Today In History

In 1702: England’s Queen Anne ascended the throne upon the death of King William III.

In 1854: U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry made his second landing in Japan. Within a month he concluded a treaty with the Japanese.

In 1917: Russia’s “February Revolution” (so called because of the Old Style calendar used by Russians at the time) began with rioting and strikes in St. Petersburg.

In 1917: The U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.

In 1965: The United States landed about 3,500 Marines in South Vietnam.

In 1986: Four French television crew members were abducted in west Beirut; a caller claimed Islamic Jihad was responsible. (All four were eventually released.)