February 19 - Hello, Kitty

Hello, Kitty

This Day In History

1674

England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.

1847

The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.

1878

Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

1985

1985 – Artificial heart recipient William J. Schroeder becomes the first such patient to leave hospital.

1986

The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for 10 of those years.

2002

NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.

Famous Birthdays

1473

Nicolaus Copernicus, mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543)

1743

Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer (d. 1805)

1800

Émilie Gamelin, French Canadian Roman Catholic Religious Sister, founder of the Sisters of Providence (d. 1851)

1911

Merle Oberon, British actress (d. 1979)

1916

Eddie Arcaro, American jockey (d. 1997)

1940

Smokey Robinson, American singer

1956

Dave Wakeling, English musician (The (English) Beat, General Public)