February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 317 days remaining until the end of the year (318 in leap years).

Events[link]

• 364 – Emperor Jovian dies after a reign of eight months. He is found dead in his tent at Tyana (Asia Minor) en route back to Constantinople in suspicious circumstances.
• 1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau.
• 1500 – Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann attempt to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen, Denmark, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
• 1600 – The philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive, for heresy, at Campo de' Fiori in Rome.
• 1621 – Myles Standish is appointed as first commander of Plymouth colony.
• 1753 – In Sweden February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
• 1801 – An electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr is resolved when Jefferson is elected President of the United States and Burr Vice President by the United States House of Representatives.
• 1814 – War of the Sixth Coalition: The Battle of Mormans.
• 1819 – The United States House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise for the first time.
• 1838 – Weenen massacre: Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal are killed by Zulus.
• 1854 – The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of the Orange Free State.
• 1864 – American Civil War: The  H. L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic.
• 1865 – American Civil War: Columbia, South Carolina, is burned as Confederate forces flee from advancing Union forces.
• 1871 – The victorious Prussian Army parades though Paris, France after the end of the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.
• 1904 – Madama Butterfly receives its première at La Scala in Milan.
• 1913 – The Armory Show opens in New York City, displaying works of artists who are to become some of the most influential painters of the early 20th century.
• 1933 – The Blaine Act ends Prohibition in the United States.
• 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins. The battle ends in an American victory on February 22.
• 1944 – World War II: Operation Hailstone begins. U.S. naval air, surface, and submarine attack against Truk (Chuuk), Japan's main base in the central Pacific, in support of the Eniwetok invasion.
• 1959 – Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2 – The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution.
• 1964 – In Wesberry v. Sanders the Supreme Court of the United States rules that congressional districts have to be approximately equal in population.
• 1964 – Gabonese president Leon M'ba is toppled by a coup and his rival, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, is installed in his place.
• 1965 – Project Ranger: The Ranger 8 probe launches on its mission to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon in preparation for the manned Apollo missions. Mare Tranquillitatis or the "Sea of Tranquility" would become the site chosen for the Apollo 11 lunar landing.
• 1968 – In Springfield, Massachusetts, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opens.
• 1972 – Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model-T.
• 1974 – Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
• 1978 – The Troubles: The Provisional IRA detonates an incendiary bomb at the La Mon restaurant, near Belfast, killing 12 and seriously injuring 30.
• 1979 – The Sino-Vietnamese War begins.
• 1980 – Mount Everest, 1st Winter Ascent by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
• 1992 – Nagorno-Karabakh War: Azerbaijani troops massacre 70–90 Armenian civilians in the village of Qaradağlı
• 1995 – The Cenepa War between Peru and Ecuador ends on a cease-fire brokered by the UN.
• 1996 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, world champion Garry Kasparov beats the Deep Blue supercomputer in a chess match.
• 1996 – NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.
• 2003 – The London Congestion Charge scheme begins.
• 2006 – A massive mudslide occurs in Southern Leyte, Philippines; the official death toll is set at 1,126.
• 2008 – Kosovo declares independence.
• 2011 – Libyan protests begin. In Bahrain, security forces launched a deadly Pre-dawn raid on protesters in Pearl Roundabout in Manama, the day is locally known as Bloody Thursday.

Births[link]

