50 On January 1, 49 Nero's mother Agrippina became the fourth wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Drusus. A year later. on February 25, 50 Nero was officially adopted by Claudius as Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus. Claudius honored his adoptive son in several ways. Nero was proclaimed an adult in 51 at the age of 14. He was appointed proconsul, entered and first addressed the Senate, made joint public appearances with Claudius, and was featured in coinage.
1723 The 90-year-old architect Christopher Wren caught a chill which worsened over the next few days. He died on February 25, 1723 seated in a chair after dinner (taking his afternoon rest) at his house in St James Street, London. A servant who tried to awaken Wren from his nap found that he had passed away. Wren was entombed inside St Paul's. His epitaph engraved by his son Christopher contains the words "Si Monumentum requins circumspice." (If you seek his monument look around).
1836 The American Samuel Colt invented the first production-model revolver, the Colt Paterson. He received a U.S. patent for his repeating firearm containing a revolving cylinder with multiple chambers aligned with a single, stationary barrel on February 25, 1836. Later in 1836, Colt received a parent for the mechanism that led to the widespread use of the revolver pistol, the mechanically indexing cylinder.
1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the “First Legal Tender Act” on February 25, 1862, in an effort to conserve metal for the American Civil War and to generate much-needed funds. The Act authorized issuance of paper money, United States Notes, to finance the war without raising taxes.
1870 Representing Mississippi in the Senate, Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in the United States Congress on February 25, 1870. He completed the term of Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis, who had resigned to become president of the Confederacy.
1873 The tenor singer Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy on February 25, 1873. He was the 18th of 21 children, only three of whom lived beyond infancy. Determined to be a singer, he sang in churches and on street corners to earn money for lessons. When he was called into the army, a high officer was so impressed by Caruso's powerful yet melodic voice that he released him to continue studying. Caruso's 1904 recording of "Vesti la giubba" was the first sound recording to sell a million copies.
1881 Phoenix, Arizona, became a city on February 25, 1881. At that time it had a population of about 2,500 people. It was Englishman Lord Darrell Duppa, one of the original settlers, who suggested the name "Phoenix". He saw the prehistoric ruins of the native Hohokam people, who had lived on the land for two thousand years, and predicted that another civilization would rise from them, like the mythological fire bird which was born again from its own ash after it died.
1919 Oregon placed a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline on February 25, 1919, becoming the first US. state to levy a fuel tax. The tax was initially implemented as a way to raise revenue to fund road construction and maintenance. Other states soon followed Oregon's lead, and by the 1930s, most states had implemented some form of gasoline tax.
1922 Camille Saint-Saëns' humorous musical suite The Carnival of the Animals was written as a private joke in 1886, and the French composer never allowed it to be performed publicly during his lifetime. Following Saint-Saëns death in 1921, The Carnival of the Animals' first public performance was given by Concerts Colonne (the orchestra of Édouard Colonne) on February 25, 1922.
1933 The USS Ranger was launched on February 25, 1933, the first US Navy ship constructed as an aircraft carrier. Prior to the Ranger, the Navy had converted several existing ships into aircraft carriers, but the Ranger was specifically designed to operate as a carrier.
1943 George Harrison of The Beatles was born on February 25, 1943 at 12 Arnold Grove, a house near Picton Clock Tower in the Liverpool suburb of Wavertree. George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney first played together as schoolboys with the Quarrymen. They had been performing in small clubs in Liverpool and in Hamburg, West Germany, when the original drummer was replaced in 1962 by Ringo Starr.
1956 "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" was recorded by Elvis Presley and his backing band, the Blue Moon Boys, in July 1955. The recording session took place at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, under the guidance of producer Sam Phillips. The single gained attention and popularity, particularly in the country music scene. It climbed the country charts, eventually reaching the coveted #1 spot on February 25, 1956 earning Elvis Presley his first ever #1 hit.
