At some point everything repeats itself

• On Feb. 5, 1883, the Southern Pacific Railroad completes its transcontinental “Sunset Route” from New Orleans to California. Termed “the Octopus” for its stranglehold on the California economy, the Southern Pacific inspired Californians to create some of the first strong public regulations over railroads in U.S. history.

•On Feb. 2, 1912, the world’s first movie stuntman performs for a newsreel when Frederick Rodman Law jumps off the Statue of Liberty with a parachute. Later that year, Law performed a similar stunt off the Brooklyn Bridge.

•On Feb. 4, 1938, Hollywood talent agent Myron Selznick (brother of producer David O. Selznick) is banned from the 20th Century Fox lot. The studio felt that Selznick was undermining the industry by inflating actors’ salaries.

•On Feb. 3, 1948, the first Cadillac with tailfins is produced, signaling the dawn of the tailfin era. General Motors increased the size of the Cadillac’s “tail feathers” every year throughout the 1950s.

•On Feb, 1, 1958, Elvis Presley records his last single, “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck,” before joining the Army. While serving in the Army, Presley’s monthly salary dropped from $100,000 to $78.

•On Jan. 30, 1969, the Beatles make their last public performance, giving an impromptu concert on the roof of their London recording studio. After neighbors complained about the noise, police broke up the concert.

•On Jan. 31, 1990, the Soviet Union’s first McDonald’s fast-food restaurant opens in Moscow. Throngs of people lined up to pay the equivalent of several days’ wages for Big Macs, shakes and french fries. The arrival of McDonald’s in Moscow was a small but certain sign that change was on the horizon. Less than two years later, the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a nation.