On This Day February 15

2003
Iraq War: Millions of people in 800 cities around the world protest the upcoming war. This was listed in Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest protest.

1993
First woman to pitch in an NCAA or NCIA college baseball game: Freshman Ila Borders pitches the entire game for Southern California College in their 12-1 victory over Claremont-Mudd.

1946
Computers: ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first general-purpose stored program electronic digital computer, is dedicated at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering in Pennsylvania. It could calculate 1,000 times faster than anything previous. It required 18,000 vacuum tubes and 130,000 watts of power.

1898
Spanish-American War: U.S. battleship Maine explodes in the Havana, Cuba harbor killing 260 men. Although the cause of the explosion has never been verified, it was blamed on the Spanish, and with the rallying cry "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain" and led the U.S. into war.

1856
First camels imported to the U.S. for commercial purposes: American naval officer David Dixon Porter leaves Turkey with a shipload of camels. They were unloaded in Texas the following May. (Source: Famous First Facts)

1848
Abraham Lincoln on Preemptive War: Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so, whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose-and you allow him to make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to his power in this respect, after you have given him so much as you propose. If, today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada, to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, "I see no probability of the British invading us" but he will say to you “be silent; I see it, if you don't." The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making power to Congress, was dictated, as I understand it, by the following reasons. Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object. This, our Convention understood to be the most oppressive of all Kingly oppressions; and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us. (see full letter)

1964 d. 1997
Chris Farley, American actor, comedian. TV: Saturday Night Live. Film: Tommy Boy (1995), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and Almost Heroes (1998).

1954
Mat Groening, American cartoonist, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama.

1951
Melissa Manchester, American singer. Music: You Should Hear How She Talks About You (1982).

1951
Jane Seymour (Joyce Frankenberg), British actress. TV: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman (title role).

1935 d. 1967
Roger B. Chaffee, American astronaut, died with two other astronauts when Apollo 1 caught fire on the launch pad during a simulation.

1931
Claire Bloom, English actress. Film: Chaplin's Limelight (1952, Terry) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989).

1927
Harvey Korman, American Emmy-winning comedian. TV: The Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family (Ed Higgins).

1914
Kevin McCarthy, American actor. Film: Death of a Salesman (1951, Biff) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and the 1978 remake). TV: The Survivors (Philip Hastings).

1907 d. 1994
Cesar Romero, American actor. TV: Batman (the Joker) and Falcon Crest (Peter Stavros).

1905 d. 1986
Harold Arlen (Hyman Arluck), American Oscar-winning composer. Music: Stormy Weather (1943), It's Only a Paper Moon (1932), That Old Black Magic (1942), and Over the Rainbow (1939, Oscar).

1809 d. 1884
Cyrus Hall McCormick, American inventor. He invented the modern style reaper (1831), which was largely responsible for the U.S. agricultural revolution. His company became International Harvester in 1902.

1803 d. 1880
John Augustus Sutter, German-born American explorer, trader. He was prosperous until gold was discovered on his mill (1848) - the incoming prospectors stole his land and his workers quit to seek their own fortunes.

1797 d. 1896
Henry Engelhard Steinway, German piano maker, founder of Steinway and Sons (1853).

1782 d. 1849
William Miller, American religious leader of the Second Adventists in America. He and his followers believed the world would end on Oct 22, 1844. Many supposedly gave away their earthly possessions in preparation for the event.

1710 d. 1774
Louis XV, King of France (1715-74), became king at the age of 5.

1564 d. 1642
Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist. He built the first complete astronomical telescope, which he used to prove that the Earth revolved around the Sun. He was imprisoned by the Catholic Church for this belief.

1984 b. 1909
Ethel Merman (Ethel Zimmerman), American singer, actress. For three decades she reigned as "The Queen of Broadway."

1973 b. 1924
Wally Cox, American comedian. TV: Mr. Peepers (title role) and Underdog (voice of Underdog: "There's no need to fear-Underdog is here").

1967 b. 1869
Frank James Duryea, American inventor, designed the first successful gas-powered car in the U.S. and won the first U.S. automobile race (1895).

1965 b. 1919
Nat King Cole (Nathaniel Adams Coles), American jazz singer. Music: Unforgettable (1951) and Stardust (1957).

1929 b. 1848
Melville Elijah Stone, American newspaper publisher. He is credited with introducing the odd-pricing strategy. He encouraged his advertisers to subtract a penny from the price - for example, making a $3 item $2.99.

1918 b. 1887
Vernon Castle, English dancer, aviator. He and his wife Irene popularized the Fox-trot dance (c1912). He was also the originator of the Castle-walk, one-step, and turkey-trot.

1905 b. 1827
General Lew Wallace, American politician, author. Writings: Ben Hur (1880), which he wrote while governor of the New Mexico territory.

1820 b. 1727
William Ellery, American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

February 15

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