Today is Tuesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2020. There are 310 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Feb. 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.
On this date:
In 1793, President George Washington held the first Cabinet meeting on record at his Mount Vernon home; attending were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.
In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver.
In 1862, Nashville, Tennessee, became the first Confederate state capital to be occupied by the North during the Civil War.
In 1901, United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.
In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser became Egypt’s prime minister after the country’s president, Mohammed Naguib, was effectively ousted in a coup.
In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
In 2007, “The Departed” won best picture at the Academy Awards; its director, Martin Scorsese, won an Oscar on his sixth nomination.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Ann McCrea is 89. Actor Tom Courtenay is 83. Former CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 83. Actress Diane Baker is 82. Actress Karen Grassle is 78. Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 78. Former professional wrestler Ric Flair is 71. Comedian Carrot Top is 55. Actress Veronica Webb is 55. Actor Alexis Denisof is 54. Actress Tea (TAY’-ah) Leoni is 54. Actress Lesley Boone is 52. Actor Sean Astin is 49. Singer Daniel Powter is 49. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Justin Jeffre is 47.
Thought for Today: “Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom.” — Herbert Spencer, British philosopher (1820-1903).
