What Happened On
Lunar Golf
February 6, 1971
Alan Shepard hits some golf balls on the Moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission. Since bringing a golf club wouldn't have been allowed, he had connected the head of a six-iron to the shaft of a piece of rock collecting equipment, covering it with a sock so it wouldn't be discovered before launch.
Monopoly
February 6, 1935
The board game Monopoly first goes on sale. The game was created by Charles B. Darrow and sold to Parker Brothers. Parker Brothers initially rejected the game, citing 52 fundamental errors. Now published in 23 languages and a Braille version, more than 200,000,000 games have been sold, making Darrow the first millionaire game designer in history.
Darrow derived Monopoly from The Landlord's Game created by Lizzie Magie in 1903. Magie's game had two sets of rules: an anti-monopolist set in which all were rewarded when wealth was created, and a monopolist set in which the goal was to create monopolies and crush opponents. After Darrow sold the rights to the game to Parker Brothers, they found out he was not the sole inventor and bought the rights from Magie for $500.
The properties are named after streets and properties in Atlantic City.
Battle of Derna
Battle of Derna
To the Shores of Tripoli
February 6, 1802
U.S. declares war against Tripoli. Tripoli had declared war the previous May because the U.S. refused to continue payment of tribute to the rulers of the North African Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, and Tripoli.
The 1805 Battle of Derna in eastern Libya was the inspiration for the Marines' Hymn lyrics "to the shores of Tripoli."
Massachusetts
February 6, 1788
Massachusetts becomes the 6th U.S. state. In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony took its name from the Indigenous Massachusett people.
Highest Recorded Sea Wave
February 6, 1933
The highest recorded sea wave, 112 ft., heads from Manilla, Philippines to San Diego, Ca. Source: Guinness Book of World Records
Civil Rights
February 6, 1837
The U.S. House of Representatives rules that slaves do not have the right of petition that is granted to American citizens under the Constitution.
First U.S. Railroad Charter
February 6, 1815
New Jersey grants a charter John Stevens to build a railroad from Trenton to New Brunswick, although he never completed it.
American Revolution
February 6, 1778
France recognizes the independence of the U.S. with the signing of the Treaty of Alliance.
Birthdays
Fabian (Fabian Anthony Forte)
Born February 6, 1943
American teen idol of the 1950s and 1960s. He was discovered by a talent agent who spotted him as Fabian's father was being taken away in an ambulance after a heart attack. Impressed with his looks, he was offered a recording contract and began learning to sing. He recorded a record and began making appearances on American Bandstand.
Thurl Ravenscroft
Born February 6, 1914 d. 2005
American voice actor. Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger in the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes advertisements ("They're g-r-r-r-eat!!!!") and sang the song You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) television special.
He also did voices for the Disneyland theme park rides, including Uncle Theodore, the lead vocalist of the singing busts in the cemetery on the Haunted Mansion ride.
Braun and Hitler walking their dogs
Photo Credit: Bundesarchiv
Braun and Hitler walking their dogsPhoto Credit: Bundesarchiv
Hitler's Wife
Eva Braun
Born February 6, 1912 d. 1945
Adolf Hitler's mistress/wife. They were married shortly before committing suicide together.
Hitler met Braun when she was a 17-year-old assistant and model for his personal photographer. They began seeing each other about two years later. Hitler was 23 years her senior. Braun, started working as a photographer for the Nazi party and took many of the surviving color photographs and films of Hitler.
Ronald Reagan (Ronald Wilson Reagan)
Born February 6, 1911 d. 2004
American politician. American politician, actor, 40th U.S. President (1981-89), 33rd Governor of California (1967-75), president of the Screen Actors Guild (1947-52, 59-60). Film: Knute Rockne - All American (1940, the Gipper).
Quote: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth)
Born February 6, 1895 d. 1948
American baseball legend. Called "The Sultan of Swat," he hit 714 home runs while playing MLB from 1914 to 1935. He pitched 29 2/3 scoreless innings in the 1918 World Series, a record that stood until 1961.
First Adult Tarzan of Film
Elmo Lincoln (Otto Elmo Linkenhelt)
Born February 6, 1889 d. 1952
American actor. He portrayed Tarzan in the first Tarzan film, Tarzan of the Apes (1918), making him the first to play Tarzan as an adult in film. (Gordon Griffith played Tarzan as a child in the film, making him the first Tarzan). Lincoln was afraid of heights and used a double to do the scenes in trees. He also portrayed Tarzan in The Romance of Tarzan (1918) and in the serial The Adventures of Tarzan (1921).
Aaron Burr
Born February 6, 1756 d. 1836
American politician. 3rd U.S. Vice-President (1801-05). He killed former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel during his vice-presidency (1804). He was tried and acquitted for treason against the U.S. in 1807.
