February 25, 1901: J.P. Morgan officially incorporated the United States Steel Corporation. By merging Andrew Carnegie's steel company with several others, Morgan created the world's very first billion-dollar corporation, fundamentally changing the landscape of American industry and trading forever.

February 25, 1964: A 22-year-old Cassius Clay (who would later change his name to Muhammad Ali) shocked the sports world by defeating the heavily favored Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion of the world, famously declaring, "I am the greatest!"

February 25, 1836: Inventor Samuel Colt was granted a United States patent for his revolutionary "revolving cylinder" firearm. The Colt revolver changed the trajectory of weapons manufacturing and became one of the most famous tools of the American West.

Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf because he "didn't understand the script." Producers were so desperate to get the James Bond actor for The Lord of the Rings that they offered him $30 million plus 15% of the worldwide box office receipts. His refusal cost him an estimated $450 million, making it one of the most expensive missed opportunities in Hollywood history.

Instant ramen was invented in a backyard shed. In 1958, following the food shortages of World War II, Momofuku Ando spent an entire year working alone in a little shed behind his house in Ikeda, Japan. After months of trial and error trying to create an affordable, easy-to-cook food, he finally perfected the flash-frying method that created the world's first instant noodles.