Today is Monday, February 11th, the 42nd day of the year.There are 323 days until the end of the year.
On This Day:
In 1752, the first American hospital opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1777, Vermont abolished slavery.
In 1790, the Religious Society of Friends presented a petition to Congress calling for the abolition of slavery.
In 1809, Robert Fulton patented the steamboat.
In 1892, Colorado's famous Pike's Peak was set aside as a forest reserve.
In 1968, the new 20-thousand seat Madison Square Garden officially opened in New York City. It was the fourth arena to be named Madison Square Garden.The showplace for sports and entertainment opened with a gala show hosted by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
In 1974, America's motorists suffered through the worst day of the energy crisis.Many gas stations were closed and the others often limited purchases to $3.00 per car.Some reported customer lines up to six miles long.
In 1999, a federal jury in New York found several gun makers responsible in three area shootings for letting guns fall into the hands of criminals; other manufacturers were cleared.
In 2006, adventurer Steve Fossett broke the world record for the longest continuous flight.Fossett spent almost 77 straight hours flying in the specially-designed Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer before making an emergency landing at Bournemouth Airport in England.The 61-year-old Fossett traveled 26-thousand-389 miles.
In 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a 78-year-old man while hunting for quail on a ranch in Texas.Cheney's hunting companion, Harry Whittington, owned the ranch where the weekend hunt took place.
In 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down from power after a three-decade rule.Mubarak's decision to step down followed days of protests that began on January 25th, 2011.
In 2012, music superstar Whitney Houston was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.The six-time Grammy winner and actress died unexpectedly, just one day before the Grammy Awards.She was 48.It was later determined that Houston had accidentally drowned due to the effects of chronic cocaine use and heart disease.
In 2013, Pope Benedict the 16th announced his plans to resign his papacy at the end of the month citing health concerns.In doing so the 85-year-old Pontiff became the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years.