Buster Douglas Explains How ‘Belief’ Was What Allowed Him to Pull Off the Biggest Upset in Sports History

One of the most memorable sports events in my lifetime occurred on this day 36 years ago.

I was not watching it, because it was on HBO. My family did not have cable, and it was a school night anyway. So I had gone to bed.

However, it is difficult to forget just how stunning it was to learn about how some unknown heavyweight boxer by the name of James "Buster" Douglas (Who?) had somehow knocked out the invincible "Iron" Mike Tyson. 

My mom would watch ABC News for New York early in the morning. I remember hearing (had I heard right?) that Mike Tyson had gotten beaten. Had gotten knocked out. Sports reporter Scott Clark mentioned the protest by the Tyson camp. But then he said these stunning words while smiling:

"Mike Tyson just got beat up."

Wow.

To understand how shocking it was, you really have to have been there at that time. Younger people just cannot appreciate how intimidating and unbeatable Mike Tyson seemed at the time. He would dispatch with top ranked opponents in seconds, often as not before the bell ended the first round. Nobody could stand up to him.

Or so it seemed.

Even after Tyson lost, there was a sense that it must have been some kind of a fluke. Surely, Tyson and Douglas would have a rematch, and then Tyson would likely knock him out quickly and easily to restore order to the boxing world.

Only, there never actually was a rematch. 

Which means that Tyson-Douglas was a one-time thing in every sense. Nobody gave Douglas a chance. There were 42-1 odds in Vegas. That was how few people thought Douglas could even be remotely competitive against Tyson.

It was historic, alright. Unforgettable, too.

Within a few weeks, or maybe months, they allowed regular television viewers without cable to see the whole fight. That was when I saw it for myself for the first time. It still felt surreal, like something which could not possibly have happened, yet did. 

At the time, I was admittedly happy. I know a little bit better now, because Tyson was hardly the unfeeling machine or monster whom he seemed to be at the time. But back then, Tyson seemed machine-like in his efficiency, and how he dispatched so quickly and brutally and easily with his opponents, one after the other. It seemed like no one could touch him, let alone hurt him or challenge him for the title. He owned all of the belts and, being surrounded with people like Don King, seemed a part of the system, if you will. Inhuman, almost. Everything about him was designed to intimidate, and it was very effective. It was inconceivable that some unknown boxer could become a real life "Rocky" and pull off such an unbelievable upset.

Again, now I know better. He is just a man, capable of making mistakes. At the time, it seemed he would not, even could not make any mistakes in the ring. His career seemed like big business, and surely it would be run like a big business. Success felt inevitable. Then, he showed that he is only human by losing, mostly seemingly due to overconfidence. Tyson fell, both the man and the myth. In retrospect, it was inevitable. At the time, however, it seemed impossible when it actually happened.

A few months later, I actually saw Mike Tyson in person. Admittedly, he was not the one I was trying to see. The big fight happened on the same day that Nelson Mandela was released from prison. A few months later, in June, Mandela came to New York City. I went to see him, and only caught a glimpse of him. But I saw Winnie Mandela much more closely. And, to my surprise, I saw both Don King and Mike Tyson walking. At one point, Tyson was maybe five feet away from me. 

I know, I know. If I don't have a picture as proof, it didn't happen.

But it did. I know it, remember it well. It felt so strange to see someone so famous not only in person, but so close. Wearing the business suit. I'll never forget it.

No bigger upset in major sports history had occurred before, and none has occurred since.

And that fight took place on this day back in 1990. 

Buster Douglas says ‘belief’ led him to stunning upset of Mike Tyson by Rusty Miller, Originally published February 11, 2015:

22 am Former champion James “Buster” Douglas, who knocked out Mike Tyson 25 years ago, poses in Columbus, Ohio. (Paul Vernon/AP) Former champion James “Buster” Douglas, who knocked out Mike Tyson 25 years ago, poses in Columbus, Ohio. (Paul Vernon/AP)  Former champion James “Buster” Douglas, who knocked out Mike Tyson 25 years ago, poses in Columbus, Ohio. (Paul Vernon/AP)  On Feb. 11, 1990, heavyweight Buster Douglas pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports when he knocked out Mike Tyson in Tokyo.  Share story By RUSTY MILLER The Associated Press          RUSTY MILLER

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/other-sports/buster-douglas-says-belief-led-him-to-stunning-upset-of-mike-tyson/

Buster Douglas says ‘belief’ led him to stunning upset of Mike Tyson | The Seattle Times

https://www.savannahnow.com/story/sports/2015/02/10/buster-douglas-recalls-stunning-upset-tyson/13597121007/

Buster Douglas recalls stunning upset of Tyson

Book Review: The Last Great Fight by Joe Layden

  

This is a book review, but there is a reason why I am publishing this particular blog entry on this date, specifically. Today marks the anniversary of one of the most legendary boxing matches in history. It was on this day 36 years ago that the seemingly invincible "undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world...Iron Mike Tyson" was stunned and knocked out in the 10th round of a title fight in Tokyo by then relatively unknown challenger James "Buster" Douglas. 

