Today is Friday, February 15th, the 46th day of the year.There are 319 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to abolish slavery.
In 1898, 260 crew members were killed when the United States battleship Maine exploded in a harbor in Havana, Cuba.The unexplained blast increased tensions between the U.S. and Spain and eventually led to the Spanish-American War.The event spawned the cry "Remember The Maine."
In 1965, Canada displayed its new red and white Maple Leaf flag.It replaced the old Union Jack.
In 1965, singer Nat "King" Cole died at the age of 45.
In 1973, actor Wally Cox died at the age of 48.He is best remembered for his role as "Mr. Peepers."
In 1984, actress Ethel Merman died at the age of 75.
In 1996, actor McLean Stevenson died at the age of 66.He is best remembered for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake on "M*A*S*H."
In 2005, the video-sharing website YouTube, was launched.
In 2006, four days after accidentally shooting his friend, high profile Texas attorney Harry Whittington, during a quail hunt, Vice President Dick Cheney finally spoke out about the incident with Fox News.Cheney described the incident as, quote, "one of the worst days of my life."The 78-year-old Whittington was hospitalized and treated for a minor heart attack that was triggered by the shooting.
In 2013, more than one thousand people were injured in Russia after a meteor blast.Astronomers say the meteor probably weighed ten tons and entered the Earth's atmosphere at a shallow angle before exploding roughly 25 miles above ground.
In 2016, Taylor Swift's "1989" picked up the Grammy for Album of the Year, while Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" won for Song of the Year."Uptown Funk" won for Record of the Year.LL Cool J hosted the awards ceremony for the fifth year in a row.