ThursdayThu, February 20th Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Carnival is being celebrated in Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela
- Carnival Monday is being celebrated in Brazil, Curacao, Dominica
- Commonwealth Day is being celebrated in Gibraltar
- President's Day is being celebrated in American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico
- Shrove Monday is being celebrated in Saint Barthelemy
- People born on this day are Pisces as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
Happening Today
- EVENTS
- 6.4 magnitude earthquake, followed by 5.8 magnitude aftershock strikes near city of Antakya, Turkey, on the Syria border, killing at least six people in same region devastated by earthquakes 6 Feb.
- DEATHS
- Ken Warby, Australian motorboat racer (water speed record 275.97 knots [511.10 km/h; 317.58 mph 1978]), who died at 83.
On this day in 2022
- DEATHS
- Jamal Edwards, Entrepreneur.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Mr. Bachmann and His Class is released. In a German city with a complex history of both excluding and integrating foreigners, a charismatic elementary school teacher provides his pupils, who all come from different countries originally, with the key to feeling at home in Germany and becoming citizens of the world. [MUBI]
- TV SERIES
- From: Season 1 is released. The sci-fi horror series created by John Griffin centers on a town where everyone who ends up there is trapped and while trying to find a way out, they also must try to avoid creatures that come out at night from the surrounding forests.
- SPORTS
- NBA All-Star Game, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Arena, Cleveland: Team LeBron beats Team Durant,163-160; MVP: Stephen Curry (50 points, record 16 x 3s).
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- Bloodiest day of protests in Myanmar since its coup after security forces open fire, killing two people with 40 wounded in Mandalay.
- DEATHS
- Chris Craft, Race Car Driver.
- Mauro Bellugi, Italian soccer defender (32 caps; Inter Milan, Bologna, Napoli), who died from COVID-19 pandemic at 71.
- POLITICS
- US President Joe Biden declares a major disaster in Texas as state struggles to cope with aftermath of a crippling winter storm.
- SPORTS
- Stan Williams, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1960²; World Series 1959,1990 [coach: Cincinnati Reds]; NY Yankees, LA Dodgers), who died from cardio-pulmonary illness at 84.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- Trump associate Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months imprisonment for obstructing a congressional investigation.
- New Bank of England £20 note with painter JMW Turner released, replacing earlier one with economist Adam Smith.
- DEATHS
- Yona Friedman, Architect.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] for PlayStation 4 is released. Cold friends & New under night In-Birth exe: late[cl-r] introduces a brand new character-icyy Fighter londrekia and his frosty new set of moves. Balancing act the new game features new moves and balance adjustments to every character-totalingg roughly 1,000 improvements.
- Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story for PlayStation 4 is released. The Way of the Samurai is forged in battle! Play as a ronin during Japan’s Meiji Restoration. The swordsmith Dojima falls into debt and his beautiful daughter is taken as collateral. Help repay the debt by crafting swords by day and exploring the mysterious, twisting dungeons of the Ipponmatsu Cave for valuable materials at night.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle for Switch is released. DOUBLE DRAGON & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle, consists of 18 titles including 7 DOUBLE DRAGON and Kunio-kun vintage games from the 80’s and 90’s, and all 11 Kunio-kun classic titles from the Family Computer Disk System that have been localized into English for the first time ever. Game genres vary from side-scrolling action, beat-’em-up, sports, and action RPG. Online play mode is available for all titles, and a total of 55 in-game missions are waiting for you to obtain nicknames and avatars to show off to your friends! Can you complete all the games?
- Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition for Switch is released. Set before the original Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition follows Dante's journey as he battles his evil twin brother in a final confrontation. Along the way, you'll encounter both formidable foes and unusual characters. When attacking, you can choose to use short-range, long-range, defensive, or evasive play styles. Each system has its own set of gameplay features, and you can choose to power up your favorite style for increased special attack abilities. The Special Edition adds the ability to play as Dante's nemesis Virgil and a survival game mode.
- Sega Ages: Puyo Puyo 2 for Switch is released. The object of this head-to-head puzzle game is to clear your grid of falling patterns called puyos by forming chains of four or more same-colored puyos in a straight line or one of several geometric patterns. What makes this a challenging two-player contest is the fact that when you clear a chain of puyos from your grid, it drops a random piece of filler onto your opponent's grid. The more puyos you clear, the more you fill your opponent's grid, and if you can clutter up his grid enough to fill it to the top, you've won the game.
On this day in 2019
- DEATHS
- Dominick Argento, American composer (Colonel Jonathan the Saint), who died at 91.
- TV SERIES
- Documentary Now!: Season 3 is released. The third season of the documentary spoof series features guest appearances from Cate Blanchett, Kevin Dunn, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Michael C. Hall, Taran Killam, Natasha Lyonne, Bobby Moynihan, John Mulaney, and Tim Robinson in parodies of Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present, Original Cast Album: Company, Let's Get Lost, and League of Ordinary Gentlemen.
- POLITICS
- William Broomfield, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan), who died at 96.
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Venezuela becomes the first country to launch a virtual currency, the petro, to counteract their financial crisis.
