Today in History, 2/4

1789: George Washington is unanimously elected to be the first President of the United States by the US Electoral College.
1792: George Washington is unanimously elected to a second term.
1794: The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French Republic. This didn't prevent them from kicking around various native groups, though.
1801: John Marshal is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
1825: The Ohio Legislature authorizes construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal (it connects the Ohio River and Lake Erie at Cleveland) and the Miami and Erie Canal (from the Ohio River to Lake Erie at Toledo).1861: Delegates from six break-away US states (SC, MS, FL, AL, GA and LA) meet and form the Confederate States of America.
1895: Nigel Bruce is born. He is considered the "definitive Watson" in the Sherlock Holmes movies.1899: The Philippine-American war begins.
1902: Charles Lindbergh is born.
1913: Rosa Parks is born.1918: Ida Lupino is born.1918: Janet Waldo is born. She did the voice of Penelope Pitstop on Wacky Races and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop.
1923: Conrad Bain is born. He was the dad on Diff'rent Strokes.
1938: Thorton Wilder's play Our Town opens on Broadway.
1940: George A. Romero is born. Although he admits to being inspired by Richard Matheson's book I Am Legend, he is generally credited with inventing the modern zombie genre.1940: John Schuck is born. He played the Klingon ambassador in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.1941: John Steel is born. He was the original drummer for The Animals.
1941: The USO (United Service Organization) is created to entertain American troops.
1945: The Yalta Conference begins.1945: Ceylon (aka Sri Lanka) becomes independent within the British Commonwealth.

Not Cylon! Ceylon!

1948: Alice Cooper is born.

1949: Michael Beck is born. He played Swan in The Warriors and Dallas in Megaforce.
1959: Pemelyn Ferdin is born. She provided the voice of Lucy van Pelt in the Peanuts cartoons.
1960: Jenette Goldstein is born. She played the tough-but-hot Vasquez in Aliens.1974: The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst.
1983: Karen Carpenter dies.
1991: The Baseball Hall of Fame votes to ban Pete Rose.