By The Associated Press
                     - Today is Friday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 1999. There are 315 days
                       left in the year.

                     - On Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 Marines landed on
                       Iwo Jima, where they began a month-long battle to seize control of
                       the island from Japanese forces.
                     - In 1473, the astronomer Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.
                     - In 1803, Congress voted to accept Ohio's borders and constitution.
                       (However, Congress did not get around to formally ratifying Ohio
                       statehood until 1953.)
                     - In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr was arrested in Alabama.
                       He was subsequently tried for treason and acquitted.
                     - In 1846, the Texas state government was formally installed in
                       Austin.
                     - In 1878, Thomas Edison received a patent for his phonograph.
                     - In 1881, Kansas became the first state to prohibit all alcoholic
                       beverages.
                     - In 1942, President Roosevelt signed an executive order giving the
                       military the authority to relocate and intern Japanese-Americans.
                     - In 1942, about 150 Japanese warplanes attacked the Australian city
                       of Darwin.
                     - In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece
                       granting Cyprus its independence.
                     - In 1986, the U.S. Senate approved a treaty outlawing genocide, 37
                       years after the pact had first been submitted for ratification.
                     - In 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China's major Communist
                       revolutionaries, died.
                     - Ten years ago: Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini rejected the apology of
                       "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie, exhorting Muslims to "send
                       him to hell" for committing blasphemy.
                     - Five years ago: With Bosnian Serbs facing a NATO deadline to
                       withdraw heavy weapons encircling Sarajevo or face air strikes,
                       President Clinton delivered an address from the Oval Office
                       reaffirming the ultimatum. American speedskater Bonnie Blair won the
                       fourth Olympic gold medal of her career as she won the 500-meter
                       race in Lillehammer, Norway.
                     - One year ago: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan set out for Iraq on
                       a last-chance peace mission, saying he was "reasonably optimistic"
                       about ending the standoff over weapons inspections without the use
                       of force. At the Nagano Olympics, Austrian Hermann Maier won the
                       men's giant slalom while Hilde Gerg of Germany won the women's
                       slalom.

                     Happy Birthday
                     --------------
                     - Movie director John Frankenheimer ("The Manchurian Candidate") is
                       69.
                     - Singer Smokey Robinson is 59.
                     - Singer Bobby Rogers (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is 59.
                     - Actress Carlin Glynn is 59.
                     - Singer Lou Christie is 56.
                     - Actor Michael Nader is 54.
                     - Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) is 51.
                     - Actor Jeff Daniels is 44.
                     - Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 42.
                     - Britain's Prince Andrew is 39.
                     - Tennis Hall-of-Famer Hana Mandlikova is 37.
                     - Actress Justine Bateman is 33.