On February 22, 1819, Spain sells the Florida Territory to the U.S. Florida was ceded to Great Britain by the first Treaty of Paris (ending the French and Indian War) in 1763, and returned to the Spanish by the second Treaty of Paris (ending the American Revolution) in 1783. But border disputes with American landowners quickly became commonplace, and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams would end up virtually stealing Florida from the Spanish. Under the terms of the Florida Purchase, the U.S. would assume responsibility of about $5 million in claims against Spain by U.S. citizens. Other than that, no charge. Florida would become a territory in 1822 and was granted statehood in 1845. On February 22, 1777, Archibald Bulloch, provincial governor of Georgia, dies under mysterious circumstances. A former member of the Continental Congress, Bulloch would have been a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, but resigned to return home and enter the military, serving with distinction until his election as governor. Hours before his death, the Georgia Council of Safety, fearing a British invasion at Savannah, granted Bulloch virtual dictatorial powers. The cause of his death remains unknown, but historians suspect he was poisoned. Bulloch was also the great great grandfather of President Theodore Roosevelt. On February 22, 1959, Lee Petty wins the inaugural Daytona 500 in a photo finish over Johnny Beauchamp. Beauchamp was originally declared the winner, but Petty contested the ruling, and a news photo would prove that Petty (number 42 below) was in fact the winner of Beauchamp (number 73).
1/2 and 1/2. About a 4-mile course that ran on the beach then did a u-turn onto a state highway that paralleled the beach.
On February 23, 1778, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge. A former captain of the Prussian Army mustered out following the Seven Years' War, von Steuben was recommended for service to George Washington by the French minister of war (the minister's introductory letter portrayed von Steuben as a major general, but this was likely a mistranslation). Though von Steuben did not speak a word of English, Washington handed him the task of molding his rag tag troops into a professional army. von Steuben wrote up a manual of drill (translated into English by Alexander Hamilton) and instituted codes of discipline and basic hygiene (the encampment at Valley Forge did not even have latrines before his arrival). On Washington's recommendation, the Continental Congress would appoint von Steuben Inspector General of the Continental Army, with his manual - now called the Blue Book - circulated as regulations for order and discipline. On February 23, 1954, students at Arsenel Elementary School in Pittsburgh become the first children to be inoculated with the new vaccine for polio. Poliomyelitis, while usually not fatal, is a highly contagious disease that attacks the nervous system, causing muscle deterioration and often paralysis. Dr. Jonas Salk made the breakthrough that led to the development of a polio vaccine. In 1962, Albert Sabin developed a vaccine taken orally rather than injection. While there is still no cure for polio, the vaccines have all but eradicated the disease in the U.S. and most of the world. (below: Salk administers the polio vaccine to an unidentified child) On February 23, 1980 in Lake Placid, NY, Eric Heiden oversleeps after staying up late watching the U.S. Olympic hockey team upset the Russians, grabs a couple of pieces of bread for breakfast, hustles to the Olympic skate arena and speed skates into history. Heiden would break the 10,000 meter record that day in winning his 5th gold medal of the 1980 Winter Olympics. The 5 individual golds is also a record; though American swimmer Mark Spitz won 7 golds at the '76 Olympics, 3 are in relays. Heiden's amazing month in Lake Placid caps a remarkable career that includes world championships in the 3 previous years. The Wisconsin native retired from skating after the Olympics, raced bicycles professionally for a few years (he is a member of the U.S. Professional Cycling Hall of Fame) and is now a successful orthopedic surgeon in California.
On February 24, 1836, General Santa Ana invites Colonel William Travis to surrender his garrison - outnumbered nearly 10-1- at the Alamo near San Antonio, TX. Travis responds with a cannon volley and dispatches couriers with calls for help from supporters of the Texan war for independence from Mexico. Santa Ana, infuriated by the artillery reply, launches a siege of the Alamo, and Travis calls for help brought only 32 volunteers before his position was overrun on March 6. On February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives approves 11 articles of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson. Johnson, the only member of Congress from a secessionist state who remained loyal to the Union (as a Senator from Tennessee), enraged Congress with his lenient post-war Reconstruction programs. Finding nothing illegal in the programs, the House focused on Johnson's efforts to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, in violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Nine of the 11 articles cited Tenure of Office. Johnson would be acquitted by the Senate in a narrow margin.
