February 20

Today in History
• 1547 - King Edward VI of England was enthroned following death of Henry VIII
• 1673 - 1st recorded wine auction held in London
• 1710 - Johan Willem Friso becomes Viceroy of Groningen, Netherlands
• 1768 - 1st American chartered fire insurance company opens in Pennsylvania
• 1792 - US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance
• 1798 - French General Louis Alexandre Berthier removes Pope Pius VI from Rome
• 1809 - US Supreme Court rules federal government power greater than any state
• 1835 - Concepcion, Chile, destroyed by earthquake; 5,000 die


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Argentina Carnival
• Mizoram State Day
• National Cherry Pie Day
• National Muffin Day
• National Student Volunteer Day
• Nova Scotia Heritage Day
• Presidents' Day
• Shrove Monday

Birthdays
• 1494 - Johan Friis, chancellor, Denmark, helped formed Lutheranism
• 1632 - Thomas Osborne, Duke of Leeds, English PM, 1690-1694, founder, Tories
• 1757 - John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, English philanthropist
• 1805 - Angelina Grimke, reformer/abolitionist/politician/lawyer
• 1839 - Benjamin Waugh, founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
• 1898 - Enzo Ferrari, Italy, sportscar manufacturer, Ferrari
• 1899 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, founder, Pan Am Airways
• 1901 - Ali Muhammad Naguib, Khartoum, president of Egypt, 1952-54