Today in History: February 6, Queen Elizabeth II accedes to throne

Today is Thursday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2025. There are 328 days left in the year. Today in history: On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain’s King George VI, 56, died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his 25-year-old eldest daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II. Also on this date: In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris. In 1862, during the Civil War, Fort Henry in Tennessee fell to Union forces. In 1899, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate; the treaty ended the Spanish-American War and ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. In 1921, “The Kid,” Charlie Chaplin’s first feature-length film, was released across the United States. In 1998, Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, honoring the former...