Today in History

Today is Thursday, Feb. 22, the 53rd day of 2024. There are 313 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 22, 1980, the "Miracle on Ice" took place in Lake Placid, New York, as the United States Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets, 4-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)

On this date:

In 1630, English colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony first sampled popcorn brought to them by a Native American named Quadequina for their Thanksgiving celebration.

In 1732, the first president of the United States, George Washington, was born in Westmoreland County in the Virginia Colony.

In 1784, a U.S. merchant ship, the Empress of China, left New York for the Far East to trade goods with China.

In 1935, it became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White House.

In 1959, the inaugural Daytona 500 race was held; although Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner, the victory was later awarded to Lee Petty.

In 1967, more than 25,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City, aimed at smashing a Vietcong stronghold near the Cambodian border. (Although the communists were driven out, they later returned.)

In 1987, pop artist Andy Warhol died at a New York City hospital at age 58.

In 1997, scientists in Scotland announced they had succeeded in cloning an adult mammal, producing a lamb named "Dolly." (Dolly, however, was later put down after a short life marred by premature aging and disease.)

In 2010, Najibullah Zazi, accused of buying beauty supplies to make bombs for an attack on New York City subways, pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction. (Zazi faced up to life in prison but spent nearly a decade after his arrest helping the U.S. identify and prosecute terrorists; he was given a 10-year sentence followed by supervised release.)

In 2016, the City Council of Charlotte, North Carolina, voted 7-4 to pass a new law allowing transgender people to choose public bathrooms that corresponded to their gender identity.

In 2017, the Trump administration lifted federal guidelines that said transgender students should be allowed to use public school bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity.

In 2020, Bernie Sanders scored a resounding win in Nevada's presidential caucuses, cementing his status as the Democrats' front-runner.

In 2021, the number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 topped 500,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Today's birthdays: Actor Paul Dooley is 96. Actor James Hong is 95. Actor John Ashton is 76. Actor Miou-Miou is 74. Actor Julie Walters is 74. Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving is 74. Actor Ellen Greene is 73. Former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is 72. Former White House adviser David Axelrod is 69. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 65. World Golf Hall of Famer Vijay Singh is 61. Actor-comedian Rachel Dratch is 58. Actor Paul Lieberstein is 57. Actor Jeri Ryan is 56. Actor Thomas Jane is 55. TV host Clinton Kelly is 55. Actor Tamara Mello is 54. Actor-singer Lea Salonga is 53. Actor Jose Solano is 53. International Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang is 52. Rock musician Scott Phillips is 51. Singer James Blunt is 50. Actor Drew Barrymore is 49. Actor Liza Huber is 49. Rock singer Tom Higgenson (Plain White T's) is 45. Rock musician Joe Hottinger (Halestorm) is 42. Actor Zach Roerig is 39.