Today in History for Feb. 24, 2013

Today is Sunday, Feb. 24, the 55th day of 2013. There are 310 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight:

On Feb. 24, 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton; Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate.

On this date:

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull, or edict, outlining his calendar reforms. (The Gregorian Calendar is the calendar in general use today.)

In 1803, in its Marbury v. Madison decision, the Supreme Court established judicial review of the constitutionality of statutes.

In 1821, Mexican rebels proclaimed the “Plan de Iguala,” their declaration of independence from Spain.

In 1863, Arizona was organized as a territory.

In 1912, the American Jewish women’s organization Hadassah was founded in New York City.

In 1920, the German Workers Party, which later became the Nazi Party, met in Munich to adopt its platform.

In 1938, the first nylon bristle toothbrush, manufactured by DuPont under the name “Dr. West’s Miracle Toothbrush,” went on sale. (Previously, toothbrush bristles were made from animal hair.)

In 1942, the SS Struma, a charter ship attempting to carry Jewish refugees from Romania to Palestine during World War II, was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine; all but one of the 769 refugees on board perished.

In 1961, the Federal Communications Commission authorized the nation’s first full-scale trial of pay television in Hartford, Conn.

In 1983, a congressional commission released a report condemning the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II as a “grave injustice.”

In 1988, in a ruling that expanded legal protections for parody and satire, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned a $150,000 award that the Rev. Jerry Falwell had won against Hustler magazine and publisher Larry Flynt.

In 1993, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (muhl-ROO’-nee) resigned after more than eight years in office.

Ten years ago: Seeking U.N. approval for war against Iraq, the United States, Britain and Spain submitted a resolution to the Security Council declaring that Saddam Hussein had missed “the final opportunity” to disarm peacefully and indicating that he had to face the consequences. A powerful earthquake in China’s western region of Xinjiang killed at least 263 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and injured at least 4,000.

Five years ago: “No Country for Old Men” won Academy Awards for best picture, best director and best screenplay adaptation for Joel and Ethan Coen and best supporting actor for Javier Bardem; Daniel Day-Lewis won best actor for “There Will Be Blood,” while Marion Cotillard was named best actress for “La Vie en Rose.” A suicide bomber struck Shiite Muslim pilgrims south of Baghdad, killing at least 56 people. Cuba’s parliament named Raul Castro president, ending nearly 50 years of rule by his brother Fidel. Ralph Nader announced a fresh bid for the White House on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

One year ago: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Tunisia for a conference on Syria, blasted Russia and China as “despicable” for opposing U.N. action aimed at stopping the bloodshed in Syria. Jan Berenstain, 88, who with her husband, Stan, wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books, died in Solebury, Pa.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Abe Vigoda is 92. Actor Steven Hill is 91. Actress Emmanuelle Riva is 86. Actor-singer Dominic Chianese is 82. Movie composer Michel Legrand is 81. Opera singer-director Renata Scotto is 79. Former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., is 71. Actor Barry Bostwick is 68. Actor Edward James Olmos is 66. Singer-writer-producer Rupert Holmes is 66. Rock singer-musician George Thorogood is 63. Actress Debra Jo Rupp is 62. Actress Helen Shaver is 62. News anchor Paula Zahn is 57. Country singer Sammy Kershaw is 55. Actor Mark Moses is 55. Singer Michelle Shocked is 51. Movie director Todd Field is 49. Actor Billy Zane is 47. Actress Bonnie Somerville is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Brandon Brown (Mista) is 30. Rock musician Matt McGinley (Gym Class Heroes) is 30. Actor Wilson Bethel is 29.

Thought for today: “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” — Henry James, American author (1843-1916).