1819

  • March 3- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
    • 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan.
    • 1575 – Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Sultan of Bengal Daud Khan Karrani’s army at the Battle of Tukaroi.
    • 1585 – The Olympic Theatre, designed by Andrea Palladio, is inaugurated in Vicenza.
    • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau.
    • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army is routed at the Battle of Brier Creek near Savannah, Georgia.
    • 1799 – The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu ends with the surrender of the French garrison.
    • 1820 – The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise.
    • 1845 – Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state.
    • 1849 – The Territory of Minnesota is created.
    • 1857 – Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China.
    • 1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, concludes.
    • 1861 – Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs.
    • 1865 – Opening of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the founding member of the HSBC Group.
    • 1873 – Censorship in the United States: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any “obscene literature and articles of immoral use” through the mail.
    • 1875 – Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
    • 1875 – The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as recorded in the Montreal Gazette.
    • 1878 – The Russo-Turkish War ends with Bulgaria regaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire according to the Treaty of San Stefano.
    • 1885 – The American Telephone & Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York.
    • 1891 – Shoshone National Forest is established as the first national forest in the US and world.
    • 1910 – Rockefeller Foundation: John D. Rockefeller Jr. announces his retirement from managing his businesses so that he can devote all his time to philanthropy.
    • 1913 – Thousands of women march in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C.
    • 1918 – Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, agreeing to withdraw from World War I, and conceding German control of the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine. It also conceded Turkish control of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi.
    • 1923 – TIME magazine is published for the first time.
    • 1924 – The 407-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished, when Caliph Abdülmecid II of the Ottoman Caliphate is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformed Turkey of Kemal Atatürk.
    • 1924 – The Free State of Fiume is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy.
    • 1931 – The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.
    • 1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
    • 1939 – In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India.
    • 1940 – Five people are killed in an arson attack on the offices of the communist newspaper Flamman in Luleå, Sweden.
    • 1942 – World War II: Ten Japanese warplanes raid Broome, Western Australia, killing more than 100 people.
    • 1943 – World War II: In London, 173 people are killed in a crush while trying to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station.
    • 1944 – The Order of Nakhimov and Order of Ushakov are instituted in USSR as the highest naval awards.
    • 1945 – World War II: American and Filipino troops recapture Manila.
    • 1945 – World War II: The RAF accidentally bombs the Bezuidenhout area of The Hague, Netherlands, killing 511 people.
    • 1951 – Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, records “Rocket 88”, often cited as “the first rock and roll record”, at Sam Phillips’s recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
    • 1953 – A De Havilland Comet (Canadian Pacific Air Lines) crashes in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 11.
    • 1958 – Nuri al-Said becomes Prime Minister of Iraq for the eighth time.
    • 1969 – Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module.
    • 1972 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes as a result of a control malfunction and insufficient training in emergency procedures.
    • 1974 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard.
    • 1980 – The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
    • 1985 – Arthur Scargill declares that the National Union of Mineworkers’ national executive voted to end the longest-running industrial dispute in Great Britain without any peace deal over pit closures.
    • 1985 – A magnitude 8.3 earthquake strikes the Valparaíso Region of Chile, killing 177 and leaving nearly a million people homeless.
    • 1986 – The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom.
    • 1991 – An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.
    • 2005 – James Roszko murders four Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables during a drug bust at his property in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, then commits suicide. This is the deadliest peace-time incident for the RCMP since 1885 and the North-West Rebellion.
    • 2005 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.
    • 2005 – Margaret Wilson is elected as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, beginning a period lasting until August 23, 2006 where all the highest political offices (including Elizabeth II as Head of State), were occupied by women, making New Zealand the first country for this to occur.
    • 2013 – A bomb blast in Karachi, Pakistan, kills at least 45 people and injured 180 others in a predominately Shia Muslim area.

    Births on March 3

    • 1455 – John II of Portugal (d. 1495)
    • 1455 – Ascanio Sforza, Catholic cardinal (d. 1505)
    • 1506 – Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja (d. 1555)
    • 1520 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian theologian and reformer (d. 1575)
    • 1583 – Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, English-Welsh soldier, historian, and diplomat (d. 1648)
    • 1589 – Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1676)
    • 1606 – Edmund Waller, English poet and politician (d. 1687)
    • 1652 – Thomas Otway, English playwright and author (d. 1685)
    • 1678 – Madeleine de Verchères, Canadian rebel leader (d. 1747)
    • 1756 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (d. 1836)
    • 1778 – Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1841)
    • 1793 – William Macready, English actor and manager (d. 1873)
    • 1800 – Heinrich Georg Bronn, German geologist and paleontologist (d. 1862)
    • 1803 – Thomas Field Gibson, English manufacturer who aided the welfare of the Spitalfields silk weavers (d. 1889)
    • 1805 – Jonas Furrer, Swiss politician (d. 1861)
    • 1816 – William James Blacklock, English-Scottish painter (d. 1858)
    • 1819 – Gustave de Molinari, Dutch-Belgian economist and theorist (d. 1912)
    • 1825 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1879)
    • 1831 – George Pullman, American engineer and businessman, founded the Pullman Company (d. 1897)
    • 1839 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (d. 1904)
    • 1841 – John Murray, Canadian-Scottish oceanographer and biologist (d. 1914)
    • 1845 – Georg Cantor, Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (d. 1918)
    • 1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American engineer and academic, invented the telephone (d. 1922)
    • 1860 – John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (d. 1925)
    • 1866 – Fred A. Busse, American lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1914)
    • 1868 – Émile Chartier, French philosopher and journalist (d. 1951)
    • 1869 – Henry Wood, English conductor (d. 1944)
    • 1871 – Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (d. 1957)
    • 1873 – William Green, American union leader and politician (d. 1952)
    • 1880 – Florence Auer, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1962)
    • 1880 – Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1946)
    • 1882 – Elisabeth Abegg, German anti-Nazi resistance fighter (d. 1974)
    • 1882 – Charles Ponzi, Italian businessman (d. 1949)
    • 1883 – Cyril Burt, English psychologist and geneticist (d. 1971)
    • 1883 – Paul Marais de Beauchamp, French zoologist (d. 1977)
    • 1887 – Lincoln J. Beachey, American pilot (d. 1915)
    • 1891 – Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 1949)
    • 1893 – Beatrice Wood, American illustrator and potter (d. 1998)
    • 1895 – Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
    • 1895 – Matthew Ridgway, American general (d. 1993)
    • 1898 – Emil Artin, Austrian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1962)
    • 1900 – Edna Best, British stage and film actress, appeared on early television in 1938 (d. 1974)
    • 1902 – Ruby Dandridge, African-American film and radio actress (d. 1987)
    • 1901 – Claude Choules, English-Australian soldier (d. 2011)
    • 1903 – Vasily Kozlov, Belarusian general and politician (d. 1967)
    • 1906 – Artur Lundkvist, Swedish poet and critic (d. 1991)
    • 1911 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)
    • 1911 – Hugues Lapointe, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 1982)
    • 1913 – Margaret Bonds, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
    • 1913 – Harold J. Stone, American actor (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (d. 1973)
    • 1916 – Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – Sameera Moussa, Egyptian physicist and academic (d. 1952)
    • 1918 – Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
    • 1920 – Julius Boros, American golfer and accountant (d. 1994)
    • 1920 – James Doohan, Canadian-American actor and soldier (d. 2005)
    • 1920 – Ronald Searle, English-French soldier and illustrator (d. 2011)
    • 1921 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (d. 1960)
    • 1922 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2002)
    • 1923 – Barney Martin, American police officer and actor (d. 2005)
    • 1923 – Doc Watson, American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2012)
    • 1924 – Tomiichi Murayama, Japanese soldier and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Japan
    • 1926 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (d. 1995)
    • 1927 – Pierre Aubert, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
    • 1930 – Ion Iliescu, Romanian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Romania
    • 1934 – Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, English politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
    • 1934 – Jimmy Garrison, American bassist and educator (d. 1976)
    • 1935 – Mal Anderson, Australian tennis player
    • 1935 – Michael Walzer, American philosopher and academic
    • 1935 – Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgarian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of Bulgaria (d. 2015)
    • 1939 – Larry Burkett, American author and radio host (d. 2003)
    • 1939 – M. L. Jaisimha, Indian cricketer (d. 1999)
    • 1940 – Germán Castro Caycedo, Colombian author and journalist
    • 1940 – Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded Perry Ellis (d. 1986)
    • 1940 – Jean-Paul Proust, French-Monacan police officer and politician, 21st Minister of State of Monaco (d. 2010)
    • 1941 – Mike Pender, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – George Miller, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1945 – Hattie Winston, American actress
    • 1947 – Clifton Snider, American author, poet, and critic
    • 1947 – Jennifer Warnes, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1948 – Snowy White, English guitarist
    • 1949 – Ron Chernow, American historian, journalist, and author
    • 1949 – Bonnie J. Dunbar, American engineer, academic, and astronaut
    • 1949 – Jesse Jefferson, American baseball player (d. 2011)
    • 1950 – Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Bangladeshi politician
    • 1951 – Andy Murray, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1951 – Heizō Takenaka, Japanese economist and politician
    • 1952 – Rudy Fernandez, Filipino actor and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1953 – Robyn Hitchcock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1953 – Zico, Brazilian footballer and coach
    • 1954 – Keith Fergus, American golfer
    • 1954 – John Lilley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1954 – Édouard Lock, Moroccan-Canadian dancer and choreographer
    • 1955 – Darnell Williams, English-American actor and director
    • 1956 – Zbigniew Boniek, Polish footballer and manager
    • 1956 – John Fulton Reid, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1957 – Stephen Budiansky, American historian, journalist, and author
    • 1957 – Thom Hoffman, Dutch actor and photographer
    • 1958 – Miranda Richardson, English actress
    • 1959 – Ira Glass, American radio host and producer
    • 1959 – Duško Vujošević, Montenegrin basketball player and coach
    • 1960 – Neal Heaton, American baseball player and coach
    • 1961 – Mary Page Keller, American actress and producer
    • 1961 – John Matteson, American biographer
    • 1961 – Perry McCarthy, English race car driver
    • 1961 – Fatima Whitbread, English javelin thrower
    • 1962 – Glen E. Friedman, American photographer
    • 1962 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American heptathlete and long jumper
    • 1962 – Herschel Walker, American football player and mixed martial artist
    • 1963 – Martín Fiz, Spanish runner
    • 1963 – Khaltmaagiin Battulga, 5th President of Mongolia
    • 1964 – Raúl Alcalá, Mexican cyclist
    • 1964 – Laura Harring, Mexican-American model and actress, Miss USA 1985
    • 1964 – Glenn Kulka, Canadian ice hockey player and wrestler
    • 1965 – Dragan Stojković, Serbian footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Tone Lōc, American rapper, producer, and actor
    • 1966 – Timo Tolkki, Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1968 – Brian Cox, English keyboard player and physicist
    • 1968 – Brian Leetch, American ice hockey player
    • 1970 – Julie Bowen, American actress
    • 1970 – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer and coach
    • 1971 – Charlie Brooker, English journalist, producer, and author
    • 1971 – Tyler Florence, American chef and author
    • 1972 – Darren Anderton, English international footballer, midfielder and sportscaster
    • 1973 – Xavier Bettel, Luxembourger lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
    • 1973 – Matthew Marsden, English actor and martial artist
    • 1974 – David Faustino, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1976 – Fraser Gehrig, Australian footballer
    • 1976 – Isabel Granada, Filipino-Spanish actress (d. 2017)
    • 1976 – Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Estonian politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1976 – Kampamba Mulenga Chilumba, Zambian politician
    • 1977 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1977 – Stéphane Robidas, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1977 – Buddy Valastro, American chef and television host
    • 1978 – Matt Diaz, American baseball player
    • 1979 – Albert Jorquera, Spanish footballer
    • 1980 – Mason Unck, American football player
    • 1981 – David Bailey, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Julius Malema, South African politician
    • 1981 – Emmanuel Pappoe, Ghanaian footballer
    • 1982 – Jessica Biel, American actress, singer, and producer
    • 1982 – Colton Orr, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Tolu Ogunlesi, Nigerian journalist and writer
    • 1982 – Brent Tate, Australian rugby league player
    • 1983 – Ashley Hansen, Australian footballer
    • 1983 – Sarah Poewe, South African swimmer
    • 1984 – Valerio Bernabò, Italian rugby player
    • 1984 – Santonio Holmes, American football player
    • 1984 – Alexander Semin, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Jed Collins, American football player
    • 1986 – Stacie Orrico, American singer-songwriter
    • 1986 – Mehmet Topal, Turkish footballer
    • 1987 – Jesús Padilla, Mexican footballer
    • 1987 – Shraddha Kapoor, Indian actress, singer, and designer
    • 1988 – Teodora Mirčić, Serbian tennis player
    • 1988 – Michael Morrison, English footballer
    • 1988 – Jan-Arie van der Heijden, Dutch footballer
    • 1988 – Max Waller, English cricketer
    • 1989 – Erwin Mulder, Dutch footballer
    • 1990 – Vladimir Janković, Greek-Serbian basketball player
    • 1991 – Anri Sakaguchi, Japanese actress
    • 1991 – Cho-rong, South Korean singer
    • 1993 – Gabriela Cé, Brazilian tennis player
    • 1993 – Josef Dostál, Czech kayaker
    • 1993 – James Roberts, Australian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Umika Kawashima, Japanese singer and actress
    • 1996 – Cameron Johnson, American basketball player
    • 1997 – Camila Cabello, Cuban-American singer
    • 1998 – Jayson Tatum, American basketball player

    Deaths on March 3

    • 532 – Winwaloe, founder of Landévennec Abbey (b. c. 460)
    • 1009 – Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, Umayyad chief minister (b. 983)
    • 1111 – Bohemond I, Italo-Norman nobleman (b. 1058)
    • 1195 – Hugh de Puiset, bishop of Durham (b. c. 1125)
    • 1239 – Vladimir IV Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1187)
    • 1311 – Antony Bek, bishop of Durham
    • 1323 – Andrew Harclay, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English military leader
    • 1383 – Hugh III, Italian nobleman
    • 1459 – Ausiàs March, Catalan knight and poet (b. 1397)
    • 1542 – Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of Edward IV
    • 1554 – John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1503)
    • 1578 – Sebastiano Venier, doge of Venice (b. 1496)
    • 1578 – Michael Kantakouzenos Şeytanoğlu, Ottoman Greek magnate
    • 1588 – Henry XI, duke of Legnica (b. 1539)
    • 1592 – Michael Coxcie, Flemish painter (b. 1499)
    • 1605 – Clement VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1536)
    • 1611 – William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus, Scottish nobleman (b. 1552)
    • 1616 – Matthias de l’Obel, Flemish physician and botanist (b. 1538)
    • 1700 – Chhatrapati Rajaram, 3rd Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire (b. 1670)
    • 1703 – Robert Hooke, English architect and philosopher (b. 1635)
    • 1706 – Johann Pachelbel, German organist and composer (b. 1653)
    • 1744 – Jean Barbeyrac, French scholar and jurist (b. 1674)
    • 1765 – William Stukeley, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1687)
    • 1768 – Nicola Porpora, Italian composer and educator (b. 1686)
    • 1792 – Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect and politician, designed the Culzean Castle (b. 1728)
    • 1850 – Oliver Cowdery, American religious leader (b. 1806)
    • 1894 – Ned Williamson, American baseball player (b. 1857)
    • 1901 – George Gilman, American businessman, founded The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (b. 1826)
    • 1905 – Antonio Annetto Caruana, Maltese archaeologist and author (b. 1830)
    • 1927 – Mikhail Artsybashev, Ukrainian author and playwright (b. 1878)
    • 1927 – J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
    • 1929 – Katharine Wright, American educator (b. 1874)
    • 1932 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (b. 1864)
    • 1943 – George Thompson, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1877)
    • 1959 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (b. 1906)
    • 1961 – Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-American pianist (b. 1887)
    • 1966 – Joseph Fields, American playwright, director, and producer (b. 1895)
    • 1966 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (b. 1887)
    • 1966 – Alice Pearce, American actress (b. 1917)
    • 1981 – Rebecca Lancefield, American microbiologist and researcher (b. 1895)
    • 1982 – Firaq Gorakhpuri, Indian poet and critic (b. 1896)
    • 1982 – Georges Perec, French author and screenwriter (b. 1936)
    • 1983 – Hergé, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1907)
    • 1987 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
    • 1988 – Henryk Szeryng, Polish-Mexican violinist and composer (b. 1918)
    • 1988 – Sewall Wright, American biologist and geneticist (b. 1889)
    • 1990 – Charlotte Moore Sitterly, American astronomer (b. 1898)
    • 1991 – Arthur Murray, American dancer and educator (b. 1895)
    • 1991 – William Penney, Baron Penney, Gibraltar-born English mathematician, physicist, and academic (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Mel Bradford, American author and critic (b. 1934)
    • 1993 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American mob boss (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1903)
    • 1993 – Albert Sabin, Polish-American physician and virologist (b. 1906)
    • 1994 – John Edward Williams, American author and academic (b. 1922)
    • 1995 – Howard W. Hunter, American religious leader, 14th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1907)
    • 1996 – Marguerite Duras, French author and director (b. 1914)
    • 1996 – John Krol, American cardinal (b. 1910)
    • 1998 – Fred W. Friendly, American journalist and broadcaster (b. 1915)
    • 1999 – Gerhard Herzberg, German-Canadian chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
    • 1999 – Lee Philips, American actor and director (b. 1927)
    • 2000 – Toni Ortelli, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
    • 2001 – Louis Edmonds, American actor (b. 1923)
    • 2001 – Eugene Sledge, American soldier, author, and academic (b. 1923)
    • 2002 – G. M. C. Balayogi, Indian lawyer and politician, 12th Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1951)
    • 2003 – Horst Buchholz, German actor (b. 1933)
    • 2003 – Luis Marden, American linguist, photographer, and explorer (b. 1913)
    • 2003 – Goffredo Petrassi, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
    • 2005 – Max Fisher, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1928)
    • 2006 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet and songwriter (b. 1923)
    • 2006 – Else Fisher, Australian-Swedish dancer, choreographer, and director (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – William Herskovic, Hungarian-American humanitarian (b. 1914)
    • 2007 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (b. 1920)
    • 2008 – Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1921)
    • 2008 – Norman Smith, English drummer and producer (b. 1923)
    • 2009 – Gilbert Parent, Canadian educator and politician, 33rd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (b. 1935)
    • 2010 – Keith Alexander, English footballer and manager (b. 1956)
    • 2010 – Michael Foot, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Employment (b. 1913)
    • 2011 – May Cutler, Canadian journalist, author, and politician (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1947)
    • 2012 – Alex Webster, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1940)
    • 2013 – Bobby Rogers, American singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
    • 2013 – James Strong, Qantas CEO from 1993 to 2001 (b. 1944)
    • 2014 – Robert Ashley, American soldier and composer (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Sherwin B. Nuland, American surgeon, author, and educator (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – William R. Pogue, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Ernest Braun, Austrian-English physicist and academic (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – M. Stanton Evans, American journalist and author (b. 1934)
    • 2016 – Hayabusa, Japanese wrestler (b. 1968)
    • 2016 – Berta Cáceres, Honduran environmentalist (b. 1973)
    • 2016 – Martin Crowe, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1962)
    • 2016 – Thanat Khoman, Thai politician and diplomat, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1914)
    • 2016 – Sarah Tait, Australian Olympic rower (b. 1983)
    • 2017 – René Préval, Haitian politician (b. 1943)
    • 2018 – Roger Bannister, English middle-distance athlete, first man to run a four-minute mile (b. 1929)
    • 2018 – Mal Bryce, Australian politician (b. 1943)
    • 2018 – Vanessa Goodwin, Australian politician (b. 1969)
    • 2018 – David Ogden Stiers, American actor, voice actor and musician (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – Peter Hurford OBE, British organist and composer (b. 1930)
    • 2020 – Charles J. Urstadt, American real estate executive and investor (b. 1928)

    Holidays and observances on March 3

    • Christian feast day:
      • Anselm, Duke of Friuli
      • Arthelais
      • Cunigunde of Luxembourg
      • Katharine Drexel
      • John and Charles Wesley (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Marinus and Asterius of Caesarea
      • Winwaloe
      • March 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Hinamatsuri or “Girl’s Day” (Japan)
    • Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA)
    • Liberation Day (Bulgaria)
    • Martyrs’ Day (Malawi)
    • Mother’s Day (Georgia)
    • Sportsmen’s Day (Egypt)
    • Teacher’s Day (Lebanon)
    • World Hearing Day
    • World Wildlife Day

  • March 2- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his bucellarii are almost cut off.
    • 986 – Louis V becomes King of the Franks.
    • 1444 – Skanderbeg organizes a group of Albanian nobles to form the League of Lezhë.
    • 1458 – George of Poděbrady is chosen as the king of Bohemia.
    • 1476 – Burgundian Wars: The Old Swiss Confederacy hands Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a major defeat in the Battle of Grandson in Canton of Neuchâtel.
    • 1484 – The College of Arms is formally incorporated by Royal Charter signed by King Richard III of England.
    • 1498 – Vasco da Gama’s fleet visits the Island of Mozambique.
    • 1561 – Mendoza, Argentina, is founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro del Castillo.
    • 1657 – Great Fire of Meireki: A fire in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, caused more than 100,000 deaths; it lasted three days
    • 1717 – The Loves of Mars and Venus is the first ballet performed in England.
    • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units arrest the Royal Governor of Georgia James Wright and attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in the Battle of the Rice Boats.
    • 1791 – Long-distance communication speeds up with the unveiling of a semaphore machine in Paris.
    • 1797 – The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
    • 1807 – The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country.
    • 1808 – The inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
    • 1811 – Argentine War of Independence: A royalist fleet defeats a small flotilla of revolutionary ships in the Battle of San Nicolás on the River Plate.
    • 1815 – Signing of the Kandyan Convention treaty by British invaders and the leaders of the Kingdom of Kandy.
    • 1825 – Roberto Cofresí, one of the last successful Caribbean pirates, is defeated in combat and captured by authorities.
    • 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico is adopted.
    • 1855 – Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.
    • 1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, begins.
    • 1865 – East Cape War: The Völkner Incident in New Zealand.
    • 1867 – The U.S. Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act.
    • 1877 – Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 U.S. presidential election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.
    • 1882 – Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick McLean in Windsor.
    • 1896 – The Battle of Adwa: The Italian Army defeated by the Ethiopian Army in Adwa, Tigray, Ethiopia.
    • 1901 – United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company which became the first corporation in the world with a market capital over $1 billion.
    • 1901 – The U.S. Congress passes the Platt Amendment limiting the autonomy of Cuba, as a condition of the withdrawal of American troops.
    • 1903 – In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
    • 1917 – The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
    • 1919 – The first Communist International meets in Moscow.
    • 1933 – The film King Kong opens at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
    • 1937 – The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.
    • 1939 – Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII.
    • 1941 – World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact.
    • 1943 – World War II: Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea.
    • 1946 – Ho Chi Minh is elected the President of North Vietnam.
    • 1949 – Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas, after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight in 94 hours and one minute.
    • 1955 – Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, abdicates the throne in favor of his father, Norodom Suramarit.
    • 1961 – John F. Kennedy announces the creation of the Peace Corps in a nationally televised broadcast.
    • 1962 – In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d’état.
    • 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.
    • 1965 – The US and Republic of Vietnam Air Force begin Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.
    • 1968 – Baggeridge Colliery closes marking the end of over 300 years of coal mining in the Black Country.
    • 1969 – In Toulouse, France, the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted.
    • 1970 – Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown.
    • 1972 – The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.
    • 1977 – Libya becomes the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as the General People’s Congress adopted the “Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People”.
    • 1978 – Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Russian or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.
    • 1983 – Compact discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan.
    • 1989 – Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
    • 1990 – Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress.
    • 1991 – Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.
    • 1992 – Start of the war in Transnistria.
    • 1992 – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan join the United Nations.
    • 1995 – Researchers at Fermilab announce the discovery of the top quark.
    • 1995 – Yahoo! is incorporated.
    • 1998 – Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter’s moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.
    • 2002 – U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
    • 2004 – War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.
    • 2012 – A tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States and into the Ohio Valley region, resulting in 40 tornado-related fatalities.
    • 2017 – The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson were officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia.

