On This Day: February 21

Updated February 20, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 21, 1965, former Black Muslim leader Malcolm X was shot and killed by assassins identified as Black Muslims as he was about to address a rally in New York City; he was 39.

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On Feb. 21, 1893, Andres Segovia, the Spanish musician who established the guitar as an important concert instrument, was born. Following his death on June 2, 1987, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1848 Former President John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. (He died two days later.)

1878 The first telephone directory was issued, by the District Telephone Co. of New Haven, Conn.

1885 The Washington Monument was dedicated.

1907 Poet W.H. Auden was born in York, England.

1916 The World War I Battle of Verdun began in France.

1925 The New Yorker magazine made its debut.

1947 Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds.

1972 President Richard M. Nixon began his historic visit to China.

1973 Israeli fighter planes shot down a Libyan Airlines jet over the Sinai Desert, killing more than 100 people.

1975 Former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up.

1988 TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart tearfully confessed to his congregation in Baton Rouge, La., that he was guilty of an unspecified sin, and said he was leaving the pulpit temporarily. (Reports linked Swaggart to a prostitute.)

1989 President George H.W. Bush called Ayatollah Khomeini’s death warrant against “Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie “deeply offensive to the norms of civilized behavior.”

1995 Chicago stockbroker Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon, landing in Canada.

2011 Deep cracks opened in Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, with Libyan government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots defecting and a major government building ablaze after clashes in the capital of Tripoli.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Kelsey Grammer (“Fraiser”) turns 57 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Actress Tyne Daly (“Cagney and Lacey”) turns 66 years old today.

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

1939 Richard Beymer, Actor (“West Side Story”), turns 73

1943 David Geffen, Recording executive, turns 69

1946 Anthony Daniels, Actor (C-3PO in the “Star Wars” films), turns 66

1946 Alan Rickman, Actor, turns 66

1946 Tricia Nixon Cox, Daughter of President Nixon, turns 66

1947 Olympia Snowe, U.S. senator, R-Maine, turns 65

1949 Jerry Harrison, Rock musician (Talking Heads), turns 63

1953 Christine Ebersole, Actress, turns 59

1953 William Petersen, Actor (“C.S.I.”), turns 59

1958 Mary Chapin Carpenter, Country singer, turns 54

1958 Jack Coleman, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 54

1961 Christopher Atkins, Actor, turns 51

1961 Ranking Roger, Rock singer (General Public, English Beat), turns 51

1963 William Baldwin, Actor, turns 49

1979 Jennifer Love Hewitt, Actress (“Ghost Whisperer”), turns 33

1986 Charlotte Church, Singer, turns 26

1983 Braylon Edwards, Football player, turns 29

1987 Ellen Page, Actress (“Juno”), turns 25

1989 Corbin Bleu, Actor (“High School Musical”), turns 23

Historic Birthdays

Andres Segovia 2/21/1893 – 6/2/1987 Spanish guitarist.Go to obituary »

82 Friedrich Karl von Savigny 2/21/1779 – 10/25/1861
German jurist and legal scholar

82 Antonio Lopez Santa Anna 2/21/1794 – 6/21/1876
Mexican army officer, statesman and politician

89 John Henry Newman 2/21/1801 – 8/11/1890
Eng. Churchman

79 Pierre Laffitte 2/21/1823 – 1/4/1903
French philosopher

54 Leo Delibes 2/21/1836 – 1/16/1891
French opera and ballet composer

81 Constantin Brancusi 2/21/1876 – 3/16/1957
Romanian abstract sculptor

56 Harry Stack Sullivan 2/21/1892 – 1/14/1949
American psychiatrist and teacher

73 Anais Nin 2/21/1903 – 1/14/1977
French-bn. American author

73 Tom Yawkey 2/21/1903 – 7/9/1976
American sportsman and owner of the Boston Red Sox (1933-76)

66 W. H. Auden 2/21/1907 – 9/29/1973
English-bn. American poet and writer

1848	Former President John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. (He died two days later.)
1878	The first telephone directory was issued, by the District Telephone Co. of New Haven, Conn.
1885	The Washington Monument was dedicated.
1907	Poet W.H. Auden was born in York, England.
1916	The World War I Battle of Verdun began in France.
1925	The New Yorker magazine made its debut.
1947	Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds.
1972	President Richard M. Nixon began his historic visit to China.
1973	Israeli fighter planes shot down a Libyan Airlines jet over the Sinai Desert, killing more than 100 people.
1975	Former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up.
1988	TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart tearfully confessed to his congregation in Baton Rouge, La., that he was guilty of an unspecified sin, and said he was leaving the pulpit temporarily. (Reports linked Swaggart to a prostitute.)
1989	President George H.W. Bush called Ayatollah Khomeini’s death warrant against “Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie “deeply offensive to the norms of civilized behavior.”
1995	Chicago stockbroker Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon, landing in Canada.
2011	Deep cracks opened in Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, with Libyan government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots defecting and a major government building ablaze after clashes in the capital of Tripoli.

1939	Richard Beymer, Actor (“West Side Story”), turns 73
1943	David Geffen, Recording executive, turns 69
1946	Anthony Daniels, Actor (C-3PO in the “Star Wars” films), turns 66
1946	Alan Rickman, Actor, turns 66
1946	Tricia Nixon Cox, Daughter of President Nixon, turns 66
1947	Olympia Snowe, U.S. senator, R-Maine, turns 65
1949	Jerry Harrison, Rock musician (Talking Heads), turns 63
1953	Christine Ebersole, Actress, turns 59
1953	William Petersen, Actor (“C.S.I.”), turns 59
1958	Mary Chapin Carpenter, Country singer, turns 54
1958	Jack Coleman, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 54
1961	Christopher Atkins, Actor, turns 51
1961	Ranking Roger, Rock singer (General Public, English Beat), turns 51
1963	William Baldwin, Actor, turns 49
1979	Jennifer Love Hewitt, Actress (“Ghost Whisperer”), turns 33
1986	Charlotte Church, Singer, turns 26
1983	Braylon Edwards, Football player, turns 29
1987	Ellen Page, Actress (“Juno”), turns 25
1989	Corbin Bleu, Actor (“High School Musical”), turns 23

82	Friedrich Karl von Savigny 2/21/1779 – 10/25/1861 German jurist and legal scholar
82	Antonio Lopez Santa Anna 2/21/1794 – 6/21/1876 Mexican army officer, statesman and politician
89	John Henry Newman 2/21/1801 – 8/11/1890 Eng. Churchman
79	Pierre Laffitte 2/21/1823 – 1/4/1903 French philosopher
54	Leo Delibes 2/21/1836 – 1/16/1891 French opera and ballet composer
81	Constantin Brancusi 2/21/1876 – 3/16/1957 Romanian abstract sculptor
56	Harry Stack Sullivan 2/21/1892 – 1/14/1949 American psychiatrist and teacher
73	Anais Nin 2/21/1903 – 1/14/1977 French-bn. American author
73	Tom Yawkey 2/21/1903 – 7/9/1976 American sportsman and owner of the Boston Red Sox (1933-76)
66	W. H. Auden 2/21/1907 – 9/29/1973 English-bn. American poet and writer