey issued the first American railroad charter to John Stevens, who proposed a rail link between Trenton and New Brunswick. (The line, however, was never built.)

In 1862, during the Civil War, Fort Henry in Tennessee fell to Union forces.

In 1899, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

In 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Illinois.

In 1922, Cardinal Archille Ratti was elected pope; he took the name Pius XI.

In 1933, the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called "lame duck" amendment, was proclaimed in effect by Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

In 1993, tennis Hall of Famer and human rights advocate Arthur Ashe died in New York at age 49.

In 1998, Carl Wilson, a founding member of The Beach Boys, died in Los Angeles at age 51.

In 2000, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

In 2008, the Bush White House defended the use of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding, saying it was legal, not torture, and had saved American lives.

In 2013, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced that Monopoly fans had voted online to add a cat token to the board game, replacing the iron.

In 2018, casino mogul Steve Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts amid sexual misconduct allegations.

In 2021, George P. Shultz, who was President Ronald Reagan's secretary of state as part of a long career in public service, died at his California home; he was 100.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 70th anniversary of her ascendance to the British throne, an unprecedented reign that made her a symbol of stability in the United Kingdom.

In 2023, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, toppling thousands of buildings and trapping residents under mounds of rubble; the death toll would eventually be more than 50,000.

Today's birthdays: Actor Mamie Van Doren is 93. Actor Mike Farrell is 85. Former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw is 84. Singer Fabian is 81. Actor Michael Tucker is 79. Producer-director-writer Jim Sheridan is 75. Actor Jon Walmsley is 68. Actor Kathy Najimy is 67. Rock musician Simon Phillips (Toto) is 67. Actor-director Robert Townsend is 67. Actor Barry Miller is 66. Actor Megan Gallagher is 64. Rock singer Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) is 62. Country singer Richie McDonald is 62. Singer Rick Astley is 58. Rock musician Tim Brown (Boo Radleys) is 55. Former ABC News anchor Amy Robach is 51. Actor Josh Stewart is 47. Actor Ben Lawson is 44. Actor Brandon Hammond is 40. Actor Crystal Reed (TV: "Teen Wolf") is 39. Actor Alice Greczyn is 38. Actor Anna Diop is 36. R&B singer/actor Tinashe is 31.