Today in History - History - February 17th

1621Myles Standish is elected as the first commander of the Plymouth Colony

1932Irving Berlin's musical "Face the Music," premieres in NYC

1859Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Un Ballo in maschera" premieres in Napoli

1801US House of Representatives breaks electoral college tie, chooses Thomas Jefferson President over Burr

1904Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly," premieres in Milan

1913NY Armory Show introduces Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp to US public

1837Charles Lyell makes his presidential address to the Geographical Society, London and announces that Richard Owen has concluded from Darwin's fossils that extinct species were related to current species in the same locality

1941Joe Louis KOs Gus Dorazio in 2 for heavyweight boxing title

1962Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Phila Warriors scores 67 points vs St Louis

1923Ottawa Senator Cy Denneny becomes NHL's all time scorer (143 goals)

1963Michael Jordan, NBA guard/forward (Chicago Bulls) and sports superstar

1981Paris Hilton, American actress and heiress

1972Billie Joe Armstrong, Oakland California, singer/musician (Green Day)

1936Jim Brown, St. Simons Georgia, NFL running back (Cleveland Browns)

1955Novelist J. D. Salinger (36) weds Claire Douglas

1950Natural history broadcaster David Attenborough (24) weds Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel

1909Geronimo [one who yawns], Apache chief, dies at 79

1918Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian PM (1896-1911), dies