On February 25, 1901 in Pittsburgh, PA , Carnegie Steel, Federal Steel and National Steel merge to form U.S. Steel, the world's first corporation valued at over $1 billion. Incorporated a week later, founders include J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and Charles Schwab, among others. So large and powerful is U.S. Steel that Congress attempts to enact antitrust legislation to break it up in 1911 (it fails) and on Wall Street, it is simply known as The Corporation. Today, United States Steel (renamed in 2001) is the second largest domestic steel producer, behind Nucor, and 27th in the world. (Charles Schwab, U.S. Steel's first president and CEO) On February 25, 1779, the British stronghold of Fort Sackville, on the Wabash River in the Indiana Territory, falls to American and French forces. It is one of the last British strongholds on the western frontier. The attacking force is mostly Kentucky militia commanded by George Rogers Clark, with some French volunteers. Their presence proves to be crucial; about half of Fort Sackville's defenders are French, but they threw down their weapons when they realized they may be called on to fire on their own countrymen. On February 25, 2004 - Ash Wednesday on the Catholic religious calendar - The Passion of the Christ opens in U.S. theatres. Producer/director Mel Gibson's shocking film portrays the final 44 hours of Jesus Christ's life. Criticized as anti-Semitic by the Anti Defamation League long before its release, The Passion gained further criticism for its graphic portrayal of Jesus' torture and crucifixion (noted film critic Roger Ebert called it "the most violent film I've ever seen"). Gibson, who sunk millions of his own money into the project and accepted no pay, said in an interview "I wanted it to be shocking....so they could see the enormity of the sacrifice." Despite the criticism, and the stigma of being shown in American theatres with subtitles for the Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew dialogue, The Passion of the Christ is a huge box office hit. The Passion of the Christ Trailer - YouTube
On February 26, 1945, the remnants of the Japanese garrison on Corregidor, Philippine Islands, blow up an ammunition dump. Many of the Japanese allow themselves to be killed in the explosion. The following day, U.S. troops storm the island, taking back the stronghold in the Philippines they had lost in May 1942. On February 26, 1919 the Grand Canyon is designated a National Park. Excavated over millions of years by the Colorado River, the canyon spans as wide as 15 miles and more than a mile deep. Despite its stark appearance, the Grand Canyon is home to more than 1,500 plant and 500 animal species, many of which are endangered. Ten years later to the day, Congress designates the Grand Tetons in Wyoming a National Park. The Grand Tetons offer the most alpine-like scenery in the U.S. John Colter, who had been a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, is believed to be the first white man to see the mountains. French-Canadian fur trappers followed; they gave the mountains their name, which (according to googletranslate) is French for "big nipples."
On February 27, 1864, the first Union inmates begin arriving at Andersonville prison in Georgia. Hastily constructed on 16 acres of land, the camp was intended to house 10,000 inmates, but within six months the population was 30,000. The cost of lumber slowed construction of barracks, and most inmates lived in makeshift tents. A stream running through the land which was to provide fresh water quickly became contaminated with human waste. By the time Andersonville was closed in April 1945, roughly 13,000 prisoners had died there, and commanding officer Captain Henry Wirtz would be executed for war crimes following the war. On February 27, 1942, the USS Langley is scuttled by its escorting ships after being crippled by a Japanese air attack off Java. The Langley was the world's first aircraft carrier, converted from a collier in the early 1920's. On February 27, 1960, the US hockey team upsets the Soviet Union 3-2 in the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California. It is the first-ever victory for the US over the USSR in ice hockey. The next day the US would beat Czechoslovakia to win America's first gold medal in the sport. The team of college players and other amateurs includes Roger Christian, whose son Dave would be a member of the famed 1980 US team.
