This Sunday, February 24, the “city” of Los Angeles will be overrun with celebrities, wannabes and tweedle-dees. Outfitted in Prada and Pucci, they’ll descend on the Shrine Auditorium with their eyes on the prize — a nekkid gold statuette.
But we don’t find ourselves to be particularly interested in celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Oscar Sunday this year, especially when there are so many other events of February 24th’s of years past that deserve our honor and recognition.
Treaties with funny names
1538 – Treaty of Nagyvarad between Ferdinand I and John Zápolya.
1826 – The signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo marks the end of the First Burmese War.
1831 – The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
Mistakes in history (some bigger, some smaller)
303 – Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire.
1920 – The Nazi Party is founded.
1981 – Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.
1989 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
1996 – The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European Union and for the Roman Catholic Church.
Important moments in American history
1839 – William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel.
1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
1868 – The first parade to have floats is staged at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1938 – A nylon-bristle toothbrush becomes the first commercial product (DuPont) to be made with nylon yarn.
1970 – National Public Radio is founded in the United States.
Happy Birthday!
1304 – Ibn Battuta, explorer
1836 – Winslow Homer, American artist
1942 – Joe Lieberman, American politician
1947 – Edward James Olmos, American actor
The culmination of a full, accomplished life
616 – King Ethelbert of Kent
1779 – Paul Daniel Longolius, German encylopedist
1989 – Sparky Adams, American baseball player
1994 – Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
All actual facts courtesy of Wikipedia.