Other Notable Events, February 7

In 2008, the U.S. Congress gave final approval to a $168 billion stimulus package for taxpayers in an effort to rekindle the flickering American economy. Rebates of $300-$600 went to individuals earning up to $75,000 and to couples with incomes up to $150,000, plus extra money for children.

Also in 2008, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said she lent her campaign $5 million before Super Tuesday to be competitive. Further, some senior members of Clinton's campaign staff reportedly agreed to go without pay for a month.

In 2009, the worst series of brushfires in Australian history claimed more than 200 lives, destroyed almost 2,000 homes and burned at least 1.1 million acres in Victoria state.

Also in 2009, the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, major league baseball's highest paid player, admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs earlier in his career.

In 2010, Viktor Yanukovich regained the Ukrainian presidency with a close runoff election over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

In 2011, anti-government groups protesting in Cairo's Tahrir Square in a determined bid to oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak formed a unified leadership to provide a voice for demonstrators in the future.

Also in 2011, a mutiny within joint north and south Sudanese forces on the regional border claimed up to 50 lives.

In 2012, a federal appeals court in California rejected a ban on same-sex marriage that voters had approved four years earlier. The court ruled the ban violated the constitutional rights of those involved.

Also in 2012, polar researchers announced Russian scientists briefly pierced the 2-mile-thick veil over a freshwater lake hidden beneath Antarctica's ice sheet for millions of years.