Today is Friday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2025. There are 306 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Feb. 28, 1993, a gun battle erupted at a religious compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on weapons charges; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.
Also on this date:
In 1844, a 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded as the ship was sailing on the Potomac River, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others; President John Tyler, who also was aboard the ship, was uninjured.
In 1953, Francis H.C. Crick announced that he and fellow scientist James D. Watson had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
In 1975, 43 people were killed in London’s Underground when a train failed to stop at Moorgate station, smashing into the end of a tunnel.
In 1983, the final episode of the television series “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H” aired; nearly 106 million viewers saw the finale, which remains the most-watched episode of any U.S. television series to date.
In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated while walking on a Stockholm street with his wife; his assailant was never captured and remains unidentified.
In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pope in 600 years to resign, ending an eight-year pontificate. (Benedict was succeeded the following month by Pope Francis.)
In 2014, delivering a blunt warning to Moscow, President Barack Obama expressed deep concern over reported military activity inside Ukraine by Russia and warned “there will be costs” for any intervention.
Today’s birthdays:
- Architect Frank Gehry is 96.
- Rock singer Sam the Sham (aka Domingo Samudio) is 88.
- Actor-director-choreographer Tommy Tune is 86.
- Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 85.
- Actor Mercedes Ruehl is 77.
- Actor-singer Bernadette Peters is 77.
- Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is 72.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley is 70.
- Actor John Turturro is 68.
- Actor Maxine Bahns is 55.
- Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 56.
- Musician Pat Monahan (Train) is 56.
- Actor Tasha Smith is 54.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros is 52.
- Actor Ali Larter is 49.
- Country musician Jason Aldean is 48.
- NBA guard Luka Dončić is 26.