Natalie Cole
Born February 6, 1950 d. 2015
American Grammy-winning singer.
Jennifer Jackson
Born February 6, 1945
American model. Playboy's first African-American Playmate of the Month (March, 1965).
Bob Marley (Robert Nesta Marley)
Born February 6, 1945 d. 1981
Jamaican reggae singer. Music: I Shot The Sheriff (1972), Roots, Rock, Reggae (1976), and Jamming (1977).
In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma under the nail of his right big toe. Marley rejected his doctors' advice to have his toe amputated, citing his religious beliefs and instead had the nail and nail bed removed. Unfortunately, the cancer spread throughout his body and he died of the disease in 1981 at the age of 36.
Tom Brokaw
Born February 6, 1940
American TV newscaster.
Mike Farrell
Born February 6, 1939
American actor. TV: Days of Our Lives (Scott Banning) and M*A*S*H (B.J. Hunnicutt).
Robert H. Brooks
Born February 6, 1937 d. 2006
American businessman, founder of Naturally Fresh Foods. He purchased the Hooters restaurant chain. Quote: "Good food, cold beer and pretty girls never go out of style."
Rip Torn (Elmore Rual Torn)
Born February 6, 1931 d. 2019
American actor, comedian.
Zsa Zsa Gabor (Sári Gábor)
Born February 6, 1917 d. 2016
Hungarian-born American actress, Miss Hungary (1936), and police slapper (1989). She is often credited as being the first person to be famous for being famous. Commenting on her nine marriages: "I am a marvelous housekeeper: Every time I leave a man I keep his house." Film: Moulin Rouge (1952) and Queen of Outer Space (1958). TV: Batman (1969, villainess health spa owner Minerva in the series' final episode).
John Lund
Born February 6, 1911 d. 1992
American actor. Film: To Each His Own (1946) and A Foreign Affair (1948).
Carlos Marcello (Calogero Minacori)
Born February 6, 1910 d. 1993
New Orleans and Gulf Coast mafia boss.
Deaths
Kenneth Olsen
Died February 6, 2011 b. 1926
American businessman. He co-founded the computer giant Digital Equipment Corporation (1957) with his brother Stan Olsen and Harlan Anderson. In 1977, he declared, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home."
Carl Wilson (Carl Dean Wilson)
Died February 6, 1998 b. 1946
American guitarist, with The Beach Boys. Music: Surfin' USA (1963), I Get Around (1964, #1), Help Me Rhonda, (1965, #1), and Good Vibrations (1966, #1).
Danny Thomas (Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz)
Died February 6, 1991 b. 1912
American actor. TV: Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show (1953-64, daddy).
While a "starving actor", Thomas swore if he found success, he would open a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. With help from Dr. Lemuel Diggs and Anthony Abraham, in 1962 Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
He was the father of actress Marlo Thomas.
George Shultz (George Pratt Shultz)
Died February 6, 2021 b. 1920
U.S. Secretary of State (1982-89) under President Ronald Reagan. He signed a 1998 advertisement published in the New York Times entitled "We believe the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."
The World's Foremost Authority
Professor Irwin Corey
Died February 6, 2017 b. 1914
American comic, "The World's Foremost Authority." In 1959, he ran for president on the Playboy ticket. Quote: "If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going."
James Whitmore
Died February 6, 2009 b. 1921
American Tony-Grammy-Emmy-winning actor. TV: The Law and Mr. Jones (Abe Lincoln Jones).
Frankie Laine (Francesco Paolo LoVecchio)
Died February 6, 2007 b. 1913
American Oscar-winning singer. Music: Mule Train (#1) and High Noon (1952, Oscar). He also sang the theme to TV's Rawhide.
Joseph Cotten
Died February 6, 1994 b. 1905
American actor. Film: Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), and Journey into Fear (1942).
Photo Credit: Bogaerts, Rob / Anefo
Photo Credit: Bogaerts, Rob / Anefo
Arthur Ashe
Died February 6, 1993 b. 1943
American tennis player. Arthur Ashe was the first black male to win a major tennis title (1968, U.S. Open) and the first black Wimbledon men's singles champion (1975). Ashe died of AIDS that he acquired during heart bypass surgery in 1983.
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George)
Died February 6, 1952 b. 1895
King of England and Northern Ireland (1936-52). He and Queen Elizabeth were the first British Sovereigns to visit the U.S. (1939).
Joseph Priestley
Died February 6, 1804 b. 1733
English clergyman, scientist. He is credited with the discovery of oxygen (1774).
Clement XII
Died February 6, 1740 b. 1652
Italian religious leader, 246th Pope (1730-40). Condemned the Freemasons (1738).
Aldus Manutius
Died February 6, 1515 b. 1450
Italian printer. He was the first publisher of paperbacks and the inventor of italics.