Today in history for Feb. 4:
- 1974 – The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkeley, Calif.
- 1789 – George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
- 1969 – Yasser Arafat takes over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- 1976 – In Guatemala and Honduras an earthquake kills more than 22,000.
- 2004 – Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
Famous Births on Feb 4:
- 1947 – Dan Quayle, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 44th Vice President of the United States
- 1948 – Alice Cooper, American singer-songwriter
- 1959 – Lawrence Taylor, American football player and sportscaster
- 1975 – Natalie Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
- 1982 – Chris Sabin, American wrestler
Famous Deaths on Feb. 4:
- 1983 – Karen Carpenter, American singer (b. 1950)
- 1987 – Liberace, American singer-songwriter and pianist, (b. 1919)
- 2005 – Ossie Davis, American actor, director, and playwright (b. 1917)
- 2006 – Betty Friedan, American author and activist (b. 1921)
- 2016 – Dave Mirra, American BMX rider (b. 1974)
February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 330 days remaining until the end of the year (331 in leap years). This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Tuesday or Wednesday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Friday or Sunday (56).
This day marks the approximate midpoint of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and of summer in the Southern Hemisphere (starting the season at the December solstice).
YouTube downlod / AP video /Today in History for Feb 4: Patty Hearst kidnapped (shown in photo above) / Henry Frederick, Headline Surfer