Officially, I believe that this was the greatest upset in major sports history. Never before or since has any result seemed less likely. Not a young and energetic boxer who liked to talk then named Cassius Clay (who would eventually come to be known as Muhammad Ali) stunning a seemingly unbeatable champion, Sonny Liston, by knockout. Or some years later, Ali doing that once again against an arguably even more intimidating champion, George Foreman, in the "Rumble in the Jungle." Not the Amazing Mets winning the 1969 World Series. Not Broadway Joe Namath guaranteeing his Jets would beat the mighty Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and then actually following up and doing it. Not the prohibitive underdog New England Patriots shocking the mighty St Louis Rams, with their "Greatest Show on Turf" offense, in Super Bowl XXXVI. Not the previously undefeated Patriots losing to the Giants in the final minute of Super Bowl LXII. Not the record-shattering defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors blowing a 3-1 series in the 2016 NBA Finals to suffer a shocking loss, just when they seemed on the cusp of basketball immortality. Not a seemingly all-time great heavyweight champion, Lennon Lewis, suffering an also seemingly impossible loss to Hasim Rahman.

Those were some of the greatest upsets that came to my mind. Some were before I was born, and some I can remember very well. There were others which also occurred, but which were likely not quite as immortal in the popular imagination. There are always a lot of upsets in sports, and some which seem so huge, that they are almost remembered as generational upsets.

Yet, James "Buster" Douglas beating the seemingly invincible, unbeatable "Iron" Mike Tyson by knockout in the 10th round of a title fight topped all of these. None of those other upsets can even compare to the 42-1 odds of that fight. Never before has a bigger underdog in a major sport actually managed to pull off such a huge upset. 

At some point in time, I began to grow fascinated with Mike Tyson well after the fact. I mean, after he had already retired from professional fighting. And  while watching some of the fights, I learned about this particular book, and decided to give it a shot. I was impressed by it in almost every way, and will explain why in better detail.

Before I go any farther, however, let me give the usual warnings to stop reading if you intend to read this book, because there will be spoilers ahead.

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

Okay, so by now if you are still reading this, I have to imagine that you either are familiar with this story already, or perhaps you do not mind the spoilers. Please just don't say that you were not given advanced warning. 

Let me just start by saying that I believe that this is my favorite sports-themed book. I have read some others along the way, bur Layden really takes you behind the scenes. Not only do you feel you have a much fuller understanding of how this particularly shocking sports event - the greatest upset in pro sports history - actually took place, but you get such intimate, behind-the-scenes looks that you can almost picture yourself being there. Whether it's visitors to Tyson's hotel room being shocked at what he is watching on video, or that he seems to have an ultra relaxed training regimen in the weeks and days leading up to the fight, or when Buster Douglas and his team arrive at the Columbus International Airport early on a dark winter morning, you really feel like you are there. And there is a natural build-up to the fight itself, even though the reader already knows how this will turn out. 

We catch glimpses of both fighters as boys growing up. Tyson as a troubled youth from Brooklyn who had run-ins with the law and spent time at youth detention centers, but who was discovered for his natural fighting abilities and, eventually, groomed by Cus D'Amato, who took the young Tyson in and made him feel almost like family in Catskill, New York. From there, he develops his speed and skills to become the elite boxer he would eventually become. 

As for James "Buster " Douglas living under the shadow and extreme discipline of his famously fierce boxing father. While it might have been (and probably was at times) a great benefit to have a seasoned boxer with a reputation for intensity and unquestioned toughness for a father, it also seemed, at times, to have been a distraction. Also, father's training regimen was incredibly strict, and sometimes could feel overbearing and overwhelming for James. He is the son of a tough as nails, accomplished boxer. Yet, the boy is less intense than his father. There is an interest in boxing, but his father at times is too intense and actually turns young James away from boxing. Yet ultimately, boxing is the career he chooses for himself, but he shows an on again/off again dedication to his sport which will in fact define his career.