- Queen of England, Elizabeth II makes surprise appearance at London fashion week.
- GAMING: PC
- Legendary Gary for PC is released. Help Gary become a better person in his real life and a legend in his virtual life.
- Symmetry (2018) for PC is released. A research spaceship reaches an abandoned planet. Nothing is what it seems here and the situation quickly slips out of control. Can the crew manage to survive and get back home?
- Age of Empires: Definitive Edition for PC is released. In 1997, Age of Empires changed RTS games forever. Today, twenty years later, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition begins that transformation anew with all-new graphics, remastered sound and music, and a smooth UI experience rebuilt from the ground up.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Apex Construct for PlayStation 4 is released. In this atmospheric first-person action game built for VR, the fate of mankind rests on you — the last human alive.
- Metal Gear Survive for PlayStation 4 is released. Metal Gear Survive picks up from the ending of METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES, to an alternate timeline caused by unexplained wormholes forming in the sky.
- The Station for PlayStation 4 is released. How would you react if a sentient alien civilization was discovered that challenged everything you knew about biology, chemistry, physics, and religion?
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Old Man's Journey for Switch is released. Old Man's Journey, a soul-searching puzzle adventure, tells a story of life, loss, reconciliation, and hope. Entrenched in a beautifully sunkissed and handcrafted world, embark on a heartfelt journey interwoven with lighthearted and pressure-free puzzle solving.A visual narrative about life's precious moments, broken dreams, and changed plans, uncover stories of the old man's life told through beautiful vignettes of his memories. Interacting with the serene and whimsical environment, solve playful puzzles by shaping the landscape, growing the hills to create the old man's path forward.During this compact gameplay experience, you'll be transported to a vibrant and wishful world, exploring life's complexities through the old man's eyes. Meditatively delightful and reflective, Old Man's Journey invites you to immerse yourself in quiet and inquisitive puzzles, and experience the old man's heartache, regret, and hope.
- SPORTS
- Dutch skater Jorien ter Mors becomes first female to win Olympic medals in 2 different sports at a single Winter Games (Pyeongchang); 1,000m speed skating gold,3000m short track relay bronze.
- Dutch women’s short track speed skating 3000m relay team skates a world record 4:03.471 in the B Final at the Pyeongchang Olympics; South Korea takes the gold medal in an inferior time,4:07.361; Dutch win bronze by default.
- Frenchman Martin Fourcade wins his 3rd gold medal of Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the biathlon mixed relay; also wins 12.5k pursuit & 15k mass start; 5th career gold (2 Sochi 2014).
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Famine is declared in Unity State, South Sudan, affecting 4.9 million.
- TV SERIES
- Bates Motel: Season 5 is released. The fifth and final season of the prequel to the film "Psycho"picks up two years later and introduces Marion Crane (Rihanna).
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- Gunman goes on random killing spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan, killing 6.
- 4-inch lock of John Lennon's hair sells for $35,000 to a memorabilia collector at an auction in Dallas, Texas.
- Tropical Cyclone Winston hits Fiji, killing at least 29 - most powerful storm on record in Southern Hemisphere winds 296 kilometers per hour (184 mph).
- US primary elections: Nevada Democratic Primary - Hillary Clinton wins with 52.6%.
- WEDDINGS
- TV personality and actress Casey Reinhardt at the age of 30 weds longtime beau Sean Brown in California.
- Paramore's lead vocalist Hayley Williams at the age of 27 weds New Found Glory's lead guitarist Chad Gilbert in Franklin, Tennessee.
- R& B singer Ne-Yo at the age of 36 weds Crystal Renay Williams in Los Angeles.
- DEATHS
- Peter Mondavi, American winemaker (Charles Krug - Napa Valley), who died at 101.
- POLITICS
- Jeb Bush suspends his presidential campaign.
- SEPERATIONS
- American R& B singer Ne-Yo (36) weds Crystal Renay Williams (29) at the Terranea Resort, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes, California; divorce in 2023.
On this day in 2015
- EVENTS
- Kristen Stewart is the first American actress to win a French César Award as Best Supporting Actress for "Clouds of Sils Maria".
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Digging Up the Marrow is released. What if the ghastly images and abominations haunting our collective nightmares actually exist? Writer/director Adam Green sets out to make a documentary exploring this tantalizing premise after being contacted by a mysterious man named William Dekker (Ray Wise). Dekker claims he can prove that “monsters are real” and insists these grotesque creatures are forgotten, hideously deformed humanoids inhabiting a vast, underground metropolis of the damned. Determined to expose the truth, Green embarks on a bone-chilling odyssey and gets more than he bargains for when he dares to go Digging Up The Marrow. [Image Entertainment]
- Approaching the Elephant is released. Year one for Lucy, Jiovanni and director Alexander at the Teddy McArdle Free School in Little Falls, New Jersey, where classes are voluntary and rules are created by democratic vote. Wilder is there from the beginning, observing an indelible cast of outspoken young personalities as they form relationships, explore their surroundings and intensely debate rule violations, until it all comes to a head.
