This week in history: Feb 7 - 13

The Beatles arrived in New York for the first time on Feb. 7, 1964. The Fab Four are the best-selling music artists in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Photo Courtesy: Getty Images

The Beatles arrived in America from London and Beatlemania took over. Also known as the “Fab Four,” The Beatles have remained timeless. They released 18 albums in their time together and had 30 Top 10 U.S. singles.

Lethal gas injections involved sealing a prisoner in an airtight chamber and dropping cyanide into a pan of acid. The gas produced from this chemical combination would destroy a person’s ability to produce hemoglobin. Prisoners would fall unconscious in seconds and choke to death.

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Daylight saving time came from the need to conserve fuel during wartime. World War II legislation enforced the time change on the United States for one year.

 

 

Rock legend David Bowie created a fictional alter ego known as Ziggy Stardust. Stardust was a genderless Martian rock star and inspiration for Bowie’s fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Nelson Mandela was released from prison on Feb. 11, 1990. Mandela was arrested for sabotage in June 1964 and sentenced to life in prison. He spent the first 18 years of his incarceration at Robben Island Prison where he had no access to a bed or plumbing. Click here to read more about Mandela and his legacy.

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Former President of the United States Bill Clinton was acquitted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on Feb. 12, 1999. Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, an intern, in 1995. For more information about Clinton’s impeachment trial click here.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” became the first Asian film to be nominated for an Oscar for best picture on Feb. 13, 2001. The film earned Oscar nominations and went on to win four, including best foreign language film, best original score, best cinematography and best art direction.