Today in History - History - February 29th

1780The Omicron Delta Omega fraternity was founded by Benjamin Franklin at James Madison University.

1988NYC Mayor Koch calls Reagan a "WIMP" in the war on drugs

1964LBJ reveals US secretly developed the A-11 jet fighter

1504Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians

1832Charles Darwin visits jungle near Bahia Brazil

1904Theodore Roosevelt, appoints 7-man Panama Canal Commission to proceed with completing a canal at the Isthmus

1980Gordie Howe becomes 1st NHL player to score 800 career goals

1960JFK makes "missile gap" the presidential campaign issue

200476th Academy Awards - "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Sean Penn & Charlize Theron win

1972Hank Aaron becomes 1st baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year

1736Ann Lee, Manchester England, American founder of Shakers (d. 1784)

1840John Philip Holland, Liscannor Ireland, father of the modern submarine

1956Elpidio Quirino, 6th President of Philippines (1949-53), dies at 65

1960Melvin Purvis, American FBI Agent, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 56