Today in History: Feb. 7

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 - 1963), American president announcing on television the strategic blockade of Cuba, and his warning to the Soviet Union about missile sanctions during the Cuban missile crisis, 22nd October 1962.   (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.  (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - APRIL 30:  The Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU) has small gas thrusters which enable an astronaut to move around outside the Space Shuttle without a tether. This was first flown by McCandless on the Space Shuttle Challenger 41-B (STS-10) mission in February 1984.  (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk, which lasted nearly six hours.  (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Anti-Duvalier Haitians celebrate in the streets of Port-au-Prince on February 07, 1986 after the announcement that President Jean-Claude Duvalier had fled the country. Dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, alias Baby Doc, who replaced his father Francois Duvalier, Papa Doc, as life President in 1971, left Haiti for an exile in France on February 07, 1986 after a military junta took the power in the island. (Photo credit should read BOB PEARSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule. (BOB PEARSON/AFP/Getty Images)
In Baltimore, 20.7 percent of home sales in the second quarter were distressed sales, the highest percentage in the nation among cities with a metropolitan area population of 1 million or more. (Thinkstock)
In 1817, America’s first public gas street lamp was lighted in Baltimore at the corner of Market and Lemon streets (now East Baltimore and Holliday streets). In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 1,500 buildings. (Thinkstock)
In 1964, The Beatles arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to begin their first American tour. FILE – This Feb. 28, 1968 file photo shows The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. The Beatles have released a new music video on Apple Music for their 1968 song, “Glass Onion.” The video was released Tuesday and features rare photos and performance footage. The song appeared on their self-titled ninth album, often referred to as the “White Album,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. (AP Photo, File)
In 2014, the Sochi Olympics opened with a celebration of Russia’s past greatness and hopes for future glory. FILE – This is a Monday, Feb. 17, 2014 file photo of Russia’s Margarita Fomina delivers a stone to her sweepers during a round robin match against Britain as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Curling will be working overtime at Pyeongchang Olympics. The sweeping, the shouting, the pants! The 600-year-old sport of curling returns to the Olympics with a new twist. A third discipline of mixed doubles will put curling under the spotlight for 18 straight days. (AP Photo/Morry Gash/ File)
UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 05:  An employee at Sotheby's holds an 1843 first edition of the classic "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens in London, U.K., Tuesday, December 5, 2006. This and other Christmas books, manuscripts, drawings and related ephemera collected by Jock Elliott, will be auctioned in New York on December 12, and are estimated to sell for $10,000-$15,000 (?5,050 - 7,600)  (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England. UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 05: An employee at Sotheby’s holds an 1843 first edition of the classic “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens in London, U.K., Tuesday, December 5, 2006. This and other Christmas books, manuscripts, drawings and related ephemera collected by Jock Elliott, will be auctioned in New York on December 12, and are estimated to sell for $10,000-$15,000 (?5,050 – 7,600) (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 - 1963), American president announcing on television the strategic blockade of Cuba, and his warning to the Soviet Union about missile sanctions during the Cuban missile crisis, 22nd October 1962.   (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - APRIL 30:  The Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU) has small gas thrusters which enable an astronaut to move around outside the Space Shuttle without a tether. This was first flown by McCandless on the Space Shuttle Challenger 41-B (STS-10) mission in February 1984.  (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Anti-Duvalier Haitians celebrate in the streets of Port-au-Prince on February 07, 1986 after the announcement that President Jean-Claude Duvalier had fled the country. Dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, alias Baby Doc, who replaced his father Francois Duvalier, Papa Doc, as life President in 1971, left Haiti for an exile in France on February 07, 1986 after a military junta took the power in the island. (Photo credit should read BOB PEARSON/AFP/Getty Images)
In Baltimore, 20.7 percent of home sales in the second quarter were distressed sales, the highest percentage in the nation among cities with a metropolitan area population of 1 million or more. (Thinkstock)
UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 05:  An employee at Sotheby's holds an 1843 first edition of the classic "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens in London, U.K., Tuesday, December 5, 2006. This and other Christmas books, manuscripts, drawings and related ephemera collected by Jock Elliott, will be auctioned in New York on December 12, and are estimated to sell for $10,000-$15,000 (?5,050 - 7,600)  (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Today is Thursday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2019.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 7, 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.

On this date:

In 1795, the 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with states’ sovereign immunity, was ratified.

In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England.

In 1817, America’s first public gas street lamp was lighted in Baltimore at the corner of Market and Lemon streets (now East Baltimore and Holliday streets).

In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 1,500 buildings.

In 1943, the government abruptly announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (Rationing was lifted in October 1945.)

In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as U.S. Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.

In 1964, The Beatles arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to begin their first American tour.

In 1971, women in Switzerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed.

In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.

In 1986, the Philippines held a presidential election marred by charges of fraud against the incumbent, Ferdinand E. Marcos. Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier (doo-VAHL-yay’) fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule.

In 1998, the Winter Olympic Games were opened in Nagano, Japan, by Emperor Akihito.

In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah.

In 2009: A miles-wide section of ice in Lake Erie broke away from the Ohio shoreline, trapping about 135 fishermen, some for as long as four hours before they could be rescued (one man fell into the water and later died of an apparent heart attack). Walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, leveling scores of homes, forests and farmland in the country’s worst wildfire disaster in a quarter century. Bolivia’s new constitution took effect. Death claimed jazz singer Blossom Dearie at age 84, country singer Molly Bee at age 69, and Jack Cover, inventor of the Taser stun gun, at age 88.

In 2014: The Sochi Olympics opened with a celebration of Russia’s past greatness and hopes for future glory. President Barack Obama, during a visit to Michigan State University, signed an agriculture spending bill spreading benefits to farmers in every region of the country while trimming the food stamp program that had inspired a two-year battle over the legislation.

In 2017: St. John’s beat top-ranked Villanova, 79-75, for its second win that week over a top-five team. (St. John’s had earlier snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating fourth-ranked Duke.) Biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong struck a $500 million deal to by the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune and some other publications; the deal would take effect in June.

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