• 624 – Wu Zetian, Empress of the Zhou Dynasty of China (d. 705)
• 1490 – Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, Constable of France (d. 1527)
• 1519 – Francis, Duke of Guise, French soldier and politician (d. 1563)
• 1524 – Charles of Guise, French cardinal (d. 1574)
• 1581 – Fausto Poli, Italian Catholic priest (d. 1653)
• 1646 – Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist (d. 1714)
• 1653 – Arcangelo Corelli, Italian composer (d. 1713)
• 1718 – Matthew Tilghman, American Continental Congressman (d. 1790)
• 1723 – Tobias Mayer, German astronomer (d. 1762)
• 1740 – Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, Swiss physicist and founder of alpinism (d. 1799)
• 1752 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German writer (d. 1831)
• 1754 – Nicolas Baudin, French explorer (d. 1803)
• 1781 – René Laënnec, French physician (d. 1826)
• 1792 – Karl Ernst von Baer, German biologist (d. 1876)
• 1796 – Philipp Franz von Siebold, German physician (d. 1866)
• 1816 – Haller Nutt, Southern Plantation owner (d. 1864)
• 1820 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Catholic cardinal (d. 1898)
• 1820 – Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian composer (d. 1881)
• 1821 – Lola Montez, Irish dancer (d. 1861)
• 1836 – Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish poet (d. 1870)
• 1844 – Aaron Montgomery Ward, American department store founder (d. 1913)
• 1848 – Albert Gustaf Dahlman, Swedish executioner, the last to carry out capital punishment in Sweden (d. 1920)
• 1848 – Louisa Lawson, Australian suffragist and writer (d. 1920)
• 1854 – Friedrich Alfred Krupp, German industrialist (d. 1902)
• 1861 – Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (d. 1922)
• 1862 – Mori Ōgai, Japanese novelist and poet (d. 1922)
• 1863 – Fyodor Sologub, Russian symbolist novelist and poet (d. 1927)
• 1864 – Jozef Murgaš, Slovak inventor (d. 1929)
• 1864 – Banjo Paterson, Australian poet (d. 1941)
• 1874 – Thomas J. Watson, American computer manufacturer (d. 1956)
• 1877 – Isabelle Eberhardt, Swiss explorer and writer (d. 1904)
• 1877 – André Maginot, French politician (d. 1932)
• 1877 – Isidora Sekulić, Serbian prose writer, novelist and essayist (d. 1958)
• 1885 – Steve Evans, American baseball player (d. 1943)
• 1887 – Leevi Madetoja, Finnish composer (d. 1947)
• 1888 – Otto Stern, German physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1969)
• 1890 – Sir Ronald Fisher, English statistician and geneticist (d. 1962)
• 1891 – Abraham Fraenkel, German-born Israeli mathematician and recipient of the Israel Prize (d. 1965)
• 1893 – Wally Pipp, American baseball player (d. 1965)
• 1903 – Sadegh Hedayat, Iranian writer (d. 1951)
• 1904 – Hans Morgenthau, German political philosopher (d. 1980)
• 1908 – Red Barber, American baseball announcer (d. 1992)
• 1908 – Bo Yibo, Chinese politician (d. 2005)
• 1910 – Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (d. 1979)
• 1910 – Marc Lawrence, American actor (d. 2005)
• 1911 – Oskar Seidlin, Silesian-born American literary scholar (d. 1984)
• 1911 – Orrin Tucker, American bandleader and composer (d.2011)
• 1912 – Andre Norton, American author (d. 2005)
• 1913 – Jean Le Moyne, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1996)
• 1914 – Arthur Kennedy, American actor (d. 1990)
• 1914 – Wayne Morris, American actor (d. 1959)
• 1916 – Raf Vallone, Italian actor (d. 2002)
• 1916 – Alexander Obolensky, Russian prince and Rugby Union footballer (d. 1940)
• 1917 – Abdur Rahman Badawi, Egyptian philosopher (d. 2002)
• 1917 – Guillermo González Camarena, Mexican inventor (d. 1965)
• 1919 – J.M.S. Careless, Canadian historian (d. 2009)
• 1919 – Kathleen Freeman, American actress (d. 2001)
• 1920 – Ivo Caprino, Norwegian animated film director (d. 2001)
• 1922 – Enrico Banducci, American nightclub owner (d. 2007)
• 1922 – Tommy Edwards, American singer (d. 1969)
• 1922 – Valentino Mazzia, American forensic anesthesiologist (d. 1999)
• 1923 – John Marco Allegro, English scholar (d. 1988)
• 1924 – Margaret Truman, American novelist (d. 2008)
• 1925 – Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003)
• 1925 – Hal Holbrook, American actor
• 1928 – Marta Romero, Puerto Rican actress & singer
• 1929 – Paul Meger, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1929 – Chaim Potok, American author (d. 2002)
• 1929 – Patricia Routledge, English actress
• 1930 – Roger Craig, American baseball player and manager
• 1930 – Ruth Rendell, English writer
• 1933 – Bobby Lewis, American singer
• 1933 – Craig L. Thomas, American politician (d. 2007)
• 1934 – Alan Bates, English actor (d. 2003)
• 1934 – Barry Humphries, Australian actor and comedian
• 1935 – Christina Pickles, UK-born American actress
• 1936 – Jim Brown, American football player
• 1938 – Buck Trent, American banjo player
• 1938 – Martha Henry, American/Canadian actress
• 1938 – Yvonne Romain, British film and television actress
• 1939 – John Leyton, British singer
• 1939 – Mary Ann Mobley, American actress and beauty queen
• 1939 – Clément Richard, Canadian businessman and politician
• 1941 – Gene Pitney, American singer (d. 2006)
