This Day in History
1870: The 15th Amendment is ratified, stating that the right to vote cannot be denied by states or the federal government on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.1913: The 16th Amendment is ratified, giving Congress the authority to impose an income tax.
1917: The United States cuts diplomatic ties with Germany following the sinking of the Housatonic by a German submarine.
1959: Rock and roll singer Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" die in a plane crash in an Iowa cornfield.
1988: In the "Baby M" case, a New Jersey court rules that surrogate mother contracts that involve payments are illegal.
1998: A U.S. military aircraft severs a ski lift cable in Italy, causing 20 riders to plunge to their deaths.
2002: In football , the underdog New England Patriots shock the St. Louis Rams with a last-minute field goal to win Super Bowl XXXVI 20-17.
Today's Birthdays
1809: Felix Mendelssohn, composer (Germany; died 1847)1811: Horace Greeley, newspaper editor and presidential candidate (Amherst, NH; died 1872)
1821: Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman physician (near Bristol, England; died 1910)
1874: Gertrude Stein, writer/critic (Allegheny, PA; died 1946)
1894: Norman Rockwell, artist/illustrator (New York, NY; died 1978)
1907: James Michener, novelist (New York, NY; died 1997)
1909: Simone Weil, philosopher (France; died 1943)
1918: Joey Bishop, actor (Bronx, NY)
1940: Fran Tarkenton, football quarterback (Richmond, VA)
1944: Blythe Danner, actress (Philadelphia, PA)
1945: Bob Griese, football quarterback and sportscaster (Evansville, IN)
1950: Morgan Fairchild, actress (Dallas, TX)
1959: Thomas Calabro, actor (Brooklyn, NY)
