On This Day for February 1 - Space shuttle Columbia destroyed, Boris Yeltsin is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. February 01 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Boris Yeltsin READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 2003 Space shuttle Columbia destroyed READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2013: American politician Ed Koch—who had served as mayor of New York City (1978–89), earning a reputation for tenacity and brashness—died at age 88. [How much do you know about New York City?] 2009: Icelandic politician Johanna Sigurðardóttir was sworn in as the country's prime minister, becoming the first woman to hold that post in Iceland and the world's first openly gay head of government. [ Take our quiz about famous female firsts.] 2004: In what was perhaps the most controversial halftime show in Super Bowl history, pop singer Janet Jackson experienced a "wardrobe malfunction" when part of her bustier was ripped off by Justin Timberlake; some argued it was accidental while others said premeditated. [ Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz.] 1960: Protesting a segregated lunch counter at a Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, four African Americans began a sit-in; its success led to a wider sit-in movement throughout the South. [ Learn about 10 milestones in U.S. civil rights history.] 1902: American writer Langston Hughes, one of the foremost interpreters to the world of the Black experience in the United States, was born. [How much you know about writers of the Harlem Renaissance?] 1896: Giacomo Puccini premiered his opera La Bohème at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy. [Take our opera quiz.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1901 Clark Gable American actor 1931 Boris Yeltsin president of Russia 1902 Langston Hughes American poet 1894 John Ford American director 1969 Gabriel Batistuta Argentine soccer player 1962 Takashi Murakami Japanese artist and entrepreneur SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help