    Births on March 2

    • 480 – Benedict of Nursia, Italian Christian saint (d. 543 or 547)
    • 1316 – Robert II of Scotland (d. 1390)
    • 1409 – Jean II, Duke of Alençon (d. 1476)
    • 1432 – Countess Palatine Margaret of Mosbach, countess consort of Hanau (d. 1457)
    • 1453 – Johannes Engel, German doctor, astronomer and astrologer (d. 1512)
    • 1459 – Pope Adrian VI (d. 1523)
    • 1481 – Franz von Sickingen, German knight (d. 1523)
    • 1545 – Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and scholar, founded the Bodleian Library (d. 1613)
    • 1577 – George Sandys, English traveller, colonist and poet (d. 1644)
    • 1628 – Cornelis Speelman, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1684)
    • 1651 – Carlo Gimach, Maltese architect, engineer and poet (d. 1730)
    • 1705 – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1793)
    • 1740 – Nicholas Pocock, English naval painter (d.1821)
    • 1760 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist and politician (d. 1794)
    • 1769 – DeWitt Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 6th Governor of New York (d. 1828)
    • 1770 – Louis-Gabriel Suchet, French general (d. 1826)
    • 1779 – Joel Roberts Poinsett, American physician and politician, 15th United States Secretary of War (d. 1851)
    • 1793 – Sam Houston, American soldier and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1863)
    • 1800 – Yevgeny Baratynsky, Russian-Italian poet and philosopher (d. 1844)
    • 1810 – Pope Leo XIII (d. 1903)
    • 1816 – Alexander Bullock, American lawyer and politician, 26th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1882)
    • 1817 – János Arany, Hungarian journalist and poet (d. 1882)
    • 1820 – Multatuli, Dutch writer (d. 1887)
    • 1824 – Bedřich Smetana, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1884)
    • 1829 – Carl Schurz, German-American general, lawyer, and politician, 13th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1906)
    • 1836 – Henry Billings Brown, American lawyer and judge (d. 1913)
    • 1842 – Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer, art collector, and philanthropist (d. 1914)
    • 1846 – Marie Roze, French soprano (d. 1926)
    • 1849 – Robert Means Thompson, American commander, lawyer, and businessman (d. 1930)
    • 1859 – Sholem Aleichem, Ukrainian-American author and playwright (d. 1916)
    • 1860 – Susanna M. Salter, American activist and politician (d. 1961)
    • 1862 – John Jay Chapman, American lawyer, author, and poet (d. 1933)
    • 1876 – Pope Pius XII (d. 1958)
    • 1878 – William Kissam Vanderbilt II, American sailor and race car driver (d. 1944)
    • 1886 – Willis H. O’Brien, American animator and director (d. 1962)
    • 1886 – Kurt Grelling, German logician and philosopher (d. 1942)
    • 1900 – Kurt Weill, German-American pianist and composer (d. 1950)
    • 1901 – Grete Hermann, German mathematician and philosopher (d. 1984)
    • 1902 – Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy (d. 1972)
    • 1902 – Edward Condon, American physicist and academic (d. 1974)
    • 1904 – Dr. Seuss, American children’s book writer, poet, and illustrator (d. 1991)
    • 1905 – Marc Blitzstein, American composer and songwriter (d. 1964)
    • 1905 – Geoffrey Grigson, English poet and critic (d. 1985)
    • 1908 – Walter Bruch, German engineer (d. 1990)
    • 1909 – Mel Ott, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (d. 1958)
    • 1912 – Henry Katzman, American pianist, composer, and painter (d. 2001)
    • 1913 – Godfried Bomans, Dutch television host and author (d. 1971)
    • 1913 – Mort Cooper, American baseball player (d. 1958)
    • 1914 – Martin Ritt, American actor and film director (d. 1990)
    • 1915 – John Burton, Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian High Commissioner to Ceylon (d. 2010)
    • 1917 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 1986)
    • 1917 – David Goodis, American author and screenwriter (d. 1967)
    • 1917 – Jim Konstanty, American baseball player and coach (d. 1976)
    • 1919 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Eddie Lawrence, American actor, singer, and playwright (d. 2014)
    • 1919 – Tamara Toumanova, Russian-American ballerina and actress (d. 1996)
    • 1921 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer and coach (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Ernst Haas, Austrian-American photographer and journalist (d. 1986)
    • 1922 – Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, American saxophonist (d. 1986)
    • 1922 – Bill Quackenbush, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1999)
    • 1922 – Frances Spence, American computer programmer (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Basil Hume, English cardinal (d. 1999)
    • 1923 – Robert H. Michel, American soldier and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1923 – Dave Strack, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – Cal Abrams, American baseball player (d. 1997)
    • 1924 – Renos Apostolidis, Greek philologist, author, and critic (d. 2004)
    • 1926 – Bernard Agré, Ivorian cardinal (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Murray Rothbard, American economist and historian (d. 1995)
    • 1927 – Roger Walkowiak, French cyclist and economist (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – John Cullum, American actor and singer
    • 1930 – Emma Penella, Spanish actress (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Tom Wolfe, American journalist and author (d. 2018)
    • 1931 – Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian lawyer and politician, President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1932 – Gun Hägglund, Swedish journalist and translator (d. 2011)
    • 1934 – Dottie Rambo, American singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
    • 1935 – Gene Stallings, American football player and coach
    • 1936 – Haroon Ahmed, Pakistani-English engineer and academic
    • 1936 – John Tusa, Czech-English journalist and academic
    • 1937 – Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algerian soldier and politician, 5th President of Algeria
    • 1938 – Ricardo Lagos, Chilean economist, lawyer, and politician, 33rd President of Chile
    • 1938 – Lawrence Payton, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1938 – Clark Gesner, American author and composer (d. 2002)
    • 1939 – Jan Howard Finder, American author and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1940 – Billy McNeill, Scottish footballer (d. 2019)
    • 1941 – John Cornell, Australian actor, director, and producer
    • 1941 – David Satcher, American admiral and physician, 16th Surgeon General of the United States
    • 1942 – John Irving, American novelist and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Claude Larose, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1942 – Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Iranian architect and politician, 79th Prime Minister of Iran
    • 1942 – Lou Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (d. 2013)
    • 1942 – Derek Woodley, English footballer (d. 2002)
    • 1943 – George Layton, English actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1943 – Peter Straub, American author and poet
    • 1943 – Robert Williams, American painter and cartoonist
    • 1945 – Derek Watkins, English trumpet player and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1947 – Nelson Ned, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Harry Redknapp, English footballer and manager
    • 1948 – Larry Carlton, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1948 – Rory Gallagher, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1995)
    • 1948 – Jeff Kennett, Australian journalist and politician, 43rd Premier of Victoria
    • 1948 – Carmen Lawrence, Australian politician, 25th Premier of Western Australia
    • 1950 – Karen Carpenter, American singer (d. 1983)
    • 1952 – Mark Evanier, American author and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Laraine Newman, American actress and comedian
    • 1953 – Russ Feingold, American lawyer and politician
    • 1954 – Ed Johnstone, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1955 – Dale Bozzio, American pop-rock singer-songwriter
    • 1955 – Jay Osmond, American singer, drummer, actor, and TV/film producer
    • 1955 – Ken Salazar, American lawyer and politician, 50th United States Secretary of the Interior
    • 1955 – Steve Small, Australian cricketer
    • 1956 – John Cowsill, American musician, songwriter, and producer
    • 1956 – Mark Evans, Australian rock bass player
    • 1957 – Hossein Dehghan, Iranian general and politician, Iranian Minister of Defense
    • 1957 – Dito Tsintsadze, Georgian film director and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Mark Dean, American inventor and computer engineer
    • 1958 – Kevin Curren, South African-American tennis player
    • 1958 – Ian Woosnam, English-Welsh golfer
    • 1959 – Larry Stewart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1961 – Simone Young, Australian conductor, director, and composer
    • 1962 – Jon Bon Jovi, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
    • 1962 – Paul Farrelly, English journalist and politician
    • 1962 – Tom Nordlie, Norwegian footballer and coach
    • 1962 – Brendan O’Connor, Australian politician, Australian Minister for Employment
    • 1962 – Raimo Summanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
    • 1962 – Gabriele Tarquini, Italian race car driver
    • 1963 – Alvin Youngblood Hart, American singer and guitarist
    • 1963 – Anthony Albanese, Australian politician, 15th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
    • 1963 – Vidyasagar (composer), Indian composer, musician and singer
    • 1964 – Laird Hamilton, American surfer and actor
    • 1964 – Mike Von Erich, American wrestler (d. 1987)
    • 1965 – Ron Gant, American baseball player and journalist
    • 1965 – Lembit Öpik, Northern Irish politician
    • 1966 – Ann Leckie, American author
    • 1966 – Simon Reevell, English lawyer and politician
    • 1968 – Daniel Craig, English actor and producer
    • 1970 – James Purnell, English politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
    • 1970 – Ciriaco Sforza, Swiss footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Wibi Soerjadi, Dutch pianist and composer
    • 1971 – Dave Gorman, English comedian, author and television presenter
    • 1971 – Method Man, American rapper, record producer and actor
    • 1972 – Mauricio Pochettino, Argentinian footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Dejan Bodiroga, Serbian basketball player
    • 1973 – Trevor Sinclair, English footballer and manager
    • 1974 – Hayley Lewis, Australian swimmer and television host
    • 1975 – Daryl Gibson, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1977 – Dominique Canty, American basketball player and coach
    • 1977 – Chris Martin, English singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1977 – Stephen Parry, English swimmer and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Andrew Strauss, South African-English cricketer
    • 1978 – Gabby Eigenmann, Filipino actor and singer
    • 1978 – Lee Hodges, English footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Tomáš Kaberle, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Damien Duff, Irish international footballer, winger
    • 1979 – Gayatri Asokan, Indian playback singer
    • 1979 – Jim Troughton, English cricketer
    • 1979 – Nicky Weaver, English footballer
    • 1980 – Chris Barker, English footballer and manager (d. 2020)
    • 1980 – Rebel Wilson, Australian actress and screenwriter
    • 1981 – Lance Cade, American wrestler (d. 2010)
    • 1981 – Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
    • 1982 – Kevin Kurányi, German footballer
    • 1982 – Henrik Lundqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Ben Roethlisberger, American football player
    • 1982 – Corey Webster, American football player
    • 1983 – Deuce, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1983 – Lisandro López, Argentinian footballer
    • 1983 – Jay McClement, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Glen Perkins, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Ryan Shannon, American ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Reggie Bush, American football player
    • 1985 – Suso Santana, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Jonathan D’Aversa, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1987 – Jonas Jerebko, Swedish basketball player
    • 1988 – Édgar Andrade, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – James Arthur, English singer-songwriter
    • 1988 – Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012
    • 1988 – Matthew Mitcham, Australian diver
    • 1988 – Chris Rainey, American football player
    • 1988 – Geert Arend Roorda, Dutch footballer
    • 1989 – Alemão, Brazilian footballer
    • 1989 – Toby Alderweireld, Belgian international footballer, defender
    • 1989 – André Bernardes Santos, Portuguese footballer
    • 1989 – Marcel Hirscher, Austrian skier
    • 1989 – Shane Vereen, American football player
    • 1989 – Chris Woakes, English cricketer
    • 1990 – Rauno Alliku, Estonian footballer
    • 1990 – Malcolm Butler, American football player
    • 1990 – Josh McGuire, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Tiger Shroff, Indian actor
    • 1991 – Nick Franklin, American baseball player
    • 1992 – Jack Stockwell, Australian rugby league player
    • 1995 – Ange-Freddy Plumain, French footballer
    • 1997 – Becky G, American singer and actress
    • 2010 – Hailey Dawson, American with a 3D-printed robotic hand
    • 2016 – Prince Oscar, duke of Skåne and prince of Sweden

    Deaths on March 2

    • 274 – Mani, Persian prophet and founder of Manichaeism (b. 216)
    • 672 – Chad of Mercia, English bishop and saint (b. 634)
    • 986 – Lothair, king of West Francia (b.941)
    • 968 – William, archbishop of Mainz (b. 929)
    • 1009 – Mokjong, king of Goryeo (b. 980)
    • 1127 – Charles the Good, Count of Flanders (b. 1084)
    • 1316 – Marjorie Bruce, Scottish daughter of Robert the Bruce (b. 1296)
    • 1333 – Wladyslaw I, king of Poland (b. 1261)
    • 1589 – Alessandro Farnese, Italian cardinal and diplomat (b. 1520)
    • 1619 – Anne of Denmark, queen of Scotland (b. 1574)
    • 1729 – Francesco Bianchini, Italian astronomer and philosopher (b. 1662)
    • 1755 – Louis de Rouvroy, French duke and diplomat (b. 1675)
    • 1791 – John Wesley, English cleric and theologian (b. 1703)
    • 1793 – Carl Gustaf Pilo, Swedish-Danish painter and academic (b. 1711)
    • 1797 – Horace Walpole, English historian and politician (b. 1717)
    • 1829 – Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, Mexican revolutionary (b. ca. 1773)
    • 1830 – Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring, German physician, anatomist, and anthropologist (b. 1755)
    • 1835 – Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1768)
    • 1840 – Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers, German physician and astronomer (b. 1758)
    • 1855 – Nicholas I, Russian emperor (b. 1796)
    • 1864 – Ulric Dahlgren, American colonel (b. 1842)
    • 1865 – Carl Sylvius Völkner, German-New Zealand priest and missionary (b. 1819)
    • 1880 – John Benjamin Macneill, Irish engineer (b. 1790)
    • 1895 – Berthe Morisot, French painter (b. 1841)
    • 1895 – Isma’il Pasha, Egyptian politician (b. 1830)
    • 1896 – Jubal Early, American general (b. 1816)
    • 1921 – Champ Clark, American lawyer and politician, 41st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1850)
    • 1930 – D. H. Lawrence, English novelist, poet, playwright, and critic (b. 1885)
    • 1938 – Ben Harney, American pianist and composer (b. 1871)
    • 1939 – Howard Carter, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1874)
    • 1943 – Gisela Januszewska, Jewish-Austrian physician (b.1867)
    • 1944 – Ida Maclean, British biochemist, the first woman admitted to the London Chemical Society (b. 1877)
    • 1945 – Emily Carr, Canadian painter and author (b. 1871)
    • 1946 – Fidél Pálffy, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture (b. 1895)
    • 1946 – George E. Stewart, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)
    • 1947 – Frans Johan Louwrens Ghijsels, Dutch architect and urban planner (b. 1882)
    • 1949 – Sarojini Naidu, Indian poet and activist (b. 1879)
    • 1953 – James Lightbody, American runner (b. 1882)
    • 1957 – Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Turkish educator and politician (b. 1874)
    • 1958 – Fred Merkle, American baseball player and manager (b. 1888)
    • 1962 – Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin, Belgian mathematician and academic (b. 1866)
    • 1967 – José Martínez Ruiz, Spanish author and critic (b. 1873)
    • 1972 – Léo-Ernest Ouimet, Canadian director and producer (b. 1877)
    • 1979 – Christy Ring, Irish hurler (b. 1920)
    • 1982 – Philip K. Dick, American philosopher and author (b. 1928)
    • 1987 – Randolph Scott, American actor and director (b. 1898)
    • 1987 – Lolo Soetoro, Indonesian geographer and academic (b. 1935)
    • 1991 – Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (b. 1928)
    • 1992 – Sandy Dennis, American actress (b. 1937)
    • 1994 – Anita Morris, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1943)
    • 1999 – Dusty Springfield, English singer (b. 1939)
    • 2000 – Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (b. 1963)
    • 2003 – Hank Ballard, American singer-songwriter (b. 1927)
    • 2003 – Malcolm Williamson, Australian pianist and composer (b. 1931)
    • 2004 – Cormac McAnallen, Irish footballer (b. 1980)
    • 2004 – Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (b. 1916)
    • 2004 – Marge Schott, American businesswoman (b. 1928)
    • 2005 – Martin Denny, American pianist and composer (b. 1911)
    • 2007 – Thomas S. Kleppe, American soldier and politician, 41st United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1919)
    • 2007 – Clem Labine, American baseball player (b. 1926)
    • 2007 – Ivan Safronov, Russian colonel and journalist (b. 1956)
    • 2007 – Henri Troyat, Russian-French historian and author (b. 1911)
    • 2008 – Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
    • 2009 – João Bernardo Vieira, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1939)
    • 2010 – Winston Churchill, English journalist and politician (b. 1940)
    • 2012 – Lawrence Anthony, South African environmentalist, explorer, and author (b. 1950)
    • 2012 – Van T. Barfoot, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919)
    • 2012 – Norman St John-Stevas, English academic and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – James Q. Wilson, American political scientist and academic (b. 1931)
    • 2013 – Peter Harvey, Australian journalist (b. 1944)
    • 2013 – Giorgos Kolokithas, Greek basketball player (b. 1945)
    • 2013 – Shabnam Shakeel, Pakistani poet and author (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet and translator (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Dean Hess, American minister and colonel (b. 1917)
    • 2015 – Dave Mackay, Scottish-English footballer and manager (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Mal Peet, English author and illustrator (b. 1947)
    • 2016 – Benoît Lacroix, Canadian priest, historian, and philosopher (b. 1915)
    • 2016 – Aubrey McClendon, American businessman (b. 1959)
    • 2018 – Billy Herrington, American actor (b. 1969)
    • 2018 – Lin Hu, Chinese lieutenant general (b. 1927)
    • 2019 – Mike Oliver, British sociologist, disability rights activist (b. 1945)

    Holidays and observances on March 2

    • Air Force Day (Sri Lanka)
    • Baloch Culture Day (Balochistan)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Agnes of Bohemia
      • Angela of the Cross
      • Blessed Charles the Good, Count of Flanders
      • Chad of Mercia (Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • John Maron
      • March 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Feast of ‘Alá (Loftiness), First day of the 19th month of the Bahá’í calendar (Bahá’í Faith) and first day of the Baha’i Nineteen Day Fast
    • Jamahiriya Day (Libya)
    • Peasants’ Day (Myanmar)
    • Texas Independence Day
    • Victory at Adwa Day (Ethiopia)

  • February 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor
    • 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II
    • 1336 – Four thousand defenders of Pilenai commit mass suicide rather than be taken captive by the Teutonic Knights.
    • 1797 – Colonel William Tate and his force of 1000–1500 soldiers surrender after the Last invasion of Britain.
    • 1831 – Battle of Olszynka Grochowska, part of Polish November Uprising against Russian Empire.
    • 1836 – Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for the Colt revolver.
    • 1843 – Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet Affair (1843).
    • 1848 – Provisional government in revolutionary France, by Louis Blanc’s motion, guarantees workers’ rights.
    • 1856 – A Peace conference opens in Paris after the Crimean War.
    • 1866 – Miners in Calaveras County, California, discover what is now called the Calaveras Skull – human remains that supposedly indicated that man, mastodons, and elephants had co-existed.
    • 1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress.
    • 1875 – Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty China begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi’s regency.
    • 1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.
    • 1912 – Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
    • 1916 – World War I: The Germans capture Fort Douaumont during the Battle of Verdun.
    • 1918 – German occupation of Estonia during World War I: Pernau, Reval, and Pskov are captured.
    • 1919 – Oregon places a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
    • 1921 – Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, is occupied by Bolshevist Russia.
    • 1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a broadcast license for television from the Federal Radio Commission.
    • 1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.
    • 1933 – The USS Ranger is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be designed from the start of construction as an aircraft carrier.
    • 1939 – The first of 2​1⁄2 million Anderson air raid shelters appeared in North London.
    • 1941 – February strike: In the occupied Amsterdam, a general strike is declared in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazis.
    • 1947 – The formal abolition of Prussia is proclaimed by the Allied Control Council. The Prussian government had already been abolished by the Preußenschlag of 1932.
    • 1948 – Cold War: The Communist Party takes control of government in Czechoslovakia and the period of the Third Republic ends.
    • 1951 – The first Pan American Games were officially opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina by President Juan Perón.
    • 1954 – Gamal Abdel Nasser is made premier of Egypt.
    • 1956 – Cold War: In his speech On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.
    • 1964 – North Korean Prime Minister Kim Il-sung calls for the removal of feudalistic land ownership aimed at turning all cooperative farms into state-run ones.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: One hundred thirty-five unarmed citizens of Hà My village in South Vietnam’s Qu?ng Nam Province are killed and buried en masse by South Korean troops in what would come to be known as the Hà My massacre.
    • 1980 – The government of Suriname is overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
    • 1986 – People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines’ first woman president.
    • 1987 – Southern Methodist University’s football program is the first college football program to be banned from competition by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.
    • 1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
    • 1991 – Cold War: The Warsaw Pact is abolished.
    • 1992 – Khojaly massacre: About 613 civilians are killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
    • 1994 – Mosque of Abraham massacre: In the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Baruch Goldstein opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors.
    • 1997 – Yi Han-yong, a North Korean defector, was murdered by unidentified assailants in Bundang, South Korea.
    • 2009 – Soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 74 deaths, including 57 army officials.
    • 2009 – Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashed during landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, primarily due to a faulty radio altimeter, resulting in the death of nine passengers and crew including all three pilots.
    • 2015 – At least 310 people are killed in avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan.
    • 2016 – Three people are killed and fourteen others injured in a series of shootings in the small Kansas cities of Newton and Hesston.

    Births on February 25

    • 1259 – Infanta Branca of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso III of Portugal and Urraca of Castile (d. 1321)
    • 1337 – Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg (d. 1383)
    • 1475 – Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, last male member of the House of York (d. 1499)
    • 1540 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English aristocrat and courtier (d. 1614)
    • 1543 – Sharaf Khan Bidlisi, Emir of Bitlis (d. 1603)
    • 1591 – Friedrich Spee, German poet and author (d. 1635)
    • 1643 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1695)
    • 1663 – Peter Anthony Motteux, French-English author, playwright and translator (d. 1718)
    • 1670 – Maria Margarethe Kirch, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1720)
    • 1682 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist and pathologist (d. 1771)
    • 1707 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright and composer (d. 1793)
    • 1714 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, French lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of France (d. 1792)
    • 1728 – John Wood, the Younger, English architect, designed the Royal Crescent (d. 1782)
    • 1752 – John Graves Simcoe, English-Canadian general and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806)
    • 1755 – François René Mallarmé, French lawyer and politician (d. 1835)
    • 1778 – José de San Martín, Argentinian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (d. 1850)
    • 1806 – Emma Catherine Embury, American author and poet (d. 1863)
    • 1809 – John Hart, English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of South Australia (d. 1873)
    • 1812 – Carl Christian Hall, Danish lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1888)
    • 1816 – Giovanni Morelli, Italian historian and critic (d. 1891)
    • 1833 – John St. John, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Kansas (d. 1916)
    • 1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter and sculptor (d. 1919)
    • 1842 – Karl May, German author, poet, and playwright (d. 1912)
    • 1845 – George Reid, Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918)
    • 1855 – Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet and author (d. 1886)
    • 1856 – Karl Gotthard Lamprecht, German historian and academic (d. 1915)
    • 1856 – Mathias Zdarsky, Czech-Austrian skier, painter, and sculptor (d. 1940)
    • 1857 – Robert Bond, Canadian politician; first Prime Minister of Newfoundland (d. 1927)
    • 1860 – William Ashley, English historian and academic (d. 1927)
    • 1865 – Andranik, Armenian general (d. 1927)
    • 1866 – Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher and politician (d. 1952)
    • 1869 – Phoebus Levene, Russian-American biochemist and physician (d. 1940)
    • 1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian-American tenor; the most popular operatic tenor of the early 20th century and the first great recording star. (d. 1921)
    • 1877 – Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist and scholar (d. 1935)
    • 1881 – William Z. Foster, American union leader and politician (d. 1961)
    • 1881 – Alexei Rykov, Russian politician, Premier of Russia (d. 1938)
    • 1883 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (d. 1981)
    • 1885 – Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (d. 1969)
    • 1888 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (d. 1959)
    • 1890 – Myra Hess, English pianist and educator (d. 1965)
    • 1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (d. 1969)
    • 1898 – William Astbury, physicist and molecular biologist (d. 1961)
    • 1901 – Vince Gair, Australian politician, 27th Premier of Queensland (d. 1980)
    • 1901 – Zeppo Marx, American comedian (the youngest of the Marx Brothers) and theatrical agent (d. 1979)
    • 1903 – King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and coach; rated one of the 100 greatest NHL players (d. 1986)
    • 1905 – Perry Miller, American historian, author, and academic (d. 1963)
    • 1906 – Mary Coyle Chase, American journalist and playwright; author of Harvey (d. 1981)
    • 1907 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (d. 1948)
    • 1908 – Mary Locke Petermann, cellular biochemist (d. 1975)
    • 1908 – Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (d. 2001)
    • 1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American journalist and politician (d. 1992)
    • 1913 – Jim Backus, American actor and screenwriter; the voice of Mr. Magoo (d. 1989)
    • 1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor; title role in Goldfinger (d. 1988)
    • 1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author, playwright, and critic (d. 1993)
    • 1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player; winner of three major titles, 1939–1941 (d. 1995)
    • 1919 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player and executive (d. 2016)
    • 1920 – Philip Habib, American academic and diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (d. 1992)
    • 1921 – Pierre Laporte, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec (d. 1970)
    • 1921 – Andy Pafko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Molly Reilly, Canadian aviator (d. 1980)
    • 1924 – Hugh Huxley, English-American biologist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Lisa Kirk, American actress and singer (d. 1990)
    • 1926 – Masatoshi Gündüz Ikeda, Japanese-Turkish mathematician and academic; noted for contributions to algebraic number theory (d. 2003)
    • 1927 – Ralph Stanley, American bluegrass singer and banjo player; member of International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (d. 2016)
    • 1928 – Paul Elvstrøm, Danish yachtsman; winner of four Olympic gold medals, 1948–1960 (d. 2016)
    • 1928 – A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., prominent African-American civil rights advocate, author, and federal court judge (d. 1998)
    • 1928 – Larry Gelbart, American author and screenwriter; creator and producer of M*A*S*H TV series (d. 2009)
    • 1928 – Richard G. Stern, American author and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Tony Brooks, English racing driver; six Formula One victories, second in 1959 World Championship
    • 1932 – Faron Young, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist; member of Country Music Hall of Fame (d. 1996)
    • 1934 – Tony Lema, American golfer; winner of the 1964 Open Championship (d. 1966)
    • 1935 – Oktay Sinanoglu, Turkish physical chemist and molecular biophysicist; two-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Tom Courtenay, award-winning English actor
    • 1937 – Bob Schieffer, American political author, journalist and TV interviewer
    • 1938 – Herb Elliott, Australian 1500 metres runner; 1960 Olympic champion and world record holder
    • 1938 – Farokh Engineer, Indian international cricketer; successful as batsman and wicketkeeper
    • 1940 – Ron Santo, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
    • 1941 – David Puttnam, English film producer and academic
    • 1943 – George Harrison, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and film producer; lead guitarist of The Beatles (d. 2001)
    • 1944 – François Cevert, French racing driver (d. 1973)
    • 1946 – Jean Todt, French racing driver and team manager; FIA President, 2009–2021
    • 1947 – Lee Evans, American sprinter and athletics coach; two gold medals and world 400m record at 1968 Olympics
    • 1949 – Amin Maalouf, Lebanese-French journalist and author
    • 1950 – Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish skier; 1972 Olympic slalom champion (d. 2006)
    • 1950 – Neil Jordan, Irish film director, screenwriter and author
    • 1950 – Néstor Kirchner, Argentinian politician; 51st President of Argentina, 2003–2007 (d. 2010)
    • 1951 – Don Quarrie, Jamaican sprinter and coach; four Olympic medals and two world records
    • 1952 – Joey Dunlop, Northern Irish motorcycle road racing champion; holds record for most wins (26) at the Isle of Man TT (d. 2000)
    • 1953 – José María Aznar, Spanish politician; Prime Minister of Spain, 1996–2004
    • 1958 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player and coach; four-time NBA Finals champion
    • 1962 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker; winner of eight Olympic gold medals
    • 1963 – Paul O’Neill, American baseball player and sportscaster; five-time World Series champion
    • 1967 – Ed Balls, British politician; Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
    • 1968 – Oumou Sangaré, Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician
    • 1971 – Sean Astin, American actor, director and producer
    • 1974 – Dominic Raab, British politician; First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
    • 1981 – Park Ji-sung, South Korean footballer; the most successful Asian player with 19 career trophies
    • 1982 – Flavia Pennetta, Italian tennis player; winner of the 2015 US Open
    • 1988 – Tom Marshall, British photo colouriser and artist
    • 1999 – Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italian international footballer; youngest goalkeeper to play for Italy

