On this day in 1964, The Beatles made their first visit to "The Ed Sullivan Show," where Sullivan ordered the moptopped lads not to sing the song "I Wanna Hold Your Breasts."

On this day in 1950, Sen. Joseph McCarthy warned that the State Department was infested with Communists and presented a photo-copy from Kinkos naming names of prominent Pinkos.

Today's Birthdays:

William Henry Harrison (1773-1841): ninth president, died just 32 days into his term when he was bitten by a rabid Kentucky congressman and had to be put down.

Roger Mudd, 76: newsman who covered the great mudslides of the 20th century.

Joe Pesci, 61: actor, starred in "Goodkillas" and "Raging Pitbull."

Mia Farrow, 59: actress, starred opposite the Devil in "Rosemary's Crack Baby" and Jimi Hendrix in "The Purple Haze of Cairo."

February 10

On this day in 1949, opening on Broadway was Arthur Miller's new play "Death of a Used Car Salesman."

On this day in 1962, Russia traded Francis Gary Powers, a captured American U-2 pilot, for 12 cases of Gordon's Vodka and a Soviet dissident to be named later.

On this day in 1998, the Senate confirmed Dr. David Satcher as surgeon general following Satcher's ominous warning: "Failure to support my nomination could be hazardous to your health."

Today's Birthdays:

Boris Pasternak (1890-1960): Russian author, best known for his classic novel "Dr. Zhivago and Mr. Hyde."

Robert Wagner, 74: actor, starred in "Prince Valium" and "A Piss Before Dying."

Roberta Flack, 65: singer, hit #1 in 1973 with "Killing Me Softly With Arsenic," as a fashion designed popularized the Flack Jacket.

George Stephanopoulos, 43: former White House pretty boy.

February 11

On this day in 1990, Nelson Mandela was freed after spending 27 years in a South African prison. Asked what he would do, Mandela responded, "I'm going to Disney World."

On this day in 1993, President Clinton named Miami prosecutor Janet Reno to be the first female attorney general, despite widespread concern that she might frighten the nation's children.

Today's Birthdays:

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931): noted genius, within days of his birth in Ohio he invented the electric pacifier and the solar-powered rattle.

Tina Louise, 70: actress, rumored to have slept with the professor, the skipper and the millionaire on the 1960s reality program "Gilligan's Temptation Island."

Burt Reynolds, 68: actor, revered as a god in Japan for his performance in "Smokey and the Banzai."

Jennifer Aniston, 35: actress, is revered as a god in Japan for her performance in the popular TV sitcom "Tomodachis" ("Friends").

February 12

On this day in 1733, English settlers led by Captain Crunch founded the city of Battle Creek, Michigan.

On this day in 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice, but found him guilty of truth-fudging and intern-banging.

Today's Birthdays:

Charles Darwin (1809-1882): many scientists pooh-poohed the theory of evolution he set forth in "On the Origin of Feces."

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1965): 16th president, freed all peoples to have drunken sex in his epic speeches the "Intoxication Proclamation" and the "Fornication Proclamation

Maud Adams, 59: actress, starred in the Woody Allen/James Bond movie, "What's New, Octopussy?"

Christina Ricci, 24: actress, starred in "Clinton Family Values."

February 13

On this day in 1741, Andrew Bradford of Pennsylvania published the first American magazine, the Colonial Inquirer. Its motto: "Inquiring colonists want to know."

On this day in 1920, the League of Nations allowed Switzerland to claim its perpetual neutrality, but then passed a resolution to block the further spread of "this insidious neutrality plague."

Today's Birthdays:

Grant Wood (1892-1942): artist, depicted a Brazilian couple gripping a pitchfork in his greatest work, "South American Gothic."

Stockard Channing, 60: actress, starred in the critically acclaimed geology film "Six Degrees of Sedimentation."

Jerry Springer, 60: host of the daytime cockfighting show "Lowest Common Denominator."

February 14

On this day in 1849, James Polk became the first president to be photographed in office. Polk lost his re-election bid though, having frightened voters with his beaming red eyes.

On this day in 1859, Oregon became the nation's 33rd state, but was put on a six-month probation filled with merciless hazing from some of the older states.

On this day in 1945, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay joined the United Nations after agreeing to keep their noses clean and refrain from building atomic bombs.

Today's Birthdays:

Carl Bernstein, 60: journalist, author of "All the President's Menstrual Cramps."

Meg Tilly, 44: actress, played a young nun smitten with a movie monster in "Agnes of Godzilla."

February 15

On this day in 2000, Fox aired "Who Wants to Marry a Serial Killer?," a reality-style TV special that drew huge ratings and left only seven dead.

On this day in 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court, as long as they wore a short skirt and high heels.

On this day in 1964, Cassius Clay became the heavyweight boxing champ with a brash, trash-talking victory over loud-mouth couch potato Howard Cosell.

Today's Birthdays:

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, used a telescope to prove his theory that the universe did not revolve around the church.

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906): American suffragist, born in Adams, Mass., began suffering at age 2 months.

Matt Groening, 50: creator of the knife-wielding cartoon family, "The O.J. Simpsons."