Today is Friday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2026. There are 314 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 20, 1939, more than 20,000 people attended a rally held by the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi organization, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Also on this date:

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department, the predecessor of the U.S. Postal Service.

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In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House from what was believed to be typhoid fever.

In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, epileptics, insane persons,” among others, from being admitted to the United States.

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling the globe three times aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft in a flight lasting 4 hours and 55 minutes before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1965, America’s Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.

In 1998, American Tara Lipinski, age 15, became the youngest-ever Olympic figure skating gold medalist when she won the ladies’ title at the Nagano (NAH’-guh-noh) Olympic Winter Games; American teammate Michelle Kwan took silver.

In 2003, a fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during a concert by the rock group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring over 200 others.

In 2016, a Michigan man shot and killed six strangers and wounded two others over several hours in the Kalamazoo area in between picking up passengers for a ride service. (Jason Dalton pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.)

Today’s birthdays:

Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 89.
Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito is 84.
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is 84.
Film director Mike Leigh is 83.
Actor Brenda Blethyn is 80.
Actor Sandy Duncan is 80.
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 63.
Model Cindy Crawford is 60.
Actor Andrew Shue is 59.
Actor Lili Taylor is 59.
Singer Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys) is 51.
Actor Lauren Ambrose is 48.
Actor Jay Hernandez is 48.
MLB pitcher Justin Verlander is 43.
Comedian-TV host Trevor Noah is 42.
Actor Miles Teller is 39.
Singer Rihanna is 38.
Singer-actor Olivia Rodrigo is 23.

Centennial/Spring Lake Park and Holy Family advanced from their respective quarterfinal matchups on Thursday evening, advancing to the semifinals at Grand Casino Arena Friday night.

Centennial/Spring Lake Park 7, Farmington 5

A third-period explosion saw Centennial/Spring Lake Park five of eight goals in the frame to claim a 7-5 win over Farmington in their opening-round matchup.

The game was tied 1-1 at the end of the first period and 2-2 through two stanzas of play before Alaina Gnetz and Madeline Wolter scored just over a minute apart early in the third to give the Cougars a lead they didn’t relinquish.

Not that the Tigers didn’t try, scoring three goals in the period off the sticks of Jenna Goblirsch, Taylor Risch, and Amelia Goblirsch. However, Centennial/Spring Lake Park bettered Farmington’s efforts with goals from Madeline Wolter and Jozie Kelzenberg before an empty-netter late in the contest from Lillian Renslow settled matters for good.

Wolter and Gnetz scored two goals apiece for the Cougars, with Risch and Goblirsch doing the same for the Tigers.

Farmington goaltender Makena Underwood made 22 saves, while her Centennial/Spring Lake Park counterpart Kaia Weland stopped 20 shots.

Holy Family 4, Andover 0

Audrey Nichols’ tip-in goal gave Holy Family a 1-0 lead late in the first period and the Fire never looked back in a 4-0 defeat of Andover in Thursday’s late quarterfinal.

The score remained 1-0 through the second period and midway into the third before Allie Dufaw doubled the advantage at 8:15 of the final frame. Tatum Elvin’s first goal of the season all-but decided matters with 2:56 to play before Katya Sander’s empty-netter in the closing moments put the finishing touch on the victory.

Fire goaltender Kayla Swartout made 20 saves to record the shutout win, while Huskies netminder Clairebella Hillis stopped 26 of the 20 shots she faced.

Friday’s semifinals

All seedings held in the quarterfinals, propelling the top four teams into the semifinals on Thursday.

No. 1 Hill-Murray will face No. 4 Edina at 6 p.m., with No. 2 Centennial/Spring Lake Park squaring off with No. 3 Holy Family no earlier than 8 p.m. to determine which teams will play for the Class AA state title at 7 p.m. Saturday.

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The Scandinavian Sleep Method is here to save your relationship

Sleeping with a partner can be tricky. Different people can have different sleep styles (like when one person sleeps like a log, perfectly still all night, while the other tosses and turns). And different people generally have different temperature and blanket preferences.

Enter the Scandinavian Sleep Method, which went viral a few years ago thanks to Swedish influencer Cecilia Blomdahl. With this method, couples sleep in the same bed, but instead of sharing one large blanket, they each get their own smaller one. It gives them more freedom to move around and regulate their own temperature while they sleep — and you have to admit, it’s pretty genius, whether the blanket is designed with this sleep method in mind or just captures the spirit of sleeping Scandinavian style.

Want to try the Scandinavian Sleep Method? These blankets will get you started

Big Blanket Co Original Stretch Blanket

When you can’t bring yourself to sleep with separate blankets, the Stretch Blanket from Big Blanket Co is a good compromise. At eight or 10 feet square, it’s so big that there is ample room for two, no matter how you and your partner sleep.

Amazon Basics Reversible Lightweight Microfiber Comforter Blanket

If you’re buying two blankets or duvets, Amazon Basics has affordable options, including this microfiber comforter for just under $25.

PHF Ultra Soft Waffle Weave Blanket

This soft waffle-weave blanket is another good layering option. It comes in multiple sizes and has an affordable price, which makes it easier for couples on a budget to get two.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

By MARIA SHERMAN

Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

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His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

Dane developed a devoted fanbase when his big break arrived in the mid-2000s: He was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. In 2019, he did a complete 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs in HBO’s provocative drama “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death.

Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the TNT drama “The Last Ship.” In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.

In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.

ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis.

Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.

Dane was born on Nov. 9, 1972 and raised in Northern California. His father, a Navy man, died of a gunshot wound when he was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, landing guest roles on shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “Married…With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand,” and one season of the short-lived medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing.”

A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in late 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane will look back upon key moments in his life, from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he had ALS.

“I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement around the book’s announcement. “If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”

Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but later filed to dismiss the petition. In a December essay for New York magazine’s The Cut reflecting on Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic “a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people.” She said they never got a divorce, but dated other people and lived separately.

“Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said. “Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that.”