WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7, 2024

1795-11th Amendment to U.S. Constitution ratified, affirms power of states

1831-Belgium adopts its Constitution

1836-"Sketches by Boz" (essays) published by Charles Dickens

1891-Great Blizzard of 1891 begins

1900-Labour Party forms in England

1924-Mussolini government exchanges diplomats with USSR

1940-British railroads nationalized

11950-Senator Joe McCarthy finds "communists" in U.S. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1950-U.S. & Great-Britain recognize Bao Dai Vietnamese regime

1959-Castro proclaims new Cuban constitution

1962-President Kennedy begins blockade of Cuba

1965-U.S. begins regular bombing & strafing of North Vietnam

1969-Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO

1969-Diane Crump becomes 1st woman jockey at a major U.S. racetrack (Hialeah FL)

1983-First female secretary of transportation sworn-in (Elizabeth Dole)

1986-Haiti's President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier flees to France Henri Namphy becomes leader of Haiti

1986-Philippine Corazon Aquino defeats incumbent dictator Ferdinand Marcos but fraudulent returns gave the election to Marcos

1989-Tennis superstar Björn Börg, apparently attempts suicide in Milan

1991-Jean-Bertrand Aristide sworn in as Haiti's first elected president

1992-Mike Tyson testifies in his rape trial

1997 -U.S. & Russia announce summit set for Helsinki, March 20-21

1998-18th Winter Olympics games open at Nagano, Japan