In History, Today on February 20

Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for Margaret of Denmark.

Edward VI of England was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

The Postal Service Act, establishing the United States Post Office Department, was signed by President George Washington.

Rossini's opera 'The Barber of Seville' premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York City.

Adolf Hitler secretly met with German industrialists to secure funding for the Nazi Party's election campaign.

Caroline Mikkelsen became the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7 during NASA's Mercury-Atlas 6 mission.

The Soviet Union launched the Mir space station, which became the first modular space station and operated in low Earth orbit until 2001.

A fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the band Great White, igniting flammable soundproofing foam in the walls and ceiling surrounding the stage.

Spain became the first country to approve a referendum on the European Constitution, with a majority voting in favor of the treaty.

Two Tamil Tiger aircraft were shot down by the Sri Lankan Air Force while attempting to attack Colombo, marking a significant moment in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The 2010 Winter Olympics are held in Vancouver, Canada. On this day, the United States wins its first-ever gold medal in Nordic combined skiing.

Violence escalated in Ukraine during the Euromaidan protests, with police and protesters clashing in Kyiv, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. This day marked one of the deadliest in the conflict, leading to significant political changes in Ukraine.

The United States and Turkey agree to train and equip moderate Syrian opposition forces as part of the effort to combat ISIS in Syria.

Cyclone Winston, the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Fiji, struck the island nation, causing widespread destruction and resulting in 44 deaths.