This Day in History

Today is Monday, February 18th, the 49th day of the year.There are 316 days until the end of the year.

On this day:

In 1564, painter, sculptor and architect Michelangelo died in Rome at the age of 88.

In 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the United States for the first time.

In 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.Originally classified as the ninth planet from the Sun, Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet," or minor planet, in 2006.

In 1967, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer died at the age of 62.As head of the Manhattan Project, he played a major role in the development of the atomic bomb.

In 1970, five of the Chicago Seven defendants were found guilty of crossing state lines to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic national convention, but all were acquitted of conspiracy charges.

In 1974, the New York heavy metal group Kiss released its self-titled debut album.

In 1998, legendary Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray died at the age of 77.

In 2001, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt died at the age of 49.Earnhardt was killed after his race car crashed in the last lap of the Daytona 500.

In 2001, veteran FBI agent Robert Philip Hanssen was arrested, accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years.

In 2003, country music star Johnny Paycheck died at the age of 64.

In 2006, five months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, traditional Mardi Gras celebrations began again in the Big Easy.Parade routes were shortened for the 150th celebration of the legendary party and organizers were urged to clean up as they go to help cut down on overtime for police and sanitation crews.

In 2010, President Obama met with spiritual leader the Dalai Lama despite opposition from China.

In 2016, reality TV star Angela "Big Ang" Raiola [[ rye-OH-la ]]passed away.The 55-year old star of the VH-1 series "Mob Wives" lost her battle to cancer.

In 2017, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, the man convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in 1993, died.


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