On This Day February 19th

 OTD

February 19th is the Fiftieth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 315 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.

356 – Constantias II's anti-paganism policy forbade the worship of pagan idols in the Roman Empire.

1600 – The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America.

1807 – Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama, and confined to Fort Stoddert.

1846 – The newly formed Texas state government is officially installed in Austin, Texas. The Republic of Texas government officially transferred power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States.

1847 – The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.

1878 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

1949 – the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University awarded Ezra Pound the Bollingen Prize in poetry.

1976 – Executive Order 9066, which led to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, is rescinded by President Gerald Ford's Proclamation 4417

1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first recipient of an artificial heart to leave the hospital.

2011 – The debut exhibition of the Belitung shipwreck, containing the largest collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found in one location, begins in Singapore.

 

Birthdays

1473 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543)

1526 – Carolus Clusius, Flemish botanist and academic (d. 1609)

1804 – Carl von Rokitansky, German physician, pathologist, and philosopher (d. 1878)

1838 – Lydia Thompson, British burlesque performer (d. 1908)

1876 – Constantin Brâncuși, Romanian-French sculptor, painter, and photographer (d. 1957)

1924 – Lee Marvin, American actor (d. 1987)

1940 – Smokey Robinson, American singer-songwriter and producer

1948 – Tony Iommi, English guitarist and songwriter

1952 – Amy Tan, American novelist, essayist, and short story writer

1957 – Dave Stewart, American baseball player, coach, and executive

2004 – Millie Bobby Brown, English actress, model and producer[40]

 

Holiday Spotlight

Before Iwo Jima became known as a famous battle where many soldiers lost their lives, it was merely known as one of the Japanese Volcano Islands. However, on this island, the Battle of Iwo Jima occurred between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan. The battle occurred because the island had three airfields that could provide the U.S. Marines with a strategic spot for other battles. On February 19, 1945, the American forces invaded the island and continued to fight the strong Japanese Army for five weeks.

During the battle, almost 7,000 U.S. Marines lost their lives. While the U.S. Marines were sure they would win, it took many days to defeat the Japanese because their army had adopted a new defense tactic. They used the mountainous landscape and jungles to set up hidden artillery positions, creating hundreds of hurdles for the U.S. Marines. To top it off, the island's beach consisted of steep dunes of soft volcanic ash. Due to the sand, making a passageway for the battlefield vehicles became tricky.

Even with this slight hurdle that affected the timeline, the Americans were calm because they had already launched a pre-attack on the Japanese. Most importantly, when the Americans landed, they faced no rebuttal from the Japanese. This made them believe that the enemy forces had already accepted defeat. Little did they know that the lack of immediate response was part of General Kuribayashi’s plan. The battle of Iwo Jima is now known as one of the bloodiest events of World War II.

 

Others Include.

Best Friends Day (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Coast Guard Reserves Birthday

Daisy Gatson Bates Day

International Tug-of-War Day

Iwo Jima Day

National Chocolate Mint Day

National Lashes Day

President's Day

Prevent Plagiarism Day

Vet Girls Rock Day

Washington's Birthday - February 19, 2024 (Third Monday in February). Some State and Local Governments refer to this day as President's Day. His Actual Birthday is on February 22

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