HISTORY TODAY

HISTORY TODAY 1995 U.S.A. Steve Fossett Balloon Record 21st February, 1995 : Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon, taking off from South Korea, and landing in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada. Fossett was reported missing on September 3, 2007 after the plane he was flying over the Nevada desert failed to return and his wife asked for him to be declared legally dead on November 26, 2007 .

1947 U.S.A. Land Camera Demonstrated 21st February, 1947 : Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrated his instant camera and associated film. Called the Land Camera, , which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds. Two years later he put 57 Polaroid Land Cameras at Boston’s Jordan Marsh department store before the Christmas holiday, and they sold out within the first day after the demonstration.

U.S. 1804 U.K. First Working Full Size Railway Steam Locomotive Feb. 21st, 1804 : Richard Trevithick turns a high pressure steam engine designed to drive a hammer at the Pen-y-Darren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales into a steam locomotive by mounting it on wheels and on the 21st of February, 1804 the world’s first railway journey took place as Trevithick’s unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales.

U.S. 1922 U.S.A. Airship Crashes Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 1922 : The Italian built airship Roma crashed to the ground in Norfolk Virginia after the explosion of the hydrogen caused by the airship coming into contact with power lines turned the dirigible into a blazing inferno causing it to crash 1000 ft to the ground. Only a few survived the crash by jumping from the airship before it hit the power lines .

U.S. 1933 U.S.A. Texas Week Feb. 21st, 1933 : Mariam A. Ferguson announced that February 26th through March 4th would be officially called “Texas Week”. This was the week in which March 2nd falls, which is Independence Day for the state of Texas.
This legislation had officially been passed in the previous year, and 1933 was the first time that “Texas Week” was made official. Another announcement was made as well on this day-that Arbor Day would be on February 22nd (for the state of Texas).

U.S. 1933 U.S.A. Horse Race Betting Feb. 21st, 1933 : A hot debate had surrounded a wager bill. If this bill were to be passed, the pari-mutuel system of handling horse-race betting would be made legal.
The pari-mutuel betting system was a method by which winners would collect bets won, after all appropriate expenses were paid. After careful consideration, the wager bill which would legalize this system was withdrawn from Congress on this day.

Cuba 1960 Cuba Industry Nationalised 21st February, 1960 : Following Fidel Castro who believed in communism coming to power, Havana orders all Cuban industry under direct control of the government.

U.S. 1965 U.S.A. Malcolm X Assassinated Feb. 21st, 1965 : African American leader Malcolm X was assassinated while delivering a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.

France 1970 France US / North Vietnam Peace Talks Feb. 21st, 1970 : Henry Kissinger begins secret peace talks with North Vietnamese representative Le Duc Tho at a villa outside Paris hoping for a mutual withdrawal of forces from South Vietnam which was refused by North Vietnam .

1971 U.S.A. Winter Storm Feb. 21st, 1971 : One of Oklahoma worst winter storms had occurred on this day. More than two feet of snow had fallen in Northwest Oklahoma, and snowdrifts reached as high as 15 feet in the South-Central area. Winds increased to a maximum of 50 miles per hour.
Two deaths so far occurred as a result of this storm. Hundreds of others (travelers) were stranded.