February 29
1504 - Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica during his fourth voyage to the West, used a correctly predicted lunar eclipse to frighten hostile natives into providing food for his crew.
1692 - Three women -- Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne and Tituba -- were the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
1796 - President George Washington proclaimed Jay's Treaty in effect, which settled some outstanding differences with Britain.
1892 - The United States and Britain agreed to submit to arbitration their dispute over seal-hunting rights in the Bering Sea. (A commission later ruled in favor of Britain.)
1936 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a second Neutrality Act as he appealed to American businesses not to increase exports to belligerents.
1940 - Hattie McDaniel became the first Black woman to win an Oscar, winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as "Mammy" in "Gone With the Wind."
1944 - Gen. Douglas MacArthur led the invasion of the Admiralty Islands during World War II.
1956 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced he would seek a second term of office.
1960 - The first Playboy Club, featuring waitresses clad in "bunny" outfits, was opened in Chicago by Hugh Hefner.
1968 - Robert McNamara resigned as Secretary of Defense in the wake of the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War.
1984 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced he was stepping down after more than 15 combined years in power.
1996 - Daniel Green was convicted in Lumberton, North Carolina, of murdering James R. Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan, during a 1993 roadside holdup. (Green and an accomplice, Larry Martin Demery, were sentenced to life in prison.)
2012 - Davy Jones the heartthrob singer who helped propel the made-for-TV rock band The Monkees to the top of the pop charts, died in Stuart, Florida at age 66.
2016 - Justice Clarence Thomas broke 10 years of courtroom silence and posed questions during a Supreme Court oral argument dealing with gun rights, provoking gasps from the audience.
Birthdays
32 - Jessie Usher (actor)
32 - Caitlin EJ Meyer (actress)
36 - Lena Gercke (model)
40 - Cam Ward (hockey player)
40 - Mark Foster (singer)
40 - Rakhee Thakrar (actress)
44 - Peter Scanavino (actor)
48 - Ja Rule (rapper)
52 - Antonio Sabato Jr. (actor)
56 - Wendi Peters (actress)
64 - Tony Robbins (motivational speaker)
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Today in Sports History - January 29
1972 - Hank Aaron became the first player in MLB history to sign a contract worth $200,000 per year.
1980 - Gordie Howe (Hartford Whalers) became the first NHL player to score 800 goals. It was his 1,000th regular season game.
1992 - Ray Bourque scored his 1,000th career point. He was only the third NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points.
1996 - The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 18 3-pointers in a game. They also set a record with 12 3-pointers in a half.
1504 - Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica during his fourth voyage to the West, used a correctly predicted lunar eclipse to frighten hostile natives into providing food for his crew.
1692 - Three women -- Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne and Tituba -- were the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
1796 - President George Washington proclaimed Jay's Treaty in effect, which settled some outstanding differences with Britain.
1892 - The United States and Britain agreed to submit to arbitration their dispute over seal-hunting rights in the Bering Sea. (A commission later ruled in favor of Britain.)
1936 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a second Neutrality Act as he appealed to American businesses not to increase exports to belligerents.
1940 - Hattie McDaniel became the first Black woman to win an Oscar, winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as "Mammy" in "Gone With the Wind."
1944 - Gen. Douglas MacArthur led the invasion of the Admiralty Islands during World War II.
1956 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced he would seek a second term of office.
1960 - The first Playboy Club, featuring waitresses clad in "bunny" outfits, was opened in Chicago by Hugh Hefner.
1968 - Robert McNamara resigned as Secretary of Defense in the wake of the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War.
1984 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced he was stepping down after more than 15 combined years in power.
1996 - Daniel Green was convicted in Lumberton, North Carolina, of murdering James R. Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan, during a 1993 roadside holdup. (Green and an accomplice, Larry Martin Demery, were sentenced to life in prison.)
2012 - Davy Jones the heartthrob singer who helped propel the made-for-TV rock band The Monkees to the top of the pop charts, died in Stuart, Florida at age 66.
2016 - Justice Clarence Thomas broke 10 years of courtroom silence and posed questions during a Supreme Court oral argument dealing with gun rights, provoking gasps from the audience.
Birthdays
32 - Jessie Usher (actor)
32 - Caitlin EJ Meyer (actress)
36 - Lena Gercke (model)
40 - Cam Ward (hockey player)
40 - Mark Foster (singer)
40 - Rakhee Thakrar (actress)
44 - Peter Scanavino (actor)
48 - Ja Rule (rapper)
52 - Antonio Sabato Jr. (actor)
56 - Wendi Peters (actress)
64 - Tony Robbins (motivational speaker)
==================================
Today in Sports History - January 29
1972 - Hank Aaron became the first player in MLB history to sign a contract worth $200,000 per year.
1980 - Gordie Howe (Hartford Whalers) became the first NHL player to score 800 goals. It was his 1,000th regular season game.
1992 - Ray Bourque scored his 1,000th career point. He was only the third NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points.
1996 - The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 18 3-pointers in a game. They also set a record with 12 3-pointers in a half.