February 25 February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 309 days remaining, 310 in leap years. Events upto 19th century 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor. 1570 - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England. 1793 - George Washington holds the first Cabinet meeting as President of the United States. 1837 - First US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport 1870 - Hiram Rhoades Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the United States Congress. 20th century 1901 - J.P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation. 1912 - Eldest of six daughters of William IV, Marie-Adélaïde became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. 1913 - The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution, authorizing a graduated income tax, is ratified. 1919 - Oregon places a 1 cent per gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax. 1921 - The Democratic Republic of Georgia is occupied by the Soviet Russia. 1928 - Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, DC becomes the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission. 1933 - The USS Ranger is launched, becoming the first custom-built aircraft carrier. 1951 - The first Pan American Games are held, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1954 - Gamal Abdul Nasser is made premier of Egypt. 1972 - Terrorism: Germany gives $5 million to an Arab terrorist as ransom for the passengers and crew of a hijacked jumbo jet. 1986 - EDSA Revolution: President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the first Filipino woman president. 1991 - Gulf War: An Iraqi Scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 US Marines. 21st century 2004 - Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is released in movie theaters across the United States, grossing approximately $370 million domestically. Births upto 19th century 1707 - Carlo Goldoni, lyricist (d. 1793) 1752 - John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806) 1778 - José de San Martín, Argentine general, liberator of Spanish South America along with Simón Bolívar. 1841 - Pierre-Auguste Renoir, painter, graphic artist and sculptor (d. 1919) 1842 - Karl May, writer (d. 1912) 1845 - George Reid, fourth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918) 1848 - Edward Harriman, railroad entrepreneur 1877 - Erich von Hornbostel, musicologist (d. 1935) 1888 - John Foster Dulles, United States Secretary of State (d. 1959) 1890 - Dame Myra Hess, English pianist (d. 1965) 1890 - Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician (d. 1986) 20th century 1900-1949 1901 - Zeppo Marx, actor (d. 1979) 1904 - Adelle Davis, nutritionist, writer (d. 1974) 1913 - Jim Backus, actor (d. 1989) 1913 - Gert Fröbe, actor (d. 1988) 1917 - Anthony Burgess, author (d. 1993) 1918 - Bobby Riggs, tennis player (d. 1995) 1918 - Barney Ewell, American athlete (d. 1996) 1921 - Pierre Laporte, statesman, murdered by FLQ terrorists (d. 1970) 1925 - Edward Gorey, illustrator (d. 2000) 1932 - Faron Young, country music singer (d.1996) 1935 - Sally Jessy Raphael, talk show host 1937 - Tom Courtenay, actor 1938 - Herb Elliott, Australian runner 1940 - Ron Santo, baseball player 1943 - George Harrison, musician 1946 - Franz Xaver Kroetz, dramatist 1947 - Lee Evans, American athlete 1950-1999 1950 - Neil Jordan, director, writer, producer 1950 - Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina 1951 - Don Quarrie, Jamaican sprinter 1953 - José María Aznar, Prime Minister of Spain 1954 - John Doe, musician 1961 - Davey Allison, NASCAR driver (d. 1993) 1966 - Samson Kitur, Kenyan athlete (d. 2003) 1971 - Sean Astin, actor 1977 - Josh Wolff, Kansas City Wizards Striker Deaths 1553 - Hirate Masahide, Japanese retainer and the tutor of Oda Nobunaga (d. 1492) 1577 - King Eric XIV of Sweden (b. 1533) 1723 - Sir Christopher Wren, architect (b. 1632) 1852 - Thomas Moore, poet (b. 1779) 1860 - Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman, educator and lexicographer (b. 1790) 1899 - Paul Julius Reuter, founder of the Reuters News Agency (b. 1816) 1957 - George "Bugs" Moran, Chicago gangster (b. 1893) 1964 - Grace Metalious, writer (b. 1924) 1975 - Elijah Muhammad, Black Muslim leader 1983 - Tennessee Williams, playwright (b. 1911) 1994 - Jersey Joe Walcott, boxer (b. 1914) 1996 - Haing S. Ngor, actor 1999 - Glenn T. Seaborg, American atomic scientist (b. 1912) 2000 - Victoria Climbié, murder victim (b. 1991) 2001 - Sir Donald Bradman, cricketer (b. 1908) 2003 - Tom O'Higgins, Irish Chief Justice twice defeated as a presidential candidate 2003 - Alberto Sordi, Italian comedy film legend Holidays and observances Februaristaking (Netherlands) - strike against Nazi occupier, 1941 February 24 - February 26 - January 25 - March 25 -- listing of all days FAVORITE ARTICLES: History of the World    History of the United States    History of Europe    Ancient History    History    Military History    World War I    Bombing of Dresden    California    US Constitution    Frank Sinatra    Boston    Marbury v. Madison This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_25