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| Coin issued under Claudius celebrating young Nero as the future emperor, c. 50. |
1723 The 90-year-old architect Christopher Wren caught a chill which worsened over the next few days. He died on February 25, 1723 seated in a chair after dinner (taking his afternoon rest) at his house in St James Street, London. A servant who tried to awaken Wren from his nap found that he had passed away. Wren was entombed inside St Paul's. His epitaph engraved by his son Christopher contains the words "Si Monumentum requins circumspice." (If you seek his monument look around).
 |
| Colt Paterson 5th Model |
1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the “First Legal Tender Act” on February 25, 1862, in an effort to conserve metal for the American Civil War and to generate much-needed funds. The Act authorized issuance of paper money, United States Notes, to finance the war without raising taxes.
1870 Representing Mississippi in the Senate, Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in the United States Congress on February 25, 1870. He completed the term of Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis, who had resigned to become president of the Confederacy.
1873 The tenor singer Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy on February 25, 1873. He was the 18th of 21 children, only three of whom lived beyond infancy. Determined to be a singer, he sang in churches and on street corners to earn money for lessons. When he was called into the army, a high officer was so impressed by Caruso's powerful yet melodic voice that he released him to continue studying. Caruso's 1904 recording of "Vesti la giubba" was the first sound recording to sell a million copies.
1881 Phoenix, Arizona, became a city on February 25, 1881. At that time it had a population of about 2,500 people. It was Englishman Lord Darrell Duppa, one of the original settlers, who suggested the name "Phoenix". He saw the prehistoric ruins of the native Hohokam people, who had lived on the land for two thousand years, and predicted that another civilization would rise from them, like the mythological fire bird which was born again from its own ash after it died.
 |
| Northern skyline, downtown Phoenix, |
1919 Oregon placed a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline on February 25, 1919, becoming the first US. state to levy a fuel tax. The tax was initially implemented as a way to raise revenue to fund road construction and maintenance. Other states soon followed Oregon's lead, and by the 1930s, most states had implemented some form of gasoline tax.
1922 Camille Saint-Saëns' humorous musical suite The Carnival of the Animals was written as a private joke in 1886, and the French composer never allowed it to be performed publicly during his lifetime. Following Saint-Saëns death in 1921, The Carnival of the Animals' first public performance was given by Concerts Colonne (the orchestra of Édouard Colonne) on February 25, 1922.
1933 The USS Ranger was launched on February 25, 1933, the first US Navy ship constructed as an aircraft carrier. Prior to the Ranger, the Navy had converted several existing ships into aircraft carriers, but the Ranger was specifically designed to operate as a carrier.
1943 George Harrison of The Beatles was born on February 25, 1943 at 12 Arnold Grove, a house near Picton Clock Tower in the Liverpool suburb of Wavertree. George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney first played together as schoolboys with the Quarrymen. They had been performing in small clubs in Liverpool and in Hamburg, West Germany, when the original drummer was replaced in 1962 by Ringo Starr.
1956 "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" was recorded by Elvis Presley and his backing band, the Blue Moon Boys, in July 1955. The recording session took place at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, under the guidance of producer Sam Phillips. The single gained attention and popularity, particularly in the country music scene. It climbed the country charts, eventually reaching the coveted #1 spot on February 25, 1956 earning Elvis Presley his first ever #1 hit.
1963 In 1963, Kuwait changed its National Day from June 19th, the anniversary of its independence, to February 25th to avoid the hot weather of June. February 25th was the anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah becoming Emir of Kuwait in 1950.
1964 Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight title, on February 25, 1964. In winning this fight, Clay became at age 22 the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion.
1970 Rubber ducks have been around since at least the 1940s, but they had a popular resurgence when on February 25, 1970 Jim Henson performed the song "Rubber Duckie" as Ernie on Sesame Street. Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. The rubber duck bath toy has been an iconic American symbol ever since.
