The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Army Rangers

With America's entry into the Second World War, Rangers came forth again to add to the pages of history. Major (later Brigadier General) William 0. Darby organized and activated the 1st Ranger Battalion on June 19, 1942, at Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. The members of this battalion were all hand-picked volunteers, 50 of whom participated in the gallant Dieppe raid on the northern coast of France after training with British and Canadian commandos. The 1st Ranger Battalion participated in the initial North African landing at Arzeu, Algeria, and in the Tunisian battles where they executed many hazardous night attacks over difficult terrain. The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for distinguished action, which included operations in the critical battle of El Guettar.

The 3d and 4th Ranger Battalions were activated and trained by Colonel Darby in Africa near the end of the Tunisian Campaign. These three battalions formed the Ranger Force. Darby's three Ranger battalions spearheaded the Seventh Army landing at Gela and Licata during the Sicilian invasion, and played a key role in the following campaign that culminated in the capture of Messina. In the Salerno engagement, the Ranger Force fought for 18 days to hold Chiunzi Pass against eight German couterattacks in the Venafro battles. The Rangers experienced fierce winter and mountain combat in clearing the entrance to the narrow pass leading to Cassino. At Anzio, they overcame beach defenses, cleared the town, and established a defensive perimeter.

On the night of January 30, 1944, the 1st and 3d Ranger Battalions launched an attack by infiltrating enemy lines near Cisterna. Alert German troops discovered the infiltration, established ambush positions, sealed off the penetration, and prevented follow-on forces from aiding the Rangers. The Germans attacked with infantry and tanks against the Rangers, who fought back with bazookas, small arms, and stick grenades. The battle is not significant for damage done to the -enemy but for the incredible heroism of the American Rangers. The two battalions suffered 761 killed or captured out of the 767 Rangers engaged.

The 2d and 5th Ranger Battalions participated in the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, Normandy. It was during the bitter fighting along the beaches that the Rangers gained their official motto. As the situation became critical on Omaha Beach, Brigadier General Norman D. Cota, Assistant Division Commander of the 29th Infantry Division, stated that the entire assault force must clear the beaches and advance inland. He then turned to Lieutenant Colonel Max Schneider, commanding the 5th Ranger Battalion, and said, "Rangers, lead the way." The 5th Ranger Battalion spearheaded the break-through that enabled the Allies to drive inland away from the invasion beaches.

Attached to the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, Companies D, E, and F of the 2d Ranger Battalion accomplished the mission of capturing the gun emplacements on Pointe Du Hoc, after encountering fierce opposition from the defending German garrison. This operation demanded the utmost in Ranger courage and skill as the assault troops climbed rope ladders up the sheer rock face while under intense machine gun, mortar, grenade, and small arms fire.

The 6th Ranger Battalion, operating in the Pacific, was the only Ranger unit fortunate enough to be assigned those missions for which they were specifically organized and trained. All of its missions, usually of task force, company, or platoon size, were behind enemy lines, and involved long-range reconnaissance and hard-hitting, long-range combat patrols.

This battalion was the first American force to return to the Philippines with the mission of destroying coastal defense guns, radio stations, radar stations, and other means of defense and communications in Leyte Harbor. During a storm three days before the main assault, the 6th Ranger Battalion was landed from destroyers on islands in Leyte Bay. Their missions were completed with only hours to spare.

Later, C Company, reinforced by the 2d Platoon of F Company from the 6th Ranger Battalion, formed the rescue force that liberated American and allied PWs from the Japanese PW camp at Cabanatuan, the Philippines, in January 1945. They made a 29-mile forced march into enemy territory, aided in part by friendly partisans and the famous Alamo Scouts of the Sixth Army. They crawled nearly a mile across flat, open terrain to assault positions, and they destroyed a Japanese garrison nearly twice their size, liberating and evacuating over 500 prisoners. Over 200 enemy troops were killed. Ranger losses were two killed and ten wounded.

Another Ranger-type unit was the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), organized and trained as a long-range penetration unit for employment behind enemy lines in Japanese-occupied Burma. Commanded by Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill, its 2,997 men became popularly known as "Merrill's Marauders."

The men composing Merrill's Marauders were volunteers from the 33d Infantry Regiment, the 14th Infantry Regiment, the 5th Infantry Regiment, and other infantry regiments engaged in combat in the southwest and south Pacific. The men responded to a request from Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, for volunteers for a hazardous mission. Volunteers were to be physically and mentally tough, and they were to come from jungle-trained and jungle-tested units.

Before entry into the Northern Burma Campaign, Merrill's Marauders trained in India under the supervision of General Orde C. Wingate of the British Army. They were trained from February to June 1943 in long-range penetration tactics and techniques developed and first used by General Wingate in the operations of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade in Burma. From February to May 1944 the operations of the Marauders were closely coordinated with those of the Chinese 22d and 38th Divisions. Together they set forth to recover northern Burma and clear the way for the construction of the Ledo Road, which was to link the Indian railhead at Ledo with the old Burma Road to China. The Marauders marched and fought through jungle and over mountains from the Hukawng Valley in northwestern Burma to Myitkyina on the Irrawaddy River. In 35 engagements, they defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18th Division. Operating in the rear of the main forces of the Japanese, they prepared the way for the southward advance of the Chinese by disorganizing enemy supply lines and communications.

The climax of the Marauders' operations was the capture of Myitkyina Airfield, the only all-weather strip in northern Burma. This was the final victory of Merrill's Marauders. The unit was consolidated with the 475th Infantry on August 10, 1944. On June 21, 1954, the 475th was redesignated the 75th Infantry. It is from the consolidation and redesignation of Merrill's Marauders into the 75th Infantry that the modern-day Ranger Regiment traces its current official unit designation.

With the end of World War II, followed by a rapid demobilization, the Ranger units were inactivated. Many of their former members would soon again be called upon to demonstrate their unique skills.

With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950, the need for Rangers was apparent. Colonel John Gibson Van Houten was chosen by the Army Chief of Staff to head the Ranger training program at Fort Benning, Georgia.

On September 15, 1950, Colonel Van Houten reported to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief of Army Field Forces, Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was informed that training of Ranger-type units was to begin at Fort Benning at the earliest possible date. The target date was October 1, 1950, with a tentative training period of 6 weeks.