• 1941 – Julia McKenzie, English actress and theatre director
• 1942 – Huey P. Newton, American political activist (d. 1989)
• 1943 – Costas Azariadis, Greek macroeconomist
• 1944 – Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
• 1945 – Zina Bethune, American actress (d. 2012)
• 1945 – Brenda Fricker, Irish actress
• 1946 – Dodie Stevens, American singer
• 1948 – José José, Mexican singer and actor
• 1948 – Rick Majerus, American basketball coach
• 1948 – Don Scardino, American television director and actor
• 1949 – Fred Frith, English musician and composer (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew)
• 1951 – Rashid Minhas, Pilot officer in Pakistan Air Force during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (d. 1971)
• 1952 – Karin Janz, East German gymnast
• 1953 – Norman Pace, British actor and comic
• 1954 – Rene Russo, American actress
• 1955 – Mo Yan, Chinese novelist
• 1956 – Richard Karn, American actor
• 1957 – Loreena McKennitt, Canadian musician
• 1958 – Alan Wiggins, American baseball player d. 1991
• 1959 – Aryeh Deri, Israeli rabbi and politician
• 1959 – Rowdy Gaines, American swimmer
• 1959 – Neil Lomax, American football player
• 1962 – Samuel Bayer, American music video director
• 1962 – David McComb, Australian musician (The Triffids) (d. 1999)
• 1962 – Lou Diamond Phillips, American actor
• 1963 – Alison Hargreaves, British mountaineer (d. 1995)
• 1963 – Jen-Hsun Huang, American entrepreneur and businessman
• 1963 – Larry the Cable Guy, American comedian and actor
• 1963 – Michael Jordan, American basketball player
• 1963 – Rene Syler, American journalist
• 1964 – Buster Olney, American sports columnist
• 1965 – Michael Bay, American film director
• 1966 – Michael Lepond, American musician (Symphony X)
• 1966 – Quorthon, Swedish musician (Bathory) (d. 2004)
• 1966 – Luc Robitaille, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1967 – Chanté Moore, American singer
• 1968 – Bryan Cox, American football player
• 1969 – David Douillet, French judoka
• 1969 – Tuesday Knight, American actress
• 1969 – Willi Kronhardt, German footballer
• 1970 – Tommy Moe, American skier
• 1970 – Dominic Purcell, English/Australian actor
• 1971 – Martyn Bennett, Canadian composer (d. 2005)
• 1971 – Jeremy Edwards, British actor
• 1971 – SaRenna Lee, American pornographic actress
• 1971 – Denise Richards, American actress
• 1972 – Billie Joe Armstrong, American musician (Green Day)
• 1972 – Philippe Candeloro, French figure skater
• 1972 – Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters and Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)
• 1972 – Yuki Isoya, Japanese singer (Judy and Mary)
• 1972 – Ralphie May, American comedian
• 1972 – Valeria Mazza, Argentinian model
• 1972 – LG Petrov, Swedish singer (Entombed)
• 1973 – Drew Barry, American basketball player
• 1973 – Raphaël Ibañez, French rugby player
• 1974 – Kaoru, Japanese musician (Dir en grey)
• 1974 – Jerry O'Connell, American actor
• 1974 – Bryan White, American singer
• 1975 – Harisu, South Korean singer, model and actress
• 1975 – Todd Harvey, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1975 – Vaclav Prospal, Czech ice hockey player
• 1976 – Kelly Carlson, American actress
• 1976 – William Roussel, French musician (Mütiilation)
• 1976 – Scott Williamson, American baseball player
• 1977 – Wong Choong Hann, Malaysian badminton player
• 1978 – Jacob Wetterling, American kidnapping victim
• 1979 – Dee, Puerto Rican pornographic actress
• 1979 – Josh Willingham, American baseball player
• 1980 – Al Harrington, American basketball player
• 1980 – Jason Ritter, American actor
• 1980 – Klemi Saban, Israeli footballer
• 1981 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
• 1981 – Paris Hilton, American actress, singer, and heiress
• 1982 – Adriano, Brazilian footballer
• 1982 – Brian Bruney, American baseball player
• 1982 – Daniel Merriweather, Australian singer
• 1983 – Gérald Cid, French footballer
• 1983 – Marios Kaperonis, Greek boxer
• 1983 – Kevin Rudolf, American singer-songwriter
• 1983 – Nguyen Tien Minh, Vietnamese badminton player
• 1984 – Jimmy Jacobs, American professional wrestler
• 1984 – Stefan Jarosch, German footballer
• 1984 – Kenta Kamakari, Japanese actor and voice actor
• 1984 – Drew Miller, American ice hockey player
• 1984 – Sadha, Indian film actress
• 1984 – AB de Villiers, South African cricketer
• 1985 – Anne Curtis, Filipino actress and model
• 1985 – Anders Jacobsen, Norwegian ski jumper
• 1986 – Joey O'Brien, Irish footballer
• 1986 – Ricardo Rodriguez, American wrestler and ring announcer
• 1988 – Natascha Kampusch, Austrian kidnapping victim
• 1989 – Rebecca Adlington, English swimmer
• 1989 – Stacey McClean, British singer (S Club 8)
• 1989 – Chord Overstreet, American actor
• 1990 – Marianne St-Gelais, Canadian short track speed skater
• 1991 – Ed Sheeran, English singer
• 1991 – Bonnie Wright, English actress
• 1992 – Meaghan Jette Martin, American actress and singer
• 1993 – AJ Perez, Filipino actor and model (d. 2011)
• 1993 – Philip Wiegratz, German actor
• 1993 – Marc Marquez, Spanish motorcyclist
• 1996 – Sasha Pieterse, South African/American actress

