YEARS AGO

Today is Friday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2015. There are 328 days left in the year.

Associated Press

On this date in:

1788: Massachusetts is the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1815: The state of New Jersey issues the first American railroad charter to John Stevens, who proposes a rail link between Trenton and New Brunswick. (The line, however, was never built.)

1911: Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, is born in Tampico, Ill.

1922: Cardinal Archille Ratti is elected pope; he takes the name Pius XI.

1933: The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called “lame duck” amendment, is proclaimed in effect by Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

1943: A Los Angeles jury acquits actor Errol Flynn of three counts of statutory rape.

1952: Britain’s King George VI dies at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he is succeeded as monarch by his elder daughter, who becomes Queen Elizabeth II.

1958: British European Airways Flight 609 crashes on takeoff from Munich, West Germany, killing 23 of the 44 people on board.

1973: Dixy Lee Ray is appointed by President Richard Nixon to be the first woman to head the Atomic Energy Commission.

1987: Wall Street Journal reporter Gerald Seib is released after being detained six days by Iran, accused of being a spy for Israel; Iran says the detention is a result of misunderstandings.

VINDICATOR FILES

1990: Two area state legislators, Sen. Harry Meshel and Rep. Ronald Gerberry, hit the campaign trail with well-lined coffers, each having more than $40,000 on hand.

The new Warren consolidated high school will retain the district’s older name, Warren G. Harding High School. It will retain the mascot name of Raiders and colors of gold and white, remnants of Western Reserve High School.

Tim Jackson scores 33 points in Youngstown State University’s 95-85 victory over St. Francis College. Jackson breaks the 1,000 scoring mark in his 77th consecutive start for the Penguins.

1975: Work at General Motors giant Lordstown plant could come to a standstill within two weeks if the Penn Central Railroad ceases operations, but Youngstown district steel mills would suffer little effect. Penn Central officials say that unless the company receives more federal aid, it will cease operations Feb. 25.

Youngstown City Council approves $5,000 for a reward fund aimed at solving heinous crimes that was suggested by Mayor Jack C. Hunter after the rapes of two young South Side girls.

Three young men, one a juvenile, are captured after the South Side office of Dr. John LaManna is ransacked and the doctor, his nurse and several patients are held at gunpoint and robbed of $738 and an undisclosed amount of drugs.

1965: Youngstown Chaney moves into a tie for first place in the City Series with a win over first-place rival Rayen, 65-54. Boardman remains undefeated in the Steel Valley Conference, beating Struthers, 70-49.

Michael Parish, prominent Pittsburgh contractor and former Youngstown builder, dies while vacationing in Miami Beach.

Youngstown University’s swim team loses to Kent State, 69-26, but Coach Ralph Johnson predicts co-captain Tom Cracium will get a place on the small-college All-American team.

1940: Gov. John Bricker names Atty. Robert B. Nevin to the Youngstown Municipal Court judgeship left vacant by the election of Mayor William B. Spagnola. The appointment gives the court its first Republican majority since the city has had three judges.

Firemen in Newton Falls tear apart a clothes chute to rescue Jo Ellen Griffith, 5, who slid as far as the first floor before becoming lodged tight. She was none the worse for wear after her rescue.

Two bandits, one of them armed, tie up John Bonavan, proprietor of the Original White Elephant restaurant on West Federal Street and escape with about $700.