1990 When Violeta Chamorro won the Nicaragua general election on February 25, 1990, she became the first elected female head of state in the Americas. Chamorro served as president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1997, and she remains an important figure in the country's political and social history.
1992 OJ Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977, while she was working as a waitress at the nightclub, The Daisy. The pair were married on February 2, 1985 and they had two children, Sydney and Justin.
Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989 and Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences. When Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death on June 12, 1994 Simpson was a person of interest in their murders.
1995 The last song Frank Sinatra ever performed live was "The Best Is Yet to Come." On February 25, 1995, Ol' Blue Eyes sang this number for a group of 1200 people on the last night of a golf tournament named for him.
2001 Don Bradman, generally acknowledged as the greatest ever cricketer, died on February 25, 2001. In his last cricket innings, Donald Bradman needed only 4 runs to attain a test cricket batting average off 100. He was out second ball for zero and finished with an average of 99.94, the highest average in Test history. The post office box of the Australian Broadcasting Commission is 9994.
2004 The Catholic actor Mel Gibson wrote directed and produced a film describing the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus, The Passion of the Christ. He started doing research for the movie in 1992, spending 25 million dollars of his own money on developing and filming the production. The movie was eventually released on February 25, 2004 and was a huge box office hit despite all the dialogue being in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin.
2005 The Terri Schiavo case was a legal struggle involving prolonged life support in the United States that lasted from 1990 to 2005. It concerned Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage. On February 25, 2005, a Florida judge ordered the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. The decision fueled a worldwide debate on euthanasia.
2009 Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron's first child, Ivan Reginald Ian, was born with a rare combination of cerebral palsy and a form of severe epilepsy called Ohtahara syndrome, requiring round-the-clock care. Ivan died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, on February 25, 2009, aged six.
1964 Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight title, on February 25, 1964. In winning this fight, Clay became at age 22 the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion.
1970 Rubber ducks have been around since at least the 1940s, but they had a popular resurgence when on February 25, 1970 Jim Henson performed the song "Rubber Duckie" as Ernie on Sesame Street. Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. The rubber duck bath toy has been an iconic American symbol ever since.
1990 When Violeta Chamorro won the Nicaragua general election on February 25, 1990, she became the first elected female head of state in the Americas. Chamorro served as president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1997, and she remains an important figure in the country's political and social history.
1992 OJ Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977, while she was working as a waitress at the nightclub, The Daisy. The pair were married on February 2, 1985 and they had two children, Sydney and Justin.
Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989 and Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences. When Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death on June 12, 1994 Simpson was a person of interest in their murders.
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| Simpson, Nicole and Austen Feb 1986 at Honolulu Hawaii. Photo by Alan Light, |
1995 The last song Frank Sinatra ever performed live was "The Best Is Yet to Come." On February 25, 1995, Ol' Blue Eyes sang this number for a group of 1200 people on the last night of a golf tournament named for him.
2001 Don Bradman, generally acknowledged as the greatest ever cricketer, died on February 25, 2001. In his last cricket innings, Donald Bradman needed only 4 runs to attain a test cricket batting average off 100. He was out second ball for zero and finished with an average of 99.94, the highest average in Test history. The post office box of the Australian Broadcasting Commission is 9994.
2004 The Catholic actor Mel Gibson wrote directed and produced a film describing the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus, The Passion of the Christ. He started doing research for the movie in 1992, spending 25 million dollars of his own money on developing and filming the production. The movie was eventually released on February 25, 2004 and was a huge box office hit despite all the dialogue being in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin.
2005 The Terri Schiavo case was a legal struggle involving prolonged life support in the United States that lasted from 1990 to 2005. It concerned Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage. On February 25, 2005, a Florida judge ordered the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. The decision fueled a worldwide debate on euthanasia.
2009 Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron's first child, Ivan Reginald Ian, was born with a rare combination of cerebral palsy and a form of severe epilepsy called Ohtahara syndrome, requiring round-the-clock care. Ivan died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, on February 25, 2009, aged six.
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