FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Today is Friday, February 21, the 52nd day of 2014. There are 313 days left in the year.

1431 ― England begins trial against Joan of Arc

1795 ― Freedom of worship established in France under constitution

1842 ― First known sewing machine patented in U.S., John Greenough, Washington, D.C.

1878 ― First telephone directory (with 50 names) issued (New Haven, Conn.

1922 ― Great Britain grants Egypt independence

1925 ― First issue of “New Yorker” magazine published

1972 ― Richard Nixon becomes first U.S. President to visit China

1983 ― Donald Davis runs 1 mile backwards in 6 minutes 7.1 seconds

1989 ― U.S. bust Chinese heroin ring, capture record 820 lbs heroin ($1 billion street value)

1995 ― RAF-pilot Jo Salter is first woman to fly in a tornado