Deaths[link]

• 364 – Jovian, Roman Emperor (b. 331)
• 440 – Mesrop Mashtots, Armenian monk and linguist (b. 360)
• 1339 – Otto, Duke of Austria (b. 1301)
• 1371 – Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
• 1596 – Friedrich Sylburg, German classical scholar (b. 1536)
• 1600 – Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher (burned at the stake) (b. 1548)
• 1609 – Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1549)
• 1624 – Juan de Mariana, Spanish historian (b. 1536)
• 1659 – Abel Servien, French diplomat (b. 1593)
• 1673 – Molière, French playwright (b. 1622)
• 1680 – Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English statesman and writer (b. 1599)
• 1680 – Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist (b. 1637)
• 1715 – Antoine Galland, French archaeologist (b. 1646)
• 1732 – Louis Marchand, French organist and harpsichordist (b. 1669)
• 1768 – Arthur Onslow, English politician (b. 1691)
• 1780 – Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian (b. 1706)
• 1841 – Ferdinando Carulli, Italian guitarist (b. 1770)
• 1854 – John Martin, English painter (b. 1789)
• 1856 – Heinrich Heine, German writer (b. 1797)
• 1874 – Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, Belgian mathematician (b. 1796)
• 1883 – Napoleon Coste, French guitarist and composer (b. 1806)
• 1883 – Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, Indian revolutionary (b. 1845)
• 1890 – Christopher Sholes, American inventor (b. 1819)
• 1905 – William Bickerton, Mormon prophet (b. 1815)
• 1909 – Geronimo, Apache leader (b. 1829)
• 1912 – Edgar Evans, Welsh naval officer (b. 1876)
• 1919 – Wilfrid Laurier, 7th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1841)
• 1934 – King Albert I of Belgium (b. 1875)
• 1934 – Siegbert Tarrasch, German chess player (b. 1862)
• 1939 – Willy Hess, German violinist (b. 1859)
• 1943 – Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (b. 1872)
• 1943 – Armand J. Piron, American jazz violinist and composer (b. 1888)
• 1958 – Hugh McCrae, Australian writer (b. 1876)
• 1961 – Nita Naldi, American actress (b. 1897)
• 1962 – Joseph Kearns, American actor (b. 1907)
• 1962 – Bruno Walter, German conductor (b. 1876)
• 1970 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israeli writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1888)
• 1970 – Alfred Newman, American film composer (b. 1900)
• 1976 – Jean Servais, Belgian actor (b. 1910)
• 1977 – Janani Luwum, Ugandan Archbishop (b. 1922)
• 1982 – Nestor Chylak, American baseball umpire (b. 1922)
• 1982 – Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist (b. 1917)
• 1982 – Lee Strasberg, Austrian-born actor (b. 1901)
• 1986 – Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher (b. 1895)
• 1988 – John Marco Allegro, English scholar (b. 1923)
• 1989 – Lefty Gomez, American baseball player (b. 1908)
• 1990 – Hap Day, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (b. 1901)
• 1990 – Erik Rhodes, American actor (b. 1906)
• 1994 – Randy Shilts, American author and activist (b. 1951)
• 1996 – Hervé Bazin, French writer (b. 1911)
• 1997 – Zein Isa, Palestinian militant
• 1998 – Ernst Jünger, German author (b. 1895)
• 1998 – Bob Merrill, American composer and lyricist (b. 1921)
• 1999 – Sunshine Parker, American actor (b. 1927)
• 2001 – Barry Burman, English artist (b. 1943)
• 2001 – Bob Geary, Canadian football player and manager (b. 1933)
• 2001 – Khalid Abdul Muhammed, American Nation of Islam spokesman (b. 1948)
• 2003 – Steve Bechler, American baseball player (b. 1979)
• 2004 – José López Portillo, President of Mexico (b. 1920)
• 2005 – Dan O'Herlihy, Irish actor (b. 1919)
• 2005 – Omar Sivori, Argentine footballer (b. 1935)
• 2006 – Ray Barretto, Puerto Rican musician (b. 1929)
• 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer (The Cowsills) (b. 1948)
• 2007 – Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
• 2007 – Jurga Ivanauskaitė, Lithuanian writer (b. 1961)
• 2007 – Dermot O'Reilly, Irish-born musician, producer and songwriter (Ryan's Fancy) (b. 1943)
• 2007 – Maurice Papon, French Nazi collaborator (b. 1910)
• 2008 – Brian Harris, English footballer (b. 1935)
• 2009 – Conchita Cintrón, Chilean bullfighter (b. 1922)
• 2009 – Gazanfer Özcan, Turkish actor (b. 1931)
• 2009 – Mike Whitmarsh, American volleyball player (b. 1962)
• 2010 – Kathryn Grayson, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Ulric Neisser, German-born American cognitive psychologist (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances[link]

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Seven Founders of the Servite Order
    • Alexis Falconieri
  • Constabilis
  • Fintan of Clonenagh
  • Lommán of Trim
  • February 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Kosovo in 2008, still under dispute.
• Quirinalia, in honor of Quirinus (Roman Empire)
• The first day of Hachinohe Emburi (Hachinohe)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: February 17

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

Saint Mark the Evangelist
Evangelist, Martyr
Born	1st century AD Cyrene, Pentapolis of North Africa[1][2]
Died	April 25, 68 AD
Honored in	Coptic Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Lutheranism
Major shrine	Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Cairo, Egypt) Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria, Egypt) Basilica di San Marco (Venice, Italy)
Feast	April 25
Attributes	Lion in the desert; bishop on a throne decorated with lions; man helping Venetian sailors; man holding a book with "pax tibi Marce" written on it; man holding a palm and book; man with a book or scroll accompanied by a winged lion; man with a halter around his neck; man writing or holding his gospel; rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens.
Patronage	Barristers, Venice, Egypt, Mainar and others; see others in.[3]
Influences	Jesus, Simon Peter

Mark the Evangelist (Latin: Mārcus; Greek: Μᾶρκος; Coptic: Μαρκοϲ; Hebrew: מרקוס‎) is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main episcopal sees of Christianity.

