Semiquincentennial

DID YOU KNOW?

• February 10 marks several pivotal milestones in American history, ranging from the conclusion of major colonial wars to significant constitutional changes and Cold War developments.

   
   
  Foundational and Colonial Milestones
  • 1753: 
    Pennsylvania Hospital
    , the first hospital in the United States, began admitting patients; it was co-founded by Benjamin Franklin.
  • 1763: The Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Seven Years' War (known in America as the French and Indian War). France ceded nearly all its North American territories to Great Britain.
  • 1846: Led by Brigham Young, the first group of Mormons began their westward exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, eventually settling in Utah. 
   
  Civil War and Constitutional History
  • 1861: Jefferson Davis received a telegraph at his Mississippi home informing him that he had been chosen as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1862: During the Civil War, a Union naval flotilla destroyed the majority of the Confederate "Mosquito Fleet" at the Battle of Elizabeth Cityin North Carolina.
  • 1865: 
    Ohio
     and 
    Missouri
     became the 11th and 12th states to ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.
  • 1967: The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, formalizing the process for presidential succession and detailing procedures for dealing with a president's death, resignation, or incapacitation. 
   
  Cold War and Civil Rights
  • 1962: In a famous Cold War swap, captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers was exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel on the Glienicke Bridge connecting West Berlin and East Germany.
  • 1964: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after 70 days of debate, moving it to the Senate.
  • 1966: Auto safety advocate Ralph Nader testified before Congress for the first time, leading to major reforms in the unregulated auto industry. 
   
  Cultural and Scientific Achievements
  • 1847: Birth of Thomas Edison, the prolific inventor who held 1,093 patents and was instrumental in introducing the modern age of electricity.
  • 1942: The first gold record was awarded to Glenn Miller for his song "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
  • 1949: Arthur Miller’s seminal play, Death of a Salesman, opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theater.
  • 1965: The first "one-shot" measles vaccinebecame available to American physicians, offering 99% effective lifelong immunity. 
   
  Notable Births and Deaths
  • Births: Social reformer and educator Stella Adler(1901), opera star Leontyne Price (1927), and actress Laura Dern (1967).
  • Deaths: Author Laura Ingalls Wilder (1957), author and Pulitzer Prize-winner Alex Haley(1992), and child star turned diplomat Shirley Temple Black (2014).

Valentine’s Dinner