February 19 - The Day in History

February 19: General Interest 1847: Donner Party rescued On this day in 1847, the first rescuers reach surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of California-bound emigrants stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains... read more American Revolution 1777 : Congress overlooks Benedict Arnold for promotion http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-overlooks-benedict-arnold-for-promotion Automotive 1984 : Yarborough wins fourth Daytona 500 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yarborough-wins-fourth-daytona-500 Civil War 1821 : Yankee General Francis Preston Blair Jr. born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/francis-preston-blair-jr-born Cold War 1981 : United States calls situation in El Salvador a communist plot http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-calls-situation-in-el-salvador-a-communist-plot Crime 1851 : Angry San Francisco vigilantes take the law into their own hands http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/angry-san-francisco-vigilantes-take-the-law-into-their-own-hands Disaster 1884 : Tornadoes strike the Southeast http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tornadoes-strike-the-southeast General Interest 1473 : Copernicus born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/copernicus-born 1807 : Aaron Burr arrested for treason http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aaron-burr-arrested-for-treason 1942 : Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-signs-executive-order-9066 1974 : Solzhenitsyn reunited with family http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/solzhenitsyn-reunited-with-family Hollywood 1934 : Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bob-hope-marries-dolores-reade Literary 1952 : Amy Tan's birthday http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/amy-tans-birthday Music 1878 : Thomas Alva Edison patents the phonograph http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-alva-edison-patents-the-phonograph Old West 1847 : Rescuers reach Donner Party http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rescuers-reach-donner-party Presidential 1942 : FDR signs Executive Order 9066 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-signs-executive-order-9066 Sports 1996 : Patrick Roy gets 300th win as NHL goalie http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patrick-roy-gets-300th-win-as-nfl-goalie 2010 : Tiger Woods apologizes for extramarital affairs http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tiger-woods-apologizes-for-extramarital-affairs Vietnam War 1965 : South Vietnamese coup unsuccessful http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnamese-coup-unsuccessful 1970 : Chicago Seven sentenced http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chicago-seven-sentenced World War I 1915 : British navy bombards Dardanelles http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-navy-bombards-dardanelles World War II 1945 : Marines invade Iwo Jima http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marines-invade-iwo-jima