On This Day in History - February 19th - Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2025 with 315 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Pisces. They include astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in 1473; artist Constantin Brancusi in 1876; actor Merle Oberon in 1911; writer Carson McCullers in 1917; actor Lee Marvin in 1924; filmmaker John Frankenheimer in 1930; musician Smokey Robinson (Miracles) in 1940 (age 85); musician Lou Christie in 1943 (age 82); musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) in 1948 (age 77); writer Amy Tan in 1952 (age 73); actor Jeff Daniels in 1955 (age 70); actor Leslie David Baker in 1958 (age 67); NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in 1959 (age 66); Britain's Prince Andrew in 1960 (age 65); musician Seal in 1963 (age 62); musician Jon Fishman (Phish) in 1965 (age 60); actor Justine Bateman in 1966 (age 59); actor Benicio Del Toro in 1967 (age 58); actor Bellamy Young in 1970 (age 55); writer Jeff Kinney in 1971 (age 54); actor Eric Lange in 1973 (age 52); musician Daniel Adair (Nickelback/3 Doors Down) in 1975 (age 50); actor/musician Haylie Duff in 1985 (age 40); actor Arielle Kebbel in 1985 (age 40); actor Sam Reid in 1987 (age 38); actor Victoria Justice in 1993 (age 32); tennis player Katharina Gerlach in 1998 (age 27); musician Chappell Roan in 1998 (age 27); musician Jungwoo (NCT) in 1998 (age 27); actor David Mazouz in 2001 (age 24); actor Millie Bobby Brown in 2004 (age 21).

On this date in history:

In 1878, Thomas Edison patented the first gramophone. Edison, who also invented the incandescent light bulb and motion picture camera, died in 1931.

In 1922, vaudeville star Ed Wynn became the first big name in show business to sign for a regular radio show.

In 1942, as a security measure during World War II, the U.S. government began relocating Japanese-Americans living in coastal Pacific areas to internment camps in remote areas of several states. They were allowed to return to their homes in January 1945.

In 1945, U.S. Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima, opening one of the major battles in the Pacific during World War II.

In 1981, the United States blamed insurgency in El Salvador on communist powers arming leftist guerrillas.

In 1986, the Soviet Union launched the Mir space station. It was occupied for 10 of its 15 years in orbit.

In 1997, China's "paramount leader" Deng Xiaoping died at age 92.

In 2003, all 275 people aboard an Iranian military transport plane were killed when it crashed in a mountainous region of southeastern Iran.

In 2005, U.S. Roman Catholic officials said they received 1,092 charges of clergy sex abuse, most involving boys.

In 2008, Cuban President Fidel Castro, 81, who temporarily handed power to his brother, Raul, in July 2006, because of illness, stepped down permanently after 49 years in power. Raul, 76, then formally succeeded him.

In 2020, a gunman opened fire at multiple locations, including two bars, in Hanau, Germany, killing 10 people, then himself. Authorities said the perpetrator was a far-right extremist who targeted hookah bars frequented by Turkish-Kurdish customers.

In 2023, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 in double overtime after a slew of late wrecks that pushed the race to a record 212 laps in Daytona, Fla. Former NBA player Brad Daugherty became the first Black owner to win the Daytona 500 and part-owner Jodi Geschickter became the first woman.

A thought for the day: "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light." -- American disability activist Helen Keller