Meanwhile, Tyson's personal life was spiraling out of control. There was the death of two people - Cus D'Amato and  - both of whom were very close and influential in Tyson's life. And with his growing reputation (as well as fortune and fame), Tyson gained an entourage whom he would soon be famous for. However, it hardly seems arguable that a lot of these new people in the champion's life did not have his best interests in mind,  particularly and most notably boxing promoter Don King. There were fights with other boxers on the streets, there was a car accident which some made to seem like a suicide attempt. And there were endless parties and fun nights with women which severely got in the way of Tyson's training and conditioning. In fact, there were suspicions that Tyson's conditioning had grown so lax too close to a fight night that this was the unofficial reason for his canceling a scheduled fight against Razor Ruddock just a few months before the Tyson-Douglas fight, which is perhaps why Douglas got his shot at Tyson to begin with. 

There were warning signs of what was to come, although they were largely ignored. Tyson getting knocked down by his sparring partner was a major one. But everybody dismissed that as a fluke. Layden describes, however, how Tyson's team (minus Tyson himself) were out for a jog and saw Buster Douglas running, and seemingly effortlessly pick up his pace and speed off when he sensed them challenging him, catching up to him. He never looked back. If there was a moment when the Tyson camp probably should have had fair warning, as the member of Apollo Creed did when one guy saw Rocky hitting a solid as ice slab of meat to prepare for the fight, that should have been it. But Tyson in particular seemed not to think about Douglas at all. Seems to have become a victim of his own success, believing in the myth built around him, that nobody could stand up to him. Surely, Douglas would be dispatched with very quickly.

Layden writes of this perception of Douglas having gotten lucky, which really undermines the magnitude of what he actually did on that day. Indeed, the fight probably ended up going the way that it did for several factors. The popular mythology appears to be that it was basically a product of Douglas having plenty of motivation and Tyson perhaps believing in the mythology of his own invincibility a little too much and allowing his conditioning for the fight to slip. However, there was a lot more to it than this on both sides. 

The reader will even get the story of others who we do not immediately come to mind when we think about this fight. That includes the relatively sad story of Octavio Meyran, a veteran at being a ref for boxing fights for over two decades prior to this fight. He performed a standard ten count for the eighth round knockdown as well as the tenth round knockout. Yet, he suddenly found himself embroiled in a controversy regarding what was deemed a long count, but which in fact was fairly standard. Nonetheless, it was deemed to have favored Buster Douglas, who eventually got up and went on to win the fight. Official protests made a big production of this controversy, and Meyran found himself being questioned and forced to admit that he had made a mistake. Then, however, once the press almost universally condemned Don King and the others who were trying to retain Tyson as the champion, this protest was dropped without any investigations or demands for a Tyson-Douglas rematch. Yet, the controversy has endured, even though Meyran still defends his own performance that night. 

Also, we see Kevin Rooney, Tyson's trainer during the most dominant era of the boxer's career, get dismissed not long before the Douglas fight, mostly because of Don King. A lot of people were critical of this move, feeling that it limited Tyson's ability to grow as a fighter. It also really severed the last link Tyson had to the old Cus D'Amato days. Rooney watched the fight back home, and saw how Tyson seemed to have forgotten all of the old defensive lessons which he and D'Amato had instilled in the champion. He watched as Tyson seemed to just stand in the middle of the ring, absorbing one Douglas punch after another while hoping to get lucky with an opening to deliver the KO blow. There were mixed emotions for Rooney on that day. 

Finally, we see both combatants on that day years later. We see the strange and unpredictable direction that the lives of both men took, with Tyson famously being convicted on rape charges and sent to jail for years, then having an erratic return to the boxing ring. Meanwhile, James Douglas almost died after gaining a ton of weight (he was estimated to weight nearly 400 pounds at one point), but then returned back to form to resurrect his boxing career. There were some successes, but he fell short of getting back to relevance. Yet, he found peace when he returned from Florida back to his hometown of Columbus, where he hoped (at the time of the writing of this book) to use his money to rejuvenate the neighborhood where he grew up, and which meant and still means so much to him.

Having read this already, I was surprised to find myself enjoying it every bit as much the second time around. It is an extremely well-researched, thorough book regarding the fight and the impact that it had on both fighters. Frankly, even people who are not into sports, or boxing, would probably still be able to enjoy this one. Yet, this is a must for sports fans. Probably the best sports-related book that I have read in recent memory.

Highly recommended.

