FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2008

Today is Friday, February 22, the 53rd day of 2008. There are 313 days left in the year.

0057 B.C. _ Origin of Vikrama Samvat Era (India)

1349 _ Jews are expelled from Zurich, Switzerland

1495 _ French King Charles VIII enters Naples to claim the crown

1784 _ First U.S. ship to trade with China, ``Empress of China", sails from New York

1876 _ Johns Hopkins University opens

1900 _ Hawaii became a U.S. territory

1907 _ First cabs with taxi meters begin operating in London

1945 _ Arab League forms (Cairo)

1995 _ Steve Fossett completes 1st air balloon over Pacific Ocean (9600 km)

1998 _ ``King & I" closes at Neil Simon Theater NYC after 781 performances