According to William Lane (1974), an "unbroken tradition" identifies Mark the Evangelist with John Mark,^[4] and John Mark as the cousin of Barnabas.^[5] An exception is found in Hippolytus of Rome, who in his work On the Seventy Apostles, distinguishes Mark the Evangelist (2 Tim 4:11), John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37), and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10; Phlm 24).^[6] According to Hippolytus, they all belonged to the "Seventy Disciples" who were sent out by Jesus to saturate Judea with the gospel (Luke 10:1ff.). However, when Jesus explained that his flesh was "real food" and his blood was "real drink", many disciples left him (John 6:44-6:66), presumably including Mark. He was later restored to faith by the apostle Peter; he then became Peter’s interpreter, wrote the Gospel of Mark, founded the church of Africa, and became the bishop of Alexandria.

According to Eusebius of Caesarea (Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-4), Herod Agrippa I in his first year of reign over the whole Judea (41) killed James, son of Zebedee and arrested Peter, planning to kill him after the Passover. Peter was saved miraculously by angels, and escaped out of the realm of Herod (Acts 12:1-19). Peter went to Antioch, then through Asia Minor (visiting the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, as mentioned in 1 Pet 1:1), and arrived in Rome in the second year of Emperor Claudius (42; Eusebius, Eccl, Hist. 2.14.6). Somewhere on the way, Peter picked up Mark and took him as travel companion and interpreter. Mark the Evangelist wrote down the sermons of Peter, thus composing the Gospel according to Mark (Eccl. Hist. 15-16), before he left for Alexandria in the third year of Claudius (43).^[7]

In AD 49, about 19 years after the Ascension of Jesus, Mark traveled to Alexandria [cf. c. 49 [cf. Acts 15:36-41] and founded the Church of Alexandria, which today is claimed by the Coptic Orthodox Church.^[8] Aspects of the Coptic liturgy can be traced back to Mark himself. He became the first bishop of Alexandria and he is honored as the founder of Christianity in Africa.^[9]

According to Eusebius (Eccl. Hist. 2.24.1), Mark was succeeded by Annianus as the bishop of Alexandria in the eighth year of Nero (62/63), probably, but not definitely due to his coming death. Later Coptic tradition says that he was martyred in 68.^{[10][11][12][13][14]} It is believed that on the night when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane Mark had followed him there and the Temple guards saw him, he ran away and dropped his loincloth.

His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the lion.^[15]

Biblical and traditional information[link]

Evidence for Mark the Evangelist's authorship of the Gospel that bears his name originates with Papias.^[16][17] According to D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris, it is "almost certain" that Papias is referring to John Mark.^[18] However, some have argued that identifying Mark the Evangelist with John Mark and Mark the Cousin of Barnabas has led to the downgrading of the character of Barnabas from truly a "Son of Comfort" to one who favored his blood relative over principles.^[19]

The martyrdom of Saint Mark. Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (Musée Condé, Chantilly).

The identification of Mark the Evangelist with John Mark led to identifying him as the man who carried water to the house where the Last Supper took place (Mark 14:13).;^[20] or as the young man who ran away naked when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52).^[21]

The Coptic Church holds the tradition of identifying Mark the Evangelist with John Mark, and holds that he was one of the Seventy Disciples sent out by Christ (Luke 10:1), as is confirmed by the list of Hippolytus.^[22] It also believes that Mark the Evangelist is the one who hosted the disciples in his house after the death of Jesus, into whose house the resurrected Jesus Christ came (John 20), and into whose house the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost.^[22]

Mark is also believed to be one of the servants at the Marriage at Cana who poured out the water that Jesus turned to wine (John 2:1-11),^[22] These traditions have no solid proof neither from the New Testament nor from Church history.

According to the Coptic church, Saint Mark was born in Cyrene, a city in the Pentapolis of North Africa (now Libya). This tradition adds that he returned to Pentapolis later in life, after being sent by Saint Paul to Colossae (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; these actually refer to Mark the Cousin of Barnabas), and serving with him in Rome (2 Tim 4:11); from Pentapolis he made his way to Alexandria.^[23][24] When Mark returned to Alexandria, the pagans of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods.^{[citation needed]} In AD 68 they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead.^[25]

Fate of his remains[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

Illumination of St. Mark in the 11th century Trebizond Gospel (Russian State Museum, Saint Petersburg).

Russian Orthodox icon of St. Mark the Evangelist, 18th century (Iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).

St. Mark by Donatello (Orsanmichele, Florence).

In 828, relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen from Alexandria by two Venetian merchants and taken to Venice, where the Byzantine Theodore of Amasea had previously been the patron saint. A basilica was built there to house the relics.

A mosaic in St Mark's Basilica, Venice depicts sailors covering the relics with a layer of pork. Since Muslims are not allowed to touch pork, this action was done to prevent Muslim intervention in the relics removal.^{[citation needed]}

Copts believe that the head of the saint remained in Alexandria. Every year, on the 30th day of the month of Paopi, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint in the city of Alexandria. This takes place inside St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, where the saint's head is preserved.

The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on April 25.

In 1063, during the construction of a new basilica in Venice, St. Mark's relics could not be found. However, according to tradition, in 1094 the saint himself revealed the location of his remains by extending an arm from a pillar.^[26] The newfound remains were placed in a sarcophagus in the basilica.^[27]

In June 1968, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria sent an official delegation to Rome to receive a relic of St. Mark from Pope Paul VI. The delegation consisted of ten metropolitans and bishops, seven of whom were Coptic and three Ethiopian, and three prominent Coptic lay leaders.

