On This Day in History - February 2nd - Almanac

Today is Friday, Feb. 2, the 33rd day of 2024 with 333 to follow.

This is Groundhog Day in the United States.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include Pope Benedict XIII in 1649; French statesman Charles de Talleyrand in 1754; Irish novelist James Joyce in 1882; Charles Correll, Andy of radio's "Amos and Andy" program, in 1890; National Football League co-founder George Halas in 1895; hotel magnate Howard Johnson in 1897; Lithuanian violinist Jascha Heifetz in 1901; novelist Ayn Rand in 1905; columnist Liz Smith in 1923; musician Stan Getz in 1927; comedian Tom Smothers in 1937; singer Graham Nash in 1942 (age 82); Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in 1946 (age 78); actor Farrah Fawcett in 1947; TV personality Ina Garten in 1948 (age 76); actor Brent Spiner in 1949 (age 75); former South Korean President Park Geun-hye in 1952 (age 72); model Christie Brinkley in 1954 (age 70); actor Michael T. Weiss in 1962 (age 62); singer Eva Cassidy in 1963; singer Shakira in 1977 (age 47); actor Gemma Arterton in 1986 (age 38); actor Tom Blyth in 1995 (age 29); actor Paul Mescal in 1996 (age 28); actor Ellie Bamber in 1997 (age 27).

On this date in history:

In 1848, the war between the United States and Mexico formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It provided for Mexico's cession of the territory that became the states of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Wyoming in exchange for $15 million.

In 1876, the National Baseball League was formed, with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Louisville, Ky., and Hartford, Conn.

In 1887, Groundhog Day was celebrated for the first time in Punxsutawney, Pa.

In 1911, an army of Mexican rebels under Gen. Pascal Orozco attacked the city of Juarez. James R. Garfield, son of the former president, and 100 other Americans were the first to raise the alarm. Garfield had been marooned in Mexico for several days, and evidently has escaped from the scene of engagement just in time.

In 1917, Europe's neutrals looked to the United States for support, and to stand up for them, as fighting continued to rage across the continent.

In 1932, Japanese planes bombed Shanghai's Chapei (Zhabei) District.

In 1936, the first class of inductees for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was announced, including Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner.

In 1943, the Battle of Stalingrad -- what is now known as the city of Volgograd, Russia -- ended when German troops surrendered to the Soviet army more than five months after they invaded.

In 1980, the FBI accused a U.S. senator and seven U.S. representatives of being involved in a bribery scandal -- to become known as Abscam.

In 1993, first lady Hillary Clinton banned smoking in the White House.

In 1996, legendary dancer and actor Gene Kelly, one of the best-loved stars of Hollywood's big musicals who was known for his athletic dance style, died. He was 83.

In 2002, a report requested by the board of directors of the Enron Corp. accused top executives of forcing the company into bankruptcy by, among other things, inflating profits by almost $1 billion.

In 2007, hundreds of scientists taking part in a U.N.-sponsored study concluded in a report that human activity was to blame for climate change, largely through greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels.

In 2012, Prince William was deployed to the British-controlled Falkland Islands off Argentina where critics faulted the royal heir for wearing "the uniform of the conqueror," referring to the brief 1982 war when England repelled an Argentine takeover.

In 2014, Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, 46, was found dead in his New York City apartment. The NYC medical examiner later said Hoffman was killed by a toxic mix of drugs. The death was ruled an accident.

In 2018, all of the nearly 1,000 miners trapped in the Sibanye-Stillwater Beatrix gold mine in South Africa were brought back to the surface after a power outage.

In 2021, the Senate confirmed Pete Buttigieg to be transportation secretary, making history as the first openly gay U.S. Cabinet secretary.

A thought for the day: "A people's art is the genesis of their freedom." -- Trinidadian and Tobagonian British journalist/activist Claudia Jones