On Feb. 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Ala.
On Feb. 18, 1848, Louis Comfort Tiffany, a craftsman and designer who made significant advancements in the art of glassmaking, was born. Following his death on Jan. 17, 1933, his obituary appeared in The Times.
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On This Date
| 1546 | Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, died in Eiselben, Germany. |
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| 1564 | The artist Michelangelo died in Rome. |
| 1885 | "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain was published. |
| 1930 | Photographic evidence of Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. |
| 1953 | "Bwana Devil," the movie that heralded the 3-D fad of the 1950s, opened in New York City. |
| 1960 | The eighth Winter Olympic Games opened in Squaw Valley, Calif. |
| 1970 | Five of the Chicago Seven defendants were found guilty of intent to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic national convention. (The convictions were later overturned.) |
| 1972 | The California Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty. |
| 1988 | Anthony M. Kennedy was sworn in as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| 2001 | Auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr., 49, died from injuries suffered in a crash at the Daytona 500. |
| 2001 | Veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested, accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. (Hanssen pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison without parole.) |
| 2006 | American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000-meter speedskating in Turin, becoming the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history. |
| 2006 | A Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament was sworn in. |
Historic Birthdays
Louis Comfort Tiffany
2/18/1848 - 1/17/1933
American painter, decorator and designerGo to obituary »
| 42 |
Mary (Mary I) Tudor 2/18/1516 - 11/17/1558 English queen (1553-58) |
|---|---|
| 82 |
Alessandro Volta 2/18/1745 - 3/5/1827 Italian physicist and inventor |
| 65 |
James Biddle 2/18/1783 - 10/1/1848 American career naval officer |
| 50 |
Ramakrishna 2/18/1836 - 8/16/1886 Hindu religious leader |
| 63 |
Max Klinger 2/18/1857 - 7/5/1920 German painter, sculptor and engraver |
| 77 |
Charles M. Schwab 2/18/1862 - 9/18/1939 American entrepreneur who pioneered Bethlehem Steel |
| 52 |
Wendell Willkie 2/18/1892 - 10/8/1944 American Republican presidential candidate |
| 25 |
George Gipp 2/18/1895 - 12/14/1920 American football player ("The Gipper") |
| 90 |
Enzo Ferrari 2/18/1898 - 8/14/1988 Italian automobile manufacturer, designer and racing-car driver |
| 85 |
Sir Arthur Bryant 2/18/1899 - 1/2/1985 English historian and biographer |
| 84 |
Wallace Stegner 2/18/1909 - 4/13/1993 American author |