The relic was said to be a small piece of bone that had been given to the Roman pope by Giovanni Cardinal Urbani, Patriarch of Venice. Pope Paul, in an address to the delegation, said that the rest of the relics of the saint remained in Venice.

The delegation received the relic on June 22, 1968. The next day, the delegation celebrated a pontifical liturgy in the Church of Saint Athanasius the Apostolic in Rome. The metropolitans, bishops, and priests of the delegation all served in the liturgy. Members of the Roman papal delegation, Copts who lived in Rome, newspaper and news agency reporters, and many foreign dignitaries attended the liturgy.

See also[link]

• Feast of Saint Mark
• Gospel of John
• Gospel of Luke
• Gospel of Mark
• Gospel of Matthew
• John the Evangelist
• Luke the Evangelist
• Matthew the Evangelist

References[link]

General

• "The Apostle and Evangelist Mark (40–62)". Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=content&cid=001003&id=38&lang=en. Retrieved 2011-02-07. 

Specific

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint Mark

• The Life, Miracles and Martyrdom of St. Mark the Evangelist of Jesus Christ
• H.B. Swete, 'St. Mark in the New Testament'
• H.B. Swete, 'St. Mark in Early Tradition'
• St. Mark the Apostle, Evangelist, and Preacher of the Christian Faith in Africa
•  Joseph MacRory (1913). "St. Mark". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 
•  A. J. Schem (1879). "Mark, Saint". The American Cyclopædia. 
• Apostle Mark the Evangelist of the Seventy Orthodox icon and synaxarion

Sean Paul
Sean Paul at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.
Background information
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Born	(1973-01-09) January 9, 1973 (age 39) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Dancehall, reggae, R&B, ragga
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor
Years active	1996–present
Labels	VP, Atlantic
Website	allseanpaul.com

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques^[1] (born January 9, 1973),^[1][2] who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist.

Life and career[link]

1973–96: Early life[link]

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston.^[2] His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter.^[3] His paternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose family emigrated from Portugal, and his paternal grandmother was Afro-Caribbean; his mother is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent.^[4][5] Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic.^[6] Many members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer. Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career. He attended the Wolmers High School for Boys, Belair School, Hillel Academy High School, and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with a view to pursuing an occupation in hotel management.

[edit] 1998–2000: Stage One

Sean Paul's manager and producer Jeremy Harding first heard about the singer when his brother told him about seeing someone at a small open mic event in Kingston who sounded a lot like the popular dancehall DJ and toaster Super Cat.^[7] Harding eventually met the singer when Sean Paul came by his studio to ask for some advice. During the meeting Paul recorded a vocal over Harding's rhythm track and in the process created the song "Baby Girl".^[7] Sean Paul began hanging out at the studio every day, and the pair collaborated on several more tracks. When they recorded "Infiltrate" they decided they had something good enough to get on the radio. As Sean Paul started to attract local attention, Harding began looking after his affairs. He later told HitQuarters that his support of Paul's fledgling career initially led him assuming the roles of "DJ, manager, road manager and security guard."^[7] Sean Paul made a quick cameo appearance in the 1998 film Belly on stage performing. He made a very successful collaboration with DMX & Mr. Vegas (Top Shotter) as a soundtrack of the film. In 2000, Sean Paul released his debut album, Stage One with VP Records.

[edit] 2001–02: Dutty Rock

In 2002, he began working extensively with a team of producers and choreographers from Toronto, namely Jae Blaze and Blaze Entertainment and announced the release of his second album, Dutty Rock. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy", the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's U.S. #1 single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe", a chart hit in Europe. Both helped to push his reputation further still in the United States. He appeared on Punk'd, 106 & Park, Sean Paul Respect, Making the Video ("Get Busy", "Gimme the Light", and "Like Glue") and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits included "Get Busy", "Like Glue", "Gimme the Light", "Baby Boy", and "I'm Still in Love with You".

[edit] 2003–05: The Trinity

Sean Paul in September 2005.

Sean Paul's third album The Trinity was released in on September 27, 2005. The album produced five big hits, "We Be Burnin'", "Ever Blazin'", "Give It Up to Me", "Never Gonna Be The Same" and the U.S. chart-topping smash hit "Temperature". The video of "Give It Up to Me" (featuring Keyshia Cole) was also featured in the movie Step Up in 2006. He was nominated for four awards at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including male artist of the year, rap artist of the year, hot 100 single of the year, and pop single of the year for his hit "Temperature".^[8] He also won an American Music Award for "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me" beating Kanye West and Nick Lachey who were also nominated for the award. His song "Send It On" from "The Trinity" featured on the 2005 Vauxhall Corsa advert. Sean Paul often contributes his songs to various Riddim Driven albums (by VP Records). In March 2007, he returned to his native Jamaica to perform at the Cricket World Cup 2007 opening ceremony. Sean Paul appears on the game Def Jam: Fight for NY as part of Snoop Dogg's crew and again in the game's sequel, Def Jam Icon.

