Today in History
On Feb. 8, 1966, during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson and South Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Cao Ky (nuh-WEN' kow ky) concluded their meetings in Hawaii by issuing the "Declaration of Honolulu," which asserted the resolve of their countries to defeat the Communists.
In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, ended in victory for Union forces led by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside.
In 1915, D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking as well as controversial silent movie epic about the Civil War, "The Birth of a Nation," premiered in Los Angeles under its original title, "The Clansman."
In 1968, three college students were killed in a confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, South Carolina, during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley.
In 1976, Martin Scorsese's graphic urban drama "Taxi Driver," starring Robert De Niro, was released by Columbia Pictures.
In 1996, in a ceremony at the Library of Congress, President Bill Clinton signed legislation revamping the telecommunications industry, saying it would "bring the future to our doorstep."
President George W. Bush condemned deadly rioting sparked by cartoons of the prophet Muhammad as he urged foreign leaders to halt the spreading violence.
Wael Ghonim (WY'-uhl goh-NEEM'), a 30-year-old Google executive who'd helped ignite Egypt's uprising, appeared before protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the first time after being released from detention; he told them, "We won't give up."
At the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Sam Smith won best new artist, record of the year, song of the year for "Stay with Me" and best pop vocal album; Beck won album of the year for "Morning Phase."
Retired NBA All-Star and College Basketball Hall of Famer Marques Johnson is 60.