    Deaths on February 25

    • 806 – Tarasios, patriarch of Constantinople
    • 891 – Fujiwara no Mototsune, Japanese regent (b. 836)
    • 944 – Lin Ding, Chinese official and chancellor
    • 1246 – Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Welsh king (b. 1212)
    • 1321 – Beatrice d’Avesnes, consort of Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg
    • 1495 – Sultan Cem, Ottoman politician (b. 1459)
    • 1522 – William Lily, English scholar and educator (b. 1468)
    • 1536 – Berchtold Haller, German-Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1492)
    • 1536 – Jacob Hutter, founder of the Hutterites
    • 1547 – Vittoria Colonna, marchioness of Pescara (b. 1490)
    • 1558 – Eleanor of Austria (b. 1498)
    • 1600 – Sebastian de Aparicio, Spanish colonial industrialist and saint (b. 1502)
    • 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1566)
    • 1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general and politician (b. 1583)
    • 1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish poet and scholar (b. 1580)
    • 1682 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (b. 1639)
    • 1710 – Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, French soldier and explorer (b. 1639)
    • 1713 – Frederick I of Prussia (b. 1657)
    • 1723 – Christopher Wren, English architect, designed St Paul’s Cathedral (b. 1632)
    • 1756 – Eliza Haywood, English actress and poet (b. 1693)
    • 1796 – Samuel Seabury, American bishop (b. 1729)
    • 1798 – Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini, French poet and diplomat (b. 1716)
    • 1805 – Thomas Pownall, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1722)
    • 1819 – Francisco Manoel de Nascimento, Portuguese-French poet and educator (b. 1734)
    • 1822 – William Pinkney, American politician and diplomat, 7th United States Attorney General (b. 1764)
    • 1831 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German author and playwright (b. 1752)
    • 1841 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1783)
    • 1850 – Daoguang Emperor of China (b. 1782)
    • 1852 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and lyricist (b. 1779)
    • 1865 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (b. 1813)
    • 1870 – Henrik Hertz, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1797)
    • 1875 – Thomas Reynolds, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of South Australia (b. 1818)
    • 1877 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepalese ruler (b. 1816)
    • 1878 – Townsend Harris, American merchant, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1804)
    • 1888 – Josif Pancic, Serbian botanist and academic (b. 1814)
    • 1899 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist and businessman, founded Reuters (b. 1816)
    • 1906 – Anton Arensky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1861)
    • 1910 – Worthington Whittredge, American painter and educator (b. 1820)
    • 1911 – Friedrich Spielhagen, German author, theorist, and translator (b. 1829)
    • 1912 – William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 1852)
    • 1914 – John Tenniel, English illustrator (b. 1820)
    • 1915 – Charles Edwin Bessey, American botanist, author, and academic (b. 1845)
    • 1916 – David Bowman, Australian politician (b. 1860)
    • 1920 – Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy, French archaeologist and engineer (b. 1844)
    • 1922 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (b. 1869)
    • 1928 – William O’Brien, Irish journalist and politician (b. 1852)
    • 1934 – Elizabeth Gertrude Britton, American botanist and academic (b. 1857)
    • 1934 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (b. 1873)
    • 1945 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian author, poet, and photographer (b. 1893)
    • 1950 – George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
    • 1953 – Sergei Winogradsky, Ukrainian-Russian microbiologist and ecologist (b. 1856)
    • 1957 – Mark Aldanov, Russian author and critic (b. 1888)
    • 1957 – Bugs Moran, American mob boss (b. 1893)
    • 1963 – Melville J. Herskovits, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1895)
    • 1964 – Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1887)
    • 1964 – Hinrich Lohse, German politician (b. 1896)
    • 1964 – Grace Metalious, American author (b. 1924)
    • 1970 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-American painter and academic (b. 1903)
    • 1971 – Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
    • 1972 – Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (b. 1889)
    • 1975 – Elijah Muhammad, American religious leader (b. 1897)
    • 1978 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (b. 1920)
    • 1980 – Robert Hayden, American poet and academic (b. 1913)
    • 1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (b. 1911)
    • 1996 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (b. 1940)
    • 1997 – Andrei Sinyavsky, Russian journalist and publisher (b. 1925)
    • 1998 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – A. R. Ammons, American poet and critic (b. 1926)
    • 2001 – Donald Bradman, Australian international cricketer; holder of world record batting average (b. 1908)
    • 2005 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer, founded Amnesty International (b. 1921)
    • 2010 – Ihsan Dogramaci, Turkish pediatrician and academic (b. 1915)
    • 2012 – Louisiana Red, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic; noted ichthyologist (b. 1922)
    • 2020 – Dmitry Yazov, last Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1924)

    Holidays and observance on February 25

    Christian feast day

    Further information: February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Æthelberht of Kent
    • Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás
    • Gerland of Agrigento
    • John Roberts, writer and missionary
    • Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani
    • Saint Walpurga (she was canonised on 1 May and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 30 April)

  • February 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 705 – Empress Wu Zetian abdicates the throne, restoring the Tang dynasty.
    • 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand of Majorca and the forces of Matilda of Hainaut, ends in victory for Ferdinand.
    • 1371 – Robert II becomes King of Scotland, beginning the Stuart dynasty.
    • 1495 – King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city’s throne.
    • 1632 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the dedicatee, receives the first printed copy of Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems .
    • 1651 – St. Peter’s Flood: A storm surge floods the Frisian coast, drowning 15,000 people.
    • 1744 – War of the Austrian Succession: The Battle of Toulon causes several Royal Navy captains to be court-martialed, and the Articles of War to be amended.
    • 1797 – The last Invasion of Britain begins near Fishguard, Wales.
    • 1819 – By the Adams–Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for five million U.S. dollars.
    • 1821 – Greek War of Independence: Alexander Ypsilantis crosses the Prut river at Sculeni into the Danubian Principalities.
    • 1847 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista: Five thousand American troops defeat 15,000 Mexican troops.
    • 1848 – The French Revolution of 1848, which would lead to the establishment of the French Second Republic, begins.
    • 1853 – Washington University in St. Louis is founded as Eliot Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
    • 1855 – The Pennsylvania State University is founded in State College, Pennsylvania (as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania).
    • 1856 – The United States Republican Party opens its first national convention in Pittsburgh.
    • 1862 – Jefferson Davis is officially inaugurated for a six-year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously inaugurated as a provisional president on February 18, 1861.
    • 1872 – The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.
    • 1878 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores.
    • 1889 – President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states.
    • 1899 – Filipino forces led by General Antonio Luna launch counterattacks for the first time against the American forces during the Philippine–American War. The Filipinos fail to regain Manila from the Americans.
    • 1904 – The United Kingdom sells a meteorological station on the South Orkney Islands to Argentina; the islands are subsequently claimed by the United Kingdom in 1908.
    • 1909 – The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world.
    • 1915 – World War I: The Imperial German Navy institutes unrestricted submarine warfare.
    • 1921 – After Russian forces under Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg drive the Chinese out, the Bogd Khan is reinstalled as the emperor of Mongolia.
    • 1942 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as the Japanese victory becomes inevitable.
    • 1943 – World War II: Members of the White Rose resistance, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst are executed in Nazi Germany.
    • 1944 – World War II: American aircraft mistakenly bomb the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone.
    • 1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army recaptures Krivoi Rog.
    • 1946 – The “Long Telegram”, proposing how the United States should deal with the Soviet Union, arrives from the US embassy in Moscow.
    • 1957 – Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam survives a communist shooting assassination attempt in Buôn Ma Thuột.
    • 1958 – Egypt and Syria join to form the United Arab Republic.
    • 1959 – Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
    • 1972 – The Official Irish Republican Army detonates a car bomb at Aldershot barracks, killing seven and injuring nineteen others.
    • 1973 – Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices.
    • 1974 – The Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit begins in Lahore, Pakistan. Thirty-seven countries attend and twenty-two heads of state and government participate. It also recognizes Bangladesh.
    • 1974 – Samuel Byck attempts to hijack an aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Airport with the intention of crashing it into the White House to assassinate Richard Nixon, but is killed by police.
    • 1980 – Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeats the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3.
    • 1983 – The notorious Broadway flop Moose Murders opens and closes on the same night at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.
    • 1984 – President of Bangladesh, H M Ershad upgraded South Sylhet’s sub-division status to a district and renamed it back to Moulvibazar.
    • 1986 – Start of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
    • 1994 – Aldrich Ames and his wife are charged by the United States Department of Justice with spying for the Soviet Union.
    • 1995 – The Corona reconnaissance satellite program, in existence from 1959 to 1972, is declassified.
    • 1997 – In Roslin, Midlothian, British scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned.
    • 2002 – Angolan political and rebel leader Jonas Savimbi is killed in a military ambush.
    • 2005 – The 6.4 Mw  Zarand earthquake shakes the Kerman Province of Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 612 people dead and 1,411 injured.
    • 2006 – At least six men stage Britain’s biggest robbery, stealing £53m (about $92.5 million or €78 million) from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent.
    • 2011 – New Zealand’s second deadliest earthquake strikes Christchurch, killing 185 people.
    • 2011 – Bahraini uprising: Tens of thousands of people march in protest against the deaths of seven victims killed by police and army forces during previous protests.
    • 2012 – A train crash in Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 51 people and injures 700 others.
    • 2014 – President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine is impeached by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by a vote of 328–0, fulfilling a major goal of the Euromaidan rebellion.
    • 2015 – A ferry carrying 100 passengers capsizes in the Padma River, killing 70 people.
    • 2018 – A man throws a grenade at the U.S embassy in Podgorica, Montenegro. He dies at the scene from a second explosion, with no one else hurt.

    Births on February 22

    • 1028 – Al-Juwayni, Persian jurist and theologian (died 1085)
    • 1040 – Rashi, French rabbi and author (d. 1105)
    • 1302 – Gegeen Khan, Emperor Yingzong of Yuan (d. 1323)
    • 1403 – Charles VII of France (d. 1461)
    • 1440 – Ladislaus the Posthumous, Hungarian king (d. 1457)
    • 1500 – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Italian cardinal (d. 1564)
    • 1514 – Tahmasp I, Iranian shah (d. 1576)
    • 1520 – Moses Isserles, Polish rabbi (d. 1572)
    • 1550 – Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg (d. 1616)
    • 1592 – Nicholas Ferrar, English scholar (d. 1637)
    • 1631 – Peder Syv, Danish historian (d. 1702)
    • 1649 – Bon Boullogne, French painter (d. 1717)
    • 1715 – Charles-Nicolas Cochin, French artist (d. 1790)
    • 1732 – George Washington, American general and politician, 1st President of the United States (d. 1799)
    • 1749 – Johann Nikolaus Forkel, German musicologist and theorist (d. 1818)
    • 1778 – Rembrandt Peale, American painter and curator (d. 1860)
    • 1788 – Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher and author (d. 1860)
    • 1796 – Alexis Bachelot, French priest and missionary (d. 1837)
    • 1796 – Adolphe Quetelet, Belgian mathematician, astronomer, and sociologist (d. 1874)
    • 1805 – Sarah Fuller Flower Adams, English poet and hymnwriter (d. 1848)
    • 1806 – Józef Kremer, Polish historian and philosopher (d. 1875)
    • 1817 – Carl Wilhelm Borchardt, German mathematician and academic (d. 1880)
    • 1819 – James Russell Lowell, American poet and critic (d. 1891)
    • 1824 – Pierre Janssen, French astronomer and mathematician (d. 1907)
    • 1825 – Jean-Baptiste Salpointe, French-American archbishop (d. 1898)
    • 1836 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1840 – August Bebel, German theorist and politician (d. 1913)
    • 1849 – Nikolay Yakovlevich Sonin, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1915)
    • 1857 – Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, English general, co-founded The Scout Association (d. 1941)
    • 1857 – Heinrich Hertz, German physicist, philosopher, and academic (d. 1894)
    • 1860 – Mary W. Bacheler, American physician and Baptist medical missionary (d. 1939)
    • 1863 – Charles McLean Andrews, American historian, author, and academic (d. 1943)
    • 1864 – Jules Renard, French author and playwright (d. 1910)
    • 1876 – Zitkala-Sa, American author and activist (d. 1938)
    • 1874 – Bill Klem, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1951)
    • 1879 – Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted, Danish chemist and academic (d. 1947)
    • 1880 – Eric Lemming, Swedish athlete (d. 1930)
    • 1881 – Joseph B. Ely, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1956)
    • 1881 – Albin Prepeluh, Slovenian journalist and politician (d. 1937)
    • 1882 – Eric Gill, English sculptor and illustrator (d. 1940)
    • 1883 – Marguerite Clark, American actress (d. 1940)
    • 1886 – Hugo Ball, German author and poet (d. 1927)
    • 1887 – Savielly Tartakower, Polish journalist, author, and chess player (d. 1956)
    • 1887 – Pat Sullivan, Australian-American animator and producer (d. 1933)
    • 1888 – Owen Brewster, American captain and politician, 54th Governor of Maine (d. 1961)
    • 1889 – Olave Baden-Powell, English scout leader, founded the Girl Guides (d. 1977)
    • 1889 – R. G. Collingwood, English historian and philosopher (d. 1943)
    • 1891 – Vlas Chubar, Russian economist and politician (d. 1939)
    • 1892 – Edna St. Vincent Millay, American poet and playwright (d. 1950)
    • 1895 – Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician (d. 1979)
    • 1897 – Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (d. 1947)
    • 1899 – George O’Hara, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1966)
    • 1900 – Luis Buñuel, Spanish-Mexican director and producer (d. 1983)
    • 1903 – Morley Callaghan, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1990)
    • 1903 – Frank P. Ramsey, English economist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1930)
    • 1906 – Constance Stokes, Australian painter (d. 1991)
    • 1907 – Sheldon Leonard, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1907 – Robert Young, American actor (d. 1998)
    • 1908 – Rómulo Betancourt, Venezuelan politician, 56th President of Venezuela (d. 1981)
    • 1908 – John Mills, English soldier and actor (d. 2005)
    • 1910 – George Hunt, English international footballer, forward (d. 1996)
    • 1914 – Renato Dulbecco, Italian-American virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
    • 1915 – Gus Lesnevich, American boxer (d. 1964)
    • 1917 – Reed Crandall, American illustrator (d. 1982)
    • 1918 – Sid Abel, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2000)
    • 1918 – Don Pardo, American radio and television announcer (d. 2014)
    • 1918 – Robert Wadlow, American man, the tallest person in recorded history (d. 1940)
    • 1921 – Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Central African general and politician, 2nd President of the Central African Republic (d. 1996)
    • 1921 – Giulietta Masina, Italian actress (d. 1994)
    • 1922 – Marshall Teague, American race car driver (d. 1959)
    • 1922 – Joe Wilder, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Bleddyn Williams, Welsh rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
    • 1923 – François Cavanna, French author and editor (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Edward Gorey, American illustrator and poet (d. 2000)
    • 1925 – Gerald Stern, American poet and academic
    • 1926 – Kenneth Williams, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1927 – Florencio Campomanes, Filipino political scientist and chess player (d. 2010)
    • 1927 – Guy Mitchell, American singer (d. 1999)
    • 1928 – Clarence 13X, American religious leader, founded the Nation of Gods and Earths (d. 1969)
    • 1928 – Texas Johnny Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Paul Dooley, American actor
    • 1928 – Bruce Forsyth, English singer and television host (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – James Hong, American actor and director
    • 1929 – Rebecca Schull, American stage, film, and television actress
    • 1930 – Marni Nixon, American soprano and actress (d. 2016)
    • 1932 – Ted Kennedy, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2009)
    • 1932 – Zenaida Manfugás, Cuban-born American-naturalized pianist (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – Katharine, Duchess of Kent
    • 1933 – Sheila Hancock, English actress and author
    • 1933 – Ernie K-Doe, American R&B singer (d. 2001)
    • 1933 – Bobby Smith, English international footballer, centre forward (d. 2010)
    • 1934 – Sparky Anderson, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
    • 1936 – J. Michael Bishop, American microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1937 – Tommy Aaron, American golfer
    • 1937 – Joanna Russ, American author and activist (d. 2011)
    • 1938 – Steve Barber, American baseball player (d. 2007)
    • 1938 – Tony Macedo, Gibraltarian born English footballer, goalkeeper
    • 1938 – Ishmael Reed, American poet, novelist, essayist
    • 1940 – Judy Cornwell, English actress
    • 1940 – Chet Walker, American basketball player
    • 1941 – Hipólito Mejía, Dominican politician, 52nd President of the Dominican Republic
    • 1942 – Christine Keeler, English model and dancer (d. 2017)
    • 1943 – Terry Eagleton, English philosopher and critic
    • 1943 – Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany
    • 1943 – Dick Van Arsdale, American basketball player
    • 1943 – Tom Van Arsdale, American basketball player
    • 1943 – Otoya Yamaguchi, Japanese assassin of Inejiro Asanuma (d. 1960)
    • 1944 – Jonathan Demme, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
    • 1944 – Mick Green, English rock & roll guitarist (d. 2010)
    • 1944 – Robert Kardashian, American lawyer and businessman (d. 2003)
    • 1944 – Christopher Meyer, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
    • 1944 – Tom Okker, Dutch tennis player and painter
    • 1945 – Oliver, American pop singer (d. 2000)
    • 1946 – Kresten Bjerre, Danish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – Pirjo Honkasalo, Finnish director, cinematographer, and screenwriter
    • 1947 – Harvey Mason, American drummer
    • 1947 – John Radford, English footballer and manager
    • 1947 – Frank Van Dun, Belgian philosopher and theorist
    • 1949 – John Duncan, Scottish footballer, forward and manager
    • 1949 – Niki Lauda, Austrian racing driver (d. 2019)
    • 1949 – Olga Morozova, Russian tennis player and coach
    • 1950 – Julius Erving, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1950 – Lenny Kuhr, Dutch singer-songwriter
    • 1950 – Miou-Miou, French actress
    • 1950 – Genesis P-Orridge, English singer-songwriter (d. 2020)
    • 1950 – Julie Walters, English actress and author
    • 1951 – Ellen Greene, American singer and actress
    • 1952 – Bill Frist, American physician and politician
    • 1952 – Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese Minister of Economy and Treasury and MP (d. 2020)
    • 1953 – Nigel Planer, English actor and screenwriter
    • 1955 – David Axelrod, American journalist and political adviser
    • 1955 – Tim Young, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1957 – Willie Smits, Dutch microbiologist and engineer
    • 1958 – Dave Spitz, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1959 – Jiří Čunek, Czech politician
    • 1959 – Kyle MacLachlan, American actor
    • 1959 – Bronwyn Oliver, Australian sculptor (d. 2006)
    • 1960 – Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, Scottish politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
    • 1961 – Akira Takasaki, Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1962 – Steve Irwin, Australian zoologist and television host (d. 2006)
    • 1963 – Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport
    • 1963 – Devon Malcolm, Jamaican-English cricketer
    • 1963 – Vijay Singh, Fijian-American golfer
    • 1964 – Ed Boon, American video game designer, co-created Mortal Kombat
    • 1964 – Diane Charlemagne, English singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
    • 1964 – Andy Gray, English footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1965 – Chris Dudley, American basketball player and politician
    • 1965 – Kieren Fallon, Irish jockey
    • 1965 – Pat LaFontaine, American ice hockey player
    • 1966 – Rachel Dratch, American actress and comedian
    • 1966 – Thorsten Kaye, German-English actor
    • 1967 – Psicosis II, Mexican wrestler
    • 1968 – Shawn Graham, Canadian politician, 31st Premier of New Brunswick
    • 1968 – Bradley Nowell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1996)
    • 1968 – Jeri Ryan, American model and actress
    • 1968 – Jayson Williams, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Thomas Jane, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Brian Laudrup, Danish footballer and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Marc Wilmots, Belgian footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Super Caló, Mexican wrestler
    • 1971 – Lea Salonga, Filipino actress and singer
    • 1972 – Michael Chang, American tennis player and coach
    • 1972 – Claudia Pechstein, German speed skater
    • 1973 – Philippe Gaumont, French cyclist (d. 2013)
    • 1973 – Juninho Paulista, Brazilian footballer
    • 1973 – Scott Phillips, American drummer and producer
    • 1974 – James Blunt, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1974 – Chris Moyles, English radio and television host
    • 1975 – Drew Barrymore, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1977 – Timo Rose, German actor, director, and producer
    • 1977 – Hakan Yakin, Swiss footballer
    • 1978 – Jenny Frost, English singer and dancer
    • 1979 – Brett Emerton, Australian footballer
    • 1979 – Lee Na-young, South Korean actress
    • 1980 – Shamari Fears, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1980 – Kang Sung-hoon, South Korean singer
    • 1980 – Jeanette Biedermann, German singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1983 – Shaun Tait, Australian cricketer
    • 1984 – Tommy Bowe, Irish rugby player
    • 1984 – Branislav Ivanović, Serbian footballer
    • 1985 – Hameur Bouazza, Algerian international footballer, winger
    • 1985 – Georgios Printezis, Greek basketball player
    • 1986 – Rajon Rondo, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Han Hyo-joo, South Korean actress and model
    • 1987 – Sergio Romero, Argentinian footballer
    • 1988 – Jonathan Borlée, Belgian sprinter
    • 1988 – Efraín Juárez, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – Sebastian Tyrała, Polish-German footballer
    • 1989 – Franco Vázquez, Argentinian footballer
    • 1990 – Luca Profeta, Italian footballer
    • 1992 – Alexander Merkel, Kazakhstani-German footballer
    • 1999 – Harry Brook, English cricketer