- All the Wilderness is released. James (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has shut himself off from his surroundings, falling into a world of imagination and darkness. Visits with his psychiatrist have proven unhelpful - though he takes a liking to fellow patient, Val. As James begins to rebel against his single mother, he ventures into the night where he meets a mysterious kid who welcomes him into an eccentric city. Relationships are put to the test as James navigates unfamiliar territory, wrestling with the reality of his own personal wilderness. [Screen Media Films]
- Drunktown's Finest is released. Three young Native Americans—an adopted Christian girl, a rebellious father-to-be, and a promiscuous transsexual—strive to escape the hardships of life on an Indian reservation.
- MOVIES: PG
- McFarland USA is released. Inspired by the 1987 true story, novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. [Disney]
- MOVIES: PG13
- The DUFF is released. Bianca (Mae Whitman) is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). Now, despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher (Ken Jeong), she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), and enlists Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school's ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone's DUFF.
- MOVIES: R
- Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is released. When Lou, who has become the "father of the Internet, "is shot by an unknown assailant, Jacob and Nick fire up the time machine again to save their friend.
- Wild Tales is released. Vulnerable in the face of a reality that suddenly shifts and becomes unpredictable, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line that divides civilization and barbarism. A lover's betrayal, a return to a repressed past and the violence woven into everyday life drive the characters to madness as they cede to the undeniable pleasure of losing control.
- GAMING: PC
- The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for PC is released. Legends foretold it. Prophecies predicted it. Chosen ones chose to believe in it. Now the adventure saga continues. A sequel is coming. Join Wilbur, Ivo, Nate and Critter in another classic point-and-click adventure in the wicked world of Aventásia. Help them fulfill their destiny. A destiny as yet unwritten.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- The Order: 1886 for PlayStation 4 is released. The Order: 1886 introduces us to a unique vision of Victorian-Era London in which Man uses advanced technology to battle a powerful and ancient enemy. As Galahad, a member of an elite order of Knights, join a centuries-old war against a powerful threat that will determine the course of history in this third-person action-adventure shooter.
- GAMING: WII U
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse for Wii U is released. (Also known as "Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush"in the UK/EU.) Do you have the magic touch? Then guide Kirby as he sets off on grand adventures in a hand-sculpted clay world. Draw lines on the touch screen of the Wii U GamePad controller to create rainbow-colored clay ropes to move Kirby around freely, or tap him to attack enemies or blast through obstacles. Transformations include a submarine, rocket and tank. In underwater levels, Kirby dons a swim mask. If his power level gets too low, a clay bandage appears on his head.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Roundabout for Xbox One is released. Roundabout is an open world driving puzzle game where you control a constantly rotating limousine! Pick up passengers, find secret collectables, take on dangerous missions, and fall in love while reliving the 1977 rise to fame story of Georgio Manos.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Aberdeen, Washington unveils statue of a weeping Kurt Cobain at park named after the singer.
- BIRTHS
- Princess Leonore, Duchess Of Gotland, Swedish princess, Manhattan, born in Sweden.
- Like Nastya, YouTube Star, born in Russia.
- GAMING: 3DS
- Weapon Shop de Omasse for 3DS is released. Groove along to the beats of the hammer falls, tapping your Nintendo 3DS Touch Screen to the rhythm in order to forge your shop's weapons. The higher your CHAIN, the stronger and sharper the weapon will turn out. Any blacksmith worth his steel also knows that you have to strike while the iron is hot. Make sure to watch the weapon's temperature, which will affect its critical hit rate, durability, and special properties. [Level-5]
- SPORTS
- Marie-Philip Poulin scores in overtime to lead Canada to a 3-2 win over the US and 4th consecutive Olympic women's ice hockey gold medal at the Sochi Winter Games.
- Adelina Sotnikova convincingly wins the women's singles figure skating gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics for Russia's first title in the ladies event.
- After winning the individual large hill 10k Nordic combined title Jørgen Graabak of Norway wins his 2nd gold medal of the Sochi Winter Olympics in the team large hill / 4 x 5 km relay.
- Canada beats Sweden,6-3 in final to become first women's curling team to go through the Olympics undefeated as they win Sochi gold medal; first Manitoba based team to win Olympic gold.
- France sweeps the medals in the men's ski cross at the Sochi Winter Olympics; Jean-Frédéric Chapuis takes the gold ahead of team mates Arnaud Bovolentaand Jonathan Midol.
On this day in 2013
- EVENTS
- Estonia becomes the first country to establish a national system of fast chargers for electric cars.
- Kepler-37b, the smallest known exoplanet, is discovered.
- GAMING: XBOX 360
- Serious Sam Double D XXL for Xbox 360 is released. Inspired by the shout-out-loud awesome adventures of Serious Sam, this title is part of the Serious Sam Indie Series -- a collection of Serious Sam games designed and developed by some of the most talented independent developers in the world. Acclaimed indie developers take the reins of the award-winning series and unleash their own brand of mayhem on carnage-craving gamers.
- SPORTS
- Antonio Roma, Argentinian footballer, who died at 80.