[edit] 2006–10: Imperial Blaze

The newest Sean Paul album entitled "Imperial Blaze" was released on August 18, 2009. The lead single, “So Fine”, which was produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, premiered on Sean Paul's official website on April 26, 2009.^{[9][dead link][10]} Speaking to Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' magazine in August 2009, Sean Paul stated that 'Imperial Blaze' "Actually signifies 'The King's Fire'. It's that thing inside of you that gives you the desire to do whatever you do, and be the best in the world at it."^[11] The new album consists of 20 tracks including "So Fine", "Press it Up", "She Want Me", "Private Party" which are party tracks and also love songs such as "Hold My Hand" (feat Keri Hilson), "Lately", "Now That I've Got Your Love" among others. Producers on the album include Don Corleone, Jeremy Harding, and Sean's brother Jason 'Jigzagula' Henriques.^[11] All the full songs of the album have been added to Sean Paul's Myspace page^[12] on the day of release of the album.

Up until now there have been eight music videos: "Always On My Mind (with Da'Ville)", "Give It To You (with Eve)", "Watch Them Roll", "Back It Up" (with Left Side/Mr. Evil), "(I Wanna See You) Push It Baby" (with Pretty Ricky), "Hit 'Em" (with Fahrenheit and his brother Jason "Jigzagula" Henriques), "Come Over" with Estelle,^[13] and also the video of his first single, "So Fine" from the new album. He has recently been featured in Shaggy's video, "Save A Life", which also includes appearances from Elephant Man and Da'Ville, among others. In an effort to raise money for a children's hospital, Shaggy, Sean Paul and others will be having a benefit concert. All proceeds will go towards getting new equipment and technology 'For Aid to the Bustamante Hospital for Children'. In an interview in 2009 he says he is planning to release a new album in 2011. During the premiere for MNET's Big Brother Africa 5: All-Stars on July 18, 2010, he performed his songs "Temperature", "Hold My Hand", and "So Fine".

[edit] 2011–present: Tomahawk Technique

The first single Got 2 Luv U features vocals from American singer Alexis Jordan. It was released on the July 19, 2011 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sean Paul, Ryan Tedder and Stargate, and it was produced by Stargate.^[14][15][16]

She Doesn't Mind is the second single from the album. It was written by Sean Paul, Shellback and Benny Blanco and was produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco. It was released on the September 29, 2011 on NRJ & Skyrock (French radios), and to iTunes on October 31.^[17] Like its proceeder, "Got 2 Luv U", featuring Alexis Jordan, it topped the charts in Switzerland, but it debuted at that spot. Sean appeared on the Never Mind the Buzzcocks episode which aired on November 21, 2011.

Sean Paul is featured in the music video for the Simple Plan song Summer Paradise.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Stage One (2000)
• Dutty Rock (2002)
• The Trinity (2005)
• Imperial Blaze (2009)
• Tomahawk Technique (2012)

Mixtapes

• The Odyssey Mixtape (2009)

Filmography[link]

Jessie J
Jessie J at the O2 Arena in London in 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Jessica Ellen Cornish
Also known as	Jessie J
Born	(1988-03-27) 27 March 1988 (age 24) Chadwell Heath, London, England, United Kingdom
Genres	pop, hip hop, R&B, dance-pop, soul
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Lava, Universal Republic, Island, Gut
Website	jessiejofficial.com

Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, she studied at the BRIT School before signing with Gut Records and striking a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing where she wrote for artists such as Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus.

Signed with Universal, Jessie J came to prominence following the release of her debut single "Do It Like a Dude" which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Charts. After scoring her first number one in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland and New Zealand with the song "Price Tag", she released her debut album Who You Are (2011) which charted at number two in the UK. Other releases from the album include "Nobody's Perfect", "Who's Laughing Now" and "Who You Are" which charted within the top 20 in the UK but the release of fifth single "Domino" spawned international chart success, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and becoming her second UK number one. Aside from her musical career, Jessie J is currently a coach and mentor on television show The Voice UK.

Citing various influences, Jessie J is recognized for an unconventional musical and performance style^[1][2] that mixes her soul voice with contemporary R&B, pop, and hip-hop influences. Jessie J has garnered various awards and nominations for her contributions to the music industry, including the 2011 Critics' Choice BRIT Award and the BBC's Sound of 2011. As of April 2012, Jessie has sold over 11 million singles and 2.5 million records worldwide.^[3][4]

Early life[link]

Jessie J was born Jessica Ellen Cornish in Chadwell Heath, London,^[5] daughter of Stephen Cornish and Rose Cornish (née Archer). She was educated at Mayfield High School in the London Borough of Redbridge. She attended Colin's Performing Arts School and as an 11-year old-was cast in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of Whistle Down the Wind.^[6][7][8] Jessie has two sisters, who are five and seven years older than her, who were both head girls at school. Unlike her academic sisters, Cornish has stated she was "never really that good at anything". She said, "At school they were like 'oh, you're a Cornish girl' and they kind of expected me to be the same as my sisters. Give me something to draw or an outfit to pick for someone, or hair, make-up, acting, write a song, I'm fine with it, but anything to do with sums – it was never my thing." She also said she never based her intelligence on her exam results.^[9] She also said she was always good at singing and it was her "thing". At the age of 16 she began studying at the BRIT School and at 17 she joined a girl group named Soul Deep.^[10] She graduated in the class of 2006 along with singers Adele and Leona Lewis.^[11] At 18 she suffered a stroke.^[12]