    Deaths on February 22

    • 556 – Maximianus, bishop of Ravenna (b. 499)
    • 606 – Sabinian, pope of the Catholic Church
    • 793 – Sicga, Anglo-Saxon nobleman and regicide
    • 845 – Wang, Chinese empress dowager
    • 954 – Guo Wei, Chinese emperor (b. 904)
    • 965 – Otto, duke of Burgundy (b. 944)
    • 970 – García I, king of Pamplona
    • 978 – Lambert, count of Chalon (b. 930)
    • 1071 – Arnulf III, count of Flanders
    • 1072 – Peter Damian, Italian cardinal
    • 1079 – John of Fécamp, Italian Benedictine abbot
    • 1111 – Roger Borsa, king of Sicily (b. 1078)
    • 1297 – Margaret of Cortona, Italian penitent (b. 1247)
    • 1371 – David II, king of Scotland (b. 1324)
    • 1452 – William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas (b. 1425)
    • 1500 – Gerhard VI, German nobleman (b. 1430)
    • 1511 – Henry, duke of Cornwall (b. 1511)
    • 1512 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian cartographer and explorer (b. 1454)
    • 1627 – Olivier van Noort, Dutch explorer (b. 1558)
    • 1674 – Jean Chapelain, French poet and critic (b. 1595)
    • 1680 – La Voisin, French occultist (b. 1640)
    • 1690 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (b. 1619)
    • 1731 – Frederik Ruysch, Dutch physician and anatomist (b. 1638)
    • 1732 – Francis Atterbury, English bishop (b. 1663)
    • 1799 – Heshen, Chinese politician (b. 1750)
    • 1816 – Adam Ferguson, Scottish historian and philosopher (b. 1723)
    • 1875 – Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French painter and illustrator (b. 1796)
    • 1875 – Charles Lyell, Scottish-English geologist and lawyer (b. 1797)
    • 1888 – Anna Kingsford, English physician and activist (b. 1846)
    • 1890 – John Jacob Astor III, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1822)
    • 1890 – Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (b. 1834)
    • 1897 – Charles Blondin, French tightrope walker and acrobat (b. 1824)
    • 1898 – Heungseon Daewongun, Korean king (b. 1820)
    • 1903 – Hugo Wolf, Austrian composer (b. 1860)
    • 1904 – Leslie Stephen, English historian, author, and critic (b. 1832)
    • 1913 – Ferdinand de Saussure, Swiss linguist and author (b. 1857)
    • 1913 – Francisco I. Madero, Mexican president and author (b. 1873)
    • 1923 – Théophile Delcassé, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1852)
    • 1939 – Antonio Machado, Spanish-French poet and author (b. 1875)
    • 1942 – Stefan Zweig, Austrian journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1881)
    • 1943 – Christoph Probst, German activist (b. 1919)
    • 1943 – Hans Scholl, German activist (b. 1918)
    • 1943 – Sophie Scholl, German activist (b. 1921)
    • 1944 – Kasturba Gandhi, Indian activist (b. 1869)
    • 1945 – Osip Brik, Russian avant garde writer and literary critic (b. 1888)
    • 1958 – Abul Kalam Azad, Indian scholar and politician, Indian Minister of Education (b. 1888)
    • 1960 – Paul-Émile Borduas, Canadian-French painter and critic (b. 1905)
    • 1961 – Nick LaRocca, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1889)
    • 1965 – Felix Frankfurter, Austrian-American lawyer and jurist (b. 1882)
    • 1971 – Frédéric Mariotti, French actor (b. 1883)
    • 1973 – Jean-Jacques Bertrand, Canadian lawyer and politician, 21st Premier of Quebec (b. 1916)
    • 1973 – Elizabeth Bowen, Anglo-Irish author (b. 1899)
    • 1973 – Katina Paxinou, Greek actress (b. 1900)
    • 1973 – Winthrop Rockefeller, American colonel and politician, 37th Governor of Arkansas (b. 1912)
    • 1976 – Angela Baddeley, English actress (b. 1904)
    • 1976 – Florence Ballard, American singer (b. 1943)
    • 1980 – Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian painter, poet and playwright (b. 1886)
    • 1982 – Josh Malihabadi, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (b. 1898)
    • 1983 – Adrian Boult, English conductor (b. 1889)
    • 1983 – Romain Maes, Belgian cyclist (b. 1913)
    • 1985 – Salvador Espriu, Spanish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1913)
    • 1985 – Efrem Zimbalist, Russian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1889)
    • 1986 – John Donnelly, Australian rugby league player (b. 1955)
    • 1987 – David Susskind, American talk show host and producer (b. 1920)
    • 1987 – Andy Warhol, American painter and photographer (b. 1928)
    • 1992 – Markos Vafiadis, Greek general and politician (b. 1906)
    • 1994 – Papa John Creach, American violinist (b. 1917)
    • 1995 – Ed Flanders, American actor (b. 1934)
    • 1997 – Joseph Aiuppa, American gangster (b. 1907)
    • 1998 – Abraham A. Ribicoff, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (b. 1910)
    • 1999 – William Bronk, American poet and academic (b. 1918)
    • 1999 – Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (b. 1964)
    • 2002 – Roden Cutler, Australian lieutenant and politician, 32nd Governor of New South Wales (b. 1916)
    • 2002 – Chuck Jones, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
    • 2002 – Jonas Savimbi, Angolan general, founded UNITA (b. 1934)
    • 2004 – Andy Seminick, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Lee Eun-ju, South Korean actress and singer (b. 1980)
    • 2005 – Simone Simon, French actress (b. 1910)
    • 2007 – George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, English politician, Leader of the House of Lords (b. 1918)
    • 2007 – Dennis Johnson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1954)
    • 2012 – Sukhbir, Indian author and poet (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Frank Carson, Irish-English comedian and actor (b. 1926)
    • 2012 – Marie Colvin, American journalist (b. 1956)
    • 2012 – Rémi Ochlik, French photographer and journalist (b. 1983)
    • 2013 – Atje Keulen-Deelstra, Dutch speed skater (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Jean-Louis Michon, French-Swiss scholar and translator (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Wolfgang Sawallisch, German pianist and conductor (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Charlotte Dawson, New Zealand–Australian television host (b. 1966)
    • 2014 – Trebor Jay Tichenor, American pianist and composer (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Leo Vroman, Dutch-American hematologist, poet, and illustrator (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Chris Rainbow, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1946)
    • 2016 – Yolande Fox, American model and singer, Miss America 1951 (b. 1928)
    • 2016 – Sonny James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
    • 2018 – Forges, Spanish cartoonist (b. 1942)
    • 2019 – Brody Stevens, American comedian and actor (b. 1970)
    • 2019 – Morgan Woodward, American actor (b. 1925)

    Holidays and observances on February 22

    • Birthday of Scouting and Guiding founder Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell, and its related observance:
      • Founder’s Day or “B.-P. day” (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
      • World Thinking Day (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Baradates
      • Eric Liddell (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (Roman Catholic Church)
      • Margaret of Cortona
      • February 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Crime Victims Day (Europe)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Saint Lucia from the United Kingdom in 1979.

  • February 20 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George’s (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated.
    • 1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for Margaret of Denmark.
    • 1547 – Edward VI of England is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
    • 1685 – René-Robert Cavelier establishes Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France’s claim to Texas.
    • 1792 – The Postal Service Act, establishing the United States Post Office Department, is signed by United States President George Washington.
    • 1798 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier removes Pope Pius VI from power.
    • 1813 – Manuel Belgrano defeats the royalist army of Pío de Tristán during the Battle of Salta.
    • 1816 – Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville premieres at the Teatro Argentina in Rome.
    • 1835 – The 1835 Concepción earthquake destroys Concepción, Chile.
    • 1846 – Polish insurgents lead an uprising in Kraków to incite a fight for national independence.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Olustee: The largest battle fought in Florida during the war.
    • 1865 – End of the Uruguayan War, with a peace agreement between President Tomás Villalba and rebel leader Venancio Flores, setting the scene for the destructive War of the Triple Alliance.
    • 1872 – The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
    • 1877 – Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake receives its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
    • 1901 – The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
    • 1909 – Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro.
    • 1913 – King O’Malley drives in the first survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of Canberra.
    • 1920 – An earthquake kills between 114 and 130 in Georgia and heavily damages the town of Gori.
    • 1931 – The U.S. Congress approves the construction of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge by the state of California.
    • 1933 – The U.S. Congress approves the Blaine Act to repeal federal Prohibition in the United States, sending the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution to state ratifying conventions for approval.
    • 1933 – Adolf Hitler secretly meets with German industrialists to arrange for financing of the Nazi Party’s upcoming election campaign.
    • 1935 – Caroline Mikkelsen becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
    • 1942 – Lieutenant Edward O’Hare becomes America’s first World War II flying ace.
    • 1943 – American movie studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies.
    • 1943 – The Saturday Evening Post publishes the first of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms in support of United States President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address theme of Four Freedoms.
    • 1944 – World War II: The “Big Week” began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
    • 1944 – World War II: The United States takes Eniwetok Island.
    • 1952 – Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American umpire in organized baseball by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.
    • 1956 – The United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
    • 1959 – The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
    • 1962 – Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the earth, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
    • 1965 – Ranger 8 crashes into the Moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.
    • 1971 – The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
    • 1979 – An earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java.
    • 1986 – The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
    • 1988 – The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast votes to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, triggering the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
    • 1991 – In the Albanian capital Tirana, a gigantic statue of Albania’s long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
    • 1998 – American figure skater Tara Lipinski, at the age of 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating gold-medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
    • 2003 – During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
    • 2005 – Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
    • 2009 – Two Tamil Tigers aircraft packed with C4 explosives en route to the national airforce headquarters are shot down by the Sri Lankan military before reaching their target, in a kamikaze style attack.
    • 2010 – In Madeira Island, Portugal, heavy rain causes floods and mudslides, resulting in at least 43 deaths, in the worst disaster in the history of the archipelago.
    • 2014 – Dozens of Euromaidan anti-government protesters died in Ukraine’s capital Kiev, many reportedly killed by snipers.
    • 2015 – Two trains collide in the Swiss town of Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and Swiss Federal Railways cancelling some services.
    • 2016 – Six people are killed and two injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

    Births on February 20

    • 1358 – Eleanor of Aragon, queen of John I of Castile (d. 1382)
    • 1469 – Thomas Cajetan, Italian philosopher (d. 1534)
    • 1523 – Jan Blahoslav, Czech writer (d. 1571)
    • 1549 – Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, last Duke of Urbino (d. 1631)
    • 1552 – Sengoku Hidehisa, Daimyō (d. 1614)
    • 1608 – Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham (d. 1649)
    • 1631 – Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, English politician, Treasurer of the Navy (d. 1712)
    • 1633 – Jan de Baen, Dutch painter (d. 1702)
    • 1705 – Nicolas Chédeville, French musette player and composer (d. 1782)
    • 1726 – William Prescott, American colonel (d. 1795)
    • 1745 – Henry James Pye, English poet and politician (d. 1813)
    • 1751 – Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (d. 1826)
    • 1753 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1815)
    • 1759 – Johann Christian Reil, German physician, physiologist, and anatomist (d. 1813)
    • 1774 – Vicente Sebastián Pintado, Spanish cartographer, engineer, military officer and land surveyor of Spanish Louisiana and Spanish West Florida (d. 1829)
    • 1784 – Judith Montefiore, British linguist, travel writer, philanthropist (d. 1862)
    • 1792 – Eliza Courtney, French daughter of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (d. 1859)
    • 1794 – William Carleton, Irish author (d. 1869)
    • 1802 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (d. 1870)
    • 1819 – Alfred Escher, Swiss businessman and politician (d. 1882)
    • 1839 – Benjamin Waugh, English activist, founded the NSPCC (d. 1908)
    • 1844 – Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1906)
    • 1844 – Joshua Slocum, Canadian sailor and adventurer (d. 1909)
    • 1848 – E. H. Harriman, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1909)
    • 1857 – A. P. Lucas, English cricketer (d. 1923)
    • 1866 – Carl Westman, Swedish architect, designed the Stockholm Court House and Röhsska Museum (d. 1936)
    • 1867 – Louise, Princess Royal of England (d. 1931)
    • 1870 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (d. 1937)
    • 1874 – Mary Garden, Scottish-American soprano and actress (d. 1967)
    • 1879 – Hod Stuart, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1907)
    • 1880 – Jacques d’Adelswärd-Fersen, French author and poet (d. 1923)
    • 1882 – Elie Nadelman, Polish-American sculptor (d. 1946)
    • 1887 – Vincent Massey, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
    • 1888 – Georges Bernanos, French soldier and author (d. 1948)
    • 1889 – Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and physician (d. 1948)
    • 1893 – Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American psychologist and author (d. 1993)
    • 1895 – Louis Zborowski, English race car driver and engineer (d. 1924)
    • 1897 – Ivan Albright, American painter (d. 1983)
    • 1898 – Ante Ciliga, Croatian politician, writer and publisher (d. 1992)
    • 1899 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1992)
    • 1901 – René Dubos, French-American biologist and author (d. 1982)
    • 1901 – Louis Kahn, American architect, designed the Salk Institute, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Bangladesh Parliament Building (d. 1974)
    • 1901 – Muhammad Naguib, Egyptian general and politician, 1st President of Egypt (d. 1984)
    • 1901 – Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (d. 1978)
    • 1902 – Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (d. 1984)
    • 1904 – Alexei Kosygin, Russian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1980)
    • 1906 – Gale Gordon, American actor (d. 1995)
    • 1912 – Pierre Boulle, French soldier and author (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – Johnny Checketts, New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War (d. 2006)
    • 1913 – Tommy Henrich, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
    • 1914 – John Charles Daly, South African–American journalist and game show host (d. 1991)
    • 1916 – Jean Erdman, American dancer and choreographer
    • 1918 – Leonore Annenberg, American businesswoman and diplomat (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – James O’Meara, English soldier and pilot (d. 1974)
    • 1920 – Karl Albrecht, German businessman, co-founded Aldi (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (d. 1992)
    • 1923 – Victor G. Atiyeh, American businessman and politician, 32nd Governor of Oregon (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Forbes Burnham, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Guyana (d. 1985)
    • 1923 – Rena Vlahopoulou, Greek actress (d. 2004)
    • 1924 – Gloria Vanderbilt, American actress, fashion designer, and socialite (d. 2019)
    • 1925 – Robert Altman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1925 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (d. 1990)
    • 1926 – Matthew Bucksbaum, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded General Growth Properties (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Gillian Lynne, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2018)
    • 1926 – Richard Matheson, American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Bob Richards, American Olympic track and field athlete
    • 1926 – María de la Purísima Salvat Romero, Spanish Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1998)
    • 1927 – Roy Cohn, American lawyer and political activist (d. 1986)
    • 1927 – Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban singer and musician (d. 2005)
    • 1927 – Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, director, and diplomat
    • 1928 – Roy Face, American baseball player and carpenter
    • 1928 – Jean Kennedy Smith, American diplomat, 25th United States Ambassador to Ireland
    • 1929 – Amanda Blake, American actress (d. 1989)
    • 1931 – John Milnor, American mathematician and academic
    • 1932 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino journalist and author (d. 2007)
    • 1934 – Bobby Unser, American race car driver
    • 1935 – Ellen Gilchrist, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
    • 1936 – Marj Dusay, American actress (d. 2020)
    • 1936 – Larry Hovis, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
    • 1936 – Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and coach
    • 1937 – David Ackles, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1999)
    • 1937 – Robert Huber, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1937 – Roger Penske, American race car driver and businessman
    • 1937 – Robert Evans, Australian minister and amateur astronomer
    • 1937 – Nancy Wilson, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
    • 1938 – Richard Beymer, American actor, director, and cinematographer
    • 1940 – Jimmy Greaves, English international footballer, forward and TV pundit
    • 1941 – Lim Kit Siang, Malaysian lawyer and politician
    • 1941 – Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1942 – Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
    • 1942 – Mitch McConnell, American lawyer, and politician
    • 1942 – Claude Miller, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
    • 1943 – Antonio Inoki, Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and politician
    • 1943 – Mike Leigh, English director and screenwriter
    • 1944 – Robert de Cotret, Canadian economist and politician, 56th Secretary of State for Canada (d. 1999)
    • 1944 – Lew Soloff, American trumpet player, composer, and actor (d. 2015)
    • 1944 – Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
    • 1945 – Alan Hull, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1995)
    • 1946 – Brenda Blethyn, English actress
    • 1946 – Sandy Duncan, American actress, singer, and dancer
    • 1946 – J. Geils, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1947 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
    • 1947 – Peter Strauss, American actor and producer
    • 1948 – Pierre Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1948 – Jennifer O’Neill, American model and actress
    • 1949 – Eddie Hemmings, English cricketer
    • 1949 – Ivana Trump, Czech-American socialite and model
    • 1950 – Walter Becker, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
    • 1950 – Peter Marinello, Scottish footballer, forward
    • 1950 – Tony Wilson, English journalist and businessman (d. 2007)
    • 1951 – Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
    • 1951 – Gordon Brown, Scottish historian and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
    • 1951 – Randy California, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)
    • 1951 – Phil Neal, English footballer and manager
    • 1953 – Poison Ivy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1954 – Jon Brant, American bass player
    • 1954 – Anthony Head, English actor
    • 1954 – Patty Hearst, American actress and author
    • 1957 – Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1959 – Scott Brayton, American race car driver (d. 1996)
    • 1959 – David Corn, American journalist and author
    • 1959 – Bill Gullickson, American baseball player
    • 1960 – Joel Hodgson, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Cándido Muatetema Rivas, Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (d. 2014)
    • 1961 – Steve Lundquist, American swimmer
    • 1962 – Dwayne McDuffie, American author, screenwriter, and producer, co-founded Milestone Media (d. 2011)
    • 1963 – Charles Barkley, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Ian Brown, English singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1963 – Joakim Nystrom, Swedish tennis player
    • 1963 – Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Health
    • 1963 – Cui Yongyuan, Chinese former anchor
    • 1964 – Willie Garson, American actor and director
    • 1964 – Tom Harris, Scottish journalist and politician
    • 1964 – Jeff Maggert, American golfer
    • 1964 – French Stewart, American actor
    • 1966 – Cindy Crawford, American model and businesswoman
    • 1967 – Paul Accola, Swiss alpine skier
    • 1967 – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1994)
    • 1967 – David Herman, American comedian and actor
    • 1967 – Andrew Shue, American actor and activist, founded Do Something
    • 1967 – Lili Taylor, American actress
    • 1967 – Tom Waddle, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Kjell Ove Hauge, Norwegian school principal and track and field athlete
    • 1969 – Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Danis Tanović, Bosnian director and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Calpernia Addams, American actress, author, and activist
    • 1971 – Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
    • 1971 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby player (d. 2017)
    • 1972 – Neil Primrose, Scottish drummer
    • 1974 – Karim Bagheri, Iranian footballer and manager
    • 1975 – Liván Hernández, Cuban baseball player
    • 1975 – Brian Littrell, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1975 – Niclas Wallin, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1977 – Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
    • 1977 – Gail Kim, Canadian professional wrestler
    • 1978 – Lauren Ambrose, American actress and producer
    • 1980 – Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
    • 1980 – Luis Gabriel Rey, Colombian footballer
    • 1981 – Tony Hibbert, English footballer
    • 1981 – Fred Jackson, American football player
    • 1982 – Jason Hirsh, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Jose Morales, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
    • 1983 – Justin Verlander, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Brian McCann, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Trevor Noah, South African comedian, actor, and television host
    • 1984 – Ramzee Robinson, American football player
    • 1985 – Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Julia Volkova, Russian singer and actress
    • 1985 – TJ Kirk, American YouTube personality and podcast host
    • 1987 – Luke Burgess, English rugby league player
    • 1987 – Miles Teller, American actor
    • 1988 – Kealoha Pilares, American football player
    • 1988 – Ki Bo-bae, South Korean archer
    • 1988 – Rihanna, Barbadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1988 – Jiah Khan, Indian singer and actress (d. 2013)
    • 1989 – Daly Cherry-Evans, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
    • 1991 – Giovanni Kyeremateng, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
    • 1991 – Antonio Pedroza, English-Mexican footballer
    • 1991 – Jocelyn Rae, English-Scottish tennis player
    • 1992 – Kyle Turner, Australian rugby league player
    • 1994 – Elseid Hysaj, Albanian footballer

    Deaths on February 20

    • 789 – Leo of Catania, saint and bishop of Catania (b. 709)
    • 922 – Theodora, Byzantine empress
    • 1054 – Yaroslav the Wise, grand prince of Veliky Novgorod and Kiev (b. 978)
    • 1154 – Saint Wulfric of Haselbury (b. c. 1080)
    • 1171 – Conan IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1138)
    • 1194 – Tancred, King of Sicily (b. 1138)
    • 1258 – Al-Musta’sim, Iraqi caliph (b. 1213)
    • 1408 – Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, English politician, Earl Marshal of the United Kingdom (b. 1342)
    • 1431 – Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
    • 1458 – Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia
    • 1513 – King John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1455)
    • 1524 – Tecun Uman, Mayan ruler (b. 1500)
    • 1579 – Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)
    • 1618 – Philip William, Prince of Orange (b. 1554)
    • 1626 – John Dowland, English lute player and composer (b. 1563)
    • 1762 – Tobias Mayer, German astronomer and academic (b. 1723)
    • 1771 – Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist and astronomer (b. 1678)
    • 1773 – Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (b. 1701)
    • 1778 – Laura Bassi, Italian physicist and scholar (b. 1711)
    • 1790 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1741)
    • 1806 – Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-American general and politician (b. 1725)
    • 1810 – Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean rebel leader (b. 1767)
    • 1850 – Valentín Canalizo, Mexican general and politician. 14th President (1843–1844) (b. 1794)
    • 1862 – William Wallace Lincoln, American son of Abraham Lincoln (b. 1850)
    • 1871 – Paul Kane, Irish-Canadian painter (b. 1810)
    • 1893 – P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (b. 1818)
    • 1895 – Frederick Douglass, American author and activist (b. 1818)
    • 1900 – Washakie, American tribal leader (b. 1798)
    • 1907 – Henri Moissan, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
    • 1910 – Boutros Ghali, Egyptian educator and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1846)
    • 1916 – Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish journalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1844)
    • 1920 – Jacinta Marto, Portuguese saint (b. 1910)
    • 1920 – Robert Peary, American admiral and explorer (b. 1856)
    • 1933 – Takiji Kobayashi, Japanese writer (b. 1903)
    • 1936 – Max Schreck, German actor (b. 1879)
    • 1957 – Sadri Maksudi Arsal, Turkish scholar and politician (b. 1878)
    • 1961 – Percy Grainger, Australian-American pianist and composer (b. 1882)
    • 1963 – Jacob Gade, Danish violinist and composer(b. 1879)
    • 1966 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (b. 1885)
    • 1968 – Anthony Asquith, English director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
    • 1969 – Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
    • 1972 – Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
    • 1972 – Walter Winchell, American journalist and actor (b. 1897)
    • 1976 – René Cassin, French lawyer and judge, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
    • 1976 – Kathryn Kuhlman, healing evangelist, known for belief in Holy Spirit (b. 1907)
    • 1981 – Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and publisher (b. 1904)
    • 1987 – Wayne Boring, American illustrator (b. 1905)
    • 1992 – A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (b. 1898)
    • 1992 – Dick York, American actor (b. 1928)
    • 1993 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, founded Lamborghini (b. 1916)
    • 1993 – Ernest L. Massad, American general (b. 1908)
    • 1996 – Solomon Asch, American psychologist and academic (b. 1907)
    • 1996 – Audrey Munson, American model (b. 1891)
    • 1996 – Toru Takemitsu, Japanese pianist, guitarist, and composer (b. 1930)
    • 1999 – Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
    • 1999 – Gene Siskel, American journalist and critic (b. 1946)
    • 2000 – Anatoly Sobchak, Russian lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Saint Petersburg (b. 1937)
    • 2001 – Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 2001 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (b. 1941)
    • 2003 – Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani air marshal (b. 1947)
    • 2003 – Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and author (b. 1907)
    • 2003 – Orville Freeman, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 29th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1918)
    • 2005 – Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1942)
    • 2005 – Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (b. 1921)2005 – John Raitt, American actor and singer (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (b. 1937)
    • 2006 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster (b. 1919)
    • 2006 – Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (b. 1920)
    • 2008 – Emily Perry, English actress and dancer (b. 1907)
    • 2009 – Larry H. Miller, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
    • 2010 – Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Knut Torbjørn Eggen, Norwegian footballer and manager (b. 1960)
    • 2012 – Katie Hall, American educator and politician (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Kenji Eno, Japanese game designer and composer (b. 1970)
    • 2013 – David S. McKay, American biochemist and geologist (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Antonio Roma, Argentinian footballer (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Walter D. Ehlers, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Garrick Utley, American journalist (b. 1939)
    • 2015 – Govind Pansare, Indian author and activist (b. 1933)
    • 2015 – Henry Segerstrom, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – John C. Willke, American physician, author, and activist (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Fernando Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest and politician (b. 1934)
    • 2017 – Vitaly Churkin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations (b. 1952)
    • 2017 – Mildred Dresselhaus, American physicist (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Steve Hewlett, British journalist (b. 1958)
    • 2020 – Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese Minister of Economy and Treasury and MP

    Holidays and observances on February 20

    • Christian feast day:
      • Eleutherius of Tournai
      • Eucherius of Orléans
      • Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto
      • Frederick Douglass (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • Wulfric of Haselbury
      • February 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Heavenly Hundred Heroes (Ukraine)
    • World Day of Social Justice

  • February 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
    • 356 – Emperor Constantius II issues a decree closing all pagan temples in the Roman Empire.
    • 1594 – Having already been elected to the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, having succeeded his father John III of Sweden in 1592.
    • 1600 – The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America.
    • 1649 – The Second Battle of Guararapes takes place, effectively ending Dutch colonization efforts in Brazil.
    • 1674 – England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.
    • 1726 – The Supreme Privy Council is established in Russia.
    • 1807 – Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama and confined to Fort Stoddert.
    • 1819 – British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands and claims them in the name of King George III.
    • 1836 – King William IV signs Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia.
    • 1846 – In Austin, Texas the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States.
    • 1847 – The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.
    • 1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, a New York Congressman, is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity.
    • 1878 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.
    • 1884 – More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
    • 1913 – Pedro Lascuráin becomes President of Mexico for 45 minutes; this is the shortest term to date of any person as president of any country.
    • 1915 – World War I: The first naval attack on the Dardanelles begins when a strong Anglo-French task force bombards Ottoman artillery along the coast of Gallipoli.
    • 1937 – Yekatit 12: During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Ethiopian nationalists of Eritrean origin attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades.
    • 1942 – World War II: Nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin, killing 243 people.
    • 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps.
    • 1943 – World War II: Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia begins.
    • 1945 – World War II: Battle of Iwo Jima: About 30,000 United States Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima.
    • 1948 – The Conference of Youth and Students of Southeast Asia Fighting for Freedom and Independence convenes in Calcutta.
    • 1949 – Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University.
    • 1953 – Book censorship in the United States: The Georgia Literature Commission is established.
    • 1954 – Transfer of Crimea: The Soviet Politburo of the Soviet Union orders the transfer of the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.
    • 1959 – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
    • 1960 – China successfully launches the T-7, its first sounding rocket.
    • 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique reawakens the feminist movement in the United States as women’s organizations and consciousness raising groups spread.
    • 1965 – Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and a communist spy of the North Vietnamese Viet Minh, along with Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Trần Thiện Khiêm, all Catholics, attempt a coup against the military junta of the Buddhist Nguyễn Khánh.
    • 1976 – Executive Order 9066, which led to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, is rescinded by President Gerald Ford’s Proclamation 4417.
    • 1978 – Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat.
    • 1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first recipient of an artificial heart to leave the hospital.
    • 1985 – Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 crashes into Mount Oiz in Spain, killing 148.
    • 1986 – Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka.
    • 1989 – Flying Tiger Line flight 66 crashes into a hill near Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing four.
    • 2002 – NASA’s Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.
    • 2003 – An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275.
    • 2006 – A methane explosion in a coal mine near Nueva Rosita, Mexico, kills 65 miners.
    • 2011 – The debut exhibition of the Belitung shipwreck, containing the largest collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found in one location, begins in Singapore.
    • 2012 – Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico.