February 11th: This Day in History

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

This day in 660 BCE is the traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. On this day in 55, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, died under mysterious circumstances in Rome. This cleared the way for Nero to become Emperor. The oldest Pope was elected on this day in 385 when Siricius-Bishop of Tarragona became the new Pope. On this day in 824, St Paschal I ended his reign as Catholic Pope. Henry VIII was recognized as supreme head of Church in England on this day in 1531. The Battle at Wayna Daga was fought on this day in 1543, as Ethiopian/Portugese troops defeated the invading Muslim army. On this day in 1543, Karel/Henry VIII signed an anti-French covenant. In 1575 on this day, King Frederick of Denmark offered the island of Hveen to Tycho Brahe. The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces was beaten back with heavy losses on this day in 1659. In 1720 on this day, Sweden & Prussia signed the Second Treaty of Stockholm for peace. The Stamp Act was declared unconstitutional in Virginia on this day in 1766. In 1768 on this day, Samuel Adams letter, circulated around the American colonies, opposing Townshend Act taxes. On this day in 1778, some 300 people visited Voltaire to welcome him back following his return to Paris following 28 years in exile. On this day in 1805, Lewis and Clark's Shoshone guide Sacajawea gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste. In 1811 on this day, American President James Madison prohibited trade with Great Britain for the third time in 4 years. The term "gerrymandering" had its beginning on this day in 1812 when the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, signed a redistricting law that favored his party. A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes on this day in 1858, a vision which she would see 17 more times in the months to come. This helped to elevate Lourdes to a pilgrimage site. On this day in 1861, American President-elect Abraham Lincoln took the train from Springfield, Illinois to Washington DC. On this day in 1943, American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was selected to command the Allied armies in Europe. On this day in 1945 during World War II, the Yalta agreement was signed by American President Franklin D Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill & Soviet Premiere Josef Stalin. Japan became the fourth nation to put a satellite (Osumi) into orbit in space, thus becoming a space power on this day in 1970. Seemingly invincible undefeated, undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was stunned by James "Buster" Douglas, getting knocked out in the 10th round. It remains the biggest upset in boxing history, and one of the most stunning upsets in sports history more generally. On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela, the leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, was released from prison after 27 years. On this day in 2000, the space shuttle Endeavor took off. The mission was to gather information for the most detailed map of the earth ever made. On the same day in 2000, Great Britain suspended self-rule in Northern Ireland after the Irish Republican Army (IRA) failed to begin decommissioning (disarming) by a February deadline. In 2006 in Texas, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a quail hunt. On this day in 2009, John Dingell of Michigan became the longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He had more than 53 years of service.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• This day in 660 BCE is the traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. 

• On this day in 55, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, died under mysterious circumstances in Rome. This cleared the way for Nero to become Emperor. 

• The oldest Pope was elected on this day in 385 when Siricius-Bishop of Tarragona became the new Pope. 

• On this day in 824, St Paschal I ended his reign as Catholic Pope. Henry VIII was recognized as supreme head of Church in England on this day in 1531. The Battle at Wayna Daga was fought on this day in 1543, as Ethiopian/Portugese troops defeated the invading Muslim army. On this day in 1543, Karel/Henry VIII signed an anti-French covenant. In 1575 on this day, King Frederick of Denmark offered the island of Hveen to Tycho Brahe. The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces was beaten back with heavy losses on this day in 1659. 

• In 1720 on this day, Sweden & Prussia signed the Second Treaty of Stockholm for peace. 

• The Stamp Act was declared unconstitutional in Virginia on this day in 1766. 

• In 1768 on this day, Samuel Adams letter, circulated around the American colonies, opposing Townshend Act taxes. 

Voltaire

• On this day in 1778, some 300 people visited Voltaire to welcome him back following his return to Paris following 28 years in exile.    Born Francois-Marie Arouet to middle-class parents in Paris in 1694, Voltaire began to study law as a young man but quit to become a playwright. He made a name for himself with classical tragedies and also wrote poetry. In 1717, he was arrested for his satirical poem La Henriade, which attacked politics and religion. Voltaire spent nearly a year in the Bastille as punishment.    Voltaire's time in prison failed to dry up his satirical pen. In 1726, government disapproval of his work forced him to flee to England. He returned several years later and continued to write plays. In 1734, his Lettres Philosophiques criticized established religions and political institutions, and he was again forced to flee Paris. He retreated to the region of Champagne, where he lived with his mistress and patroness, Madame du Chételet. In 1750, he moved to Berlin on the invitation of Frederick II of Prussia and later settled in Switzerland, where he wrote his best-known work, Candide. After 28 years, he returned to Paris and was greeted by hundreds of intellectuals. He died in Paris in May 1778.

