Feb. 21, 1893: An Act of the Washington State Legislature changes the name of Slaughter in south King County to Auburn. Originally intended to remember Lt. William A. Slaughter, the name was considered by both new and old residents as somewhat embarrassing.

Feb. 22, 1897: One of out-going President Cleveland's last official acts is the proclamation of the Olympic Forest Reserve, placing nearly two thirds of the Olympic Peninsula under government control. It is the forerunner of Olympic National Park.

Feb. 23, 1873: Corliss P. Stone, Mayor of Seattle and partner of the firm Stone & Burnett, embezzles $15,000 and leaves for San Francisco. If only governmental thievery was always so apparent…

Feb. 24, 1920: The Nazi Party is founded, later orchestrating the systemic murder of approximately 11 million people in what becomes known as the Holocaust.

Feb. 25, 1836 US showman Phineas Taylor Barnum, (yes thatBarnum), exhibits African-American slave Joice Heth. 2006: The world's estimated population reaches 6.5 billion.

Feb. 26, 2004: The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years.

Feb. 27, 1942: The Seattle School Board accepts the resignation of 27 American employees of Japanese ancestry. The young women were pressured to resign by the school district, which was in turn pressured by a committee led by bigoted white mothers who circulated a petition.

Feb. 28, 1922: Britain accepts the independence of Egypt. 1947: Taiwan's 228 Incident: civil disorder is squelched at a loss of 30,000 civilian lives.

Feb. 29, 1948: After stating he no longer has the necessary funds to continue operations, Capt. Alexander Peabody ceases running Washington's ferry system upon the state government's refusal to grant his request for a 30 percent rider fare increase. For nine days, the state scrambles to provide cross-sound transportation to tens of thousands of commuters, then seriously initiates steps for a state-run ferry system.

Mar. 1, 1954: The Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, is detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the worst radioactive contamination ever caused by the US to date.

Mar. 2, 1901: The United States Congress passes the Platt Amendment, limiting the autonomy of Cuba as a condition for the withdrawal of American troops. Sadly, it appears the US government has learned very little about diplomacy these last 107 years...

Mar. 3, 1861: Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs. 1873: US Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail.

Mar. 4, 1911: Victor Berger (Wisconsin) becomes the first socialist congressman in the US. 1929: Charles Curtis becomes the first Native-American Vice President.

Mar. 5, 1970: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations.

Mar. 6, 1988: Students at Gallaudet University go on strike in favor of the selection of a deaf university president; the protest is called Deaf President Now.