    Births on February 19

    • 1461 – Domenico Grimani, Italian cardinal (d. 1523)
    • 1473 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543)
    • 1497 – Matthäus Schwarz, German fashion writer (d. 1574)
    • 1519 – Froben Christoph of Zimmern, German author of the Zimmern Chronicle (d. 1566)
    • 1526 – Carolus Clusius, Flemish botanist and academic (d. 1609)
    • 1532 – Jean-Antoine de Baïf, French poet (d. 1589)
    • 1552 – Melchior Klesl, Austrian cardinal (d. 1630)
    • 1594 – Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (d. 1612)
    • 1611 – Andries de Graeff, Dutch politician (d. 1678)
    • 1630 – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Indian warrior king and the founder of Maratha Empire
    • 1660 – Friedrich Hoffmann, German physician and chemist (d. 1742)
    • 1717 – David Garrick, English actor, playwright, and producer (d. 1779)
    • 1743 – Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
    • 1798 – Allan MacNab, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Premier of Canada West (d. 1862)
    • 1800 – Émilie Gamelin, Canadian nun and social worker, founded the Sisters of Providence (d. 1851)
    • 1804 – Carl von Rokitansky, German physician, pathologist, and philosopher (d. 1878)
    • 1821 – August Schleicher, German linguist and academic (d. 1868)
    • 1833 – Élie Ducommun, Swiss journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
    • 1838 – Lydia Thompson, British burlesque performer (d. 1908)
    • 1841 – Elfrida Andrée, Swedish organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1929)
    • 1855 – Nishinoumi Kajirō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 16th Yokozuna (d. 1908)
    • 1859 – Svante Arrhenius, Swedish physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1927)
    • 1865 – Sven Hedin, Swedish geographer and explorer (d. 1952)
    • 1869 – Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenian-Russian poet and author (d. 1923)
    • 1872 – Johan Pitka, Estonian admiral (d. 1944)
    • 1876 – Constantin Brâncuși, Romanian-French sculptor, painter, and photographer (d. 1957)
    • 1877 – Gabriele Münter, German painter (d. 1962)
    • 1878 – Harriet Bosse, Swedish–Norwegian actress (d. 1961)
    • 1880 – Álvaro Obregón, Mexican general and politician, 39th President of Mexico (d. 1928)
    • 1886 – José Abad Santos, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 5th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (d. 1942)
    • 1888 – José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian lawyer and poet (d. 1928)
    • 1893 – Cedric Hardwicke, English actor and director (d. 1964)
    • 1895 – Louis Calhern, American actor (d. 1956)
    • 1896 – André Breton, French poet and author (d. 1966)
    • 1897 – Alma Rubens, American actress (d. 1931)
    • 1899 – Lucio Fontana, Argentinian-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1968)
    • 1902 – Kay Boyle, American novelist, short story writer, and educator (d. 1992)
    • 1904 – Havank, Dutch journalist and author (d. 1964)
    • 1904 – Elisabeth Welch, American-English singer and actress (d. 2003)
    • 1911 – Merle Oberon, Indian-American actress (d. 1979)
    • 1912 – Dorothy Janis, American actress (d. 2010)
    • 1912 – Saul Chaplin, American composer (d. 1997)
    • 1913 – Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (d. 2007)
    • 1913 – Frank Tashlin, American animator and screenwriter (d. 1972)
    • 1914 – Thelma Kench, New Zealand Olympic sprinter (d. 1985)
    • 1915 – John Freeman, English lawyer, politician, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States (d. 2014)
    • 1916 – Eddie Arcaro, American jockey and sportscaster (d. 1997)
    • 1917 – Carson McCullers, American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and essayist (d. 1967)
    • 1918 – Fay McKenzie, American actress (d. 2019)
    • 1920 – C. Z. Guest, American actress, fashion designer, and author (d. 2003)
    • 1920 – Jaan Kross, Estonian author and poet (d. 2007)
    • 1920 – George Rose, English actor and singer (d. 1988)
    • 1922 – Władysław Bartoszewski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player and theoretician (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Lee Marvin, American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1926 – György Kurtág, Hungarian composer and academic
    • 1927 – Philippe Boiry, French journalist (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Jacques Deray, French director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1930 – John Frankenheimer, American director and producer (d. 2002)
    • 1930 – Kasinathuni Viswanath, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1932 – Joseph P. Kerwin, American captain, physician, and astronaut
    • 1935 – Dave Niehaus, American sportscaster (d. 2010)
    • 1935 – Russ Nixon, American MLB catcher and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1936 – Sam Myers, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1936 – Frederick Seidel, American poet
    • 1937 – Terry Carr, American author and educator (d. 1987)
    • 1937 – Norm O’Neill, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama (d. 1989)
    • 1939 – Erin Pizzey, English activist and author, founded Refuge
    • 1940 – Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen engineer and politician, 1st President of Turkmenistan (d. 2006)
    • 1940 – Smokey Robinson, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1940 – Bobby Rogers, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – David Gross, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1941 – Jenny Tonge, Baroness Tonge, English politician
    • 1942 – Cyrus Chothia, English biochemist and emeritus scientist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (d. 2019)
    • 1942 – Paul Krause, American football player and politician
    • 1942 – Howard Stringer, Welsh businessman
    • 1942 – Will Provine, American biologist, historian, and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Lou Christie, American singer-songwriter
    • 1943 – Homer Hickam, American author and engineer
    • 1943 – Tim Hunt, English biochemist and academic, Nobel laureate
    • 1944 – Les Hinton, English-American journalist and businessman
    • 1945 – Yuri Antonov, Uzbek-Russian singer-songwriter
    • 1946 – Paul Dean, Canadian guitarist
    • 1946 – Peter Hudson, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1946 – Karen Silkwood, American technician and activist (d. 1974)
    • 1947 – Jackie Curtis, American actress and playwright (d. 1985)
    • 1947 – Tim Shadbolt, New Zealand businessman and politician, 42nd Mayor of Invercargill
    • 1948 – Mark Andes, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1948 – Pim Fortuyn, Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician (d. 2002)
    • 1948 – Tony Iommi, English guitarist and songwriter
    • 1949 – Danielle Bunten Berry, American game designer and programmer (d. 1998)
    • 1949 – Eddie Hardin, English singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2015)
    • 1949 – Barry Lloyd, English footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1949 – William Messner-Loebs, American author and illustrator
    • 1950 – Juice Leskinen, Finnish singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1950 – Andy Powell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Pakistani scholar and politician, founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran
    • 1952 – Ryū Murakami, Japanese novelist and filmmaker
    • 1952 – Rodolfo Neri Vela, Mexican engineer and astronaut
    • 1952 – Gary Seear, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2018)
    • 1952 – Dave Cheadle, American baseball player (d. 2012)
    • 1952 – Amy Tan, American novelist, essayist, and short story writer
    • 1952 – Danilo Türk, Slovene academic and politician, 3rd President of Slovenia
    • 1953 – Corrado Barazzutti, Italian tennis player
    • 1953 – Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentine lawyer and politician, former President of Argentina and current Vice President of Argentina
    • 1953 – Massimo Troisi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
    • 1954 – Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (d. 2011)
    • 1954 – Francis Buchholz, German bass player
    • 1954 – Michael Gira, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1955 – Jeff Daniels, American actor and playwright
    • 1956 – Kathleen Beller, American actress
    • 1956 – Peter Holsapple, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1956 – Roderick MacKinnon, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1956 – Dave Wakeling, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Falco, Austrian singer-songwriter, rapper, and musician (d. 1998)
    • 1957 – Dave Stewart, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Ray Winstone, English actor
    • 1958 – Tommy Cairo, American wrestler
    • 1958 – Helen Fielding, English author and screenwriter
    • 1958 – Steve Nieve, English keyboard player and composer
    • 1959 – Roger Goodell, American businessman
    • 1960 – Prince Andrew, Duke of York
    • 1960 – John Paul Jr., American race car driver
    • 1961 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
    • 1961 – Ernie Gonzalez, American golfer
    • 1962 – Hana Mandlíková, Czech-Australian tennis player and coach
    • 1963 – Seal, English singer-songwriter
    • 1963 – Jessica Tuck, American actress
    • 1964 – Doug Aldrich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1964 – Jonathan Lethem, American novelist, essayist, and short story writer
    • 1965 – Jon Fishman, American drummer
    • 1965 – Clark Hunt, American businessman
    • 1965 – Leroy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1966 – Justine Bateman, American actress and producer
    • 1966 – Paul Haarhuis, Dutch tennis player and coach
    • 1966 – Eduardo Xol, American designer and author
    • 1967 – Benicio del Toro, Puerto Rican-American actor, director, and producer
    • 1968 – Frank Watkins, American bass player (d. 2015)
    • 1968 – Prince Markie Dee, American rapper and actor
    • 1969 – Burton C. Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1969 – Helena Guergis, Canadian businesswoman and politician
    • 1970 – Joacim Cans, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1971 – Miguel Batista, Dominican baseball player and poet
    • 1971 – Richard Green, Australian golfer
    • 1971 – Jeff Kinney, American author and illustrator
    • 1972 – Francine Fournier, American wrestler and manager
    • 1972 – Sunset Thomas, American pornographic actress
    • 1975 – Daniel Adair, Canadian drummer and producer
    • 1975 – Daewon Song, South Korean-American skateboarder, co-founded Almost Skateboards
    • 1977 – Ola Salo, Swedish singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1977 – Andrew Ross Sorkin, American journalist and author
    • 1977 – Gianluca Zambrotta, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1978 – Ben Gummer, English scholar and politician
    • 1978 – Immortal Technique, Peruvian-American rapper
    • 1979 – Steve Cherundolo, American soccer player and manager
    • 1980 – Dwight Freeney, American football player
    • 1980 – Ma Lin, Chinese table tennis player
    • 1980 – Mike Miller, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Beth Ditto, American singer
    • 1983 – Kotoōshū Katsunori, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
    • 1983 – Mika Nakashima, Japanese singer and actress
    • 1983 – Ryan Whitney, American ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Chris Richardson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1985 – Haylie Duff, American actress and singer
    • 1986 – Kyle Chipchura, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Marta, Brazilian footballer
    • 1986 – Maria Mena, Norwegian singer-songwriter
    • 1986 – Michael Schwimer, American baseball player
    • 1987 – Anna Cappellini, Italian ice dancer
    • 1988 – Shawn Matthias, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Seth Morrison, American guitarist
    • 1989 – Sone Aluko, Anglo-Nigerian international footballer, forward/winger
    • 1991 – Christoph Kramer, German national footballer
    • 1991 – Trevor Bayne, American race car driver
    • 1992 – Camille Kostek, American model
    • 1993 – Mauro Icardi, Argentinian footballer
    • 1993 – Victoria Justice, American actress and singer
    • 1994 – Sam Lisone, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player
    • 1994 – Tiina Trutsi, Estonian footballer
    • 1995 – Nikola Jokić, Serbian basketball player
    • 1998 – Katharina Gerlach, German tennis player
    • 2001 – David Mazouz, American actor
    • 2004 – Millie Bobby Brown, English actress

    Deaths on February 19

    • 197 – Clodius Albinus, Roman usurper (b. 150)
    • 446 – Leontius of Trier, Bishop of Trier
    • 1133 – Irene Doukaina, Byzantine wife of Alexios I Komnenos (b. 1066)
    • 1275 – Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sufi philosopher and poet (b. 1177)
    • 1300 – Munio of Zamora, General of the Dominican Order
    • 1408 – Thomas Bardolf, 5th Baron Bardolf, English rebel
    • 1414 – Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1353)
    • 1445 – Leonor of Aragon, queen of Portugal (b. 1402)
    • 1491 – Enno I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (b. 1460)
    • 1553 – Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1511)
    • 1602 – Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur (b. 1558)
    • 1605 – Orazio Vecchi, Italian composer (b. 1550)
    • 1622 – Henry Savile, English scholar and politician (b. 1549)
    • 1672 – Charles Chauncy, English-American minister, theologian, and academic (b. 1592)
    • 1709 – Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shōgun (b. 1646)
    • 1716 – Dorothe Engelbretsdatter, Norwegian author and poet (b. 1634)
    • 1785 – Mary, Countess of Harold, English aristocrat and philanthropist (b. 1701)
    • 1789 – Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and politician, 7th Governor of Delaware (b. 1738)
    • 1799 – Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, and sailor (b. 1733)
    • 1806 – Elizabeth Carter, English poet and translator (b. 1717)
    • 1837 – Georg Büchner, German-Swiss poet and playwright (b. 1813)
    • 1837 – Thomas Burgess, English bishop and philosopher (b. 1756)
    • 1887 – Multatuli, Dutch-German author and civil servant (b. 1820)
    • 1897 – Karl Weierstrass, German mathematician and academic (b. 1815)
    • 1915 – Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Indian philosopher and politician (b. 1866)
    • 1916 – Ernst Mach, Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher (b. 1838)
    • 1927 – Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (b. 1847)
    • 1928 – George Howard Earle Jr., American lawyer and businessman (b. 1856)
    • 1936 – Billy Mitchell, American general and pilot (b. 1879)
    • 1945 – John Basilone, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1916)
    • 1951 – André Gide, French novelist, essayist, and dramatist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1869)
    • 1952 – Knut Hamsun, Norwegian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
    • 1953 – Richard Rushall, British businessman (b. 1864)
    • 1957 – Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (b. 1871)
    • 1959 – Willard Miller, American sailor, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1877)
    • 1962 – Georgios Papanikolaou, Greek-American pathologist, invented the Pap smear (b. 1883)
    • 1969 – Madge Blake, American actress (b. 1899)
    • 1970 – Ralph Edward Flanders, (b. 1890) US Senator from Vermont.
    • 1972 – John Grierson, Scottish director and producer (b. 1898)
    • 1972 – Lee Morgan, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1938)
    • 1973 – Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian violinist (b. 1892)
    • 1977 – Anthony Crosland, English captain and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (b. 1918)
    • 1977 – Mike González, Cuban baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1890)
    • 1980 – Bon Scott, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
    • 1983 – Alice White, American actress (b. 1904)
    • 1988 – André Frédéric Cournand, French-American physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
    • 1992 – Tojo Yamamoto, American wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
    • 1994 – Derek Jarman, English director and set designer (b. 1942)
    • 1996 – Charlie Finley, American businessman (b. 1918)
    • 1997 – Leo Rosten, Polish-American author and academic (b. 1908)
    • 1997 – Deng Xiaoping, Chinese politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1904)
    • 1998 – Grandpa Jones, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (b. 1913)
    • 1999 – Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, Iraqi cleric (b. 1943)
    • 2000 – Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian-New Zealand painter and illustrator (b. 1928)
    • 2001 – Stanley Kramer, American director and producer (b. 1913)
    • 2001 – Charles Trenet, French singer-songwriter (b. 1913)
    • 2002 – Sylvia Rivera, American transgender LGBT activist (b. 1951)
    • 2003 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938)
    • 2007 – Janet Blair, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – Celia Franca, English-Canadian dancer and director, founded the National Ballet of Canada (b. 1921)
    • 2008 – Yegor Letov, Russian singer-songwriter (b. 1964)
    • 2008 – Lydia Shum, Chinese-Hong Kong actress and singer (b. 1945)
    • 2009 – Kelly Groucutt, English singer and bass player (b. 1945)
    • 2011 – Ollie Matson, American sprinter and football player (b. 1930)
    • 2012 – Ruth Barcan Marcus, American philosopher and logician (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Jaroslav Velinský, Czech author and songwriter (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – Vitaly Vorotnikov, Russian politician, 27th Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – Park Chul-soo, South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Donald Richie, American-Japanese author and critic (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Eugene Whelan, Canadian farmer and politician, 22nd Canadian Minister of Agriculture (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Kresten Bjerre, Danish footballer and manager (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Dale Gardner, American captain and astronaut (b. 1948)
    • 2014 – Valeri Kubasov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Harold Johnson, American boxer (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Nirad Mohapatra, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2015 – Harris Wittels, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1984)
    • 2016 – Umberto Eco, Italian novelist, literary critic, and philosopher (b. 1932)
    • 2016 – Harper Lee, American author (b. 1926)
    • 2016 – Chiaki Morosawa, Japanese anime screenwriter (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Samuel Willenberg, Polish-Israeli sculptor and painter (b. 1923)
    • 2017 – Larry Coryell, American jazz guitarist (b. 1943)
    • 2019 – Clark Dimond, American musician and author (b. 1941)
    • 2019 – Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer (b. 1933)
    • 2020 – José Mojica Marins, Brazilian filmmaker, actor, composer, screenwriter, and television horror host Coffin Joe. (b. 1936)
    • 2020 – Pop Smoke, American rapper (b. 1999)

    Holidays and observances on February 19

    • Armed Forces Day (Mexico)
    • Brâncuși Day (Romania)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Barbatus of Benevento
      • Boniface of Brussels
      • Conrad of Piacenza
      • Lucy Yi Zhenmei (one of Martyrs of Guizhou)
      • February 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Commemoration of Vasil Levski (Bulgaria)
    • Flag Day (Turkmenistan)
    • Shivaji Jayanti (Maharashtra, India)9

  • February 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    February 17 in History

    • 1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau.
    • 1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of Bayezid I, becomes Sultan of the Ottoman Empire with the support of Mircea I of Wallachia.
    • 1500 – Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann attempt to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen, Denmark, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
    • 1600 – On his way to be burned at the stake for heresy, at Campo de’ Fiori in Rome, the philosopher Giordano Bruno has a wooden vise put on his tongue to prevent him continuing to speak.
    • 1621 – Myles Standish is appointed as first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.
    • 1676 – Sixteen men of Pascual de Iriate’s expedition are lost at Evangelistas Islets at the western end of the Strait of Magellan.
    • 1739 – The Battle of Vasai commences as the Marathas move to invade Portuguese-occupied territory.
    • 1753 – In Sweden February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
    • 1801 – An electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr is resolved when Jefferson is elected President of the United States and Burr, Vice President by the United States House of Representatives.
    • 1814 – War of the Sixth Coalition: The Battle of Mormant.
    • 1819 – The United States House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise for the first time.
    • 1838 – Weenen massacre: Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal are killed by Zulus.
    • 1854 – The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of the Orange Free State.
    • 1859 – Cochinchina Campaign: The French Navy captured the Citadel of Saigon, a fortress that was manned by 1,000 Nguyễn dynasty soldiers, en route to conquering Saigon and other regions of southern Viet Nam.
    • 1863 – A group of citizens of Geneva founded an International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, which later became known as the International Committee of the Red Cross.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The H. L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: Columbia, South Carolina, is burned as Confederate forces flee from advancing Union forces.
    • 1867 – The first ship passes through the Suez Canal.
    • 1871 – The victorious Prussian Army parades through Paris, France, after the end of the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.
    • 1904 – Madama Butterfly receives its première at La Scala in Milan.
    • 1913 – The Armory Show opens in New York City, displaying works of artists who are to become some of the most influential painters of the early 20th century.
    • 1919 – The Ukrainian People’s Republic asks Entente and the US for help fighting the Bolsheviks.
    • 1933 – Newsweek magazine is first published.
    • 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Eniwetok begins: The battle ends in an American victory on February 22.
    • 1944 – World War II: Operation Hailstone begins: U.S. naval air, surface, and submarine attack against Truk Lagoon, Japan’s main base in the central Pacific, in support of the Eniwetok invasion.
    • 1949 – Chaim Weizmann begins his term as the first President of Israel.
    • 1959 – Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2: The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution.
    • 1964 – In Wesberry v. Sanders the Supreme Court of the United States rules that congressional districts have to be approximately equal in population.
    • 1964 – Gabonese president Léon M’ba is toppled by a coup and his rival, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, is installed in his place.
    • 1965 – Project Ranger: The Ranger 8 probe launches on its mission to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon in preparation for the manned Apollo missions. Mare Tranquillitatis or the “Sea of Tranquility” would become the site chosen for the Apollo 11 lunar landing.
    • 1968 – In Springfield, Massachusetts, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opens.
    • 1972 – Cumulative sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model T.
    • 1974 – Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
    • 1978 – The Troubles: The Provisional IRA detonates an incendiary bomb at the La Mon restaurant, near Belfast, killing 12 and seriously injuring 30 others, all Protestants.
    • 1979 – The Sino-Vietnamese War begins.
    • 1980 – First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
    • 1992 – Nagorno-Karabakh War: Armenian troops massacre more than 20 Azerbaijani civilians during the Capture of Garadaghly.
    • 1995 – The Cenepa War between Peru and Ecuador ends on a ceasefire brokered by the UN.
    • 1996 – In Philadelphia, world champion Garry Kasparov beats the Deep Blue supercomputer in a chess match.
    • 1996 – NASA’s Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.
    • 1996 – The 8.2 Mw  Biak earthquake shakes the Papua province of eastern Indonesia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A large tsunami followed, leaving one-hundred sixty-six people dead or missing and 423 injured.
    • 2006 – A massive mudslide occurs in Southern Leyte, Philippines; the official death toll is set at 1,126.
    • 2008 – Kosovo declares independence from Serbia.
    • 2011 – Arab Spring: Libyan protests against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime begin. In Bahrain, security forces launched a deadly pre-dawn raid on protesters in Pearl Roundabout in Manama, the day is locally known as Bloody Thursday.
    • 2015 – Eighteen people are killed and 78 injured in a stampede at a Mardi Gras parade in Haiti.
    • 2016 – Military vehicles explode outside a Turkish Armed Forces barracks in Ankara, Turkey, killing at least 29 people and injuring 61 others.