The implementing orders called for formation of a headquarters detachment and four Ranger infantry companies (airborne). Requests went out for volunteers who were willing to accept "extremely hazardous" duty in the combat zone of the Far East.

In the 82d Airborne Division, the results of the call for volunteers were astounding. Some estimates were as high as 5,000 men (experienced, Regular Army paratroopers). The ruthless sorting-out process began. Where possible, selection of the men was accomplished by the officers who would command the companies, similar to the days when Robert Rogers was recruiting.

Orders were issued and those selected were shipped to Fort Benning, the first group arriving on September 20. Training began on Monday, October 2, 1950, with three companies of airborne qualified personnel. These units were carried on the rolls as race "white." On October 9, 1950, another company began training. These were "black" paratroopers, former members of the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 80th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion of the 82d Airborne Division. Initially designated the 4th Ranger Company, they would soon be redesignated as the 2d Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), the only Department of the Army authorized, all-black Ranger unit in the history of the United States Army.

All volunteers were professional soldiers with many skills who often taught each other. Some of the men had fought with the original Ranger battalions, the First Special Service Force, or the Office of Strategic Services during World Way It. Many of the instructors were drawn from this same group. Many of the faces might have appeared youthful, but they were men highly trained and experienced in Ranger operations during World War II.

Training was rigorous and included amphibious and airborne operations (including low-level night jumps), demolitions, sabotage, close combat, and the use of foreign maps. All American small arms, as well as those used by the enemy, were mastered. Communications, as well as the control of artillery, naval, and aerial fires, were stressed. Much of the training was at night.

Physical conditioning and foot marching were constant. Colonel Van Houten stated the goal was "to prepare a company to move from 40 to 50 miles, cross country, in 12 to 18 hours, depending upon the terrain." Men learned it was possible to doze while marching. They also learned to swim in ice-ringed water.

No man was forced to remain a Ranger candidate. After a ruthless process of elimination, each company was still authorized a 30 percent overstrength. During training, there was a jeep with a white flag in the background. Anyone who decided he did not want to or could not continue had only to go sit in that jeep. No one would harass or mock him; he would be driven away and his personal gear removed from the Ranger barracks before the other men returned.

The first cycle completed their training on November 13, 1950. The 1st, 2d, and 4th Ranger Companies prepared for oversea shipment. The 3d Ranger Company prepared to assist in training the second cycle, which would consist of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Companies. These were also Regular Army volunteers, almost all of whom were from the 82d Airborne Division. The 3d Ranger Company moved overseas at the end of the second cycle.

The 1st Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) departed Fort Benning, Georgia, on November 15, 1950, and arrived in Korea on December 17, 1950, where it was attached to the 2d Infantry Division. It was soon followed by the 2d and 4th Ranger Companies, who arrived on December 29. The 2d Ranger Company was attached to the 7th Infantry Division. The 4th Ranger Company served both Headquarters, 8th US Army, and the 1st Cavalry Division.

Officers at Fort Benning had long studied the employment of Ranger units and had doubts about the employment of separate companies of Rangers. They recognized that the organization of Ranger infantry battalions offered many advantages, including better tactical employment. They believed that a lieutenant colonel battalion commander could operate more effectively with the senior officers of a division or high level staff than could a captain who commanded a Ranger company. A Ranger battalion staff would be able to look out for the welfare of the men. Operations could still be conducted at any organizational level.

Despite their recommendations, the organization remained the same, "One Ranger infantry company (airborne) per infantry division." One change was adopted, however; the companies would be assigned at Army level and attached down to the infantry division.

Throughout the winter of 1950 and the spring of 1951, the Rangers went into battle. They were nomadic warriors, attached first to one regiment, then another. They performed "out-front" work: scouting, patrols, raids, ambushes, spearheading assaults, and as counterattack forces to restore lost positions.

Attached on the basis of one 112-man company per 18,000-man infantry division, they compiled an incredible record. Nowhere in American military history is the volunteer spirit better expressed. They were volunteers for the Army, for airborne training, for the Rangers, and for combat. They were America's volunteer force for the Korean War. At a time when United Nations forces numbered over 500,000 men, there were less than 700 airborne Rangers fighting to the front of all the American divisions engaged in battle.

The rangers went into battle by air, water, and land. The 1st Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) opened with an extraordinary example of land navigation, then executed a daring night raid 9 miles behind enemy lines in which they destroyed an enemy complex. The enemy installation was later identified by a prisoner as the headquarters of the 12th North Korean Division. Caught by surprise and unaware of the size of the American force, two North Korean regiments hastily withdrew from the area. The 1st Company was in the middle of the major battle of Chipyong-Ni and the "May Massacre." It was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations.

The 2d and 4th Ranger Companies made a combat jump at Munsan-Ni where Life magazine reported Ranger patrols operating northward to the 38th parallel. The 2d Ranger Company plugged a critical gap left by a retreating allied force; the 4th Ranger Company executed a daring over-water raid at the Hwachon Dam. The 3d Ranger Company (attached to the 3d Infantry Division) had the motto, "Die, bastard, die." The 5th Ranger Company, fighting as an attachment to the 25th Infantry Division, performed brilliantly during the Chinese "5th Phase Offensive." Gathering up everyone he could find, the Ranger company commander held the line with Ranger sergeants commanding line infantry units. In the eastern sector, the Rangers were the first unit to cross the 38th parallel on the second drive north.

The 8th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was attached to the 24th Infantry Division. They were known as the "Devils." A 33-man platoon of this unit fought a between-the-lines battle with two Chinese reconnaissance companies. Seventy Chinese were killed. The Rangers suffered two dead and three wounded, all of whom were brought back to friendly lines.

Little has been written of the exploits of these Ranger companies. They operated in squad-, platoon-, and company-size engagements on, or forward of, the front line. To others, the main line of resistance was hell; to the Rangers, it was often sanctuary.

The Ranger companies were also being used as firemen. On occasion, Ranger units were left in contact forward while regiments were rotated. One Ranger company was engaged in a firefight when a light plane flew over and dropped a message telling them to break off action and help in another fight.

