chron_220210_todayinhistory

French and Indian War ends

In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years’ War (also known as the French and Indian War in North America).

Tornado strikes St. Louis

In 1959, a major tornado tore through the St. Louis area, killing 21 people and causing heavy damage.

Tyson convicted of rape

In 1992, boxer Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson served three years in prison.)

Brian Williams suspended

In 2015, NBC announced it was suspending Brian Williams as “Nightly News” anchor and managing editor for six months without pay for misleading the public about his experiences covering the Iraq War.

Vietnam War hero dies

In 2017, retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. “Hal” Moore, the American hero known for saving most of his men in the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War, died in Auburn, Alabama, at age 94.

Two masks are better than one

In 2021, a government study found that wearing two masks could be better than one in protecting against coronavirus spread; the CDC said lab researchers found that particles were blocked twice as much when two masks were worn.

‘Deep Blue’ defeats Kasparov

In 1996, world chess champion Garry Kasparov lost the first game of a match against an IBM computer dubbed “Deep Blue.” (Kasparov ended up winning the match, four games to two; he was defeated by Deep Blue the following year.)