@rh18bold:Today in History

Today is Tuesday, February 12, the 43rd day of 2008. There are 323 days left in the year.

On this date

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who'd claimed the throne of England for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being condemned for high treason.

In 1818, Chile officially proclaimed its independence, more than seven years after initially renouncing Spanish rule.

In 1870, women in the Utah Territory gained the right to vote. (However, that right was taken away in 1887).

In 1908, the first round-the-world automobile race began in New York. (It ended in Paris the following July with the drivers of the American car, a Thomas Flyer, declared the winners over teams from Germany and Italy.)

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

In 1912, Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty.

In 1915, the cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C., a year to the day after groundbreaking.

In 1940, the radio play "The Adventures of Superman" debuted with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel.

In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of US prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.

In 1999, the Senate acquitted US president Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Thought for Today

"Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still." — President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).