Today In History For February 18th

Today is Friday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2011. There are 316 days left in the year.

On Feb. 18, 1911, the world's first officially-sanctioned airmail flights were completed as Fred Wiseman, carrying three letters, arrived in Santa Rosa, Calif., in his biplane a day after leaving Petaluma (engine trouble having forced an overnight stop) while in India, French pilot Henri Pequet carried some 6,500 letters and postcards from Allahabad (AH'-lah-hah-BAHD') to Naini (NAN'-ee) in 13 minutes.

In 1546, Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben.

Ten years ago on this day, Auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. died from injuries suffered in a crash at the Daytona 500; he was 49.