This Day In History

On February 8, 1960, construction began on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk has expanded over time and now stretches along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street. Today there are over 2,600 stars.

James Hubert “Eubie” Blake was born on February 7, 1887, in Baltimore, Maryland, at a moment when American music was on the verge of transformation. From those beginnings emerged a composer and pianist who would help shape ragtime, jazz, and Broadway for generations to come.

On February 6, 1959, Texas Instruments engineer Jack Kilby filed the first patent for an integrated circuit, a modest document that described a bold new way to build electronics. That filing helped set in motion a shift from room-sized machines to pocket-sized devices that would unfold over the next several decades.

On February 5, 1953, Walt Disney released his 14th animated feature, Peter Pan. The film brought a beloved stage story to life in a way audiences had never seen before, using animation to turn fantasy into motion, color, and sound.

Politician and diplomat Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin was born on January 29, 1761, in Geneva, Switzerland. His journey from European aristocrat to one of the most influential financial minds in US history is a story of ambition, intellect, and public service.

George Sewall Boutwell was born on January 28, 1818, in Brookline, Massachusetts, at a time when the young nation was still defining its political identity. Over the course of his long career, Boutwell became a key figure in state and federal government, shaping policy before, during, and after the Civil War.

On January 12, 1932, Hattie Caraway became the first women elected to serve in the United States Senate. Her historic election broke barriers for women in government and set a precedent for future female leaders in the Senate.

Statesman Everett McKinley Dirksen was born on January 4, 1896, in Pekin, Illinois. He later emerged as a central figure in shaping bipartisan legislation in the US Senate.

America’s ninth president, William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773, in Charles City County, Virginia. After delivering the longest inaugural address in history in the freezing cold, he died of pneumonia a month later, serving the shorted term of any president.

On February 9, 1870, Ulysses S. Grant created the US Weather Bureau. Still in operation today as the National Weather Service, it provides weather forecasts and warnings for hazardous weather.

US Navy Rear Admiral William T. Sampson was born on February 9, 1840, in Palmyra, New York.  He’s best known for his victory in the Spanish-American War Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

On February 9, 1889, the US Department of Agriculture attained cabinet-level status. The change was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland.