Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

February 29

1968
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band wins a Best Album Grammy.

1944
First woman secretary of a national political party: Dorothy McElroy Vredenburgh is appointed secretary of the Democratic National Committee.

1940
First black actress to win an Oscar: Hattie McDaniel wins for her supporting role in Gone With The Wind.

1796
First U.S. extradition treaty with a foreign country: The Jay Treaty - signed with Great Britain in 1794 - is proclaimed law.

1704
Deerfield Massacre: French and Indians attack the garrison in Deerfield Massachusetts to recover a stolen bell. Forty-seven people were killed and 120 were taken prisoner.

1692
Salem Witch Trials: Ten young girls accuse Sarah Good and a female slave of bewitching them. In the following months 20 people would be executed for witchcraft. (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

1504
Columbus frightens the Indians by making the moon go out, he knew there would be a lunar eclipse that night.

1940
Gretchen Christopher, American singer, with the high school group The Fleetwoods. Music: Come Softly to Me (1959, #1) and Mr. Blue (1959, #1).

1920     d. 1991
Howard Nemerov, American Pulitzer-winning poet, third U.S. poet laureate.

1904     d. 1957
Jimmy Dorsey, American bandleader of the Big Band Era, brother of Tommy.

1900     d. 1993
Jean Negulesco, Rumanian film director. Film: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and Three Coins in a Fountain (1954).

1896     d. 1975
William Augustus Wellman, American film director, Wings (1927, winner of the first Best Picture Oscar), Public Enemy (1931), and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).

1840     d. 1914
John Philip Holland, Irish-born American inventor. He designed and built the first modern-style submarine (1881) and the first practical submarine (1898).

1792     d. 1868
Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, Italian operatic composer. Opera: The Barber of Seville (1816) and William Tell (1829).

1736     d. 1784
Ann Lee, English mystic, religious leader, founded Shakerism in America (1774).

1692     d. 1763
John Byrom, English poet. Writings: Three Black Crows and Fig and Sutton. He invented and published (1767) a system of shorthand titled The Universal English Shorthand.

1964     b. 1909
Frank Albertson, American actor. Film: It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Sam Wainwright), and Bye Bye Birdie (1963, Sam the Mayor).

1960     b. 1903
Melvin Purvis, American FBI agent, was the FBI agent in charge during the killings of John Dillinger and "Pretty Boy" Floyd.

1868     b. 1786
Louis I, King of Bavaria (1825-48), he made dancer Lola Montez a countess and gave her authority over state affairs. This led to the revolution (1848) which forced his resignation.

468     b. ????
Saint Hilary, religious leader, 46th Pope (461-468).

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