    Births on February 17

    • 624 – Wu Zetian, Chinese empress consort (d. 705)
    • 1028 – Al-Juwayni, Persian scholar and imam (d. 1085)
    • 1490 – Charles III, duke of Bourbon (d. 1527)
    • 1519 – Francis, French Grand Chamberlain (d. 1563)
    • 1524 – Charles de Lorraine, French cardinal (d. 1574)
    • 1646 – Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist (d. 1714)
    • 1653 – Arcangelo Corelli, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1713)
    • 1723 – Tobias Mayer, German astronomer and academic (d. 1762)
    • 1740 – Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, Swiss physicist and meteorologist (d. 1799)
    • 1752 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German author and playwright (d. 1831)
    • 1754 – Nicolas Baudin, French cartographer and explorer (d. 1803)
    • 1758 – John Pinkerton, Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist and historian (d. 1826)
    • 1781 – René Laennec, French physician, invented the stethoscope (d. 1826)
    • 1796 – Philipp Franz von Siebold, German physician and botanist (d. 1866)
    • 1817 – Édouard Thilges, Luxembourgian jurist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1904)
    • 1820 – Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian violinist and composer (d. 1881)
    • 1821 – Lola Montez, Irish-American actress and dancer (d. 1861)
    • 1832 – Richard Henry Park, American sculptor (d. 1902)
    • 1836 – Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1870)
    • 1843 – Aaron Montgomery Ward, American businessman, founded Montgomery Ward (d. 1913)
    • 1848 – Louisa Lawson, Australian poet and publisher (d. 1920)
    • 1854 – Friedrich Alfred Krupp, German businessman (d. 1902)
    • 1861 – Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, duchess of Albany (d. 1922)
    • 1862 – Mori Ōgai, Japanese general, author, and poet (d. 1922)
    • 1864 – Jozef Murgaš, Slovak priest, botanist, and painter (d. 1929)
    • 1864 – Banjo Paterson, Australian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1941)
    • 1874 – Thomas J. Watson, American businessman (d. 1956)
    • 1877 – Isabelle Eberhardt, Swiss explorer and author (d. 1904)
    • 1877 – André Maginot, French sergeant and politician (d. 1932)
    • 1881 – Mary Carson Breckinridge, American nurse midwife, founded Frontier Nursing Service (d. 1965)
    • 1887 – Joseph Bech, Luxembourgian lawyer and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1975)
    • 1887 – Leevi Madetoja, Finnish composer and critic (d. 1947)
    • 1888 – Otto Stern, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1969)
    • 1890 – Ronald Fisher, English-Australian statistician, biologist, and geneticist (d. 1962)
    • 1891 – Abraham Fraenkel, German-Israeli mathematician and academic (d. 1965)
    • 1893 – Wally Pipp, American baseball player and journalist (d. 1965)
    • 1899 – Jibanananda Das, Bangladeshi-Indian poet and author (d. 1954)
    • 1900 – Ruth Clifford, American actress (d. 1998)
    • 1903 – Sadegh Hedayat, Iranian-French author and translator (d. 1951)
    • 1904 – Hans Morgenthau, German-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (d. 1980)
    • 1905 – Ruth Baldwin, British socialite (d. 1937)
    • 1905 – Rózsa Politzer, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1977)
    • 1906 – Mary Brian, American actress (d. 2002)
    • 1908 – Red Barber, American sportscaster (d. 1992)
    • 1908 – Bo Yibo, Chinese general and politician, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (d. 2007)
    • 1910 – Marc Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
    • 1911 – Oskar Seidlin, German-American author, poet, and scholar (d. 1984)
    • 1912 – Andre Norton, American author (d. 2005)
    • 1914 – Arthur Kennedy, American actor (d. 1990)
    • 1914 – Wayne Morris, American actor and producer (d. 1959)
    • 1916 – Alexander Obolensky, Russian rugby player and pilot (d. 1940)
    • 1916 – Don Tallon, Australian cricketer (d. 1984)
    • 1916 – Raf Vallone, Italian footballer and actor (d. 2002)
    • 1918 – William Bronk, American poet and academic (d. 1999)
    • 1918 – Jacqueline Ferrand, French mathematician (d. 2014)
    • 1919 – J. M. S. Careless, Canadian historian and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Kathleen Freeman, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
    • 1919 – Joe Hunt, American tennis player (d. 1945)
    • 1920 – Ivo Caprino, Norwegian director and screenwriter (d. 2001)
    • 1920 – Annie Castor, American disability and communication disorder advocate (d. 2020)
    • 1920 – Curt Swan, American soldier and illustrator (d. 1996)
    • 1921 – Duane Gish, American biochemist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Tommy Edwards, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 1969)
    • 1923 – John M. Allegro, English archaeologist and scholar (d. 1988)
    • 1923 – Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player and bandleader (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – Margaret Truman, American singer and author (d. 2008)
    • 1925 – Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003)
    • 1925 – Hal Holbrook, American actor and director
    • 1928 – Marta Romero, Puerto Rican actress and singer (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Alejandro Jodorowsky, Chilean-French director and screenwriter
    • 1929 – Chaim Potok, American rabbi and author (d. 2002)
    • 1929 – Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, English lieutenant and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (d. 1993)
    • 1929 – Patricia Routledge, English actress and singer
    • 1930 – Roger Craig, American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1930 – Benjamin Fain, Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Ruth Rendell, English author (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Jiřina Jirásková, Czech actress and singer (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Buddy Ryan, American football coach (d. 2016)
    • 1933 – Craig L. Thomas, American captain and politician (d. 2007)
    • 1934 – Alan Bates, English actor (d. 2003)
    • 1934 – Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage), Australian comedian, actor, and author
    • 1935 – Christina Pickles, English-American actress
    • 1936 – Jim Brown, American football player and actor
    • 1937 – Mary Ann Mobley, American model and actress, Miss America 1959 (d. 2014)
    • 1940 – Vicente Fernández, Mexican singer-songwriter, actor, and producer
    • 1941 – Julia McKenzie, English actress, singer, and director
    • 1941 – Gene Pitney, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1942 – Huey P. Newton, American activist, co-founded the Black Panther Party (d. 1989)
    • 1944 – Karl Jenkins, Welsh saxophonist, keyboard player, and composer (Soft Machine)
    • 1945 – Zina Bethune, American actress, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2012)
    • 1945 – Brenda Fricker, Irish actress
    • 1946 – Shahrnush Parsipur, Iranian-American author and academic
    • 1948 – José José, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2019)
    • 1948 – Rick Majerus, American basketball player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1949 – Fred Frith, English guitarist and songwriter
    • 1949 – Dennis Green, American football player and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1951 – Rashid Minhas, Pakistani soldier and pilot (d. 1971)
    • 1952 – Karin Büttner-Janz, German gymnast and physician
    • 1952 – Vladimír Padrůněk, Czech bass player (d. 1991)
    • 1954 – Lou Ann Barton, American blues singer-songwriter
    • 1954 – Miki Berkovich, Israeli basketball player
    • 1954 – Rene Russo, American actress
    • 1955 – Mo Yan, Chinese author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1956 – Richard Karn, American actor and game show host
    • 1957 – Loreena McKennitt, Canadian singer-songwriter, accordion player, and pianist
    • 1959 – Aryeh Deri, Moroccan-Israeli rabbi and politician, Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs
    • 1959 – Rowdy Gaines, American swimmer and sportscaster
    • 1960 – Lindy Ruff, Canadian hockey player and coach
    • 1961 – Angela Eagle, English politician, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
    • 1961 – Maria Eagle, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
    • 1961 – Andrey Korotayev, Russian anthropologist, historian, and sociologist
    • 1962 – Lou Diamond Phillips, American actor and director
    • 1963 – Larry the Cable Guy, American comedian and voice actor
    • 1963 – Alison Hargreaves, English mountaineer (d. 1995)
    • 1963 – Jen-Hsun Huang, Taiwanese-American businessman, co-founded Nvidia
    • 1963 – Michael Jordan, American basketball player and actor
    • 1964 – Sherry Hawco, Canadian gymnast (d. 1991)
    • 1965 – Michael Bay, American director and producer
    • 1965 – Danny Lee, Australian rugby league player
    • 1966 – Quorthon, Swedish guitarist and songwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1966 – Luc Robitaille, Canadian ice hockey player, manager, and actor
    • 1968 – Wu’erkaixi, Chinese journalist and activist
    • 1968 – Giuseppe Signori, Italian footballer
    • 1969 – David Douillet, French martial artist and politician
    • 1969 – Vasily Kudinov, Russian handball player (d. 2017)
    • 1970 – Dominic Purcell, English-born Irish-Australian actor and producer
    • 1971 – Denise Richards, American model and actress
    • 1972 – Billie Joe Armstrong, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and producer
    • 1972 – Philippe Candeloro, French figure skater
    • 1972 – Taylor Hawkins, American singer-songwriter and drummer
    • 1972 – Valeria Mazza, Argentinian model and businesswoman
    • 1972 – Lars Göran Petrov, Swedish singer and drummer
    • 1973 – Goran Bunjevčević, Serbian FR Yugoslavia international footballer, defender (d. 2018)
    • 1973 – Raphaël Ibañez, French rugby player
    • 1974 – Kaoru, Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1974 – Jerry O’Connell, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1975 – Václav Prospal, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1978 – Rory Kinnear, English actor and playwright
    • 1980 – Al Harrington, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Klemi Saban, Israeli footballer
    • 1981 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1981 – Paris Hilton, American model, media personality, actress, singer, DJ, author and businesswoman
    • 1981 – Pontus Segerström, Swedish footballer (d. 2014)
    • 1982 – Adriano, Brazilian footballer
    • 1982 – Brian Bruney, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Daniel Merriweather, Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1983 – Kevin Rudolf, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1984 – AB de Villiers, South African cricketer
    • 1984 – Jimmy Jacobs, American wrestler
    • 1984 – Katie Hill, Australian 3.0 point wheelchair basketball player
    • 1984 – Drew Miller, American ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Marcin Gortat, Polish basketball player
    • 1985 – Anders Jacobsen, Norwegian ski jumper
    • 1988 – Vasyl Lomachenko, Ukrainian boxer
    • 1989 – Rebecca Adlington, English swimmer
    • 1989 – Chord Overstreet, American actor and singer
    • 1990 – Marianne St-Gelais, Canadian speed skater
    • 1991 – Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1991 – Bonnie Wright, English actress, director, and screenwriter
    • 1993 – Nicola Leali, Italian footballer
    • 1993 – Marc Márquez, Spanish motorcycle racer

    Deaths on February 17

    • 364 – Jovian, Roman emperor (b. 331)
    • 440 – Mesrop Mashtots, Armenian monk, linguist, and theologian (b. 360)
    • 923 – Al-Tabari, Persian scholar (b. 839)
    • 1178 – Evermode of Ratzeburg, bishop of Ratzeburg
    • 1220 – Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
    • 1339 – Otto, Duke of Austria (b. 1301)
    • 1371 – Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
    • 1500 – Adolph, Count of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst, German noble (b. before 1463)
    • 1600 – Giordano Bruno, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (b. 1548)
    • 1609 – Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1549)
    • 1624 – Juan de Mariana, Spanish priest and historian (b. 1536)
    • 1659 – Abel Servien, French politician, French Minister of Finance (b. 1593)
    • 1673 – Molière, French actor and playwright (b. 1622)
    • 1680 – Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English politician (b. 1599)
    • 1680 – Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist, zoologist, and entomologist (b. 1637)
    • 1715 – Antoine Galland, French orientalist and archaeologist (b. 1646)
    • 1732 – Louis Marchand, French organist and composer (b. 1669)
    • 1768 – Arthur Onslow, English lawyer and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1691)
    • 1841 – Ferdinando Carulli, Italian guitarist and composer (b. 1770)
    • 1849 – María de las Mercedes Barbudo, Puerto Rican political activist, the first woman Independentista in the island (b. 1773)
    • 1854 – John Martin, English painter, engraver, and illustrator (b. 1789)
    • 1856 – Heinrich Heine, German journalist and poet (b. 1797)
    • 1874 – Adolphe Quetelet, Belgian astronomer, mathematician, and sociologist (b. 1796)
    • 1890 – Christopher Latham Sholes, American publisher and politician (b. 1819)
    • 1905 – William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, leader in the Latter Day Saint movement (b. 1815)
    • 1909 – Geronimo, American tribal leader (b. 1829)
    • 1912 – Edgar Evans, Welsh sailor and explorer (b. 1876)
    • 1919 – Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1841)
    • 1934 – Albert I of Belgium (b. 1875)
    • 1934 – Siegbert Tarrasch, German chess player and theoretician (b. 1862)
    • 1939 – Willy Hess, German violinist and educator (b. 1859)
    • 1946 – Dorothy Gibson, American actress and singer (b. 1889)
    • 1961 – Lütfi Kırdar, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of Health (b. 1887)
    • 1961 – Nita Naldi, American actress (b. 1894)
    • 1962 – Joseph Kearns, American actor (b. 1907)
    • 1962 – Bruno Walter, German-American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1876)
    • 1966 – Hans Hofmann, German-American painter (b. 1880)
    • 1970 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Ukrainian-Israeli novelist, short story writer, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
    • 1970 – Alfred Newman, American composer and conductor (b. 1900)
    • 1972 – Friday Hassler, American race car driver (b. 1935)
    • 1977 – Janani Luwum, Ugandan archbishop and saint (b. 1922)
    • 1979 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
    • 1982 – Nestor Chylak, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1922)
    • 1982 – Thelonious Monk, American pianist and composer (b. 1917)
    • 1982 – Lee Strasberg, American actor and director (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian-American philosopher and author (b. 1895)
    • 1988 – John M. Allegro, English archaeologist and scholar (b. 1923)
    • 1988 – Karpoori Thakur, Indian educator and politician, 11th Chief Minister of Bihar (b. 1924)
    • 1989 – Lefty Gomez, American baseball player (b. 1908)
    • 1990 – Jean-Marc Boivin, French mountaineer, skier, and pilot (b. 1951)
    • 1994 – Randy Shilts, American journalist and author (b. 1951)
    • 1998 – Ernst Jünger, German soldier, philosopher, and author (b. 1895)
    • 2003 – Steve Bechler, American baseball player (b. 1979)
    • 2004 – José López Portillo, Mexican lawyer and politician, 51st President of Mexico, 1976-1982 (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Dan O’Herlihy, Irish-American actor (b. 1919)
    • 2005 – Omar Sívori, Argentinian footballer and manager (b. 1935)
    • 2006 – Ray Barretto, American drummer (b. 1929)
    • 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1948)
    • 2009 – Conchita Cintrón, Chilean bullfighter and journalist (b. 1922)
    • 2010 – Kathryn Grayson, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Robert Carr, English engineer and politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1916)
    • 2012 – Michael Davis, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn, Dutch mathematician and theorist (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Ulric Neisser, German-American psychologist and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Richard Briers, English actor (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Shmulik Kraus, Israeli singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Sophie Kurys, American baseball player (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Mindy McCready, American singer-songwriter (b. 1975)
    • 2014 – Bob Casale, American guitarist, keyboard player, and producer (b. 1952)
    • 2014 – Peter Florin, German politician and diplomat, President of the United Nations General Assembly (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Wayne Smith, Jamaican singer (b. 1965)
    • 2015 – John Barrow, American-Canadian football player and manager (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Cathy Ubels-Veen, Dutch politician (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Liu Yudi, Chinese general and pilot (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – Andy Ganteaume, Trinidadian cricketer (b. 1921)
    • 2016 – Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Egyptian journalist (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – Claude Jeancolas, French historian, author, and journalist (b. 1949)
    • 2016 – Tony Phillips, American baseball player (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Andrzej Żuławski, Polish film director (b. 1940)
    • 2017 – Robert H. Michel, American politician (b. 1923)
    • 2017 – Michael Novak, American Roman Catholic theologian (b. 1933)
    • 2020 – Ror Wolf, German writer, poet, and artist (b. 1932)

    Holidays and observances on February 17

    • Christian feast day:
      • Seven Founders of the Servite Order
        • Alexis Falconieri
      • Constabilis
      • Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions
      • Fintan of Clonenagh
      • Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)
      • Lommán of Trim
      • February 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Kosovo in 2008, still partially recognized.
    • Revolution Day (Libya)

  • February 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
    • 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German languages.
    • 1014 – Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry of Bavaria, King of Germany and of Italy, as Holy Roman Emperor.
    • 1076 – Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
    • 1130 – Pope Innocent II is elected.
    • 1349 – Several hundred Jews are burned to death by mobs while the remaining Jews are forcibly removed from Strasbourg.
    • 1400 – Richard II of England dies, most probably from starvation, in Pontefract Castle, on the orders of Henry Bolingbroke.
    • 1530 – Spanish conquistadores, led by Nuño de Guzmán, overthrow and execute Tangaxuan II, the last independent monarch of the Tarascan state in present-day central Mexico.
    • 1556 – Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic.
    • 1556 – Coronation of Akbar.
    • 1655 – The Mapuches launch coordinated attacks against the Spanish in Chile beginning the Mapuche uprising of 1655.
    • 1778 – The United States flag is formally recognized by a foreign naval vessel for the first time, when French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte renders a nine gun salute to USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones.
    • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Kettle Creek is fought in Georgia.
    • 1779 – James Cook is killed by Native Hawaiians near Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii.
    • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of Cape St. Vincent: John Jervis, (later 1st Earl of St Vincent) and Horatio Nelson (later 1st Viscount Nelson) lead the British Royal Navy to victory over a Spanish fleet in action near Gibraltar.
    • 1804 – Karađorđe leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.
    • 1831 – Ras Marye of Yejju marches into Tigray and defeats and kills Dejazmach Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay.
    • 1835 – The original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the Latter Day Saint movement, is formed in Kirtland, Ohio.
    • 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken.
    • 1852 – Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children, the first hospital in England to provide in-patient beds specifically for children, is founded in London.
    • 1855 – Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas.
    • 1859 – Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U.S. state.
    • 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for the telephone, as does Elisha Gray.
    • 1879 – The War of the Pacific breaks out when the Chilean Army occupies the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta.
    • 1899 – Voting machines are approved by the U.S. Congress for use in federal elections.
    • 1900 – British forces begin the Battle of the Tugela Heights in an effort to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
    • 1903 – The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor).
    • 1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th and the last contiguous U.S. state.
    • 1912 – The U.S. Navy commissions its first class of diesel-powered submarines.
    • 1919 – The Polish–Soviet War begins.
    • 1920 – The League of Women Voters is founded in Chicago.
    • 1924 – The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company changes its name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
    • 1929 – Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone’s gang, are murdered in Chicago.
    • 1942 – Battle of Pasir Panjang contributes to the fall of Singapore.
    • 1943 – World War II: Rostov-on-Don, Russia is liberated.
    • 1943 – World War II: Tunisia Campaign: General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim’s Fifth Panzer Army launches a concerted attack against Allied positions in Tunisia.
    • 1944 – World War II: In the Action of 14 February 1944, a Royal Navy submarine sinks a German-controlled Italian submarine in the Strait of Malacca.
    • 1945 – World War II: On the first day of the bombing of Dresden, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces begin fire-bombing Dresden.
    • 1945 – World War II: Navigational error leads to the mistaken bombing of Prague, Czechoslovakia by an American squadron of B-17s assisting in the Soviet’s Vistula–Oder Offensive.
    • 1945 – World War II: Mostar is liberated by Yugoslav partisans
    • 1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt meets King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia aboard the USS Quincy, officially beginning U.S.-Saudi diplomatic relations.
    • 1946 – The Bank of England is nationalized.
    • 1949 – The Knesset (parliament of Israel) convenes for the first time.
    • 1949 – The Asbestos Strike begins in Canada. The strike marks the beginning of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec.
    • 1961 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.
    • 1966 – Australian currency is decimalized.
    • 1979 – In Kabul, Setami Milli militants kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
    • 1983 – United American Bank of Knoxville, Tennessee collapses. Its president, Jake Butcher, is later convicted of fraud.
    • 1989 – Union Carbide agrees to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.
    • 1989 – Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
    • 1990 – Ninety-two people are killed when Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashes in Bangalore, India.
    • 1990 – The Voyager 1 spacecraft takes the photograph of planet Earth that later become famous as Pale Blue Dot.
    • 1998 – An oil tanker train collides with a freight train in Yaoundé, Cameroon, spilling fuel oil. One person scavenging the oil created a massive explosion which killed 120.
    • 2000 – The spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker enters orbit around asteroid 433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.
    • 2004 – In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 25 people, and wounding more than 100 others.
    • 2005 – In Beirut, 23 people, including former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, are killed when the equivalent of around 1,000 kg of TNT is detonated while Hariri’s motorcade drives through the city.
    • 2005 – Seven people are killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit Makati, Davao City, and General Santos City, all in the Philippines.
    • 2005 – YouTube is launched by a group of college students, eventually becoming the largest video sharing website in the world and a main source for viral videos.
    • 2008 – Northern Illinois University shooting: A gunman opens fire in a lecture hall of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb County, Illinois, resulting in six fatalities (including the gunman) and 21 injuries.
    • 2011 – As a part of Arab Spring, the Bahraini uprising begins with a ‘Day of Rage’.
    • 2018 – Jacob Zuma resigns as President of South Africa.
    • 2018 – A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is one of the deadliest school massacres with 17 fatalities and 15 injuries.
    • 2019 – Pulwama attack takes place in Lethpora in Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a suicide bomber were killed and 35 were injured.

    Births on February 14

    • 1404 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian painter, poet, and philosopher (d. 1472)
    • 1408 – John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel (d. 1435)
    • 1452 – Pandolfo Petrucci, tyrant of Siena (d. 1512)
    • 1468 – Johannes Werner, German priest and mathematician (d. 1522)
    • 1483 – Babur, Moghul emperor (d. 1530)
    • 1490 – Valentin Friedland, German scholar and educationist of the Reformation (d. 1556)
    • 1513 – Domenico Ferrabosco, Italian composer (d. 1573)
    • 1545 – Lucrezia de’ Medici, Duchess of Ferrara (d. 1561)
    • 1602 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (d. 1676)
    • 1614 – John Wilkins, English bishop, academic and natural philosopher (d. 1672)
    • 1625 – Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken, Swedish princess (d. 1687)
    • 1628 – Valentine Greatrakes, Irish faith healer (d. 1683)
    • 1640 – Countess Palatine Anna Magdalena of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler (d. 1693)
    • 1670 – Rajaram Raj Bhonsle, third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire (d. 1700)
    • 1679 – Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, German organist and composer (d. 1735)
    • 1692 – Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French author and playwright (d. 1754)
    • 1701 – Enrique Flórez, Spanish historian and author (d. 1773)
    • 1763 – Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general (d. 1813)
    • 1782 – Eleanora Atherton, English philanthropist (d. 1870)
    • 1784 – Heinrich Baermann, German clarinetist (d. 1847)
    • 1799 – Walenty Wańkowicz, Polish painter and illustrator (d. 1842)
    • 1800 – Emory Washburn, American historian, lawyer, and politician, 22nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1877)
    • 1808 – Michael Costa, Italian-English conductor and composer (d. 1884)
    • 1813 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (d. 1884)
    • 1819 – Christopher Latham Sholes, American journalist and politician, invented the typewriter (d. 1890)
    • 1824 – Winfield Scott Hancock, American general and politician (d. 1886)
    • 1828 – Edmond François Valentin About, French journalist and author (d. 1885)
    • 1835 – Piet Paaltjens, Dutch minister and poet (d. 1894)
    • 1838 – Margaret E. Knight, American inventor (d. 1914)
    • 1846 – Julian Scott, American soldier and drummer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1901)
    • 1847 – Anna Howard Shaw, American physician, minister, and activist (d. 1919)
    • 1848 – Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer and academic (d. 1934)
    • 1855 – Frank Harris, Irish author and journalist (d. 1931)
    • 1859 – George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., American engineer, inventor of the Ferris wheel (d. 1896)
    • 1860 – Eugen Schiffer, German lawyer and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 1954)
    • 1869 – Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist and meteorologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1959)
    • 1878 – Julius Nieuwland, Belgian priest, chemist and academic (d. 1936)
    • 1882 – John Barrymore, American actor (d. 1942)
    • 1884 – Nils Olaf Chrisander, Swedish actor and director (d. 1947)
    • 1884 – Kostas Varnalis, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1974)
    • 1890 – Nina Hamnett, Welsh-English painter and author (d. 1956)
    • 1890 – Dick Richards Welsh international footballer, forward
    • 1891 – Katherine Stinson, American aviator (d. 1977)
    • 1892 – Radola Gajda, Czech commander and politician (d. 1948)
    • 1894 – Jack Benny, American actor and producer (d. 1974)
    • 1895 – Wilhelm Burgdorf, German general (d. 1945)
    • 1895 – Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (d. 1973)
    • 1898 – Bill Tilman, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1977)
    • 1898 – Fritz Zwicky, Swiss-American physicist and astronomer (d. 1974)
    • 1900 – Jessica Dragonette, American singer (d. 1980)
    • 1903 – Stuart Erwin, American actor (d. 1967)
    • 1905 – Thelma Ritter, American actress and singer (d. 1969)
    • 1907 – Johnny Longden, English-American jockey and trainer (d. 2003)
    • 1911 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch physician and inventor (d. 2009)
    • 1912 – Tibor Sekelj, Hungarian lawyer, explorer, and author (d. 1988)
    • 1913 – Mel Allen, American sportscaster (d. 1996)
    • 1913 – Woody Hayes, American football player and coach (d. 1987)
    • 1913 – Jimmy Hoffa, American trade union leader (d. 1975)
    • 1913 – James Pike, American bishop (d. 1969)
    • 1916 – Marcel Bigeard, French general (d. 2010)
    • 1916 – Sally Gray, English actress and singer (d. 2006)
    • 1916 – Masaki Kobayashi, Japanese director and producer (d. 1996)
    • 1916 – Edward Platt, American actor (d. 1974)
    • 1917 – Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
    • 1921 – Hugh Downs, American journalist, game show host, and producer
    • 1921 – Hazel McCallion, Canadian businesswoman and politician, 3rd Mayor of Mississauga
    • 1923 – Jay Hebert, American golfer (d. 1997)
    • 1924 – Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (d. 2017)
    • 1927 – Lois Maxwell, Canadian-Australian model and actress (d. 2007)
    • 1928 – William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Vicente T. Blaz, American general and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Vic Morrow, American actor and director (d. 1982)
    • 1931 – Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2006)
    • 1931 – Brian Kelly, American actor and director (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – Harriet Andersson, Swedish actress
    • 1934 – Florence Henderson, American actress and singer (d. 2016)
    • 1935 – David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, Scottish academic and diplomat, 27th Governor of Hong Kong
    • 1936 – Anna German, Polish singer (d. 1982)
    • 1937 – John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market, English politician, Secretary of State for Transport
    • 1937 – Magic Sam, American singer and guitarist (d. 1969)
    • 1939 – Razzy Bailey, American country music singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1939 – Blowfly, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2016)
    • 1939 – Eugene Fama, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1940 – James Maynard, American businessman, co-founded Golden Corral
    • 1941 – Donna Shalala, American academic and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
    • 1941 – Paul Tsongas, American lawyer and politician (d. 1997)
    • 1942 – Michael Bloomberg, American businessman and politician, 108th Mayor of New York City
    • 1942 – Andrew Robinson, American actor and director
    • 1942 – Ricardo Rodríguez, Mexican race car driver (d. 1962)
    • 1943 – Eric Andersen, American singer-songwriter
    • 1943 – Maceo Parker, American saxophonist
    • 1943 – Aaron Russo, American director and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1944 – Carl Bernstein, American journalist and author
    • 1944 – Alan Parker, English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1944 – Ronnie Peterson, Swedish race car driver (d. 1978)
    • 1945 – Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
    • 1945 – Rod Masterson, American lieutenant and actor (d. 2013)
    • 1946 – Bernard Dowiyogo, Nauru politician, President of Nauru (d. 2003)
    • 1946 – Gregory Hines, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 2003)
    • 1947 – Tim Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
    • 1947 – Judd Gregg, American lawyer and politician, 76th Governor of New Hampshire
    • 1948 – Kitten Natividad, Mexican-American actress and dancer
    • 1948 – Pat O’Brien, American journalist and author
    • 1948 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
    • 1948 – Teller, American magician and actor
    • 1950 – Roger Fisher, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1951 – Terry Gross, American radio host and producer
    • 1951 – Kevin Keegan, English footballer and manager
    • 1952 – Sushma Swaraj, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs (d. 2019)
    • 1954 – Jam Mohammad Yousaf, Pakistani politician, Chief Minister of Balochistan (d. 2013)
    • 1955 – Carol Kalish, American publisher (d. 1991)
    • 1956 – Howard Davis Jr., American boxer and trainer (d. 2015)
    • 1956 – Dave Dravecky, American baseball player
    • 1956 – Katharina Fritsch, German sculptor and academic
    • 1957 – Alan Hunter, American television host and actor
    • 1957 – Soile Isokoski, Finnish soprano and actress
    • 1957 – Alan Smith, English bishop
    • 1958 – Grant Thomas, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1959 – Renée Fleming, American soprano and actress
    • 1960 – Philip Jones, English admiral
    • 1960 – Jim Kelly, American football player and businessman
    • 1960 – Meg Tilly, American actress and author
    • 1963 – Enrico Colantoni, Canadian actor, director, and producer
    • 1963 – John Marzano, American baseball player (d. 2008)
    • 1964 – Gianni Bugno, Italian cyclist and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Petr Svoboda, Czech ice hockey player and agent
    • 1967 – Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Greek-English businessman, founded easyJet
    • 1967 – Manuela Maleeva, Bulgarian-Swiss tennis player
    • 1967 – Mark Rutte, Dutch businessman and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
    • 1968 – Jules Asner, American model and television host
    • 1968 – Chris Lewis, Guyanese-English cricketer
    • 1968 – Scott McClellan, American civil servant and author, 25th White House Press Secretary
    • 1969 – Meg Hillier, English journalist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
    • 1970 – Giuseppe Guerini, Italian cyclist
    • 1970 – Sean Hill, American ice hockey player
    • 1970 – Simon Pegg, English actor, director, and producer
    • 1971 – Kris Aquino, Filipino talk show host, actress, and producer
    • 1971 – Gheorghe Mureșan, Romanian basketball player
    • 1972 – Drew Bledsoe, American football player and coach
    • 1972 – Musōyama Masashi, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1972 – Najwa Nimri, Spanish actress and singer
    • 1972 – Jaan Tallinn, Estonian computer programmer, co-developed Skype
    • 1972 – Rob Thomas, American singer-songwriter
    • 1973 – H. D. Ackerman, South African cricketer
    • 1973 – Tyus Edney, American basketball player and coach
    • 1973 – Steve McNair, American football player (d. 2009)
    • 1973 – Annalisa Buffa, Italian mathematician
    • 1974 – Valentina Vezzali, Italian fencer and politician
    • 1976 – Liv Kristine, Norwegian singer-songwriter
    • 1976 – Rie Rasmussen, Danish model, film director, writer, photographer, and actress
    • 1977 – Cadel Evans, Australian cyclist
    • 1977 – Jim Jefferies, Australian comedian and actor
    • 1977 – Darren Purse, English footballer
    • 1977 – Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (d. 2007)
    • 1977 – Anna Erschler, Russian mathematician
    • 1977 – Robert J. Jackson Jr., American law professor
    • 1978 – Richard Hamilton, American basketball player
    • 1978 – Darius Songaila, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
    • 1980 – Josh Senter, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1980 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer
    • 1981 – Matteo Brighi, Italian footballer
    • 1981 – Randy de Puniet, French motorcycle racer
    • 1981 – Brad Halsey, American baseball player (d. 2014)
    • 1982 – Marián Gáborík, Slovak ice hockey player
    • 1982 – John Halls, English footballer and model
    • 1982 – Lenka Tvarošková, Slovak tennis player
    • 1983 – Callix Crabbe, Virgin Islander baseball player
    • 1983 – Rocky Elsom, Australian rugby player
    • 1983 – Bacary Sagna, French footballer
    • 1985 – Karima Adebibe, English model and actress
    • 1985 – Tyler Clippard, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Heart Evangelista, Filipino singer and actress
    • 1985 – Philippe Senderos, Swiss international footballer, centre back
    • 1985 – Miki Yeung, Hong Kong singer and actress
    • 1986 – Michael Ammermüller, German race car driver
    • 1986 – Oliver Lee, English actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1986 – Gao Lin, Chinese footballer
    • 1987 – Edinson Cavani, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1987 – Tom Pyatt, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1987 – David Wheater, English footballer
    • 1988 – Katie Boland, Canadian actress, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1988 – Ángel Di María, Argentinian footballer
    • 1988 – Siim Liivik, Estonian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Asia Nitollano, American singer and dancer
    • 1989 – Néstor Calderón, Mexican footballer
    • 1989 – Adam Matuszczyk, Polish footballer
    • 1989 – Emma Miskew, Canadian curler
    • 1989 – Brandon Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Jurij Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
    • 1989 – Kristian Thomas, English gymnast
    • 1990 – Sefa Yılmaz, German-Turkish footballer
    • 1991 – Daniela Mona Lambin, Estonian footballer
    • 1991 – Chris Rowney, English footballer
    • 1992 – Christian Eriksen, Danish footballer
    • 1992 – Freddie Highmore, English actor
    • 1996 – Lucas Hernandez, French footballer

