This Day in History: February 6

1778 - The United States gained official recognition from France as the two nations signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris.

1788 - Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1815 - The state of New Jersey issued the first American railroad charter to John Stevens.

1843 - "The Virginia Minstrels" opened at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City. It was the first minstrel show in America.

1899 - The U.S. Senate ratified a peace treaty between the U.S. and Spain.

1900 - The Holland Senate ratified the 1899 peace conference decree that created in international arbitration court at The Hague.

1900 - U.S. President McKinley appointed W.H. Taft as commissioner to report on the Philippines.

1911 - The first old-age home for pioneers opened in Prescott, AZ.

1926 - The National Football League adopted a rule that made players ineligible for competition until their college class graduated.

1932 - Dog sled racing happened for the first time in Olympic competition.

1933 - The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was declared in effect. The amendment moved the start of presidential, vice-presidential and congressional terms from March to January.

1937 - K. Elizabeth Ohi became the first Japanese woman lawyer when she received her degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL.

1950 - NBC radio debuted "Dangerous Assignment".

1952 - Britain's King George VI died. His daughter, Elizabeth II, succeeded him.

1956 - St. Patrick Center opened in Kankakee, IL. It was the first circular school building in the United States.

1959 - The U.S., for the first time, successfully test-fired a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile from Cape Canaveral.

1971 - NASA Astronaut Alan B. Shepard used a six-iron that he had brought inside his spacecraft and swung at three golf balls on the surface of the moon.

1972 - Over 500,000 pieces of irate mail arrived at the mail room of CBS-TV, when word leaked out that an edited-for-TV version of the X-rated movie, "The Demand," would be shown.

1985 - The French mineral water company, Perrier, debuted its first new product in 123 years. The new items were water with a twist of lemon, lime or orange.

1987 - President Ronald Reagan turned 76 years old this day and became the oldest U.S. President in history.

1998 - Washington National Airport was renamed for U.S. President Ronald Reagan with the signing of a bill by U.S. President Clinton.

1999 - King Hussein of Jordan transferred full political power to his oldest son the Crown Prince Abdullah.

1999 - Excerpts of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky's videotaped testimony were shown at President Clinton's impeachment trial.

1999 - Heavy fighting resumed along the common border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

2000 - Russia's acting President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian forces had captured Grozny, Chechnya. The capital city had been under the control of Chechen rebels.

2000 - In Finland, Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen became the first woman to be elected president.

2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton formally declared that she was a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat from the state of New York.

2001 - Ariel Sharon was elected Israeli prime minister.

2002 - A federal judge ordered John Walker Lindh to be held without bail pending trial. Lindh was known as the "American Taliban."

Supreme Sunday

Reflections. Diana Ross & The Supremes. A new record. A new member. A new name. Motown’s biggest attraction had just evolved into the next phase of its history. Globally, the world watched to see how this would play out.

Three weeks before the release of Reflections, original group member Florence Ballard had been permanently discharged from The Supremes during a run at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. This change followed a year of degenerating conduct by Florence, during which time she had become heavily addicted to alcohol, had taken her longstanding with rivalry with Ross to the edge, and had missed two shows causing her to be temporarily replaced by first Marlene Barrow and then Bluebelles member Cindy Birdsong. It was Birdsong who was chosen as the next Supreme when Florence went onstage inebriated in Vegas in June of 1967 and was flown home to Detroit following the show. With Birdsong’s entrance, the group was ready for its biggest transition.

Another chart topper from Holland-Dozier-Holland, Reflections capitalized on the psychedelic fad of the day. Having been recorded a few months prior to its release, the single features Ballard in the background with Wilson. Birdsong appeared on the album cover but it was Ballard who sang on every cut from the LP. No matter, the newly christened Diana Ross & The Supremes were on to bigger and better things.

Thought for Today

"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it." -Chinese Proverb