TODAY IN HISTORY

Feb. 6

1788-Massachusetts ratified the U.S. Constitution, becoming the sixth state to join the Union.

1804-Joseph Priestley, British chemist, died. His work on the isolation of gases led him to discover oxygen in 1774.

1899-The Spanish-American War ended when a peace treaty between Spain and the United States was signed.

1933-The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which set the date for the president's inauguration on Jan. 20, was adopted.

1935-The popular board game Monopoly® went on sale for the first time.

1952-Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

1971-Astronaut Alan B. Shepard hit a golf ball and Edgar Mitchell threw a "javelin" on the moon. They landed in the same crater and remain on the Moon today.