1790 - Society of Friends petitions Congress for abolition of slavery

1793 - Prussian troops occupy Venlo Neth

1794 - 1st session of US Senate open to the public

• On this day in 1805, Lewis and Clark's Shoshone guide Sacajawea gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste. 

• 1808 - Anthracite coal 1st burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre, Pa

• 1809 - Robert Fulton patents steamboat

Bust of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States

• In 1811 on this day, American President James Madison prohibited trade with Great Britain for the third time in 4 years.

• The term "gerrymandering" had its beginning on this day in 1812 when the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, signed a redistricting law that favored his party. 

Commercial Steamboat Inventor Robert FultonCommercial Steamboat Inventor Robert Fulton 1814 - Norway's independence proclaimed

• 1826 - London University founded

1837 - American Physiological Society organizes in Boston

1840 - Gaetano Donizetti's Opera "La Fille du Regiment," premieres in Paris

1843 - Opera "I Lombardi," premieres in Milan

1851 - 1st cricket 1st-class game in Australia, Tasmania v Vic, Launceston

1852 - 1st British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London)

1854 - Major streets lit by coal gas for 1st time

1855 - Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam.

• A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes on this day in 1858, a vision which she would see 17 more times in the months to come. This helped to elevate Lourdes to a pilgrimage site.

      

Statue of Abraham Lincoln outside of the New York Historical Society

• On this day in 1861, American President-elect Abraham Lincoln took the train from Springfield, Illinois to Washington DC.

• 1861 - US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state

• 1873 - Spanish Cortes fires King Amadeus I

1878 - 1st US bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, forms

1878 - 1st weekly Weather report published in UK

• 1889 - Meiji constitution of Japan adopted; 1st Diet convenes in 1890

1895 - -17°F (-27.2°C) in Braemar, Grampian (UK record)

• 1895 - Georgetown became part of Wash DC

Writer/Poet Oscar WildeWriter/Poet Oscar Wilde 1896 - Oscar Wildes "Salome," premieres in Paris

1897 - White Rose Mission opens on East 97th Street, NYC

• 1898 - Owen Smith of NC, AME Zion minister, named minister to Liberia

1899 - -15°F (-26°C), Washington, DC (district record)

1899 - -61°F, Montana (record low temperature)

1902 - Police beats up universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels

1903 - Anton Bruckner's 9th Symfonie premieres in Vienna

1905 - James Blackstone, Seattle, bowls 299½-last pin breaks but stands

1905 - Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos

1907 - De Master's Dutch government resigns

1907 - Passenger ship Larchmont sinks by Block Island, 322 die

1908 - Australia regain the Ashes with a 308 run cricket victory vs England

1908 - Heemskerk's government begins in Holland

1916 - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presents its 1st concert

1916 - Emma Goldman arrested for lecturing on birth control

1919 - Friedrich Ebert (SPD), elected president of Germany

1921 - Ambassador Theater opens at 215 W 49th St NYC

1922 - "April Showers" by Al Jolson hits #1

• 1922 - US intervention army leaves Honduras

1926 - Tokelau (Union) Islands in South Pacific transfers to NZ

1927 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Beatrix Loughran

1927 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Nathaniel Niles

Flag of the Olympics

• 1928 - 2nd Winter Olympic games opens in St Moritz, Switzerland

1929 - Eugene O'Neill's "Dynamo," premieres in NYC

• 1929 - Vatican City (world's smallest country) made an enclave of Rome

1932 - 73°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in February

1935 - -11°F (-24°C), Ifrane, Morocco (African record low)

1935 - 1st US airplane flight with auto slung beneath fuselage, NY

1936 - Pumping begins to build Treasure Island in SF Bay

1937 - 44-day sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint Mich ends

1938 - Steve Casey beats Lou Thesz in Boston, to become wrestling champ

1941 - 1st Gold record presented (Glenn Miller-Chattanooga Choo Choo)

German WWII Field Marshal Erwin RommelGerman WWII Field Marshal Erwin Rommel 1941 - Lt-Gen Erwin Rommel arrives in Tripoli

1941 - Sicherheitsdienst complains about Dutch anti German sentiments

1942 - "Archie" comic book debuts

General Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

• On this day in 1943, American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was selected to command the Allied armies in Europe.

1943 - Transport nr 47 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany

1944 - German troops reconquer Aprilia Italy

1944 - U-424 sunk off Ireland

1945 - 1st gas turbine propeller-driven airplane flight tested, Downey, CA

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Statue of soldier, author and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London

• On this day in 1945 during World War II, the Yalta agreement was signed by American President Franklin D Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill & Soviet Premiere Josef Stalin.