    Deaths on February 14

    • 869 – Cyril, Greek missionary bishop (b. 827)
    • 945 – Lian Chongyu, Chinese general
    • 945 – Zhu Wenjin, Chinese emperor
    • 1009 – Bruno of Querfurt, German missionary bishop
    • 1010 – Fujiwara no Korechika, Japanese nobleman (b. 974)
    • 1140 – Leo I, Armenian prince
    • 1140 – Sobĕslav I, duke of Bohemia
    • 1164 – Sviatoslav Olgovich, Kievan prince
    • 1229 – Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, king of the Isles
    • 1317 – Margaret of France, queen of England
    • 1400 – Richard II, king of England (b. 1367)
    • 1440 – Dietrich of Oldenburg, German nobleman
    • 1489 – Nicolaus von Tüngen, prince-bishop of Warmia
    • 1528 – Edzard I, German nobleman (b. 1462)
    • 1549 – Il Sodoma, Italian painter (b. 1477)
    • 1571 – Odet de Coligny, French cardinal (b. 1517)
    • 1676 – Abraham Bosse, French engraver and illustrator (b. 1602)
    • 1714 – Maria Luisa of Savoy, queen of Spain (b. 1688)
    • 1737 – Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot, English lawyer and politician Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1685)
    • 1744 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (b. 1682)
    • 1779 – James Cook, English captain, cartographer, and explorer (b. 1728)
    • 1780 – William Blackstone, English jurist and politician (b. 1723)
    • 1782 – Singu Min, Burmese king (b. 1756)
    • 1808 – John Dickinson, American lawyer and politician 5th Governor of Delaware (b. 1732)
    • 1831 – Vicente Guerrero, Mexican general and politician, 2nd President of Mexico (b. 1782)
    • 1831 – Henry Maudslay, English engineer (b. 1771)
    • 1870 – St. John Richardson Liddell, American general (b. 1815)
    • 1881 – Fernando Wood, American merchant and politician, 73rd Mayor of New York City (b. 1812)
    • 1884 – Lydia Hamilton Smith, African-American businesswoman (b. 1813)
    • 1885 – Jules Vallès, French journalist and author (b. 1832)
    • 1891 – William Tecumseh Sherman, American general (b. 1820)
    • 1894 – Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian-French mathematician and academic (b. 1814)
    • 1901 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1819)
    • 1910 – Giovanni Passannante, Italian anarchist (b. 1849)
    • 1922 – Heikki Ritavuori, Finnish lawyer and politician (b. 1880)
    • 1929 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and lawyer (b. 1875)
    • 1930 – Thomas Mackenzie, Scottish-New Zealand cartographer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1853)
    • 1933 – Carl Correns, German botanist and geneticist (b. 1864)
    • 1942 – Adnan Saidi, Malayan lieutenant (b. 1915)
    • 1943 – Dora Gerson, German actress and singer (b. 1899)
    • 1943 – David Hilbert, Russian-German mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (b. 1862)
    • 1948 – Mordecai Brown, American baseball player and manager (b. 1876)
    • 1949 – Yusuf Salman Yusuf, Iraqi politician (b. 1901)
    • 1950 – Karl Guthe Jansky, American physicist and engineer (b. 1905)
    • 1952 – Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (b. 1896)
    • 1958 – Abdur Rab Nishtar, Pakistani politician, 2nd Governor of Punjab (b. 1899)
    • 1959 – Baby Dodds, American drummer (b. 1898)
    • 1967 – Sig Ruman, German-American actor (b. 1884)
    • 1969 – Vito Genovese, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1897)
    • 1970 – Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer and coach (b. 1880)
    • 1974 – Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer and coach (b. 1903)
    • 1975 – Julian Huxley, English biologist and eugenicist, co-founded the World Wide Fund for Nature (b. 1887)
    • 1975 – P. G. Wodehouse, English novelist and playwright (b. 1881)
    • 1979 – Adolph Dubs, American lieutenant and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (b. 1920)
    • 1983 – Lina Radke, German runner and coach (b. 1903)
    • 1986 – Edmund Rubbra, English composer and conductor (b. 1901)
    • 1987 – Dmitry Kabalevsky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1904)
    • 1988 – Frederick Loewe, German-American composer (b. 1901)
    • 1989 – James Bond, American ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1900)
    • 1989 – Vincent Crane, English pianist (b. 1943)
    • 1994 – Andrei Chikatilo, Soviet serial killer (b. 1936)
    • 1994 – Christopher Lasch, American historian and critic (b. 1932)
    • 1995 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor and playwright (b. 1923)
    • 1995 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1907)
    • 1996 – Bob Paisley, English footballer and manager (b. 1919)
    • 1999 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer and politician, 12th White House Counsel (b. 1925)
    • 1999 – Buddy Knox, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1933)
    • 2002 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1922)
    • 2002 – Mick Tucker, English drummer (b. 1947)
    • 2003 – Johnny Longden, English jockey and trainer (b. 1907)
    • 2004 – Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (b. 1970)
    • 2005 – Rafic Hariri, Lebanese businessman and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1944; assassinated)
    • 2006 – Lynden David Hall, English singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1974)
    • 2007 – Ryan Larkin, Canadian animator and director (b. 1943)
    • 2007 – Gareth Morris, English flute player and educator (b. 1920)
    • 2009 – Bernard Ashley, English engineer and businessman, co-founded Laura Ashley plc (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Louie Bellson, American drummer and composer (b. 1924)
    • 2010 – Doug Fieger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
    • 2010 – Dick Francis, Welsh jockey and author (b. 1920)
    • 2010 – Linnart Mäll, Estonian historian, orientalist, and translator (b. 1938)
    • 2011 – George Shearing, English-American pianist and composer (b. 1919)
    • 2012 – Mike Bernardo, South African boxer and martial artist (b. 1969)
    • 2012 – Tonmi Lillman, Finnish drummer and producer (b. 1973)
    • 2012 – Dory Previn, American singer-songwriter (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Péter Rusorán, Hungarian swimmer, water polo player, and coach (b. 1940)
    • 2013 – Glenn Boyer, American historian and author (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Ronald Dworkin, American philosopher and scholar (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Tom Finney, English footballer (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Chris Pearson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Mike Stepovich, American lawyer and politician, Governor of Alaska Territory (b. 1919)
    • 2015 – Louis Jourdan, French-American actor and singer (b. 1921)
    • 2015 – Philip Levine, American poet and academic (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Franjo Mihalić, Croatian-Serbian runner and coach (b. 1920)
    • 2016 – Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury, English lieutenant, engineer, and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2016 – Steven Stucky, American composer and academic (b. 1949)
    • 2018 – Ruud Lubbers, Dutch politician and diplomat, Prime Minister and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (b. 1939)
    • 2018 – Morgan Tsvangirai, 2nd Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (b. 1952).

    Holidays and observances on February 14

    • Christian feast day:
      • Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe (Roman Catholic Church)
      • Manchan
      • Valentine (Valentine’s Day)
      • February 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Statehood Day (Arizona, United States)
    • Statehood Day (Oregon, United States)
    • Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Armenian Apostolic Church)
    • Parents’ Worship Day (parts of India)

  • February 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1429 – English forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orléans in the Battle of the Herrings.
    • 1502 – Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.
    • 1541 – Santiago, Chile is founded by Pedro de Valdivia.
    • 1593 – Japanese invasion of Korea: Approximately 3,000 Joseon defenders led by general Kwon Yul successfully repel more than 30,000 Japanese forces in the Siege of Haengju.
    • 1689 – The Convention Parliament declares that the flight to France in 1688 by James II, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, constitutes an abdication.
    • 1733 – Georgia Day: Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, by settling at Savannah.
    • 1771 – Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden.
    • 1817 – An Argentine/Chilean patriotic army, after crossing the Andes, defeats Spanish troops at the Battle of Chacabuco.
    • 1818 – Bernardo O’Higgins formally approves the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile.
    • 1825 – The Creek cede the last of their lands in Georgia to the United States government by the Treaty of Indian Springs, and migrate west.
    • 1832 – Ecuador annexes the Galápagos Islands.
    • 1855 – Michigan State University is established.
    • 1894 – Anarchist Émile Henry hurls a bomb into the Cafe Terminus in Paris, killing one person and wounding 20.
    • 1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
    • 1909 – New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster of the 20th century happens when the SS Penguin, an inter-island ferry, sinks and explodes at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.
    • 1912 – The Xuantong Emperor, the last Emperor of China, abdicates.
    • 1915 – In Washington, D.C., the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial is put into place.
    • 1921 – Bolsheviks launch a revolt in Georgia as a preliminary to the Red Army invasion of Georgia.
    • 1924 – George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue received its premiere in a concert titled “An Experiment in Modern Music”, in Aeolian Hall, New York, by Paul Whiteman and his band, with Gershwin playing the piano.
    • 1935 – USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sinks.
    • 1946 – World War II: Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 121 of 154 captured U-boats.
    • 1946 – African American United States Army veteran Isaac Woodard is severely beaten by a South Carolina police officer to the point where he loses his vision in both eyes. The incident later galvanizes the civil rights movement and partially inspires Orson Welles’ film Touch of Evil.
    • 1947 – The largest observed iron meteorite until that time creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin, in the Soviet Union.
    • 1947 – Christian Dior unveils a “New Look”, helping Paris regain its position as the capital of the fashion world.
    • 1961 – The Soviet Union launches Venera 1 towards Venus.
    • 1963 – Construction begins on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.
    • 1965 – Malcolm X visits Smethwick in Birmingham following the racially-charged 1964 United Kingdom general election.
    • 1968 – Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre.
    • 1974 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union.
    • 1983 – One hundred women protest in Lahore, Pakistan against military dictator Zia-ul-Haq’s proposed Law of Evidence. The women were tear-gassed, baton-charged and thrown into lock-up. The women were successful in repealing the law.
    • 1988 – Cold War: The 1988 Black Sea bumping incident: The U.S. missile cruiser USS Yorktown (CG-48) is intentionally rammed by the Soviet frigate Bezzavetnyy in the Soviet territorial waters, while Yorktown claims innocent passage.
    • 1990 – Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia.
    • 1992 – The current Constitution of Mongolia comes into effect.
    • 1993 – Two-year-old James Bulger is abducted from New Strand Shopping Centre by two ten-year-old boys, who later torture and murder him.
    • 1994 – Four thieves break into the National Gallery of Norway and steal Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream.
    • 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial.
    • 2001 – NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touches down in the “saddle” region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
    • 2002 – The trial of Slobodan Milošević, the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, begins at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. He dies four years later before its conclusion.
    • 2002 – An Iran Airtour Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in the mountains outside Khorramabad, Iran while descending for a landing at Khorramabad Airport, killing 119.
    • 2004 – The city of San Francisco begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom.
    • 2009 – Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all on board and one on the ground.
    • 2016 – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their split in 1054.
    • 2019 – The country known as the Republic of Macedonia renames itself the Republic of North Macedonia in accordance with the Prespa agreement, settling a long-standing naming dispute with Greece.

    Births on February 12

    • AD 41 – Britannicus, Roman son of Claudius (d. 55)
    • 528 – Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei, nominal empress regnant of Northern Wei
    • 661 – Princess Ōku of Japan (d. 702)
    • 1074 – Conrad II of Italy (d. 1101)
    • 1218 – Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shōgun (d. 1256)
    • 1322 – John Henry, Margrave of Moravia (d. 1375)
    • 1443 – Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Italian noble (d. 1508)
    • 1480 – Frederick II of Legnica, Duke of Legnica (d. 1547)
    • 1540 – Won Gyun, Korean general and admiral (d. 1597)
    • 1567 – Thomas Campion, English composer, poet, and physician (d. 1620)
    • 1584 – Caspar Barlaeus, Dutch historian, poet, and theologian (d. 1648)
    • 1602 – Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Italian painter (d. 1660)
    • 1606 – John Winthrop the Younger, English-American lawyer and politician, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1676)
    • 1608 – Daniello Bartoli, Italian Jesuit priest (d. 1685)
    • 1637 – Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist and zoologist (d. 1680)
    • 1663 – Cotton Mather, English-American minister and author (d. 1728)
    • 1665 – Rudolf Jakob Camerarius, German botanist and physician (d. 1721)
    • 1704 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author (d. 1772)
    • 1706 – Johann Joseph Christian, German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver (d. 1777)
    • 1728 – Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (d. 1799)
    • 1753 – François-Paul Brueys d’Aigalliers, French admiral (d. 1798)
    • 1761 – Jan Ladislav Dussek, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1812)
    • 1768 – Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1835)
    • 1775 – Louisa Adams, English-American wife of John Quincy Adams, 6th First Lady of the United States (d. 1852)
    • 1777 – Bernard Courtois, French chemist and academic (d. 1838)
    • 1777 – Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, German author and poet (d. 1843)
    • 1785 – Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist and chemist (d. 1838)
    • 1787 – Norbert Provencher, Canadian bishop and missionary (d. 1853)
    • 1788 – Carl Reichenbach, German chemist and philosopher (d. 1869)
    • 1791 – Peter Cooper, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Cooper Union (d. 1883)
    • 1794 – Alexander Petrov, Russian chess player and composer (d. 1867)
    • 1794 – Valentín Canalizo, Mexican general and politician. 14th President (1843-1844) (d. 1850)
    • 1804 – Heinrich Lenz, German-Italian physicist and academic (d. 1865)
    • 1809 – Charles Darwin, English geologist and theorist (d. 1882)
    • 1809 – Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer and politician, 16th President of the United States (d. 1865)
    • 1819 – William Wetmore Story, American sculptor, architect, poet and editor
    • 1824 – Dayananda Saraswati, Indian monk and philosopher, founded Arya Samaj (d. 1883)
    • 1828 – George Meredith, English novelist and poet (d. 1909)
    • 1837 – Thomas Moran, British-American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School (d. 1926)
    • 1857 – Eugène Atget, French photographer (d. 1927)
    • 1857 – Bobby Peel, English cricketer and coach (d. 1943)
    • 1861 – Lou Andreas-Salomé, Russian-German psychoanalyst and author (d. 1937)
    • 1866 – Lev Shestov, Russian philosopher (d. 1938)
    • 1869 – Kiến Phúc, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1884)
    • 1870 – Marie Lloyd, English actress and singer (d. 1922)
    • 1876 – 13th Dalai Lama (d. 1933)
    • 1877 – Louis Renault, French engineer and businessman, co-founded Renault (d. 1944)
    • 1880 – George Preca, Maltese priest and saint (d. 1962)
    • 1880 – John L. Lewis, American miner and union leader (d. 1969)
    • 1881 – Anna Pavlova, Russian-English ballerina and actress (d. 1931)
    • 1882 – Walter Nash, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1968)
    • 1884 – Max Beckmann, German painter and sculptor (d. 1950)
    • 1884 – Johan Laidoner, Estonian-Russian general (d. 1953)
    • 1884 – Alice Roosevelt Longworth, American author (d. 1980)
    • 1884 – Marie Vassilieff, Russian-French painter (d. 1957)
    • 1885 – Julius Streicher, German publisher, founded Der Stürmer (d. 1946)
    • 1889 – Bhante Dharmawara, Cambodian monk, lawyer, and judge (d. 1999)
    • 1893 – Omar Bradley, American general (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – Kristian Djurhuus, Faroese lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 1984)
    • 1897 – Charles Groves Wright Anderson, South African-Australian colonel and politician (d. 1988)
    • 1897 – Lincoln LaPaz, American astronomer and academic (d. 1985)
    • 1898 – Wallace Ford, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966)
    • 1900 – Roger J. Traynor, American lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of California (d. 1983)
    • 1902 – William Collier, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1987)
    • 1903 – Jorge Basadre, Peruvian historian (d. 1980)
    • 1903 – Chick Hafey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1973)
    • 1904 – Ted Mack, American radio and television host (d. 1976)
    • 1907 – Joseph Kearns, American actor (d. 1962)
    • 1908 – Jean Effel, French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist (d. 1982)
    • 1908 – Jacques Herbrand, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1931)
    • 1909 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (d. 2005)
    • 1909 – Sigmund Rascher, German physician (d. 1945)
    • 1911 – Charles Mathiesen, Norwegian speed skater (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – R. F. Delderfield, English author and playwright (d. 1972)
    • 1914 – Tex Beneke, American singer, saxophonist, and bandleader (d. 2000)
    • 1914 – Johanna von Caemmerer, German mathematician (d. 1971)
    • 1915 – Lorne Greene, Canadian-American actor (d. 1987)
    • 1915 – Olivia Hooker, African-American sailor (d. 2018)
    • 1916 – Joseph Alioto, American lawyer and politician, 36th Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1998)
    • 1917 – Al Cervi, American basketball player and coach (d. 2009)
    • 1917 – Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (d. 2009)
    • 1918 – Norman Farberow, American psychologist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1918 – Julian Schwinger, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1919 – Forrest Tucker, American actor (d. 1986)
    • 1920 – Raymond Mhlaba, South African anti-apartheid and ANC activist (d. 2005)
    • 1922 – Hussein Onn, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1990)
    • 1923 – Franco Zeffirelli, Italian director, producer, and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1925 – Sir Anthony Berry, British Conservative politician (d. 1984)
    • 1925 – Joan Mitchell, American-French painter (d. 1992)
    • 1926 – Rolf Brem, Swiss sculptor and illustrator (d. 2014)
    • 1926 – Joe Garagiola, Sr., American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2016)
    • 1926 – Charles Van Doren, American academic (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Vincent Montana, Jr., American drummer and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – John Doyle, Irish hurler and politician (d. 2010)
    • 1930 – Arlen Specter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1931 – Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch-American author and translator (d. 2008)
    • 1932 – Axel Jensen, Norwegian author and poet (d. 2003)
    • 1932 – Julian Simon, American economist, author, and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1933 – Costa-Gavras, Greek-French director and producer
    • 1933 – Brian Carlson, Australian rugby league player (d. 1987)
    • 1934 – Annette Crosbie, Scottish actress
    • 1934 – Anne Osborn Krueger, American economist and academic
    • 1934 – Bill Russell, American basketball player and coach
    • 1935 – Gene McDaniels, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1936 – Alan Ebringer, Australian immunologist, professor at King’s College in the University of London
    • 1938 – Judy Blume, Jewish-American author and educator
    • 1939 – Leon Kass, American physician, scientist, and educator
    • 1939 – Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – Hubert Marcoux, Canadian solo sailor and author (d. 2009)
    • 1941 – Dominguinhos, Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (d. 2013)
    • 1941 – Naomi Uemura, Japanese mountaineer and explorer (d. 1984)
    • 1942 – Ehud Barak, Israeli general and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Israel
    • 1942 – Pat Dobson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006)
    • 1945 – Maud Adams, Swedish model and actress
    • 1945 – David D. Friedman, American economist, physicist, and scholar
    • 1946 – Jean Eyeghé Ndong, Gabonese politician, Prime Minister of Gabon
    • 1946 – Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1948 – Ray Kurzweil, American computer scientist and engineer
    • 1948 – Nicholas Soames, English politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
    • 1950 – Angelo Branduardi, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1950 – Steve Hackett, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1950 – Michael Ironside, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1952 – Simon MacCorkindale, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1952 – Michael McDonald, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1953 – Joanna Kerns, American actress and director
    • 1954 – Joseph Jordania, Georgian-Australian musicologist and academic
    • 1954 – Tzimis Panousis, Greek comedian, singer, and author (d. 2018)
    • 1954 – Phil Zimmermann, American cryptographer and programmer
    • 1955 – Bill Laswell, American bass player and producer
    • 1955 – Chet Lemon, American baseball player and coach
    • 1956 – Arsenio Hall, American actor and talk show host
    • 1956 – Ad Melkert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
    • 1956 – Brian Robertson, Scottish rock guitarist and songwriter
    • 1958 – Outback Jack, Australian-American wrestler
    • 1961 – Jim Harris, Canadian environmentalist and politician
    • 1961 – Michel Martelly, Haitian singer and politician, 56th President of Haiti
    • 1961 – Di Farmer, Queensland Member of Parliament
    • 1964 – Omar Hakim, American drummer, producer, arranger, and composer
    • 1965 – Rubén Amaro, Jr., American baseball player and manager
    • 1965 – Christine Elise, American actress and producer
    • 1965 – David Westlake, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1966 – Paul Crook, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
    • 1968 – Josh Brolin, American actor
    • 1968 – Chynna Phillips, American singer and actress
    • 1969 – Darren Aronofsky, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Alemayehu Atomsa, Ethiopian educator and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1969 – Steve Backley, English javelin thrower
    • 1969 – Anneli Drecker, Norwegian singer and actress
    • 1969 – Hong Myung-bo, South Korean footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Jim Creeggan, Canadian singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1970 – Bryan Roy, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Judd Winick, American author and illustrator
    • 1971 – Scott Menville, American voice actor, singer, actor and musician
    • 1973 – Gianni Romme, Dutch speed skater
    • 1973 – Tara Strong, Canadian voice actress and singer
    • 1974 – Naseem Hamed, English boxer
    • 1976 – Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1977 – Jimmy Conrad, American soccer player and manager
    • 1978 – Paul Anderson, English actor
    • 1978 – Brett Hodgson, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1979 – Antonio Chatman, American football player
    • 1979 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor and violinist
    • 1980 – Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spanish tennis player
    • 1980 – Sarah Lancaster, American actress
    • 1980 – Christina Ricci, American actress and producer
    • 1980 – Gucci Mane, American rapper
    • 1981 – Wade McKinnon, Australian rugby league player
    • 1982 – Jonas Hiller, Swiss ice hockey player
    • 1982 – Louis Tsatoumas, Greek long jumper
    • 1982 – Anthony Tuitavake, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1983 – Carlton Brewster, American football player and coach
    • 1984 – Brad Keselowski, American race car driver
    • 1984 – Andrei Sidorenkov, Estonian footballer
    • 1984 – Peter Vanderkaay, American swimmer
    • 1988 – DeMarco Murray, American football player
    • 1988 – Nicolás Otamendi, Argentine footballer
    • 1988 – Mike Posner, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1990 – Robert Griffin III, American football player
    • 1991 – Patrick Herrmann, German footballer
    • 1994 – Arman Hall, American sprinter
    • 1999 – Maggie Coles-Lyster, Canadian cyclist
    • 2000 – Kim Ji-min, South Korean actress