Not much publicity existed. On the only occasion when a civilian correspondent accompanied a Ranger unit forward of the lines, he was killed before he could file his story.

It has been written that finding replacements for these units was a problem; the records do not show this. Despite suffering casualties, ranging from 40 to 90 percent of the unit's original strength, the units in Korea were well manned and close to, or above, full strength at inactivation.

The only difference between the men of the Ranger companies in Korea and those Rangers with divisions stationed elsewhere was the opportunity" to fight for the United States. Duty was the Ranger byword. Ranger companies, in accordance with their orders and duty, served in the United States, Germany, and Japan.

In 1950 to 1951, there was concern that the Soviet Union was preparing to attack in Europe. At the end of World War II, America had stripped its fighting forces from that continent. Suddenly, in addition to fighting in Korea, America had to be prepared to fight a major war in Europe. The 6th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was one of the lead elements in the drive to rebuild US forces in Europe. Attached to the 1st Infantry Division, it left an enviable record for its discipline and daring. The 6th Ranger Company executed what their commander termed "the first tactical, mass, freefall parachute jump ever attempted by the Army."

Back at the Ranger training center, now designated the Ranger Training Command, Colonel Van Houten and his staff urged the Department of the Army to form Ranger battalions. A draft table of organization was prepared that included four Ranger infantry companies (airborne), a headquarters company, a service company, and a medical detachment. Proposals were made to form a Ranger battalion in Korea or to form one that could be co-stationed with the 187th Airborne RCT. This would facilitate airborne training and operations. The commander of the Caribbean Command wanted a Ranger battalion. Colonel Van Houten was anxious to oblige, but the request was denied.

On July 14, 1951, Eighth US Army Korea (EUSAK) dispatched a message to the commanding generals of the 1st Cavalry Division, as well as the 2d, 3d, 7th, 24th, and 25th Infantry Divisions, passing on a direct order to inactivate the Ranger companies within EUSAK. Acknowledging that the Rangers were selected on a volunteer basis for service requiring high qualities of leadership, mental alertness, and physical stamina, the message stated that qualified parachutists in these units would be transferred to the 187th RCT.

On October 22, 1951, the Office of the Chief of Army Field Forces published a directive entitled "Establishment of Ranger Courses at the Infantry School." The new emphasis would be on individual training.

On November 5, 1951, the last of the Ranger infantry companies (airborne) was inactivated. The men who served in the Korean War Ranger units now furled their guidons and passed into history. Those individual Rangers who remained on active duty, or returned to it, continued to compile a remarkable record. Korean War airborne Ranger veterans were deeply involved in the formation and growth of US Special Forces. Many fought with distinction in Vietnam.

With the growing US involvement in the Vietnam conflict, Rangers again were called on to serve their country. Fourteen separate Ranger companies, consisting of highly motivated volunteers, served with distinction in Vietnam from the Mekong Delta to the demilitarized zone. Assigned to independent brigade, division, and field force units, they conducted long-range reconnaissance and exploitation operations into enemy-held and denied areas, providing valuable combat intelligence. At the end of the war in Vietnam, these units were inactivated, and their members were dispersed among the various units in the Army. Many men went to the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. However, two long-range reconnaissance patrol units were retained in the force structure. Transferred to the Army National Guard, they were designated as infantry airborne Ranger companies, and they continue the proud heritage of these Vietnam-era units, concentrating on reconnaissance and stealth, rather than raid and ambush. The future of the pure Ranger battalion was headed in a different direction, however.

Recognizing the need for a highly trained and highly mobile reaction force, the Army Chief of Staff, General Abrams, in the fall of 1973, directed the activation of the first battalion-size Ranger units since World War II. General Abrams declared, "The Ranger Battalion is to be an elite, light, and the most proficient infantry battalion in the world. A battalion that can do things with its hands and weapons better than anyone. The battalion will contain no 'hoodlums or brigands' and if the battalion is formed from such persons, it will be disbanded. Wherever the battalion goes, it must be apparent that it is the best."

The 1st Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry, was activated officially on February 8, 1974, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, after organizing and training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 2d Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry, soon followed. It was activated on October 1, 1974. These elite units eventually established headquarters at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, and Fort Lewis, Washington, respectively.

During the Gulf War, an A-team lies low in a wadi during a long-range patrol deep in Iraq, hunting for SCUDs.

The farsightedness of General Abrams' decision, as well as the combat effectiveness of the Ranger battalions, was proven during the United States' deployment on October 25, 1983, to the island of Grenada to protect American citizens and to restore democracy. During this operation, code named "URGENT FURY," the 1st and 2d Ranger Battalions conducted a daring low-level parachute assault (500 feet), seized the airfield at Point Salines, rescued American citizens isolated at True Blue campus, and conducted air assault operations to eliminate pockets of resistance.

As a result of the demonstrated effectiveness of the Ranger battalions, the Department of the Army announced in 1984 that it was increasing the size of the active duty Ranger force to its highest level in 40 years by activating another Ranger battalion and a Ranger regimental headquarters. These new units, the 3d Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company (Ranger), 75th Infantry, received their colors on October 3, 1984, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The activation ceremonies were a step into the future for the Ranger Regiment and a link to the past as they were held concurrently with the first reunion of Korean War-era Rangers. Distinguished visitors and proud Rangers, both active duty and retired, joined to hail the historic activation of the Headquarters, 75th Infantry (Ranger) Regiment. The unit was subsequently redesignated as the 75th Ranger Regiment. This marked the first time that an organization of that size has been officially recognized as the parent headquarters of the Ranger battalions. Not since World War II and Colonel Darby's Ranger Force Headquarters has the US Army had such a large Ranger force, with over 2,000 soldiers being assigned to Ranger units.

