On This Day in History - February 5th - Almanac

Today is Monday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2018 with 329 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Saturn. Evening stars are Neptune, Uranus and Venus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include former British Prime Minister Robert Peel, founder of the London Police Force, in 1788; Scotsman John Dunlop, inventor of the pneumatic tire, in 1840; French automotive pioneer Andre Citroen in 1878; U.S. statesman Adlai E. Stevenson in 1900; actor John Carradine in 1906; novelist William Burroughs in 1914; comedian/actor Red Buttons in 1919; baseball Hall of Fame member Henry "Hank" Aaron in 1934 (age 84); hockey commentator Don Cherry in 1934 (age 84); financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn in 1939 (age 79); television writer and producer Stephen J. Cannell in 1941; Heisman Trophy winner and football Hall of Fame member Roger Staubach in 1942 (age 76); film director Michael Mann in 1943 (age 75); musician Al Kooper in 1944 (age 74); race car driver Darrell Waltrip in 1947 (age 71); writer/comedian Christopher Guest in 1948 (age 70); actor Barbara Hershey in 1948 (age 70); actor Tom Wilkinson in 1948 (age 70); actor Tim Meadows in 1961 (age 57); actor Jennifer Jason Leigh in 1962 (age 56); actor Laura Linney in 1964 (age 54); golf Hall of Fame member Jose Maria Olazabal in 1966 (age 52); singer Bobby Brown in 1969 (age 49); actor Michael Sheen in 1969 (age 49); country music singer Sara Evans in 1971 (age 47); Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo in 1985 (age 33); actor Darren Criss in 1987 (age 31); Brazilian soccer star Neymar in 1992 (age 26); Trayvon Martin, unarmed teen fatally shot by a neighbor who was acquitted after claiming self defense, in 1995.

On this date in history:

In 1631, British clergyman Roger Williams, who founded the colony of Rhode Island, arrived in Salem, Mass., seeking religious freedom.

In 1918, a German U-boat torpedoed the SS Tuscania, sinking the liner as it transported thousands of U.S. troops to Europe. More than 200 died, the rest were rescued by other ships in the convoy.

In 1919, screen legends Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists.

In 1945, American troops led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to Manila, liberating the Philippine capital from Japanese authority.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell were on the moon for 4 hours. They were the fifth and sixth astronauts to walk on the moon since Apollo 11 in 1969.

In 1988, a Miami grand jury indicted Panamanian Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega on charges of accepting millions in bribes to help Colombia's notorious Medellin cartel smuggle cocaine into the United States.

In 1989, the last Soviet troops left Kabul, ending a nearly decadelong involvement in a war between Afghanistan's communist government and Muslim rebels. All troops left the country by within weeks of the vacating the capital.

In 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of the 1963 killing of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

In 2003, making a case for U.N.-endorsed military action in Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell accused the Saddam Hussein regime of deceiving U.N. weapons inspectors and having ties with the al-Qaida terrorist network.

In 2007, U.S. astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak, a naval officer, was arrested on several charges, including attempted kidnapping, after she drove from Houston to Orlando, Fla., to confront another officer she viewed as a romantic rival for a fellow astronaut. Nowak eventually pleaded guilty to lesser charges, avoided prison and was forced to leave the Navy.

In 2010, the president of Toyota Motor Corp., Akio Toyoda, apologized for quality-control problems, including sticking gas pedals, that led to massive vehicle recalls.

In 2012, Sauli Niinisto scored a resounding victory over Pekka Haavisto to become Finland's 12th president.

In 2017, the New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 to win Super Bowl LI in Houston.

A thought for the day: "You can talk without saying a thing. I don't ever want to be that type of person." -- Charles Barkley