Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

February 19

1988
5½-year horseback ride: Two men begin a horseback journey from the southern tip of South America to the Arctic Circle, completing the voyage in September of 1993.

1968
First statewide teachers strike in the U.S., more than half of Florida's public school teacher walk out protesting poor pay and inadequate funding of education.

1949
First Bollingen Prize for Poetry is awarded, Ezra Pound for Pisan Cantos.

1945
World War II - U.S. troops land on Iwo Jima: With more than 7,000 U.S. soldiers killed, it was one of the costliest battles of the war.

1942
World War II: 110,000 Japanese-Americans are ordered by Pres. Roosevelt to relocate in U.S. prison camps. Two-thirds of these people were citizens.

1923
Hindus: The U.S. Supreme Court decides that Hindus are not eligible for U.S. citizenship.

1922
First radio stage show: Ed Wynn stars in The Perfect Fool on WJZ of Newark, New Jersey.

1878
Phonograph: Thomas Edison receives a patent for the first phonograph.

1807
First arrest of a U.S. Vice-President: Former Vice-Pres. Aaron Burr is arrested for treason against the U.S. He had organized an armed militia of about 60 men; the exact purpose of which has never been determined. He was acquitted.

1700
Gregorian calendar is adopted by Denmark and Norway: Today's date became March 1.

1682
Gregorian calendar is adopted by Strassburg, Germany: Today's date became March 1.

1966
Justine Bateman, American actress. TV: Family Ties (Mallory Keaton).

1960
Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

1955
Margaux Hemingway, American actress, model. Film: They Call Me Bruce? (1982). She is the granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway.

1940
Smokey Robinson (William Robinson, Jr.), American singer, with The Miracles. Music: Shop Around (1961) and The Tears of a Clown (1970, #1).

1924     d. 1987
Lee Marvin, American Oscar-winning actor. Film: Cat Ballou (1965, Oscar) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). TV: M Squad (Lt. Frank Ballinger).

1916     d. 1997
Eddie Arcaro, American Hall of Fame jockey. He was the first jockey to win the Triple Crown twice (1941, 1948), and he is a 5-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. (Source: Famous First Facts)

1909     d. 2002
Selden Rodman, American author. He edited One Hundred American Poems (1948), which became the first paperback published by Signet Books.

1902     d. 1986
John Bubbles (John William Sublett), American tap dancer, creator of Rhythm Tap. Known for his role as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess (1935).

1865     d. 1952
Sven Hedin, Swedish explorer, scientist. His explorations (1899-1902) provided the first substantial knowledge of Tibet to the rest of the world.

1817     d. 1890
William III, King of Holland (1849-90). In 1862 he decreed the end of slavery in the Dutch West Indies.

1473     d. 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer, developed the concept of the Sun as the center of the solar system.

1986     b. 1922
Adolfo Celi, Italian actor. Film: Thunderball (1965, one-eyed SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo).

1951     b. 1869
André Gide, French author, winner of Nobel Prize for literature (1947). The Catholic Church placed his works on the Index of Forbidden Books (1952). Quote: The color of truth is gray.