On This Day: February 6

Updated February 5, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain’s King George VI died; he was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II.
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On Feb. 6, 1895, George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, baseball’s great star, was born. Following his death on Aug. 16, 1948, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1756 Aaron Burr, America’s third vice president, was born in Newark, N.J.

1788 Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1895 Baseball Hall of Famer George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in Baltimore.

1899 A peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

1911 Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill.

1933 The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was declared in effect. It moved the start of presidential, vice-presidential and congressional terms from March to January.

1945 Reggae musician Bob Marley was born in St. Ann parish in Jamaica.

1993 Tennis Hall of Famer Arthur Ashe, who had conracted HIV through a tainted blood transfusion, died at age 49.

1999 Excerpts of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky’s videotaped testimony were shown at President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

2000 First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

2001 Ariel Sharon was elected Israeli prime minister in a landslide over Ehud Barak.

2004 An explosion ripped through a Moscow subway car during rush hour, killing 41 people in a terrorist attack blamed on Chechen separatists.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Singer Natalie Cole turns 62 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Rock singer Axl Rose (Guns N’ Roses) turns 50 years old today.

AP Photo/Steve McEnroe

1917 Zsa Zsa Gabor, Actress, turns 95

1931 Rip Torn, Actor (“The Larry Sanders Show”), turns 81

1939 Mike Farrell, Actor (“M*A*S*H,” “Providence”), turns 73

1940 Tom Brokaw, Broadcast journalist, author, turns 72

1943 Fabian, Singer, turns 69

1957 Kathy Najimy, Actress, turns 55

1957 Robert Townsend, Actor, director, turns 55

1966 Rick Astley, Singer, turns 46

Historic Birthdays

Babe Ruth 2/6/1895 – 8/16/1948 American professional baseball player.Go to obituary »

80 Aaron Burr 2/6/1756 – 9/14/1836
3rd Vice President of The United States

73 Sir Charles Wheatstone 2/6/1802 – 10/19/1875
English physicist

83 William Maxwell Evarts 2/6/1818 – 2/28/1901
American lawyer/statesman

31 Jeb Stuart 2/6/1833 – 5/12/1864
American Confederate cavalry officer

67 Sir Henry Irving 2/6/1838 – 10/13/1905
English actor/stage manager

57 F. W. H. Myers 2/6/1843 – 1/17/1901
English writer/cofounder of the Society for Psychical Research

48 George Tyrrell 2/6/1861 – 7/15/1909
Irish-bn. English Jesuit priest/philosopher

93 Ronald Reagan 2/6/1911 – 6/5/2004
40th president of the United States

68 Melvin Tolson 2/6/1898 – 8/29/1966
African-American poet

33 Eva Braun 2/6/1912 – 4/30/1945
German mistress/wife of Adolf Hitler

83 Mary Douglas Leakey 2/6/1913 – 12/9/1996
English-bn. archaeologist/paleoanthropologist

52 Francois Truffaut 2/6/1932 – 10/21/1984
French film critic/producer

1756	Aaron Burr, America’s third vice president, was born in Newark, N.J.
1788	Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1895	Baseball Hall of Famer George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in Baltimore.
1899	A peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.
1911	Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill.
1933	The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was declared in effect. It moved the start of presidential, vice-presidential and congressional terms from March to January.
1945	Reggae musician Bob Marley was born in St. Ann parish in Jamaica.
1993	Tennis Hall of Famer Arthur Ashe, who had conracted HIV through a tainted blood transfusion, died at age 49.
1999	Excerpts of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky’s videotaped testimony were shown at President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in the Senate.
2000	First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
2001	Ariel Sharon was elected Israeli prime minister in a landslide over Ehud Barak.
2004	An explosion ripped through a Moscow subway car during rush hour, killing 41 people in a terrorist attack blamed on Chechen separatists.

1917	Zsa Zsa Gabor, Actress, turns 95
1931	Rip Torn, Actor (“The Larry Sanders Show”), turns 81
1939	Mike Farrell, Actor (“MAS*H,” “Providence”), turns 73
1940	Tom Brokaw, Broadcast journalist, author, turns 72
1943	Fabian, Singer, turns 69
1957	Kathy Najimy, Actress, turns 55
1957	Robert Townsend, Actor, director, turns 55
1966	Rick Astley, Singer, turns 46

80	Aaron Burr 2/6/1756 – 9/14/1836 3rd Vice President of The United States
73	Sir Charles Wheatstone 2/6/1802 – 10/19/1875 English physicist
83	William Maxwell Evarts 2/6/1818 – 2/28/1901 American lawyer/statesman
31	Jeb Stuart 2/6/1833 – 5/12/1864 American Confederate cavalry officer
67	Sir Henry Irving 2/6/1838 – 10/13/1905 English actor/stage manager
57	F. W. H. Myers 2/6/1843 – 1/17/1901 English writer/cofounder of the Society for Psychical Research
48	George Tyrrell 2/6/1861 – 7/15/1909 Irish-bn. English Jesuit priest/philosopher
93	Ronald Reagan 2/6/1911 – 6/5/2004 40th president of the United States
68	Melvin Tolson 2/6/1898 – 8/29/1966 African-American poet
33	Eva Braun 2/6/1912 – 4/30/1945 German mistress/wife of Adolf Hitler
83	Mary Douglas Leakey 2/6/1913 – 12/9/1996 English-bn. archaeologist/paleoanthropologist
52	Francois Truffaut 2/6/1932 – 10/21/1984 French film critic/producer