February 5th

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A federal grand jury indicted John Walker Lindh, the so-called 'American Taliban,' alleging that he was trained by Osama bin Laden's network and that he conspired with the Taliban to kill Americans.

Four disciples of Osama bin Laden went on trial in New York in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

Under international pressure, three of Switzerland's biggest banks created a fund worth 100 million Swiss francs for Holocaust victims and their families.

White separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, Miss., of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The Arizona House of Representatives impeached Gov. Evan Mecham, who was later convicted in the state Senate and removed from office.

Gamel Abdel Nasser was nominated to become the first president of the new United Arab Republic, a short-lived union of Syria and Egypt.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of Supreme Court justices. Critics charged that he was attempting to 'pack' the court.

The Greenwich Time Signal is broadcast for the first time. The “BBC pips” are 5 short and 1 long tones that are broadcast by many BBC radio stations to mark the precise start of the hour.

United Artists is founded. Charlie Chaplin was one of the film studio's founders.

Congress passed, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, a law severely curtailing the immigration of Asians.

The world's first synthetic plastic is developed. Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announced his invention of Bakelite at a meeting of the American Chemical Society that day.

King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal colonial possession.

Phoenix, Ariz., was incorporated.

The biggest gold nugget in history is found. The “Welcome Stranger” was found at Moliagul in Australia and had a calculated refined weight of 71.081 kg.

The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg opens to the public. It is one of the world's largest and oldest museums and was originally founded in 1764.

After George III was declared insane, the Prince of Wales became Prince Regent of England, and later George IV.

Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) abjures Catholicism at Tours.