Music career[link]

2006–2010: Career beginnings[link]

Jessie J was signed to Gut Records, recording an album for the label, but the company went bankrupt before any material was released.^[8][10] She then found success as a songwriter, gaining a Sony ATV publishing contract.^[13] She was also the support act for Cyndi Lauper during Lauper's UK dates of her 2008 Bring Ya To The Brink tour (Lauper invited J to join her on stage for the performances of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"). Jessie has also written lyrics for artists such as Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, including "Party in the U.S.A.".^[14][15] Jessie J was also part of a girl band, called Soul Deep, for two years, however she left due to thoughts that "it wasn't going anywhere". Despite people thinking that her first notoriety was through YouTube, Jessie was signed for four years before her first video was posted. Jessie first came to the attention of Lava Records when her publisher at Sony/ATV, Rich Christina, sent Lava president Jason Flom a link to her MySpace page, which the record executive loved.^[16] After seeing an impressive U.S. showcase, Lava was, along with several other labels, keen to sign the artist but progress was hampered by her management's insistence on, what Flom called, a "crazy deal", and their refusal to let Jessie speak to any labels directly.^[16] Despite this, Senior Director of A&R at Lava, Harinder Rana, made surreptitious efforts to meet Jessie on her own in winter of 2008. Later in the year a change in management to Sarah Stennett and Nadia Khan of Crown Music allowed record deal negotiations to take place. Jessie eventually signed with Lava as part of a joint venture with Universal Republic.^[16]

[edit] 2010–2012: Who You Are

Jessie J performing at a concert in New York City in 2011.

Jessie J began recording her debut studio album in 2006 and it was completed on 19 January 2011.^[17][18] She revealed that "Big White Room" would be on the album and was written from an experience she had when she was 11 years old, although she wrote the song at age 17, in hospital, where a ward mate, a little boy, died.^[19] Jessie J says the album's title track, "Who You Are", is one of her proudest creations, she said the song is a "positive role model for young people" and "I always say that I'm half-artist, half-therapist".^[19] In late 2010 Jessie J released her first single, "Do It Like a Dude" which was co-written with George Astasio, Tj Normandin, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile. Originally, she wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring the song. She then sent the song to her label, Island Records, before sending it to Rihanna's management. Island insisted the song become Jessie J's first single.^[20] She wishes to perform the song with Rihanna at one point.^[21] The single gained positive reception from critics.^[22] The single charted at number two on the UK Singles Charts. Her follow-up single "Price Tag" was released in late January 2011. This was written by Jessie J, Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, and Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. and charted at number one in the top of the charts. "Price Tag" was released in the United States on 1 February 2011 and peaked at 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[23] "Price Tag" also charted at number-one in New Zealand and Ireland and is the most successful online video J has released. As of October 2011, the video has generated over 148 million views on Youtube and Vevo, making it the 22nd most viewed music video of all time.^[24][25] Her first American television appearance was as the musical guest on the 12 March 2011 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live.^[26]

On 25 February 2011 her debut album, Who You Are, was released.^[27] The album first entered the charts on 6 March 2011 where it charted on the UK Album Charts at number two. The album charted into the top ten in a number of countries and number 11 in the United States.^[28] After the release she went on to release a third single from the album, "Nobody's Perfect".^[29] MTV reported that the single is, so far, only confirmed for release in the United Kingdom.^[30] The album's fourth single was "Who's Laughing Now". "Domino" was her second US single.^[31] The Dr. Luke-produced track was sent to mainstream radio on 6 September 2011.^[32] With the success of Who You Are in North America, Jessie was chosen to tour as the opening act for American pop artist Katy Perry's California Dreams Tour in 2011 but after she was unable to fully recover from her injuries during rehearsals she was forced to pull out under the doctor's orders.^[33] Jessie J served as the house artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, performing several of her original songs along with covers around commercial breaks.^[34]

James Morrison's third studio album, The Awakening features a collaboration with Jessie J called "Up", the song was released as a single on 4 December 2011. Jessie J re-released "Who You Are" on 9 November 2011, featuring the regular tracks plus "Domino" and two new songs. "Domino" became her first top 10 hit in the U.S., following the success of "Price Tag". The song also peaked at number 1 in January 2012 in the UK, before it was even officially released there.

[edit] 2012–present: Second studio album and The Voice

On 4 October 2011, Jessie announced that she will be one of four coaches for new BBC program, The Voice UK.^[35] The show was announced after the success of the US version, The Voice. It premiered in March 2012 on BBC One. It will be presented by Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates, with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), Tom Jones and Danny O'Donoghue (of The Script) joining Jessie on the coaching panel.^[36] The first stage of the competition, The Blind auditions, began in London on 18 January 2012 at the BBC Television Centre and finished filming on 22 January 2012. The winner will receive £100,000 and a record deal with Universal Republic. It was also reported that the 4 coaches recorded a cover of the Black Eyed Peas song, "I Gotta Feeling", and will release an accompanying music video to help promote the show.^[37]