    Deaths on February 12

    • 821 – Benedict of Aniane, French monk and saint (b. 747)
    • 890 – Henjō, Japanese priest and poet (b. 816)
    • 981 – Ælfstan, bishop of Ramsbury
    • 901 – Antony II, patriarch of Constantinople
    • 914 – Li, empress of Yan
    • 941 – Wulfhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury
    • 1247 – Ermesinde, Countess of Luxembourg, ruler (b. 1185)
    • 1266 – Amadeus of the Amidei, Italian saint
    • 1517 – Catherine of Navarre (b. 1468)
    • 1538 – Albrecht Altdorfer, German painter, engraver, and architect (b. 1480)
    • 1554 – Lord Guildford Dudley, English son of Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland (b. 1536; executed)
    • 1554 – Lady Jane Grey, de facto monarch of England and Ireland for nine days (b. 1537; executed)
    • 1571 – Nicholas Throckmorton, English politician and diplomat (b. 1515)
    • 1590 – François Hotman, French lawyer and author (b. 1524)
    • 1600 – Edward Denny, Knight Banneret of Bishop’s Stortford, English soldier, privateer and adventurer (b. 1547)
    • 1612 – Jodocus Hondius, Flemish cartographer (b. 1563)
    • 1624 – George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist, founded George Heriot’s School (b. 1563)
    • 1713 – Jahandar Shah, Mughal emperor (b. 1664)
    • 1728 – Agostino Steffani, Italian priest and composer (b. 1653)
    • 1763 – Pierre de Marivaux, French author and playwright (b. 1688)
    • 1771 – Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (b. 1710)
    • 1789 – Ethan Allen, American farmer, general, and politician (b. 1738)
    • 1799 – Lazzaro Spallanzani, Italian biologist and physiologist (b. 1729)
    • 1804 – Immanuel Kant, German anthropologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1724)
    • 1834 – Friedrich Schleiermacher, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1768)
    • 1886 – Randolph Caldecott, English-American painter and illustrator (b. 1846)
    • 1894 – Hans von Bülow, German pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1830)
    • 1896 – Ambroise Thomas, French composer and academic (b. 1811)
    • 1912 – Gerhard Armauer Hansen, Norwegian physician (b. 1841)
    • 1915 – Émile Waldteufel, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
    • 1916 – Richard Dedekind, German mathematician, philosopher, and academic (b. 1831)
    • 1929 – Lillie Langtry, English singer and actress (b. 1853)
    • 1931 – Samad bey Mehmandarov, Azerbaijani-Russian general and politician, 3rd Azerbaijani Minister of Defense (b. 1855)
    • 1935 – Auguste Escoffier, French chef and author (b. 1846)
    • 1942 – Eugene Esmonde, Irish-English lieutenant and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1909)
    • 1942 – Avraham Stern, Polish-Israeli militant leader (b. 1907)
    • 1942 – Grant Wood, American painter and academic (b. 1891)
    • 1947 – Moses Gomberg, Ukrainian-American chemist and academic (b. 1866)
    • 1949 – Hassan al-Banna, Egyptian educator, founded the Muslim Brotherhood (b. 1906)
    • 1954 – Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
    • 1958 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (b. 1897)
    • 1960 – Oskar Anderson, Bulgarian-German mathematician and academic (b. 1887)
    • 1970 – Clare Turlay Newberry, American author and illustrator (b. 1903)
    • 1971 – James Cash Penney, American businessman and philanthropist, founded J. C. Penney (b. 1875)
    • 1975 – Carl Lutz, Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (b. 1895)
    • 1976 – Sal Mineo, American actor (b. 1939)
    • 1977 – Herman Dooyeweerd, Dutch philosopher and scholar (b. 1894)
    • 1979 – Jean Renoir, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)
    • 1980 – Muriel Rukeyser, American poet and activist (b. 1913)
    • 1982 – Victor Jory, Canadian-American actor (b. 1902)
    • 1983 – Eubie Blake, American pianist and composer (b. 1887)
    • 1984 – Anna Anderson, Polish-American woman, who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (b. 1896)
    • 1984 – Julio Cortázar, Belgian-Argentinian author and poet (b. 1914)
    • 1985 – Nicholas Colasanto, American actor and director (b. 1924)
    • 1989 – Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and author (b. 1931)
    • 1991 – Roger Patterson, American bass player (b. 1968)
    • 1992 – Bep van Klaveren, Dutch boxer (b. 1907)
    • 1994 – Donald Judd, American painter and sculptor (b. 1928)
    • 1995 – Philip Taylor Kramer, American bass player (b. 1952)
    • 1998 – Gardner Ackley, American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Italy (b. 1915)
    • 2000 – Tom Landry, American football player and coach (b. 1924)
    • 2000 – Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist, created Peanuts (b. 1922)
    • 2001 – Kristina Söderbaum, Swedish-German actress and producer (b. 1912)
    • 2002 – John Eriksen, Danish footballer (b. 1957)
    • 2005 – Dorothy Stang, American-Brazilian nun and missionary (b. 1931)
    • 2007 – Ann Barzel, American writer and dance critic (b. 1905)
    • 2007 – Peggy Gilbert, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1905)
    • 2008 – David Groh, American actor (b. 1939)
    • 2009 – victims of Colgan Air Flight 3407:
      • Alison Des Forges, American historian and activist (b. 1942)
      • Beverly Eckert, American activist (b. 1951)
      • Mat Mathews, Dutch accordion player (b. 1924)
      • Coleman Mellett, American guitarist (b. 1974)
      • Gerry Niewood, American saxophonist (b. 1943)
    • 2010 – Nodar Kumaritashvili, Georgian luger (b. 1988)
    • 2011 – Peter Alexander, Austrian singer and actor (b. 1926)
    • 2011 – Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1919)
    • 2011 – Kenneth Mars, American actor and comedian (b. 1935)
    • 2012 – Zina Bethune, American actress, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Denis Flannery, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – David Kelly, Irish actor (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – John Severin, American illustrator (b. 1921)
    • 2013 – Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (b. 1941)
    • 2013 – Reginald Turnill, English journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2013 – Hennadiy Udovenko, Ukrainian politician and diplomat, 2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Sid Caesar, American actor and comedian (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – John Pickstone, English historian and author (b. 1944)
    • 2015 – Movita Castaneda, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
    • 2015 – Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Malaysian cleric and politician, 12th Menteri Besar of Kelantan (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Gary Owens, American radio host and voice actor (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Steve Strange, Welsh singer (b. 1959)
    • 2016 – Dominique D’Onofrio, Italian-Belgian footballer and coach (b. 1953)
    • 2016 – Yannis Kalaitzis, Greek cartoonist (b. 1945)
    • 2016 – Yan Su, Chinese general and composer (b. 1930)
    • 2017 – Al Jarreau, American singer (b. 1940)
    • 2017 – Anna Marguerite McCann, first female American underwater archaeologist (b. 1933)
    • 2017 – Ren Xinmin, Chinese rocket scientist (b. 1915)
    • 2019 – Gordon Banks, English footballer (b. 1937)
    • 2019 – Lyndon LaRouche, American political activist (b. 1922)
    • 2019 – Pedro Morales, Puerto Rican professional wrestler and commentator (b. 1942)
    • 2020 – Christie Blatchford, Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster (b. 1951)

    Holidays and observances on February 12

    • Christian feast day:
      • Benedict of Aniane
      • Damian of Alexandria
      • Julian the Hospitaller
      • Martyrs of Abitinae
      • February 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Darwin Day (International)
    • Georgia Day (Georgia (U.S. state))
    • Lincoln’s Birthday (United States)
    • National Freedom to Marry Day (United States)
    • Red Hand Day (United Nations)
    • Union Day (Myanmar)
    • Youth Day (Venezuela)

  • February 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
    • AD 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming of age clears the way for Nero to become Emperor.
    • 1534 – Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
    • 1659 – The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses.
    • 1794 – First session of United States Senate opens to the public.
    • 1808 – Jesse Fell burns anthracite on an open grate as an experiment in heating homes with coal.
    • 1812 – Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry is accused of “gerrymandering” for the first time.
    • 1823 – Carnival tragedy of 1823: About 110 boys are killed during a stampede at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti in Valletta, Malta.
    • 1826 – University College London is founded as University of London.
    • 1840 – Gaetano Donizetti’s opera La fille du régiment receives its first performance in Paris, France.
    • 1843 – Giuseppe Verdi’s opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata receives its first performance in Milan, Italy.
    • 1855 – Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia.
    • 1856 – The Kingdom of Awadh is annexed by the British East India Company and Wajid Ali Shah, the king of Awadh, is deposed.
    • 1858 – Bernadette Soubirous’s first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
    • 1873 – King Amadeo I of Spain abdicates.
    • 1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted.
    • 1903 – Anton Bruckner’s 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria.
    • 1906 – Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer Nos.
    • 1919 – Friedrich Ebert (SPD), is elected President of Germany.
    • 1929 – Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
    • 1937 – The Flint sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers trade union.
    • 1938 – BBC Television produces the world’s first ever science fiction television programme, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R., that coined the term “robot”.
    • 1942 – World War II: Second day of the Battle of Bukit Timah is fought in Singapore.
    • 1953 – Cold War: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower denies all appeals for clemency for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
    • 1953 – The Soviet Union breaks off diplomatic relations with Israel.
    • 1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
    • 1970 – Japan launches Ohsumi, becoming the fourth nation to put an object into orbit using its own booster.
    • 1971 – Cold War: the Seabed Arms Control Treaty opened for signature outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters.
    • 1979 – The Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
    • 1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner.
    • 1990 – Buster Douglas, a 42:1 underdog, knocks out Mike Tyson in ten rounds at Tokyo to win boxing’s world Heavyweight title.
    • 1997 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
    • 1999 – Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbit, ending a nearly 20-year period when it was closer to the Sun than the gas giant; Pluto is not expected to interact with Neptune’s orbit again until 2231.
    • 2001 – A Dutch programmer launched the Anna Kournikova virus infecting millions of emails via a trick photo of the tennis star.
    • 2008 – Rebel East Timorese soldiers seriously wound President José Ramos-Horta. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack.
    • 2011 – Arab Spring: The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the transfer of power to the Supreme Military Council after 17 days of protests.
    • 2013 – The Vatican confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI would resign the papacy as a result of his advanced age.
    • 2014 – A military transport plane crashes in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province in eastern Algeria, killing 77 people.
    • 2015 – A university student was murdered as she resisted an attempted rape in Turkey, sparking nationwide protests and public outcry against harassment and violence against women.
    • 2016 – A man shoots six people dead at an education center in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia.
    • 2017 – North Korea test fires a ballistic missile across the Sea of Japan.
    • 2018 – Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashes near Moscow, Russia with 71 deaths and no survivors.

    Births on February 11

    • 1380 – Poggio Bracciolini, Italian scholar and translator (d. 1459)
    • 1466 – Elizabeth of York (d. 1503)
    • 1535 – Pope Gregory XIV (d. 1591)
    • 1568 – Honoré d’Urfé, French author and playwright (d. 1625)
    • 1649 – William Carstares, Scottish minister and academic (d. 1715)
    • 1657 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French poet and playwright (d. 1757)
    • 1708 – Egidio Duni, Italian composer (d. 1775)
    • 1764 – Joseph Chénier, French poet and playwright (d. 1811)
    • 1776 – Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greek politician, 1st Governor of Greece (d. 1831)
    • 1800 – Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer and politician, invented the calotype (d. 1877)
    • 1802 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (d. 1880)
    • 1805 – Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Native American-French Canadian explorer (d. 1866)
    • 1812 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (d. 1883)
    • 1813 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (d. 1865)
    • 1821 – Auguste Mariette, French archaeologist and scholar (d. 1881)
    • 1830 – Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, Prussian pianist and composer (d. 1913)
    • 1833 – Melville Fuller, American lawyer and jurist, Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)
    • 1839 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist (d. 1903)
    • 1845 – Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, Ottoman soldier and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1936)
    • 1847 – Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, developed the light bulb and phonograph (d. 1931)
    • 1855 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)
    • 1860 – Rachilde, French author and playwright (d. 1953)
    • 1863 – John F. Fitzgerald, American politician; Mayor of Boston (d. 1950)
    • 1864 – Louis Bouveault, French chemist (d. 1909)
    • 1869 – Helene Kröller-Müller, German-Dutch art collector and philanthropist, founded the Kröller-Müller Museum (d. 1939)
    • 1869 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and author (d. 1945)
    • 1874 – Elsa Beskow, Swedish author and illustrator (d. 1953)
    • 1881 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (d. 1966)
    • 1897 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (d.1954)
    • 1898 – Leo Szilard, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 1964)
    • 1900 – Ellen Broe, Danish nurse, pioneer in nursing education (d. 1994)
    • 1900 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (d. 2002)
    • 1900 – Jōsei Toda, Japanese educator and activist (d. 1958)
    • 1902 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (d. 1971)
    • 1904 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)
    • 1904 – Lucile Randon, French Supercentenarian
    • 1908 – Philip Dunne, American screenwriter (d. 1992)
    • 1908 – Vivian Fuchs, English explorer (d. 1999)
    • 1909 – Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)
    • 1909 – Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1994)
    • 1914 – Matt Dennis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2002)
    • 1914 – Josh White, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1969)
    • 1915 – Patrick Leigh Fermor, English soldier, author, and scholar (d. 2011)
    • 1915 – Richard Hamming, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1917 – Sidney Sheldon, American author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
    • 1920 – Farouk I, King of Egypt (d. 1965)
    • 1920 – Daniel F. Galouye, American author (d. 1976)
    • 1920 – Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)
    • 1920 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (d. 1978)
    • 1921 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Antony Flew, English philosopher and academic (d. 2010)
    • 1924 – Budge Patty, American tennis player
    • 1925 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)
    • 1926 – Paul Bocuse, French chef (d. 2018)
    • 1926 – Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1930 – Roy De Forest, American painter and academic (d. 2007).
    • 1932 – Dennis Skinner, English miner and politician
    • 1934 – Mel Carnahan, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, Governor of Missouri (d. 2000)
    • 1934 – Tina Louise, American actress and singer
    • 1934 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military leader of Panama (d. 2017)
    • 1934 – Mary Quant, British fashion designer
    • 1934 – David Taylor, English veterinarian and television host (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Gene Vincent, American singer and guitarist (d. 1971)
    • 1936 – Burt Reynolds, American actor and director (d. 2018)
    • 1937 – Ian Gow, British Member of Parliament who was assassinated by the IRA (d. 1990)
    • 1937 – Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1937 – Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1937 – Phillip Walker, American singer and guitarist (d. 2010)
    • 1938 – Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Gerry Goffin, American songwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1940 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1941 – Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian pianist and composer
    • 1942 – Otis Clay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1943 – Joselito, Spanish singer and actor
    • 1943 – Alan Rubin, American trumpet player (d. 2011)
    • 1944 – Mike Oxley, American lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
    • 1944 – Joy Williams, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
    • 1946 – Ian Porterfield, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2007)
    • 1947 – Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese engineer and politician and Prime Minister of Japan
    • 1947 – Derek Shulman, Scottish singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1951 – Mike Leavitt, American politician, 14th Governor of Utah
    • 1953 – Philip Anglim, American actor
    • 1953 – Jeb Bush, American banker, politician and Governor of Florida
    • 1953 – Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (d. 2014)
    • 1954 – Wesley Strick, American director and screenwriter
    • 1956 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist (d. 2018)
    • 1959 – Roberto Moreno, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1960 – Richard Mastracchio, American engineer and astronaut
    • 1962 – Tammy Baldwin, American lawyer and politician
    • 1962 – Sheryl Crow, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1964 – Sarah Palin, American journalist, politician and Governor of Alaska
    • 1964 – Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and wrestler
    • 1965 – Vicki Wilson, Australian netball player
    • 1968 – Mo Willems, American author and illustrator
    • 1969 – Jennifer Aniston, American actress and producer
    • 1969 – Andreas Hilfiker, Swiss footballer
    • 1969 – John Salako, Nigerian-English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Damian Lewis, English actor
    • 1972 – Steve McManaman, English footballer
    • 1973 – Varg Vikernes, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter
    • 1974 – Nick Barmby, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1974 – D’Angelo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1974 – Jaroslav Špaček, Czech ice hockey player and coach
    • 1975 – Andy Lally, American race car driver
    • 1975 – Callum Thorp, Australian cricketer
    • 1975 – Jacque Vaughn, American basketball player and coach
    • 1976 – Tony Battie, American basketball player and sportscaster
    • 1979 – Brandy Norwood, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1982 – Ľubomíra Kalinová, Slovak biathlete
    • 1982 – Neil Robertson, Australian snooker player
    • 1983 – Rafael van der Vaart, Dutch international footballer, midfielder
    • 1984 – Maarten Heisen, Dutch sprinter
    • 1984 – Marco Marcato, Italian cyclist
    • 1984 – Maxime Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Šárka Strachová, Czech skier
    • 1987 – Luca Antonelli, Italian footballer
    • 1987 – Juanmi Callejón, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Ellen van Dijk, Dutch cyclist
    • 1987 – Brian Matusz, American baseball player
    • 1987 – Jan Smeekens, Dutch speed skater
    • 1988 – Vlad Moldoveanu, Romanian basketball player
    • 1990 – Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer
    • 1991 – Nikola Mirotic, Spanish basketball player
    • 1992 – Lasse Norman Hansen, Danish track and road cyclist
    • 1993 – Ben McLemore, American basketball player
    • 1994 – Dansby Swanson, American baseball player
    • 1996 – Jonathan Tah, German footballer

    Deaths on February 11

    • AD 55 – Britannicus, Roman son of Claudius (b. 41)
    • 244 – Gordian III, Roman emperor (b. 225)
    • 641 – Heraclius, Byzantine emperor (b. 575)
    • 731 – Pope Gregory II (b. 669)
    • 824 – Pope Paschal I
    • 1141 – Hugh of Saint Victor, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1096)
    • 1503 – Elizabeth of York (b. 1466)
    • 1626 – Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1548)
    • 1650 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1596)
    • 1755 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist, playwright, and critic (b. 1675)
    • 1763 – William Shenstone, English poet and gardener (b. 1714)
    • 1795 – Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (b. 1740)
    • 1829 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian poet, playwright, and composer (b. 1795)
    • 1862 – Elizabeth Siddal, English poet and artist’s model (b. 1829)
    • 1868 – Léon Foucault, French physicist and academic (b. 1819)
    • 1898 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860-1862) (b. 1813)
    • 1901 – Milan I of Serbia (b. 1855)
    • 1917 – Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician and epidemiologist (b. 1872)
    • 1918 – Alexey Kaledin, Russian general (b. 1861)
    • 1931 – Charles Algernon Parsons, English-Irish engineer, invented the steam turbine (b. 1854)
    • 1940 – John Buchan, Scottish-Canadian historian and politician, Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)
    • 1940 – Ellen Day Hale, American painter and author (b. 1855)
    • 1942 – Jamnalal Bajaj, Indian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1884)
    • 1947 – Martin Klein, Estonian wrestler and coach (b. 1884)
    • 1948 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1898)
    • 1949 – Axel Munthe, Swedish doctor (b. 1857)
    • 1958 – Ernest Jones, Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1879)
    • 1963 – John Olof Dahlgren, Swedish-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)
    • 1963 – Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1932)
    • 1967 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-American minister and activist (b. 1885)
    • 1968 – Howard Lindsay, American playwright (b. 1889)
    • 1973 – J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
    • 1975 – Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy colonel and politician, President of Madagascar (b. 1931)
    • 1976 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (b. 1911)
    • 1976 – Alexander Lippisch, German pilot and engineer (b. 1894)
    • 1977 – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian lawyer and politician, President of India (b. 1905)
    • 1977 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1902)
    • 1978 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist and academic (b. 1893)
    • 1978 – Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist, essayist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
    • 1982 – Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (b. 1912)
    • 1985 – Henry Hathaway, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1898)
    • 1986 – Frank Herbert, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
    • 1989 – George O’Hanlon, American actor and voice artist (b. 1912)
    • 1993 – Robert W. Holley, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
    • 1994 – Neil Bonnett, American race car driver (b. 1946)
    • 1994 – Sorrell Booke, American lieutenant, actor, and director (b. 1930)
    • 1994 – William Conrad, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)
    • 1994 – Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-Swiss philosopher and academic (b. 1924)
    • 1996 – Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet and author (b. 1930)
    • 2000 – Lord Kitchner, Trinidadian singer (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Roger Vadim, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
    • 2002 – Frankie Crosetti, American baseball player and coach (b. 1910)
    • 2002 – Barry Foster, English actor (b. 1931)
    • 2004 – Shirley Strickland, Australian runner (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – Jack L. Chalker, American author (b. 1944)
    • 2006 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1940)
    • 2006 – Ken Fletcher, Australian tennis player (b. 1940)
    • 2006 – Jackie Pallo, English wrestler and actor (b. 1926)
    • 2008 – Tom Lantos, American lawyer and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2008 – Frank Piasecki, American engineer (b. 1919)
    • 2009 – Estelle Bennett, American singer (b. 1941)
    • 2009 – Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch-American physician and academic (b. 1911)
    • 2010 – Heward Grafftey, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2010 – Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founder of his eponymous brand (b. 1969)
    • 2011 – Chuck Tanner, American baseball player and manager (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Siri Bjerke, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of the Environment (b. 1958)
    • 2012 – Aharon Davidi, Israeli general (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (b. 1963)
    • 2013 – Rick Huxley, English bass player (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Tito Canepa, Dominican-American painter (b. 1916)
    • 2014 – Fernando González Pacheco, Colombian journalist and actor (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Roger Hanin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Bob Simon, American journalist (b. 1941)
    • 2015 – Jerry Tarkanian, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Kevin Randleman, American mixed martial artist and wrestler (b. 1971)
    • 2016 – Zeng Xuelin, Thai-Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2017 – Fab Melo, Brazilian basketball player (b. 1990)
    • 2017 – Jaap Rijks, Dutch Olympian (b. 1919)
    • 2018 – Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1928)
    • 2018 – Asma Jahangir, Pakistani human-rights lawyer and social activist (b. 1952)
    • 2018 – Jan Maxwell, American stage and television actress (b. 1956)
    • 2018 – Qazi Wajid, Pakistani drama actor, writer and artist (b. 1930)

    Holidays and observances on February 11

    • Christian feast day:
      • Blaise Eastern Orthodox liturgics
      • Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, circa 680 CE (Anglicanism)
      • Gobnait
      • Gregory II
      • Lazarus of Milan
    • European 112 Day (European Union)
    • Armed Forces Day (Liberia)
    • Evelio Javier Day (Panay Island, the Philippines)
    • Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Church), and its related observance
      • World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Inventors’ Day (United States)
    • National Foundation Day (Japan)
    • Youth Day (Cameroon)
    • International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN Women)