• 1948 - John Costello follows Eamon Da Valera as premier of Ireland

• 1951 - Kwame Nkrumah wins 1st parliamentary election on Gold coast (Ghana)

• 1953 - Pres Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Rosenberg couple

• 1953 - Russia breaks diplomatic relations with Israel

1954 - 6th Emmy Awards: I Love Lucy, Donald O'Connor & Eve Arden wins

1957 - KUMV TV channel 8 in Williston, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting

1957 - NHL Players Association forms (NYC), Red Wings' Ted Lindsay elected president

1958 - 1st flight with black stewardess, RC Taylor, Ithaca NY

• 1958 - Marshal Chen Yi succeeds Chu En-lai as Min of Foreign affairs

1958 - Ruth Carol Taylor is 1st Afr-American woman hired as flight attendant

1958 - WTVC TV channel 9 in Chattanooga, TN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1959 - Vinoo Mankad ends his final Test Cricket (v WI at Delhi)

1960 - Jack Paar walks off his TV show

1961 - Robert Weaver sworn in with then highest federal post by a black

1962 - Beatles record "Please, Please Me"

1963 - Beatles tape 10 tracks for their 1st album

1963 - CIA Domestic Operations Division created (pretty scary!)

1963 - Julia Child's show The French Chef premieres.

    

• This day in 1964 marked the Beatles first live appearance in the United States, at the Washington DC Coliseum.

1964 - Greek & Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus

1964 - Taiwan drops diplomatic relations with France

1965 - Braves propose to pay 5 cents from each ticket to bring a new team to Milwaukee

1966 - SF Giant Willie Mays signs highest contract, $130,000 per year

• 1968 - Israeli-Jordan border fight

• On this day in 1968, the new 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden officially opened in New York. This was the fourth incarnation of Madison Square Garden.   

1970 - 26.37 cm (10.38") of rainfall, Mt Washington, NH (state 24-hr rec)

• Japan became the fourth nation to put a satellite (Osumi) into orbit in space, thus becoming a space power on this day in 1970.   From the Kagoshima Space Center on the east coast of Japan's Ohsumi Peninsula, Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite, is successfully launched into an orbit around Earth. The achievement made Japan the world's fourth space power, after the Soviet Union in 1957, the United States in 1958, and France in 1965.    Two months after Japan's launching of Ohsumi, China became the world's fifth space power when it successfully launched Mao 1 into space. The satellite, named after Mao Zedong, the leader of communist China, orbited Earth broadcasting the Chinese patriotic song The East is Red once a minute.

• 1970 - John Lennon pays £1,344 fines for 96 protesting South African rugby team playing in Scotland

1971 - Montreal Canadien John Believau scores his 500th NHL goal

1971 - US, UK, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons

1973 - 1st one-day international for Pakistan & NZ

1973 - 1st sub 17-min 1,500m female free style swim (Shane Gould 16m56.9s)

1973 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Naples-Lely Golf Classic

1973 - Philadelphia 76ers lose their 20th NBA game in a row

1974 - Dick Woodson is 1st of 48 to invoke baseball's new arbitration rule

• 1974 - Titan-Centaur Test launch fails

• 1975 - Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for Conservative leadership

1976 - Clifford Alexander Jr confirmed as 1st black secretary of Army

1977 - 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean)

• 1978 - China lifts a ban on Aristotle, Shakespeare, & Dickens

• 1978 - EOKA organization disbands in Cyprus

• 1979 - Iran's premier Bakhtiar resigns, Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power

• 1981 - Polish premier Jozef Pinkowski replaced by Wojciech Jaruzelski

1983 - 4th largest snowfall in NYC history (18"(46 cm))

• 1984 - 10th space shuttle mission (41-B)-Challenger 4-returns to Earth

• 1985 - Jordan king Hussein & PLO leader Arafat sign accord

1985 - Kent Hrbek signs 5-year, $6 million contract with Minnesota Twins

1985 - Wasim Akram takes 10 wickets in his 2nd Test Cricket, NZ still wins

• 1986 - Activist Anatoly Scharansky released by USSR, leaves country

1986 - Iran begins Fajr-8 offensive against Iraq

1987 - British Airways begins trading stocks

• 1987 - Philippines constitution goes into effect

• 1988 - Anthony M Kennedy appointed to Supreme Court

• 1989 - Barbara Clementine Harris consecrated 1st female bishop (Episcopalian)

Above: Several pictures of the New York Times edition from Monday, February 12, 1990, documenting the historical, sweeping events from South Africa the day before.

