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The almanac

By United Press International
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Today is Saturday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2014 with 333 to follow.

The morning stars are Mars, Saturn and Venus. The evening stars are Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus.

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Those born on the date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include composer Victor Herbert in 1859; Hattie Caraway of Arkansas, first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, in 1878; film director John Ford in 1894; National Hockey League executive Conn Smythe in 1895; actor Clark Gable in 1901; poet Langston Hughes in 1902; humorist S.J. Perelman in 1904; cabaret singer Hildegarde Loretta Sell in 1906; film and special effects director George Pal in 1908; actor Stuart Whitman in 1928 (age 86); former Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1931; singers Don Everly and Ray "Dr. Hook" Sawyer and comedian Garrett Morris, all in 1937 (age 77); actor Sherman Hemsley in 1938; actor/director Terry Jones ("Monty Python's Flying Circus") in 1942 (age 72); journalists Freed Barnes in 1943 (age 71) and Jessica Savitch in 1947; singer Rick James in 1948; actor Billy Mumy in 1954 (age 60); Princess Stephanie of Monaco and actor Sherilyn Fenn, both in 1965 (age 49); singer Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, in 1968 (age 46); and actor Michael C. Hall in 1971 (age 43).

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On this date in history:

In 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court convened in New York City for its first session.

In 1861, Texas seceded from the United States.

In 1865, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

In 1896, Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Boheme" premiered in Turin, Italy.

In 1946, Norwegian Trygve Lie was selected to be the first U.N. secretary-general.

In 1968, the communist Viet Cong began a major offensive in the Vietnam War with a fierce attack on the South Vietnamese city of Hue.

In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini, symbol of the Iranian revolution, returned to his homeland.

In 1991, South African President F.W. De Klerk announced he would seek repeal of key laws on which the apartheid system was based.

In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during its descent over the southwestern United States. All seven astronauts aboard were killed.

In 2004, 251 people were trampled during the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

In 2006, Ben Bernanke became the U.S. Federal Reserve chief, replacing Alan Greenspan, who held the position for 18 years.

In 2009, Iceland swore in its first female prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir.

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In 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, with hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding his departure after a reign of nearly 30 years, announced he wouldn't seek re-election.

In 2012, at least 73 people were killed and 200 hurt in a fight between fans and players at a soccer match in Port Said, Egypt.

In 2013, John Kerry was sworn in as U.S. secretary of state, succeeding Hillary Clinton.


A thought for the day: "To be 70 years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be 40 years old." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

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