Today is Monday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2008. There are 331 days left in the year. On this date in

Today is Monday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2008. There are 331 days left in the year. On this date in 1789, electors choose George Washington to be the first president of the United States. (However, the results of the balloting are not counted in the U.S. Senate until two months later).

In 1783, Britain declares a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the United States of America. In 1861, delegates from six southern states meet in Montgomery, Ala., to form the Confederate States of America. In 1938, the Thornton Wilder play “Our Town” opens on Broadway. In 1941, the United Service Organizations (USO) comes into existence. In 1983, singer-musician Karen Carpenter dies in Downey, Calif., at age 32. In 1987, pianist Liberace dies at his Palm Springs, Calif., home at age 67.

February 4, 1983: The Firestone Foundation announces that the brick farmhouse, barn and summer kitchen at the Firestone birthplace off Rt. 14 east of Columbiana has been donated to the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, along with $2 million that will be used to move the buildings to Dearborn.

The Youngstown Revitalization Foundation Corp. will use a $350,000 grant approved by City Council to launch its plan to revitalize downtown.

The Youngstown branch of the NAACP accuses the Mahoning County Bar Association of racial discrimination because of its opposition to the nomination of a black Akron lawyer to be U.S. Bankruptcy judge in Youngstown.

February 4, 1968: Nicholas Paraska, associate professor of civil engineering at Youngstown State University is named dean of the technical and community college, which will be a division of YSU and will begin operating in late 1968.

Youngstown Police Chief John Terlesky is planning a major revamping of the department to combat a 37 percent increase in felonious crime in the city. Youngstown had 15 homicides in 1967.

February 4, 1958:Columbiana County Common Please Judge Raymond Buzzard keeps alive seven burglary indictments against four officers in the 1956 East Liverpool police scandal.

An 18-year-old W. Federal St. youth is being held in the shotgun death of Donald Echols, 23, of Marble Street. Witnesses say the youth shot Echols after an argument sparked by the youth grabbing a newspaper from Echols’ hand.

February 4, 1933: Cyrus H. Neff, Canfield businessman, is indicted on a charge of first degree murder in the death of his wife in October in their Canfield home. The shooting had originally been ruled an accident.

Gen. Augusto Sandino, who has led his forces for six years against the American backed government of Nicaragua, makes a surprise visit to the presidential palace in Managua. He marches in, offers to negotiate peace, and then heads back to the mountain headquarters of his army.