Famous February 9ths throughout the ages, via Wikipedia:
474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
1555 - Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake.
1825 - After no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams President of the United States.
1870 - The U.S. Weather Bureau was established.
1895 - William G. Morgan invents volleyball.
1920 - By the terms of the Svalbard Treaty, international diplomacy recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over arctic archipelago Svalbard, and designates it as demilitarized.
1950 - Second Red Scare: Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States State Department of being filled with Communists.
1964 - The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a “record-busting” audience of 73 million viewers.
1965 - Vietnam War: The first United States combat troops are sent to South Vietnam.
1971 - Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to become voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1980- Wicked hot baby born to overjoyed parents in Maryland. Soothsayers foretell of continued hotness in the future, as well as extremely good luck with regard to a marriage in July of 2006. All other babies born on this day in 1980 soil themselves with derision and contempt.
1986 - Comet Halley reaches perihelion, its closest approach to the sun, during its second visit to the solar system in the 20th century
2001 - The American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School.
Happy Birthday also to Zenchick, whose website is now defunct, but certainly not de-funked. I can assure you, Zenchick is fully funk-tional.
Also, there’s a huge-mongous post below this one about music. If you’ve got nothing to do later on today, you know where to come and kill 20 minutes.
