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It's On the House
February 17, 1801 - The Presidential election of 1800 was finally concluded when the United States House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson as President and Aaron Burr as Vice President. Under the original language of the Constitution members of the Electoral College would each cast two votes for President; the candidate with the most votes became President and the runner up was Vice President. During the 1800 election, votes in the Electoral College resulted in a tie between Jefferson and Burr. By law a tie is broken through a vote in the House of Representatives. However after 35 separate votes in the House the candidates were still deadlocked. The election was finally determined through the efforts of Alexander Hamilton, who despite being a political enemy of Jefferson, believed Burr was dangerous for the country. Hamilton lobbied his fellow members of the Federalist Party to vote against Burr. On the 36th ballot Jefferson received 73 votes and Burr 65. The controversial election led to the passage of the 12th amendment, which allows Electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President. The election also fueled the rivalry that eventually led to Hamilton's death in a pistol duel with Burr in 1804.
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The Great American Novel
 February 18, 1885 - Mark Twain's classic novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published for the first time in the United States. The novel is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and tells the story of Huckleberry Finn's journey down the Mississippi River. The book came under critical review from the moment of publication for its course language and immorality. It continues to be criticized today for its use of racial slurs and stereotypes. Despite its detractors, it has emerged as one of the defining novels of American literature and is considered to be Twain's finest work.
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Losing a Legend
 February 18, 2001 - Dale Earnhardt, perhaps the best-known driver in NASCAR history, was killed during an accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Earnhardt was one of NASCAR's most successful drivers, winning 76 races and a record 7 championships during his career. Earnhardt had an aggressive driving style that earned him the nickname "The Intimidator." Earnhardt's fatal accident occurred on the final turn of the race when Sterling Marlin's car made contact with the rear bumper of Earnhardt's, sending the car nose-first into the wall at 160 mph. Although the accident appeared fairly mild compared to some of NASCAR's more spectacular crashes, the impact caused Earnhardt to suffer a Basilar Skull Fracture, an injury that has claimed the lives of at least eight other NASCAR drivers. Following Earnhardt's death NASCAR began requiring all drivers to wear a HANS device, a neck support designed to prevent the type of injuries suffered by Earnhardt.
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