On This Day: February 19

Updated February 18, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 United States Marines landed on the Western Pacific island of Iwo Jima, where they encountered ferocious resistance from Japanese forces. The Americans took control of the strategically important island after a month-long battle.

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On Feb. 19, 1912, Stan Kenton, the American bandleader who was an innovator in the progressive jazz style of the 1950’s, was born. Following his death on Aug. 25, 1979, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1473 The astronomer Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.

1878 Thomas Edison received a patent for his phonograph.

1881 Kansas became the first state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages.

1945 Some 30,000 U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima and began a month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces during World War II.

1959 An agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.

1997 Deng Xiaoping, the last of China’s major Communist revolutionaries, died in Beijing at age 92.

2004 Former Enron Corp. chief executive Jeffrey Skilling was charged with fraud, insider trading and other crimes in connection with the energy trader’s collapse.

2007 New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions to gay couples.

2008 An ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power.

2010 Golfer Tiger Woods admitted infidelity and acknowledged receiving therapy.

2010 The FBI concluded that Army scientist Bruce Ivins acted alone in the 2001 anthrax mailings that killed five people, and formally closed the case.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

R&B singer, songwriter Smokey Robinson turns 72 years old today.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Rock singer Seal turns 49 years old today.

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

1948 Tony Iommi, Rock musician (Black Sabbath), turns 64

1952 Amy Tan, Author, turns 60

1955 Jeff Daniels, Actor, turns 57

1957 Ray Winstone, Actor, turns 55

1959 Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner, turns 53

1960 Prince Andrew, Member of the British royal family, turns 52

1962 Hana Mandlikova, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 50

1966 Justine Bateman, Actress (“Family Ties”), turns 46

1967 Benicio Del Toro, Actor, turns 45

1985 Haylie Duff, Singer, actress (“7th Heaven”), turns 27

Historic Birthdays

Stan Kenton 2/19/1912 – 8/25/1979 American jazz bandleader, pianist and composer.Go to obituary »

70 Nicolaus Copernicus 2/19/1473 – 5/24/1543
Polish astronomer

61 David Garrick 2/19/1717 – 1/20/1779
English actor, producer, dramatist and comanager of the Drury Lane Theatre

62 Luigi Boccherini 2/19/1743 – 5/28/1805
Italian composer and cellist

73 Elie Ducommun 2/19/1833 – 12/7/1906
Swiss writer, editor and Nobel Peace Prize winner

82 Rudolf Stammler 2/19/1856 – 4/25/1938
German jurist and teacher

68 Svante Arrhenius 2/19/1859 – 10/2/1927
Swedish Nobel Prize-winning physical chemist

68 Merle Oberon 2/19/1911 – 11/23/1979
English/American film actress

81 Eddie Arcaro 2/19/1916 – 11/14/1997
American jockey

50 Carson McCullers 2/19/1917 – 9/29/1967
American author

1473	The astronomer Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.
1878	Thomas Edison received a patent for his phonograph.
1881	Kansas became the first state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages.
1945	Some 30,000 U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima and began a month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces during World War II.
1959	An agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.
1997	Deng Xiaoping, the last of China’s major Communist revolutionaries, died in Beijing at age 92.
2004	Former Enron Corp. chief executive Jeffrey Skilling was charged with fraud, insider trading and other crimes in connection with the energy trader’s collapse.
2007	New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions to gay couples.
2008	An ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power.
2010	Golfer Tiger Woods admitted infidelity and acknowledged receiving therapy.
2010	The FBI concluded that Army scientist Bruce Ivins acted alone in the 2001 anthrax mailings that killed five people, and formally closed the case.

1948	Tony Iommi, Rock musician (Black Sabbath), turns 64
1952	Amy Tan, Author, turns 60
1955	Jeff Daniels, Actor, turns 57
1957	Ray Winstone, Actor, turns 55
1959	Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner, turns 53
1960	Prince Andrew, Member of the British royal family, turns 52
1962	Hana Mandlikova, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 50
1966	Justine Bateman, Actress (“Family Ties”), turns 46
1967	Benicio Del Toro, Actor, turns 45
1985	Haylie Duff, Singer, actress (“7th Heaven”), turns 27

70	Nicolaus Copernicus 2/19/1473 – 5/24/1543 Polish astronomer
61	David Garrick 2/19/1717 – 1/20/1779 English actor, producer, dramatist and comanager of the Drury Lane Theatre
62	Luigi Boccherini 2/19/1743 – 5/28/1805 Italian composer and cellist
73	Elie Ducommun 2/19/1833 – 12/7/1906 Swiss writer, editor and Nobel Peace Prize winner
82	Rudolf Stammler 2/19/1856 – 4/25/1938 German jurist and teacher
68	Svante Arrhenius 2/19/1859 – 10/2/1927 Swedish Nobel Prize-winning physical chemist
68	Merle Oberon 2/19/1911 – 11/23/1979 English/American film actress
81	Eddie Arcaro 2/19/1916 – 11/14/1997 American jockey
50	Carson McCullers 2/19/1917 – 9/29/1967 American author