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on February 25:
1635 Walraad the Elder, Dutch field marshall/earl of Nassau-Usingen
1643 Ahmed II 21st sultan of Turkey (1691-95)
1680 Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz composer
1707 Carlo Goldoni Italy, lawyer/playwright (Belisario, Love of the 3 Oranges)
1725 Armand-Louis Couperin Paris France, composer/organist (Notre Dame)
1725 Karl Wilhelm Ramler German poet (Geistliche Kantaten)
1731 Simon Stijl Frisian physician/writer
1732 Robert Hudson composer
1735 Ernst William Wolf composer
1778 José Francisco de San Martín liberated Argentina, Chile & Perú
1788 Mateo Ferrer composer
1794 Gerrit Schimmelpenninck Dutch earl of Nijenhuis/Peckedam
1807 George Alfred Trenholm Secretary Treasurer (Confederacy), died in 1876
1808 James Bowen Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1886
1809 George Washington Cullom Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1892
1811 Carl Schuberth composer
1814 Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian national poet/painter
1815 Robert Hall Chilton Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1879
1832 Theodorus J I Arnold bibliographer (Bibliotheca Belgian)
1833 Clement Anselm Evans Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1911
1833 Julie Verstraete-Lacquet Flemish actress
1840 Alexis Hollander composer
1840 Otto Liebmann German philosopher (Climax of Theories)
1841 Pierre Auguste Renoir Limoges France, Impressionist painter/sculptor
1842 Karl May German writer (Old Shatterhand/Winnetou)
1847 John Watson Canada, philosopher (Objective Idealism)
1855 George Bonnor cricketer (big-hitting Aussie batter 1880-1888)
1860 Menso Kamerlingh Onnes painter/water colors painter
1860 William James Ashley English economic-historian
1866 Benedetto Croce Italy, humanist/historian/editor/philosopher
1868 Anthony J Block Dutch lawyer (strafproces)
1871 Oliver Samuel Campbell tennis champion (US Open-1890)
1873 Enrico Caruso Naples Italy, operatic tenor (Faust)
1876 Charles Freer art collector; endowed Freer Gallery
1879 Otakar Ostrcil composer
1881 William Foster Massachusetts, Communist Presidential candidate (1924,28,32)
1882 Ludvig Nordström Sweden, writer (Story of Peter Svensk)
1882 Bruno Traven German writer (Sierra Madre)
1882 Jozef Goossenaerts Flemish philologist (Language boundary)
1887 Leonard Carey England, actor (Laughter)
1888 John Foster Dulles US Secretary of State (1953-59)
1890 Myra Hess London England, concert pianist
1894 Ernst Friedrich Breslau Germany, pacifist (War Against War!)
1894 Howard Wendell Poland, actor (4 Skulls of Jonathan Drake)
1895 DeBenneville "Bert" Bell PA, NFL owner/commissioner/HOF (Eagles)
1895 Henri Martelli composer
1896 John J McClellan (Senator-D-AR)
1897 Lili Körber writer
1898 William Thomas Astbury English physicist/chemist (textiles)
1899 Leo J Weisgerber German linguist
19-- Jean Bruce Scott Monterey CA, actress (Magnum PI, Airwolf)
19-- Louise Williams Scranton PA, actress (Busting Loose)
1900 Jed Harris producer/director (Billy Rose Show, Operation Mad Ball)
1901 [Herbert] Zeppo Marx New York NY, comedian/actor (Marx Brothers)
1901 Federico Ghisi composer
1902 Max Kommerell German literary/author (Die Gefangenen)
1902 Oscar Cullmann Swiss theologist (Das Petrusproblem)
1904 Adelle Davis author (Lets Stay Healthy)/nutritionist (died of cancer)
1906 Domingo Ortega Spanish bullfighter
1906 Howard Zahniser Father of the Wilderness Act
1906 Boris Papandopulo composer
1906 Warren Hymer New York NY, actor (Girl From Havana, Meet the Mob)
1907 Mary Coyle Chase playwright (Harvey-Pulitzer Prize)
1907 Shimen Rushkin Poland, actor (Beau Brummel, Having a Wonderful Time)
1908 Frank G Slaughter author (Sangaree)
1909 Edgar Pangborn US, sci-fi author (Judgment of Eve, Davy)
1909 John Evan "Jasper" Weston Mather writer
1910 Millicent Fenwick New York NY, (Representative-R-NJ 1975-82) (Doonesbury)
1912 Richard Wattis England, actor (Hobson's Choice, Prince & Showgirl)
1913 Jim Backus Cleveland OH, actor (Mr Magoo, Thurston Howell III-Gilligan's Island)
1913 Gert Froebe Saxony Germany, actor (Goldfinger)
1914 John Arlott cricketer (the doyen of cricket commentators & writers)
1916 Ralph Baldwin harness driver (set 11 major world records)
1916 Ian Wallace British CEO
1917 Anthony Burgess essayist/novelist (A Clockwork Orange)
1917 Alex Gordon architect
1917 Asta E R Elstak Suriname/Dutch social worker
1918 Henry Norwood Ewell Harrisburg PA, 4x100 meter runner (Olympics-gold-1948)
1918 Robert Lorimer "Bobby" Riggs US tennis star (US Open 1939, 41)
1919 Monty Irvin baseball hall of famer (New York Giants)
1919 F de Jong Edz Dutch historian
1920 Antony Duff diplomat
1920 Hayes Gordon Boston MA, actor (Sky Pirates, Dark Room)
1922 Matti Rautio composer
1923 Roger Parker Lord Justice of Appeal
1924 Peg Ridge peace campaigner
1925 Bert Remsen Glen Cove NY, actor (Mario-It's a Living)
1926 Harvey McGregor QC/warden (New College-Oxford)
1927 Dick Jones Snyder TX, actor (Buffalo Bill Jr)
1927 Jane Nigh Hollywood CA, actress (Lorelei-Big Town)
1927 Jacques Monod composer
1927 Ralph Stanley country singer
1928 Keith Williamson British RAF marshal
1928 Larry Gelbart writer/producer/actor (Oh God!, MASH)
1928 Richard Stern US writer
1929 Christopher George Royal Oak MN, actor (Rat Patrol, Immortal)
1929 Tommy Newsom Virginia, musician/bandleader/saxophonist (Tonight Show)
1929 Peter Bingham Hinchcliff British church historian (1 Sided Reciprocity)
1930 Erica Pedretti writer
1931 Edward Kellett-Bowman British MEP
1931 J R Stephenson Lieutenant-Colonel/Secretary (MCC)
