February 19th

February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If the ancient Mayans were correct, there are 306 days remaining until the end of time.

1807 Vice President Aaron Burr arrested–again–in Alabama for treason; is later found innocent.  Who is his lawyer?!?!?

1906 WK Kellogg and Charles Bolin found Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company to market Dr. JK Kellogg’s health food invention. Matthew Broderick’s buns were already healthy.

1913 Suffragette bomb destroys Lloyd George’s home.  That’s Marie Lloyd (no relation) on the left in the lip lock.

1919 Pan-African Congress is organized in Paris by W. E. B. Du Bois.  Not many Africans, though.

1945 900 Japanese soldiers reportedly killed by crocodiles in 2 days; Allies award medals to the crocs.

2001 DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME:  A 28-year-old demolition worker attempted to commit suicide by washing down nitroglycerine pills with vodka. After swallowing the pills, he tried to explode the nitroglycerine by repeatedly ramming himself into a wall. He was treated for bruises and released from the hospital... with counseling

1985 Mickey Mouse is welcomed in China, but nobody writes an opera about it. . .

1987 First anti-smoking ad airs on TV featuring Yul Brynner.  I spy something with my lower eye I'd like to smoke. . .

1924 Lee Marvin, US actor

1943 Lou Christie [Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco], US singer

1948 Pim Fortuyn [Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn], ultra-conservative gay Dutch politician

1953 Toon Agterberg, Dutch actor

1955 David Murray, US saxophonist

1955 Jeff Daniels, US actor/playwright

1956 Ray Winstone, English actor

1960 Prince Andrew, Duke of York

1963 Seal [Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel], singer/songwriter/affed Mr. Klum

1967 Mateus Carrieri, Brazilian actor

1951 Andre Gide, gay French novelist (Nobel laureate), follows his own bent.

1994 Derek Jarman, English actor and director (Tempest, Sebastiane), succumbs to AIDS at 52

2010 Jamie Gillis, US pornographic film actor, stays stiff longer than 4 hours.