ON THIS DAY

Magellan discovered Shark Island in 1521.

On this date in 1690, the first paper money was printed up in the colony of Massachusetts. The pilgrims realized that when they ran out, they could just print up more... and the United States was born!

In 1809, the territory of Illinois was organized.

The 16th amendment to the U.S. constitution was ratified on this date in 1913. That's the one that gave us the federal income tax.

The Day The Music Died -- On this day in 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash outside of Mason City, Iowa. Time to break out "American Pie" again by Don McLean.

It's Nathan Lane's birthday today. He's 54.

Morgan Fairchild turns 60 today, and singer from the 60s Melanie is 63 today.

Halfway Through Winter -- Tonight, it will be roughly 44 1/2 days left to go until spring hits on March 21.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A handwriting expert says that Angelina Jolie's signature these days indicates she's trying to keep people away.
• "Deadliest Catch" captain Phil Harris underwent a 12-hour surgery after suffering a stroke on Friday.
• Joseph Brooks, who wrote the most boring song of all time, "You Light Up My Life," is out on $1.25 bail while fighting charges of molesting a string of would-be actresses in his Manhattan apartment.
• General Larry Platt took a flight from L.A. to Atlanta this week and the crew begged him to sing his song, "Pants on the Ground"... which he did, for the coach passengers.
• 75 mega music stars gathered in a Hollywood studio Monday to record a new version of "We are the World." It was the same studio used 25 years ago. Among the names that took part in the Haiti Relief project: Pink, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Snoop Dogg, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson, Akon and on and on and on...
• ABC says it will announce the cast of the next round of "Dancing with the Stars" on the Monday, March 1 finale of "The Bachelor."
• Note to self -- IHOP'S free pancakes day this year is February 23, from 7am-10pm. Free pancakes, although they are hoping you'll make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network.
• Aaron Ruben, who produced such TV hits as "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." and "Sanford and Son," has died. He was 95.
• The National Italian American Foundation says it doesn't care that "Jersey Shore" is being renewed for a second season... it STILL isn't wild about the stereotypes portrayed on the show.
• Be listening for a Jamie Foxx/Justin Timberlake duet, coming out in May.
• CBS has filled the last couple of commercial slots in the Super Bowl game broadcast. We officially have a sell-out!
• "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" both received the most Oscar nominations with 9 each.
• Want a set of golf balls where each ball features one of the women Tiger Woods was involved with? Visit www.tailofthetiger.com.
• Famous ground hog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Tuesday, which is said to mean 6 more weeks of winter.

Here are the box-office results as of Sunday for the Oscar best-picture nominees:

• "Avatar," nine nominations, $596 million
• "The Blind Side," two nominations, $238 million
• "District 9," four nominations, $116 million
• "An Education," three nominations, $9 million
• "The Hurt Locker," nine nominations, $12.7 million
• "Inglourious Basterds," eight nominations, $121 million
• "Precious," six nominations, $45 million
• "A Serious Man," two nominations, $9.2 million
• "Up," five nominations, $293 million
• "Up in the Air," six nominations, $73 million

There's a chewing gum that claims to enhance libido. It's called Sexlets, and claims to enhance a man's libido much like Viagra or Cialis. But unlike those prescription medications, Sexlets uses herbal ingredients, such as Ginseng, Vitamin E and the herbal blend Yohimbe Bark that has long been used for male enhancement. Now Sexlets are flying off store shelves, and the South Florida manufacturer's factory is now producing 1 million pieces a month. But before you start chewing, you should know two facts about Sexlets gum that may make you think twice. One chemical ingredient in the gum is orchic powder, which is ground up testicles.

Hold the phone. In a ring-a-ding-ding shocker, about one-third of women would rather go without their boyfriends than their cell phones, say researchers. When women were asked to list their most treasured possessions, the overall ranking placed cell phones at number 3 and boyfriends at number 5 according to a recent online poll of about 4,000 women. Here's the list in order:

• Mothers
• Sentimental photos
• Cell phone
• Best friends
• Boyfriends

About 40% of the women reported that they would be "devastated" if they lost their cell phones. Meanwhile, 33% reported that they could live happily ever after even without a man in their lives. "Mothers come out on top because they lend an ear and offer support and also serve as best friends for many women," says study leader Paul Aitken. "Photos preserve fun and significant memories while cell phones keep women connected and they're always at their side." How's a guy supposed to compete with that? (National Examiner)

We still love the Beatles, yeah, yeah, yeah. Even thought it's been about five decades since the four Liverpool lads named The Beatles burst onto the global music scene, 25% of Americans surveyed say they're likely to buy one of the remastered Beatles albums or the new Beatles Rockband video game. 39% of folks already own at least one Beatles album, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. And one in three still "Love Me Do," giving the adorable mop tops a "very favorable" approval rating. 22% of folks polled say The Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr), are "the greatest rock band of all time." (National Examiner)

Shouting at your husband or wife will be against the law in France, thanks to a new statute banning "psychological violence" between spouses. Authorities believe it's an ideal solution for the most insidious forms of domestic abuse, but psychologists say the rule, which calls for fines and even jail terms for insulting your partner's appearance, will be nearly impossible to enforce. (Sun)