1932 Faron Young country singer/actor (Hidden Guns, Daniel Boone)
1932 Laurence New Major-General
1932 Martin William Karlins composer
1934 Lord Crickhowell
1934 Michael Wheeler-Booth Clerk of the Parliaments
1934 Robert Neame brewer
1936 Jonnie Nicely playmate (August 1956)
1936 Norman Orville Scribner composer
1937 Bob Schieffer Austin TX, newscaster (CBS Weekend News)
1937 Basia Johnson maid (inherited Johnson & Johnson fortune)
1937 Tom Courtenay England, actor (Dresser, Dr Zhivago, To Catch a Spy)
1938 Diane Baker Hollywood CA, actress (Diary of Anne Frank, Marnie)
1938 Herb Elliott Australia, 1500 meter runner (Olympics-gold-1960)
1938 Farokh Engineer Indian cricket wicket-keeper (1961-75)
1939 A C F Verity master (Dulwich College)
1939 Marisa Mell Vienna Austria, actress (Masquerade, Casanova '70)
1940 Jesús Lopez-Cobos Toro Spain, conductor (International Conductor Competition)
1940 Jud Taylor actor (Dr Gerson-Dr Kildare)
1940 Ron Santo Chicago Cub shortstop (1st baseball player to veto his trade)
1940 Billy Packer Wellsville NY, basketball sportscaster (CBS)
1940 George Paul CEO (Norwich Union Insurance Group)
1940 Hector MacKenzie trade unionist
1941 David Puttnam London, film producer/CEO (Columbia Pictures)
1941 Susan Browning Baldwin NY, actress (Pat-Mary Hartman)
1941 Ramon Pagayon Santos composer
1941 Stewart Sutherland Principal/Vice-Chancellor (Edinburgh University)
1943 George Harrison Liverpool England, rocker (My Sweet Lord, Beatles-Something, Traveling Wilburys-End of the Line)
1943 Sally Jesse Raphael Easton PA, TV talk show host (Sally)
1943 Maryann Amacher composer
1944 Karen Grassle Berkeley CA, actress (Caroline-Little House on Prairie)
1944 Kristina Holland Fayetteville NC, (Tina-Courtship of Eddie's Father)
1945 Elkie Brooks Manchester England, rocker (Pearl's a Singer)
1945 Shivadhar Srinivasa Naipaul Trinidad, novelist, essayist (Fireflies)
1946 F Xaver Kroetz writer
1947 Eddie Thomson Australian soccer coach (Olyroos, Olympics-96)
1947 Lee Edward Evans Madera CA, 400 meter runner (Olympics-2 gold-1968)
1947 Lewis Moonie British MP
1948 G B Warren British biochemist
1949 Lord Sempill
1950 Emitt Rhodes musician (The Merry-go-Round)
1950 Anthony Lloyd British MP
1950 Neil Jordan director (Crying Game)
1950 Rick Flair [Richard Fliehr], wrestling champion (NWA/WWF/WCW/AWA)
1952 James A Barcia (Representative-D-MI)
1953 Garrett Glaser entertainment correspondent (Entertainment Tonight)
1954 Steve Rixon Australian cricket wicket-keeper (1977-85)
1955 Leann Hunley actress (Dane Carrington-Dynasty, Dawson's Creek)
1956 Davie Cooper soccer star
1957 Jane Ackroyd British sculptor
1957 Stuart "Woody" Wood Scotland, guitarist (Bay City Rollers-Saturday Night)
1958 Kurt Rambis NBA forward (Lakers, Hornets)/Clark Kent look-alike
1959 Mike Peters rocker (Alarm-In the Summertime)
1960 Glen Bishop cricketer (South Aussie bat, 2 ODI's for Australia 1987)
1962 Birgit Fischer German DR, 500 meter kayaker (Olympics-gold-1980)
1962 Cammy Ciarelli Iowa City IA, WPVA volleyballer (Best of Beach-2nd-1995)
1962 Foster Emerson Sylvers rocker
1963 Alison Roberts fashion designer
1963 Paul O'Neill Columbus OH, right fielder (Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees)
1963 Tom McHale NFL tackle (Miami Dolphins)
1964 Don Majkowski NFL quarterback (Detroit Lions)
1964 Steve Nevius film editor (Eden, Fall Time, Damascus)
1965 Carrot Top [Scott Thompson], Florida, comedian (American Comedy Award-1994)
1965 Veronica Webb supermodel/actress (Jungle Fever, Malcolm X)
1966 Don Anurasiri cricketer (Sri Lankan slow left-armer)
1966 Samantha Phillips Ft Meade MD, Penthouse Pet
1966 Stacey Cortez actress (Sheila Cantillan-General Hospital)
1966 Tea Leoni New York NY, actress (Flying Blind, Naked Truth)
1967 Jenny Byrne Perth Australia, tennis star (1984 Futures-Wyong-Australia)
1967 Nick Leeson British banker (Baring bank)
1967 Rich Rowland US baseball catcher (Detroit Tigers)
1968 David Hulse US baseball outfielder (Texas Rangers)
1969 Donald Hodge NBA center (Charlotte Hornets)
1969 Kerry Dienelt Australian softball catcher/1st baseman (Olympics-bronze-96)
1969 Michelle Gibson equestrian dressage (Olympics-bronze-96)
1970 Alfred Jordan CFL cornerback (Calgary Stampeders)
1970 Brian O'Neal NFL full back (San Francisco 49ers)
1970 Corey Mayfield NFL defensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1970 Dave Brown NFL quarterback (New York Giants)
1970 Joe Bowden NFL linebacker (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
1970 Troy Mallette Sudbury, NHL left wing (Ottawa Senators)
1971 Andrew Hermann US 50K walker (Olympics-96)
1971 Byron Dafoe Sussex England, NHL goalie (Los Angeles Kings)
1971 David Fox US, 50 meter freestyle (Olympics-6th-96)
1971 Helen Dobson Skegness England, golfer (1993 State Farm Rail Classic)
1971 Jennifer LaVoie Nashua NH, playmate (August 1993)
1971 Nova Peris Darwin Australia, field hockey left halfback (Olympics-96)
1971 Sean Astin Los Angeles CA, actor (Goonies, Like Father Like Son, Toy Soldiers)
1972 Chris Harrison guard (Detroit Lions)
1972 Erwin van de Looi soccer player (Vitesse)
1972 Sean Harris NFL linebacker (Chicago Bears)
1973 Daryl Gardener defensive end (Miami Dolphins)
1973 Kirrily Sharpe Bankstown Australia, tennis star (1995 Futures-Saga-Japan)
1974 Detron Smith NFL running back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1974 Tamarick Vanover NFL wide receiver (Kansas City Chiefs)
1975 Hercules Kyvelos Montréal Québec Canada, boxer (Olympics-96)
1976 Chris Pitman rocker (Zaum, Tool)
1976 Samaki Walker NBA forward (Dallas Mavericks)
1992 Libby [Elizabeth] Callahan Columbia SC, sport pistol (Olympics-96)

