February 19 - This 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