Saturday, February 28, 1998
Today's events
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Clint Eastwood is the guest of
honor at the Cesars, the French equivalent of the Academy
Awards in Paris.
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On the horizon
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On Sunday, March 1, Black Church Week of Prayer for the
Healing of AIDS begins in the United States.
On Monday, March 2, a court appearance is scheduled for
Michael Carneal, the 14-year-old charged with the December 1,
1997, shootings at his high school in Paducah, Kentucky.
On Tuesday, March 3, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee meets to
discuss the nominations -- this year a record 130 -- for the
1998 prize.
On Wednesday, March 4, there is a tentatively scheduled House
floor vote on admitting Puerto Rico as the 51st U.S. state.
On Thursday, March 5, the VII Paralympic Winter Games open in Nagano, Japan.
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On this day
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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 1854, opponents of slavery in the United States met at Ripon, Wisconsin, and agreed to form a new political party; the Republican Party was born later in the year.
In 1900, in the Boer War, Ladysmith was relieved by Gen. Redvers Buller.
In 1916, Henry James, American novelist, died in England.
In 1921, Russia and Afghanistan signed a treaty of friendship
providing political and financial aid for the Afghans.
In 1921, the Kronstadt Rebellion began in Russia when sailors
of the Baltic Fleet and workers at Kronstadt naval base rose up against the Communist government.
In 1922, Britain formally declared Egypt's independence,
although it still retained 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"; the party later evolved into the
British Union of Fascists.
In 1933, a day after the Reichstag burned down, Adolf Hitler
persuaded President Hindenburg to sign a decree suspending
guarantees of personal liberty, freedom of speech and the press and the right of assembly.
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 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 1967, Henry Luce, American publisher, died. He was a
co-founder of Time magazine and also founded Life and Fortune.
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
Labour 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 1976, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and
Thailand signed a treaty of Friendship and co-operation.
In 1983, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" was aired on CBS.
In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated by a gunman in central Stockholm.
In 1991, after 42 days of the Gulf War, U.S.-led forces ceased fire at 8 a.m. Kuwait time and Iraq told its army to stop fighting.
In 1993, the seige at Waco, Texas, began after federal aqents
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.
In 1996, Russia was admitted as the 39th member of the Council of Europe.
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Newslink
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Nothing brightens dreary winter days like the emergence of daffodils. The American Daffodil Society has all you need to know about the yellow harbingers of spring.
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Holidays and more
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Today is Heritage Day in Canada.
Auto racer Mario Andretti is 58.
Actor Charles Durning ("Evening Shade") is 75.
Actor Robert Sean Leonard ("Dead Poets Society") is 29.
Singer and actress Bernadette Peters is 54.
Actor Alex Rocco ("The Godfather") is 62.
Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. ("Earth 2") is 26.
Performer Tommy Tune is 59.
Actor John Turturro ("Quiz Show") is 41.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1998, J.P. Morgan
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