MNN - Mother Nature Network

Feb. 6, 1978: The Blizzard of '78 slams into New England. A brutal version of the region's nor'easter storms drop over two feet of snow. During its peak, nearly four inches of snow per hour falls, stranding thousands of cars on area highways. Huge storm tides destroy beaches and homes along the coast, and 75 deaths are linked to the storm.

 

Feb. 6, 1980: The pirate whaling ship Sierra is sunk while awaiting repairs in Lisbon Harbor, Portugal. The ship had been rammed the previous summer by environmentalists aboard the Sea Shepherd, whose crew takes credit for the sinking.

 

Feb. 6, 1985: In his annual State of the Union address, U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposes de-regulating the natural gas industry (photo, right).