Statue of Nelson Mandela at Cape Town City Hall, which portrays him giving his famous speech from that same spot on this day in 1990, shortly after he was released from prison:

• On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela, the leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, was released from prison after 27 years.    In 1944, Mandela, a lawyer, joined the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest black political organization in South Africa, where he became a leader of Johannesburg's youth wing of the ANC. In 1952, he became deputy national president of the ANC, advocating nonviolent resistance to apartheid--South Africa's institutionalized system of white supremacy and racial segregation. However, after the massacre of peaceful black demonstrators at Sharpeville in 1960, Nelson helped organize a paramilitary branch of the ANC to engage in guerrilla warfare against the white minority government.    In 1961, he was arrested for treason, and although acquitted he was arrested again in 1962 for illegally leaving the country. Convicted and sentenced to five years at Robben Island Prison, he was put on trial again in 1964 on charges of sabotage. In June 1964, he was convicted along with several other ANC leaders and sentenced to life in prison.    Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail at the brutal Robben Island Prison. Confined to a small cell without a bed or plumbing, he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry. He could write and receive a letter once every six months, and once a year he was allowed to meet with a visitor for 30 minutes. However, Mandela's resolve remained unbroken, and while remaining the symbolic leader of the anti-apartheid movement, he led a movement of civil disobedience at the prison that coerced South African officials into drastically improving conditions on Robben Island. He was later moved to another location, where he lived under house arrest.    In 1989, F.W. de Klerk became South African president and set about dismantling apartheid. De Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC, suspended executions, and in February 1990 ordered the release of Nelson Mandela.    Mandela subsequently led the ANC in its negotiations with the minority government for an end to apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial government. In 1993, Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. One year later, the ANC won an electoral majority in the country's first free elections, and Mandela was elected South Africa's president.    Mandela retired from politics in 1999, but remained a global advocate for peace and social justice until his death in December 2013.

The release of Nelson Mandela was one of the major news stories that I can personally remember from my own memories. We watched it live, from just before Mandela was actually released, to his trip to nearby Cape Town, when he gave an iconic speech at City Hall. 

The New York Times from February 12, 1990 showed a picture of Mike Tyson nursing his wounds following the loss to Buster Douglas.

• Seemingly invincible undefeated, undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was stunned by James "Buster" Douglas on this day in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan, getting knocked out in the 10th round. It remains the biggest upset in boxing history, and one of the most stunning upsets in sports history more generally. Feb 11, 1990: Underdog Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson  In a major upset, Buster Douglas defeats Mike Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, in 10 rounds at a boxing match in Tokyo, Japan.    James “Buster” Douglas began boxing professionally in the 1980s and was considered a talented fighter, but it was believed he lacked the motivation to become a champion. By contrast, Tyson had become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history when he defeated Trevor Berbick by knockout in 1986, when he was just 20 years old.    Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” Tyson intimidated other boxers with his fast, powerful punches. Going into the February 11, 1990, match with Buster Douglas, Tyson seemed invincible and was considered a 42-1 favorite to win. However, from the start, Douglas managed to dominate the fight. He was said to have been motivated by the pain of his mother’s death several weeks before the match. Tyson, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have his heart in the fight, although he knocked Douglas to the ground at the end of the eighth round. Douglas was able to get back up and went on to knock out Tyson and win the fight in the 10th round of the scheduled 12-round match. His victory was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.    Douglas’s reign as heavyweight champ was short-lived. After defeating Tyson, he fought Evander Holyfield in October 1990. Douglas lost the fight in three rounds and afterward announced his retirement from boxing, although he staged a brief comeback in the late 1990s.    The loss to Douglas was the beginning of a long, downward spiral for Tyson: In 1992, he was convicted on rape charges and served three years in prison. In 1996, he won the World Boxing Council title but lost to Evander Holyfield later that year. During a 1997 rematch, Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear and was temporarily banned from boxing. In 2002, after instigating a pre-fight brawl with Lenox Lewis, Tyson’s Nevada boxing license was revoked. The match was moved to Memphis, where Tyson lost the fight. In 2003, despite having earned hundreds of millions of dollars, he declared bankruptcy and in 2006, he was arrested on drug charges.