Deaths which occurred on February 25:
0779 Walburgis Anglo-Saxon abbess/saint (Walpurgis Night), dies
1247 Hendrik IV duke of Limburg/earl of Bergen (1226-47), dies
1495 Djem Sultan son of Turkish sultan Mehmed II, dies at 35
1601 Earl of Essex executed for treason in revolt against Queen Elizabeth
1601 Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, executed for treason against Elizabeth
1602 Everard van Reyd Dutch historian, dies at about 51
1634 Albrecht von Wallenstein German generalissimo, murdered at 50
1634 Albrecht WE baron von Wallenstein German duke, murdered at 50
1634 Van Friedland/Mecklenburg General-Admiral, dies at 50
1643 Marco da Gagliano Italian opera composer, dies at 60
1682 Alessandro Stradella Italian violist/composer, murdered at 37
1713 Frederik I King of Prussia (1701-13), dies at 55
1719 Giovanni Maria Casini composer, dies at 66
1723 Sir Christopher Wren England, astronomer/architect, dies at 90
1819 Filinto Elísio [do Nascimento], Portuguese poet, dies at 84
1826 Piotr A von der Pahlen military governor of St Petersburg, dies at 60
1851 Ferdinand Simon Gassner composer, dies at 53
1852 Thomas Moore writer (Odes of Anacreon), dies
1865 Otto Ludwig German writer (Zwischen Himmel und Erde), dies at 47
1894 James Morrison Steele Mackaye US actor/author/director, dies at 51
1899 Paul Julius von Reuter founder of the news agency (Reuters), dies
1901 Jose Rogel composer, dies at 71
1902 Carl Ignaz Franz Umlauf composer, dies at 77
1906 Anton Stepanovich Arensky Russian composer/conductor, dies at 44
1914 John Tenniel British illustrator (Alice in Wonderland), dies at 93
1915 George Mimot physician (Nobel-1934), dies
1920 Aloys Liechtenstein nobleman/politician, dies at 73
1922 Henri-Désiré Landru French sex murderer, guillotined at 52
1925 Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia composer, dies at 81
1934 Daniel Protheroe composer, dies at 67
1934 John J McGraw manager (New York Giants), dies at 60
1942 Leo Ascher composer, dies at 61
1945 Mário R de Morais Andrade Brazilian poet/folklorist, dies at 51
1947 Friedrich Paschen German physicist, dies at 82
1953 Jesus Garcia Leoz composer, dies at 49
1955 Marij Kogoj composer, dies at 59
1957 Kurt von Wolfurt composer, dies at 76
1957 Mark Aldanov [Mark A Landau], Russian/French chemist, dies at 70
1960 Everhardus J van Romondt Dutch Antillean minister, dies at 51
1962 Wilhelm Pessler German sociologist, dies at 81
1964 Alexander Archipenko sculptor, dies
1967 John Griggs actor (Joey Bishop Show), dies at 57
1968 Camille Huysmans Belgian premier (1946-47), dies at 96
1969 Jan Zajic Czechoslovakian student, self incinerates
1970 Mark Rothko abstract expressionist (Green on Blue), dies at 66
1975 Elijah Muhammad leader of the Nation of Islam, dies in Chicago at 77
1978 Daniel "Chappie" James Jr retired Air Force General, dies at 58
1982 J K Irani cricket wicketkeeper (2 Tests for India 1947-48), dies
1983 Tennessee Williams writer (Streetcar Named Desire), chokes to death on a bottle cap at 71
1983 John Cowles Sr US publisher, dies at 84
1987 James Coco actor (Joe-Dumplings), dies at 58
1988 Amapola Del Vando actress (Cowboy), dies at 78
1990 Deborra Hampton actress (Crossroads, 2 of a Kind), dies at 30
1992 Guy Deghy actor (Matter of Who, 1 Eyed Soldiers), dies at 79
1992 John E Allen Jr actor (1 2 3), dies
1992 Ollie O'Toole dies after long illness at 79
1993 Eddie Constantine actor (Alphaville, License to Kill), dies at 75
1993 Jan D Boeke Dutch organist/conductor, dies
1993 Jean G H "Sjeng" Tans Dutch PM (Social Democrat, 1965-69), dies
1993 John D Boeke organist/conductor, dies
1993 Troy Caldwell country musician (Marshall Tucker Band), dies at 45
1994 Baruch Goldstein physician/murderer (53 in mosque), lynched at 42
1994 Hugh Tayfield cricketer (170 wickets for South Africa in 37 Tests), dies
1994 Jersey Joe Walcott boxer, dies at 80
1994 Wladyslaw Sila Lawyer Adviser to Solidarity-Nowicki dies at 80
1994 Yann Piat French MP (FN/PR), murdered at 44
1995 Jack Clayton British director (Great Gatsby), dies at 73
1995 Oh Jin Woo Korean minister of defense, dies
1995 Terence Weil cellist/teacher, dies at 73
1996 Haing S Ngor doctor/actor (Killing Fields), dies at 45
1996 Marion Farouk Political scientist-Sluglett dies at 59
1996 Vehbi Koc industrialist/philanthropist, dies at 94
1997 Andrei Donatovich Sinyavsky writer/critic, dies at 71
1997 Tony Williams jazz drummer (Miles Davis), dies at 51
1998 Luigi Veronesi Italian abstract artist (Campo Grafico), dies at 90
1998 Umberto Mastroianni Italian sculptor, dies at 87

On this day...
1095 Council of Rockingham bishop Anselmus vs King William II Rufus
1358 Dalmatië flees Venice
1497 Italians troops reconquer Taranto on France
1502 Austrian emperor Maximilian I reformats government machine
1540 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado searches for 7 cities of Cibola México
1570 Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth, absolves her subjects from allegiance
1605 Portuguese garrison on Ambon surrenders to Admiral Van der Haghen
1623 Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria becomes monarch of Palts
1634 Irish captain Walter Devereaux kills duke Wallenstein
1643 Dutch US colonists kill Algonquin-Indians
1667 Abraham Crijnssens fleet reach Fort Willoughby on Suriname River
1746 Cumberlands troops occupy Aberdeen
1751 1st performing monkey exhibited in America, NYC (admission 1¢)
1791 1st Bank of US chartered
1793 1st cabinet meeting (At George Washington's home)
1799 1st federal forestry legislation authorizes purchase of timber land
1799 Congress passes 1st federal quarantine legislation
1803 1,800 sovereign German states unite into 60 states
1804 Jefferson nominated for President at Democratic-Republican caucus
1828 John Quincy Adam's son John marries in the White House
1830 Victor Hugo's "Hernani" premieres in Paris
1836 Samuel Colt patents 1st revolving barrel multishot firearm
1837 1st US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport
1838 London pedestrian walks 20 miles backward then forward in 8 hours
1839 Seminoles & black allies shipped from Tampa Bay FL, to the West
1847 State University of Iowa is approved
1859 First use of "insanity plea" to prove innocence
1862 Congress establishes the US Bureau of Engraving & Printing
1862 Paper currency (greenbacks) introduced in US by President Abraham Lincoln
1863 Congress creates national banking system, comptroller of currency
1868 Andrew Johnson impeached for violation of the Tenure of Office act
1870 Hiram Revels, Mississippi, is sworn in as 1st black member of Congress (Senator)
1875 Kiowa Indians under Lone Wolf (Guipago) surrender at Ft Sill
1879 Congress passed 1st Timberland Protection Act
1885 US Congress condemns barbed wire around government grounds
1892 James Barrie's "Walker London" premieres in London
1896 Italian government decides to attack governor Baratieri of Eritrea
1901 US Steel Corp organizes under directorship of J P Morgan
1901 George Cohan's musical "Governor's Son" premieres in New York NY
1904 J M Synge's "Riders to the Sea" opens at Irish National Theatre Society
1904 Stanley Cup Ottawa Silver 7 sweep Toronto Marlboroughs in 2 games
1905 Netherlands Workers van Vakverenigingen, (NVV) political party forms
1907 US proclaims protectorate over Dominican Republic
1907 George Bernard Shaw's "Philanderer" premieres in London
1908 1st tunnel under the Hudson River (railway tunnel) opens
1910 Dali Lama flees Tibet from Chinese troop to British-Indies
1911 The opera "Natoma" is produced (Philadelphia)
1913 16th Amendment ratified, authorizing income tax
1916 German troops conquer Fort Douaumont near Verdun
1919 Oregon is 1st state to tax gasoline (1¢ per gallon)
1919 League of Nations set up by Paris Treaty
1921 Georgian SSR proclaimed
1923 Bread in Berlin rises to 2,000 mark
1924 Marie Boyd scores 156 points in Maryland High School basketball game (163-3)
1925 Glacier Bay National Monument established in Alaska
1925 US female Figure Skating championship won by Beatrix Loughran
1925 US male Figure Skating championship won by Nathaniel Niles
1926 Francisco Franco becomes General of Spain
1926 Kwo-Min-Tang (Guomindang) declares war on government/warlords
1927 Gdansk & Polish accord concerning traffic through Polish corridor
1930 Check photographing device patented
1930 George Headley completes twin tons in Test Cricket vs England (114 & 112)
1932 Immigrant Adolf Hitler gets German citizenship
1933 Major NFL rule changes (hash mark 10 yards in, posts on goal line)
1933 Thomas Yawkey purchases the Boston Red Sox
1933 1st genuine aircraft carrier christened, USS Ranger
1938 British Lord Halifax becomes Foreign Minister
1939 1st Anderson bomb shelter in Britain erected in an Islington garden
1940 1st televised (W2XBS, NYC) hockey game (Rangers vs Canadiens)
1941 Boston Bruins set NHL record of 23-game unbeaten streak (15-0-8)
1941 February strike against persecution of Jews, in Amsterdam
1943 Vietminh forms Indo Chinese Democratic Front
1944 US 1st Army completes invasion plan
1945 US aircraft carriers attack Tokyo
1948 Communists seize Czechoslovakia/C Gottwald becomes premier
1949 WAC Corporal rocket achieves height of 400k (record)
1950 "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca premieres on NBC Writers include Mel Brooks, Neil Simon & Woody Allen
1951 1st Pan American Games open (Buenos Aires Argentina)
1951 "Michael Todd's Peep Show" closes at Winter Garden NYC after 278 performances
1951 Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins Orlando FL 2 Ball Golf Tournament
1952 6th Winter Olympics games close at Oslo, Norway
1953 "Wonderful Town" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 559 performances
1954 Abdul Nasser appointed Egyptian premier
1956 Khrushchev denounces Stalin at 20th Soviet Party Conference
1957 Buddy Holly & the Crickets record "That'll Be the Day"
1957 Supreme Court decides 6-3, baseball is only antitrust exempt pro sport
1960 John Cage's "Music for Amplified Toy Pianos" premieres
1960 Lillian Hellman's "Toys in the Attic" premieres in New York NY
1961 Niagara ends St Bonaventura's 99-game home basketball win streak
1961 Paul Bikle in glider climbs from 1208 meter at release to record 14,10
1962 Mike O'Hara completes a record 97th marathon
1962 India Congress Party wins elections
1962 Robert Kennedy visits Netherlands
1963 Beatles release their 1st single in US "Please Please Me"
1964 Cassius Clay, a 7-1 underdog, TKOs champion Sonny Liston in the 7th round to win the world heavyweight title
1964 Austrian chancellor Alfons Gorbach resigns
1966 Syrian military coup under Hafiz al-Assad
1968 430 Unification Church couples wed in Korea
1968 Makarios re-elected President of Cyprus
1969 Beatles begin recording for the Abbey Road album
1969 Mariner 6 launched for fly-by of Mars
1969 Pension plan for baseball is agreed to
1971 "Oh! Calcutta!" opens at Belasco Theater NYC for 1,316 performances
1971 P Zindel's "And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" premieres in New York NY
1972 Lopsided trade, Cards trade Steve Carlton to Phillies for Rick Wise
1972 Paul McCartney releases "Give Ireland back to the Irish" single
1973 Juan Corona sentenced to 25 life sentences for 25 murders
1973 Steven Sondheim's musical "Little Night Music" premieres at Shubert Theater in New York NY for 601 performances
1974 Veronica & Colin Scargill (England) begin tandem bicycle ride a record 18,020 miles around the world, completed on August 27, 1975
1975 Ewen Chatfield flattened by Peter Lever & seriously injured
1977 New Orleans' Pete Maravich sets NBA record for a guard with 68 points
1977 Oil tanker explosion west of Honolulu spills 31 million gallons
1977 Soyuz 24 returns to Earth
1978 Botham scores 1st Test Cricket century, 103 vs New Zealand Christchurch
1979 Soyuz 32 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station
1979 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic
1980 Coup ousts PM Henck Arron of Suriname
1981 New York Islanders give up their most goals (11) vs Calgary Flames
1981 NHL most penalized game; Bruins vs Northstars, 84 penalties (392 minutes)
1981 Rita Jenrette (wife of Abscam congressman) appears on Donahue
1981 23rd Grammy Awards Sailing-Christopher Cross, Billy Joel win
1981 Executive Board of Baseball Players' Association votes unanimously to strike on May 29 if the issue of free-agent compensation remains unresolved
1981 L Calvo Sotelo elected premier of Spain
1981 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1982 Final episode of "The Lawrence Welk Show" airs
1982 Record speed for a snowmobile (239 kph)
1984 Oil fire in Cubatao Brazil kills 500
1986 Corazon Aquino becomes President of Philippines; Former Philippines President Ferdinand E Marcos flees in defeat
1986 Thousands of Egyptian military police riot, destroy 2 luxury hotel
1986 28th Grammy Awards We Are the World, Sade, Phil Collins win
1986 Iran conquerors Iraq peninsula Fao
1987 Michael Jordan, scores Chicago Bull record 58 points in a game
1987 US Supreme Court upholds (5-4) affirmative action
1987 LaMarr Hoyt is banned from baseball for 1987, due to drug abuse
1988 Bruce Springsteen "Tunnel of Love Tour" begins in Worcester MA
1988 South Korea adopts constitution
1989 1st independent blue-collar labor union in Communist Hungary forms
1989 Dallas Cowboys fire coach Tom Landry after a 29-year career
1989 Javed Miandad scores 271 vs New Zealand at Eden Park
1989 Lowest barometric pressure in Netherlands (956.7 mbar at De Bilt)
1989 Mike Tyson TKOs Frank Bruno in 5 for heavyweight boxing title
1990 Nicaraguans vote out Sandinistas
1990 On a BBC taped interview, rock star Stevie Nicks breaks down, saying that she will never have children & no man can stand her for long
1990 Australia beat Pakistan 2-0 to win the Cricket World Series Cup
1991 Andrew Jones scores twin Test Cricket tons vs Sri Lanka (122 & 100)
1991 Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky & John Candy buy CFL's Toronto Argonauts
1991 US, barracks in Dhahran Saudi Arabia, hit by SCUD missile, kills 28
1992 34th Grammy Awards Unforgettable, Marc Cohn win
1993 "Fool Moon" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC for 207 performances
1993 Florida Marlins introduce their mascot "Billy"
1993 Pakistan all out 43 vs West Indies, world one-day international record low
1994 Israeli extremist Baruch Goldstein massacres 30 Palestinians in Hebron
1994 Peruvian Yak-40 crashes into mountain near Tingo Maria, kills 31
1994 Phil Rizzuto elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
1995 Bomb attack on train in Assam India (27 soldiers killed)
1995 British heavyweight Nigel Benn hits Gerard McClellan in hospital
1995 Moslem fundamentalists shoot 20 Shiite mosque goers dead
1995 PBA National Championship Won by Scott Alexander
1996 "Father" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 52 performances
1996 Rajindra Dhanraj takes 16-167 in match Trinidad vs Leeward Is
1998 40th Grammy Awards
1998 Pamela Lee has husband Tommy Lee arrested on battery charges
1998 Switzerland's 1st legal brothel opens in Zurich

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Kuwait : National Day
México : Coronado Day (1540)
World : Brotherhood Day (1934) - - - - - ( Sunday )

Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of St Avertanus & Bl Romeo
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Matthias the Apostle (leap years)
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Walburga, abbess
Orthodox : Commemoration of St Tarasius, patriarch of Constantinople
Lutheran : Commemoration of Elizabeth Fedde, deaconess,
Anglican, Roman Catholic : Ember Day
Jewish : Purim-Feast of Lot (Adar 14, 5754 AM)
Jewish : Fast of Esther (Adar 13, 5762 AM)

Religious History
1570 Elizabeth I of England was excommunicated by Pope Pius V for her severe persecution of Roman Catholics in England. (It was the last such judgment made against a reigning monarch by any pope.)
1738 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'God, I find, has a people everywhere; Christ has a flock, though but a little flock, in all places.'
1824 The Baptist General Tract Society was organized in Washington, D.C. In 1826 the society was moved to Philadelphia, and by 1840, the organization had issued over 3.5 million copies of 162 different tracts.
1902 Birth of Oscar Cullmann, German New Testament scholar. Best known for pioneering a "salvation history" view of the NT, Cullmann's two best-known publications were "Christ and Time" (1946) and "Christology of the New Testament" (1959).
1913 Pioneer missionary Eduard L. Arndt first arrived in Shanghai, China, 10 months after having founded the Evangelical Lutheran Missions for China. He afterward established missions and schools in the Hankow territory, and translated hymns and sermons into Chinese. (In 1917 the Missouri Synod took over the ELMS mission.)

Thought for the day :
"Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped."

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