Friday, February 28, 1997
Today's Events
The Annual Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be held in Alpine, Texas.
Deadline for U.S. government to announce whether Colombia should remain on a virtual blacklist of countries "decertified" for their failure to cooperate fully in anti-drug fight.
Leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend a summit
in Lmaty called to discuss the plight of the Aral Sea.
The first of three stages of implementation is scheduled for the Federal Drug Administration's new smoking regulations. All cigarette vendors must ID anyone purchasing cigarettes who looks to be under the age of 27 unless that person is located in an "adult environment."
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On the horizon
On Saturday, March 1, South African President Nelson Mandela
visits the Philippines.
On Sunday, March 2, Irish President Mary Robinson arrives in
Kigali, Rwanda, where she will address a pan-African conference on peace, gender and development.
On Monday, March 3, Russian President Boris Yeltsin meets with European Union leaders to discuss mutual relations and security issues.
On Tuesday, March 4, German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel begins a visit to the Middle East that includes Jordan, Israel and regions governed by the Palestinian Authority.
On Wednesday, March 5, the first meeting of a nine-member international historians' panel named by the Swiss
government in December to investigate neutral Switzerland's
financial role in World War II, including the flow of Nazi loot and Jewish assets into Swiss banks.
On Thursday, March 6, Russian President Boris Yeltsin is due to address both houses of the Russian parliament.
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On this day
In 1784, John Wesley signed the "deed of declaration,"
formalizing the establishment of the Wesleyan faith, or
Methodists.
In 1825, a treaty was signed between Britain and Russia,
settling the border between Canada and Alaska, then a Russia
possession.
In 1844, on the Potomac River, the U.S. navy was demonstrating its new frigate Princeton when one of its guns exploded, killing the secretary of state, Navy secretary and other government officials.
In 1921, Russia and Afghanistan signed a treaty of friendship
providing political and financial aid for the Afghans.
In 1922, Britain formally declared Egypt's independence,
although still retaining control of the Suez Canal and the
country's defense.
In 1931, in Britain, Sir Oswald Mosley formed the New Party,
which he said was dedicated to turning parliament "from a
talk-shop into a workshop."
In 1941, Alfonso XIII, ex-king of Spain, died in exile. After
elections in 1931 which voted in the republicans, Alfonso
refused to abdicate and was forced to leave Spain.
In 1942, on the second day of the Battle of Java Sea, two more
Allied ships were sunk by the Japanese.
In 1943, nine Norwegian commandos sabotaged German heavy water installations near Ryukan in Norway.
In 1948, the last British troops left India.
In 1952, Vincent Massey took office as governor-general of
Canada, the first Canadian to hold the office.
In 1971, the male voters of Liechtenstein defeated a referendum
on giving women the vote.
In 1974, a general election in Britain produced a minority
Labor government under Harold Wilson.
In 1975, in the worst underground train crash in Britain, 42
people died when a train crashed into the buffers at Moorgate
station, London.
In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme was assassinated by a gunman in central Stockholm.
In 1991, after 42 days of the Gulf War, U.S. and allied forces ceased fire at 8 a.m. Kuwait time, and Iraq told its army to stop fighting.
In 1993, the siege at Waco, Texas, began after the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh.
In 1994, NATO jets shot down four warplanes violating Bosnia's no-fly zone.
In 1994, Moldova's main independence party claimed a clear
victory in the country's first post-Soviet parliamentary
elections.
In 1996, Calling it the saddest day of her life, Britain's
Princess Diana agreed to divorce her estranged husband, Prince
Charles.
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Newslink
It's finally here! And it means spring is not too far behind. Baseball's first exhibition games began yesterday. There's more exciting action to come. Click here to learn more.
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Holidays and more
Auto racer Mario Andretti is 57.
Actor Charles Durning is 74.
Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 28.
Actor Gavin Macleod is 66.
Singer/actress Bernadette Peters is 53.
Actor/singer Tommy Tune is 58.
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Sources: Reuters,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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