February 7th

A federal appeals court ruled California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

AOL Inc. announced the $315 million purchase of The Huffington Post website.

The Black Saturday bushfires in Australia kill 173 people. The fires were the worst natural disaster in Australian history.

Ellen MacArthur breaks the speed record for sailing solo around the world. The journey took her 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds.

Jordan's King Hussein died at age 63.

Ramzi Yousef, the alleged mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.

European Community members signed the Maastricht Treaty, which led to creation of the euro.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti's first democratically elected president.

The Soviet Union's Communist Party gave up its monopoly on power by agreeing to let other political parties compete for control of the country.

Haiti's president, Jean-Claude “Papa Doc” Duvalier, flees the country, ending 28 years of family rule. On the same day 5 years later, the first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was sworn in.

Space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk.

The island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain.

Women in Switzerland were finally granted suffrage.

The Beatles arrived in the U.S. for the first time.

President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba..

Germany launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy, during World War II.

Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week, which later evolved into Black History Month.

Disastrous fire destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in downtown Baltimore.

The colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the first piece of legislation (the Electoral Act of 1856) anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot.

Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.

Author Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England.

The 11th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.

Edward of Caernarion (later Edward II) becomes first (English) Prince of Wales.

The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.