February 9, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated February 8, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 9, 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces.

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On Feb. 9, 1910, Jacques Monod, the French Nobel Prize-winning biologist, was born. Following his death on May 31, 1976, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1773 William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, was born in Charles City County, Va.

1825 The House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

1861 The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis president and Alexander H. Stephens vice president.

1942 Daylight-saving “war time” went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.

1943 The World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces.

1964 The Beatles made their first live American TV appearance, on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

1971 Apollo 14 returned to Earth after man’s third landing on the moon.

1984 Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov died less than 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev.

2002 Britain’s Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 71.

2009 New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez admitted he took banned substances from 2001 to 2003.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Mia Farrow turns 67 years old today.

AP Photo/Michael Perez

Actress Judith Light (“Who’s the Boss?”) turns 63 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1928 Roger Mudd, Broadcast journalist, turns 84

1940 J.M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning author, turns 72

1942 Carole King, Singer, songwriter, turns 70

1943 Joe Pesci, Actor, turns 69

1944 Alice Walker, Author (“The Color Purple”), turns 68

1946 Jim Webb, U.S. senator, D-Va., turns 66

1963 Travis Tritt, Country singer, turns 49

1965 Julie Warner, Actress, turns 47

1975 Vladimir Guerrero, Baseball player, turns 37

1979 Ziyi Zhang, Actress (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), turns 33

Historic Birthdays

Jacques Monod 2/9/1910 – 5/31/1976 French Nobel Prize-winning biologist.Go to obituary »

71 Gasparo Angiolini 2/9/1731 – 2/6/1803
Italian choreographer/composer

78 Luther Martin 2/9/1748 – 7/10/1826
American lawyer

68 William Henry Harrison 2/9/1773 – 4/4/1841
9th President of the United States

72 Samuel Tilden 2/9/1814 – 8/4/1886
American lawyer and governor of New York

75 Mrs. Patrick Campbell 2/9/1865 – 4/9/1940
English actress

51 Amy Lowell 2/9/1874 – 5/12/1925
American critic/lecturer/and poet

67 Ronald Colman 2/9/1891 – 5/19/1958
English-bn. American stage and film actor

85 Dean Rusk 2/9/1909 – 12/20/1994
American secretary of state under Kennedy and Johnson

71 Bill Veeck 2/9/1914 – 1/2/1986
American baseball club owner

41 Brendan Behan 2/9/1923 – 3/20/1964
Irish author/political commentator

1773	William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, was born in Charles City County, Va.
1825	The House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.
1861	The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis president and Alexander H. Stephens vice president.
1942	Daylight-saving “war time” went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.
1943	The World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces.
1964	The Beatles made their first live American TV appearance, on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
1971	Apollo 14 returned to Earth after man’s third landing on the moon.
1984	Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov died less than 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev.
2002	Britain’s Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 71.
2009	New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez admitted he took banned substances from 2001 to 2003.

1928	Roger Mudd, Broadcast journalist, turns 84
1940	J.M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning author, turns 72
1942	Carole King, Singer, songwriter, turns 70
1943	Joe Pesci, Actor, turns 69
1944	Alice Walker, Author (“The Color Purple”), turns 68
1946	Jim Webb, U.S. senator, D-Va., turns 66
1963	Travis Tritt, Country singer, turns 49
1965	Julie Warner, Actress, turns 47
1975	Vladimir Guerrero, Baseball player, turns 37
1979	Ziyi Zhang, Actress (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), turns 33

71	Gasparo Angiolini 2/9/1731 – 2/6/1803 Italian choreographer/composer
78	Luther Martin 2/9/1748 – 7/10/1826 American lawyer
68	William Henry Harrison 2/9/1773 – 4/4/1841 9th President of the United States
72	Samuel Tilden 2/9/1814 – 8/4/1886 American lawyer and governor of New York
75	Mrs. Patrick Campbell 2/9/1865 – 4/9/1940 English actress
51	Amy Lowell 2/9/1874 – 5/12/1925 American critic/lecturer/and poet
67	Ronald Colman 2/9/1891 – 5/19/1958 English-bn. American stage and film actor
85	Dean Rusk 2/9/1909 – 12/20/1994 American secretary of state under Kennedy and Johnson
71	Bill Veeck 2/9/1914 – 1/2/1986 American baseball club owner
41	Brendan Behan 2/9/1923 – 3/20/1964 Irish author/political commentator