Blog Archives

Feb 29, 1932: “Alfalfa” Murray on Cover of Time

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — 1 Comment

One of the most colorful western politicians of his day, William “Alfalfa” Murray makes the cover of Time magazine after announcing his long-shot candidacy for the Presidency. Born in poverty near Toadsuck, Texas, in 1869, Murray dabbled in a variety…

Feb 29, 1972: Hank Aaron Record-Breaking Deal

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

On February 29, 1972, Hank Aaron signs a three-year deal with the Atlanta Braves that pays him $200,000 per year, making him the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball at the time. Two years later, Aaron became baseball’s home run…

Feb 29, 1980: Buddy Holly’s Glasses, Lost Since His Death in 1959, are Found in Mason City, Iowa

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

When the Beechcraft Bonanza carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed outside Clear Lake, Iowa, in the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, it struck the ground with such force that all three passengers were killed…

Tagged with: 1980, Beechcraft Bonanza, Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Clear Lake Iowa, Day the Music Died, February, February 29, Ivy League, Lubbock Texas, Ritchie Valens, This Day in History, This Day In History
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 29, 2004: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Wins 11 Oscars

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

Perhaps the most attention-grabbing, trailblazing performer in film in 2003 did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor–but he was honored nonetheless. The eerily lifelike quality of Gollum, the computer-generated (CG) creature who simpered and schemed his way…

Feb 29, 1996: A Pregnant Teenager is Shot While Riding the Bus to School

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

After boarding a school bus on the morning of February 29, Malik Nettles shoots the bus driver and then fires five bullets into 15-year-old Kyunia Taylor, a freshman from Beaumont High School in St. Louis, Missouri. Taylor was later pronounced…

Tagged with: 1996, Bus, Crime and Justice, February, February 29, Individual Stories, Injustice, Missouri Department of Corrections, Murder, School bus, This Day in History, This Day In History, United States
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 29, 1940: McDaniel Wins Oscar

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

On February 29, 1940, Gone with the Wind is honored with eight Oscars by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. An epic Southern romance set during the hard times of the Civil War, the movie swept the…

Tagged with: 1940, Academy Award, Actor, Beulah, February, February 29, Great Depression, Halle Berry, Hattie McDaniel, This Day in History, This Day In History, United States, Victor Fleming
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 28, 1983: Final Episode of MAS*H Airs

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

On this day in 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a single TV…

Tagged with: 1983, Alan Alda, CBS, February, February 28, Hawkeye Pierce, McLean Stevenson, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, Robert Altman, Television, Television program, This Day in History, This Day In History
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 28, 1993: Federal Agents Raid the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raid the Branch Davidian cult compound in Waco, Texas, prompting a gun battle in which four agents and six cult members are killed. The federal agents were attempting to arrest the…

Tagged with: 1993, Branch Davidian, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Cult, David Koresh, February, February 27, George Roden, Lois Roden, Sect, This Day in History, This Day In History, Waco Siege
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 28, 1953: Watson and Crick Discover Chemical Structure of DNA

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Action for Freedom — 1 Comment

On this day in 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes. Though DNA–short for deoxyribonucleic acid–was discovered in 1869, its crucial…

Tagged with: 1953, Cambridge University, DNA, February, February 28, Francis Crick, James D. Watson, Linus Pauling, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, This Day in History, This Day In History, Watson-Crick
Posted in Uncategorized

Feb 28, 1844: Tyler Narrowly Escapes Death on the USS Princeton

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

On this day in 1844, President John Tyler cruises the Potomac with 400 others aboard the U.S. Navy’s new steam frigate USS Princeton, not realizing that his life will soon be in danger. In attendance that day were political dignitaries…