THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19: TODAY IN HISTORY & NEWS SUMMARY
🌍 This Day in History: Global Highlights
1473 (Poland): Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who formulated the heliocentric model of the universe, proving that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
1942 (Australia): The Bombing of Darwin occurs as Japanese warplanes launch the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australian soil during WWII.
1986 (USSR): The Soviet Union launches the Mir Space Station, the world's first modular space station, which remained in orbit for 15 years as a symbol of international cooperation.
1878 (USA): Thomas Edison patents the phonograph, the first machine capable of both recording and reproducing sound, revolutionizing the global music and media industry.
1913 (Mexico): Pedro Lascuráin serves as President of Mexico for just 45 minutes—the shortest presidency in world history—during a military coup.
1945 (Japan): The Battle of Iwo Jima begins as approximately 30,000 U.S. Marines land on the island, leading to some of the most intense fighting of the Pacific War.
🇨🇦 Canada’s Biggest Political Story
Yesterday: PM Mark Carney officially launched Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy in Montreal, pledging $470B over 10 years to move procurement away from the U.S. and toward domestic firms.
Expected Today: NDP leadership candidates head to British Columbia for their final party debate, focusing on housing affordability and the party's role in a possible 2026 spring election.
🇺🇸 U.S. Biggest Political Story
Current: President Trump heads to Georgia today for a high-stakes campaign rally while his administration weighs potential military strikes on Iranian leadership following reports of a massive Middle East airpower buildup.
🌐 Global Impact: Yesterday’s Legacy
February 18, 2026, will be remembered for the "Great Pivot," where Canada formally began decoupling its defense industry from the U.S., and for the escalating tensions in the Middle East as global powers braced for a potential U.S.-Iran confrontation.
📜 Quotation of the Day
"To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge." — Nicolaus Copernicus (Born this day, 1473)
🏙️ Ottawa, ON Weather & Sky
☀️ Sunrise: 7:01 AM
🌇 Sunset: 5:35 PM
🌒 Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (3% illumination; a very thin sliver will be visible
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