In History, Today on February 19

Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center, was born.

Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama, and confined to Fort Stoddert.

The first group of rescuers reached the surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers who became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846–47.

Thomas Edison patented the phonograph, a device for the mechanical recording and reproduction of sound.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

The Battle of Iwo Jima began as U.S. Marines landed on the island, marking a significant battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

The United Kingdom granted Cyprus independence, ending British colonial rule.

William J. Schroeder became the first artificial heart patient to leave the hospital.

NASA's Mars Odyssey begins mapping the surface of Mars.

Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, ending nearly 50 years of rule.

The International Space Station (ISS) receives its final major module, the Tranquility module, delivered by the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

A bomb blast in Hyderabad, India, kills 17 people and injures more than 100.

Violent clashes in Kiev, Ukraine, result in the deaths of at least 26 people as part of the Euromaidan protests.

The European Union and the United Kingdom agree on a Brexit delay, extending the deadline for the UK's departure from the EU.