This Day in History

By The Standard Staff - 02/20/2007

Today Tuesday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2007. There are 314 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight: In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, flying aboard Friendship VII.

On this date: In 1790, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II died.

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.

In 1839, Congress prohib-ited dueling in the District of Columbia.

Birthdays Fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt is 83. Actor Sidney Poitier is 80. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito is 65. Rock musician J. Geils is 61. Actor Peter Strauss is 60. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is 53. Country singer Leland Martin is 50. Rock musician Sebastian Steinberg is 48. Basketball player Charles Barkley is 44. Model Cindy Crawford is 41. Actress Lili Taylor is 40. Singer Rihanna is 19.

Worth repeating ...

‘‘The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.’’

— Frederick Douglass (c.1817-1895)