February 10 is the birthday of American actor, singer and pianist JIMMY DURANTE (1893-1980).

"Why can't everybody leave everybody else the hell alone."

Durante's "distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and prominent nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s. He often referred to his nose as the schnozzola (Italianization of the American Yiddish slang word schnoz "big nose"), and the word became his nickname." (Wikipedia)

February 10 is the birthday of the marvelous American soprano LEONTYNE PRICE.

"Born and raised in Laurel, Mississippi, she rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was the first African American to become a leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera, and one of the most popular American classical singers of her generation.

Reviewing her televised farewell opera performance at the Met in 1985, as Aida, one critic described Price's voice as 'vibrant,' 'soaring' and 'a Price beyond pearls.' Time magazine called her voice 'Rich, supple and shining, it was in its prime capable of effortless soaring from a smoky mezzo to the pure soprano gold of a perfectly spun high C.'" (Wikipedia)

February 10 is the birthday of American film composer JERRY GOLDSMITH (1929-2004).

Goldsmith "composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Chinatown, Alien, Poltergeist, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, and The Mummy." (Wikipedia)

On February 10, 1258, Hulagu Khan (a grandson of Genghis Khan) and his Mongol army began a slaughter of the citizens of Baghdad that would continue for three weeks. After it was over, over 750,000 were killed and the once beautiful, highly cultured, fairy tale city of the 1001 Nights was depopulated and in ruins for centuries.

On February 10, 1863, the beloved dwarfs Tom Thumb (3 feet 4 inches) and Lavinia Warren (2 feet 8 inches) were married in New York City. Following their wedding, they were received by President Abraham Lincoln at the White House.

On February 10, 1940, TOM AND JERRY made their debut in PUSS GETS THE BOOT