THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

12 February, 1924 – George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premieres

George Gershwin's groundbreaking symphonic jazz composition Rhapsody in Blue premieres with Gershwin himself playing the piano with Paul Whiteman's orchestra.


13 February, 2000 – The last edition of Peanuts comic strip is published

The 17,897th-and-last installment was published in the newspapers around the world on the day following the death of its creator, Charles M. Schulz.


14 February, 1876 – The telephone is patented

Rival inventors Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell both applied for a patent for the telephone on the same day. Bell won the patent battle.


15 February, 1965 – Canada adopts its current national flag showing a maple leaf

Canada's maple leaf flag is raised for the first time. The leaf symbolises the country's forests, the middle white stripe the arctic snow, and the red stripes the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.


16 February, 1959 – Fidel Castro becomes Cuba's Prime Minister

Castro's rise to power came shortly after his “26th of July Movement” had overthrown the dictator Fulgencio Batista in what became known till date as the Cuban Revolution.


17 February, 1904 – Madama Butterfly is premiered

Giacomo Puccini's opera which is now considered as one of the world's most performed works of musical theater, was poorly received in its first performance.


18 February, 1978 – Hawaii hosts the first Ironman Triathlon

Contestants who participated in the triathlon in Hawaii had to swim 2.4 miles (3.86 km), bike 112 miles (180.25 km) and also complete a marathon run measuring 26.2 miles (42.2 km).

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