Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Today in History: February 19

  • 1473 Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus born; heliocentric theory.
  • 1626 Italian physician Francesco Redi born; disproved spontaneous generation of maggots in rotting meat.
  • 1807 Former Vice President Aaron Burr is arrested for treason, in Alabama; acquitted.
  • 1859 Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius born; 1903 Nobel, for his theory of electrolytes.
  • 1942 FDR signs Executive Order 9066 which led to internment camps for Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast; some Italian- and German-Americans were also interned.
  • 1945 30,000 Marines land on Iwo Jima; 20,703 Japanese and 6,825 Marines killed in action; more than a fourth of all Marines WWII Medals of Honor.
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