Month: February 2024
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Bowery Boys gang leader William “Bill the Butcher” Poole was shot in the chest by a gang from arch-rival John Morrissey’s Irish-American-led political group Tammany Hall. February 25, 1855.
Image: An 1888 engraving of boxer/gang leader William “Bill the Butcher” Pool. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 25, 1855, Bowery Boys gang leader William “Bill the Butcher” Poole was shot in the chest by a gang from arch-rival John Morrissey’s Irish-American-led political group Tammany Hall. Poole, the local leader of the Know…
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A Mexican force of 6000 soldiers led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna began a blockade of the fort at the Alamo. February 23, 1836
Image: The Fall of the Alamo (1903) by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, depicts Davy Crockett wielding his rifle as a club against Mexican troops who have breached the walls of the mission. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 23, 1836, a Mexican force of 6000 soldiers led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna…
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On this day in history, U.S. Postmaster Frazier B. Baker and his two-year-old daughter Julia Baker were lynched and died at their home in Lake City, South Carolina, after a white mob attack on their home. February 22, 1898.
Image: Lavinia Baker and her five surviving children. A mob of whites had set fire to their house at night and fatally shot and killed her husband, Frazier Baker, and baby girl Julia on February 22, 1898. Left to right: Sarah; Lincoln, Lavinia; Wille; Cora, Rosa. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 22,…
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On this day in history, Geronimo, Chiricahua Apache leader, and medicine man, died of pneumonia. February 17, 1909.
Image: Geronimo (Goyaalé), a Bedonkohe Apache, kneeling with a rifle, 1887. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 17, 1909, Geronimo, Chiricahua Apache leader and medicine man, died of pneumonia; while riding home on his horse, he was thrown off. He survived the night out in the cold, but Geronimo’s health was deteriorating rapidly…
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The Bombing of Dresden, February 13, 1945.
Image: Dresden viewed from the Rathaus (city hall) in 1945, showing destruction. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 13, 1945, over 800 Royal Air Force Lancaster’s descended on Dresden, Germany, “the Florence of the Elbe,” and with its lethal cargo, turned the city into a raging inferno killing approximately 25,000 innocent people and completely flattening…
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Nelson Mandela, the leader of the campaign to end South African apartheid, is released from prison by South African President F.W. De Klerk after 27 years behind bars. February 11, 1990.
Image: Nelson Mandela walks to freedom. February 11, 1990. On this day in history, Nelson Mandela, the leader of the campaign to end South African apartheid, is released from prison by South African President F.W. De Klerk after 27 years behind bars. His very dramatic walk from the gates of the Victor Verster Prison in…
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Pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige became the first Negro League player to be recommended for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. February 9, 1971
Image: Leroy “Satchel” Paige, 1948. (Public Domain). On this day in history, February 9, 1971, pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige became the first Negro League player to be recommended for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In August of that same year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his incredible fastball, dramatic presence,…
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The Beatles departed from London’s Heathrow Airport, destined for America, with 4,000 jubilant fans waving and screaming as the aircraft took off. February 7, 1964.
Image: The Beatles arriving in New York, 7 February 1964. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 7, 1964, the British singing group, the Beatles, departed from London’s Heathrow Airport with 4,000 jubilant fans waving and screaming as the aircraft took off. Upon landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, a boisterous crowd…
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A lady named Anastasia Tschaikovsky, declaring to be the youngest child of the slain Russian Czar Nicholas II, arrives in New York City. February 6, 1928.
Image: Anastasia Tschaikovsky in 1922. (Public Domain) On this day in history, February 6, 1928, a lady named Anastasia Tschaikovsky, declaring to be the youngest child of the slain Russian Czar Nicholas II, arrives in New York City. This woman held a press conference aboard the liner Berengaria, explaining that she was there to have…
History Daily With Francis Chappell Black 