• 1991 - UNPO, Unrepresented Nations & People Org forms in Hague Neth

• 1992 - F-16 jet crashes at residential district of Hengelo Neth (No deaths)

• 1993 - Janet Reno selected by President Clinton as US Attorney General

• 1994 - Space shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18), lands

• 1995 - Space shuttle STS-63 (Discovery 19), lands

• 1997 - STS 82 (Discovery 22) launches

1998 - KVBC-FM (Las Vegas) offers Monica Lewinsky $5M for interview

1998 - Lyrics to "Candle in the Wind 1997," auctioned for $442,500

Flag of Portugal

• 2007 - In Portugal, a national referendum legalizes non-therapeutic abortion when requested by the woman during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

• 2008 - In East Timor, assassination attempts were made on Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos-Horta. Both failed.

• 2011 - Egyptian Revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 18 days of protests.

• 2012 - Israel Air Force conducts four air strikes in Gaza Strip

• 2013 - Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation from February 28, the first pope to resign since 1415

• 2013 - 18 coal miners are killed in an explosion in the Komi region, Russia

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• Super Bowl LVIII was played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on this day in 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs became the first franchise in nearly two decades to win back-to-back Super Bowls after defeating the 49ers in overtime, 25-22. This was only the second overtime game in Super Bowl history, and it marked the first time that a team (San Francisco) took a lead in overtime in the Super Bowl, but ultimately lost the game. Kansas City Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the game's MVP.

1752 - The Pennsylvania Hospital opened as the very first hospital in America.   1808 - Judge Jesse Fell experimented by burning anthracite coal to keep his house warm. He successfully showed how clean the coal burned and how cheaply it could be used as a heating fuel.   1812 - The term "gerrymandering" had its beginning when the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, signed a redistricting law that favored his party.   1858 - A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes.   1878 - The first U.S. bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, was formed.   1929 - The Lateran Treaty was signed. Italy now recognized the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City.   1936 - Pumping began the process to build San Francisco's Treasure Island.   1937 - General Motors agreed to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union, which ended the current sit-down strike against them.   1940 - NBC radio presented "The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" for the first time.   1943 - General Dwight David Eisenhower was selected to command the allied armies in Europe. (Today in World War II History)   1945 - During World War II, the Yalta Agreement was signed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. (Today in World War II History)   1957 - The NHL Players Association was formed in New York City.   1958 - Ruth Carol Taylor was the first black woman to become a stewardess by making her initial flight.   1960 - Jack Paar walked off while live on the air on the "Tonight Show" with four minutes left. He did this in response to censors cutting out a joke from the show the night before.     1972 - McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Life magazine canceled plans to publish an autobiography of Howard Hughes. The work turned out to be fake.   1975 - Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to head a major party in Britain when she was elected leader of the Conservative Party.   1979 - Nine days after the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran (after 15 years in exile) power was seized by his followers.   1982 - ABC-TV’s presentation of "The Winds of War" concluded. The 18-hour miniseries cost $40 million to produce and was the most-watched television program in history at the time.   1982 - France nationalized five groups of major industries and 39 banks.   1984 - The tenth Space Shuttle mission returned to Earth safely.   1989 - Rev. Barbara C. Harris became the first woman to be consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church.   1990 - Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.   1990 - In Tokyo, Japan, James "Buster" Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the tenth round to win the heavyweight championship.   1993 - Janet Reno was appointed to the position of attorney general by U.S. President Clinton. She was the first female to hold the position.   2000 - The space shuttle Endeavor took off. The mission was to gather information for the most detailed map of the earth ever made.   2000 - Great Britain suspended self-rule in Northern Ireland after the Irish Republican Army (IRA) failed to begin decommissioning (disarming) by a February deadline.   2002 - The six stars on NBC's "Friends" signed a deal for $24 million each for the ninth and final season of the series.   2006 - In Texas, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a quail hunt.   2009 - John Dingell of Michigan became the longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He had more than 53 years of service.

1805 Lewis and Clark's Shoshone guide Sacajawea gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste. 1809 Robert Fulton patented the steamboat. 1858 Saint Bernadette of Lourdes first saw a vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France, leading to the foundation of the shrine of Lourdes. 1929 Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City. 1945 Yalta Agreement signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin during World War II. 1970 Japan became the fourth country to put a satellite into orbit. 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini's followers seized control of the Iran government. 1989 The Episcopal Church Boston diocese consecrated Barbara Harris as the church's first woman bishop. 1990 South African resistance leader, Nelson Mandela, was released from prison after more than 27 years. 2011 As a result of the Arab Spring protests, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak announces his resignation and hands power of the country over to the military. 2012 Pop star Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, the night before the annual Grammy Awards.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/feb11.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory