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February 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day, Uncategorized /
  • 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity.
  • 425 – The University of Constantinople is founded by Emperor Theodosius II at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia.
  • 907 – Abaoji, a Khitan chieftain, is enthroned as Emperor Taizu, establishing the Liao dynasty in northern China.
  • 1560 – The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland.
  • 1594 – Henry IV is crowned King of France.
  • 1617 – Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.
  • 1626 – Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.
  • 1700 – The island of New Britain is discovered by Europeans.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia.
  • 1782 – American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America.
  • 1801 – Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.
  • 1809 – Action of 27 February 1809: Captain Bernard Dubourdieu captures HMS Proserpine.
  • 1812 – Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time.
  • 1812 – Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire.
  • 1844 – The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.
  • 1860 – Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.
  • 1870 – The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships.
  • 1881 – First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place.
  • 1898 – King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg.
  • 1900 – The British Labour Party is founded.
  • 1900 – Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded.
  • 1902 – Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry “Breaker” Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes.
  • 1916 – Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives.
  • 1921 – The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.
  • 1922 – A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.
  • 1933 – Reichstag fire: Germany’s parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility.
  • 1939 – United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.
  • 1940 – Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
  • 1942 – World War II: During the Battle of the Java Sea, an Allied strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea in the Dutch East Indies.
  • 1943 – The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.
  • 1943 – In Berlin, the Gestapo arrest 1,800 Jewish men with German wives, leading to the Rosenstrasse protest.
  • 1951 – The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
  • 1961 – The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.
  • 1962 – Two dissident Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots bomb the Independence Palace in Saigon in a failed attempt to assassinate South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm.
  • 1963 – The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.
  • 1964 – The Government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
  • 1971 – Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start performing artificially-induced abortions.
  • 1973 – The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee in protest of the federal government.
  • 1976 – The formerly Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
  • 1988 – Sumgait pogrom: The Armenian community in Sumgait, Azerbaijan is targeted in a violent pogrom.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that “Kuwait is liberated”.
  • 2002 – Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire at London Stansted Airport. Subsequent investigations criticize Ryanair’s handling of the evacuation.
  • 2002 – Godhra train burning: A Muslim mob torches a train returning from Ayodhya, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims.
  • 2004 – A bombing of a Superferry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines’ worst terrorist attack kills 116.
  • 2004 – Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, is sentenced to death for masterminding the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.
  • 2007 – The Chinese Correction: The Shanghai Stock Exchange falls 9%, the largest drop in ten years.
  • 2010 – An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale strikes central parts of Chile leaving over 500 victims, and thousands injured. The quake triggers a tsunami which strikes Hawaii shortly after.
  • 2013 – A shooting takes place at a factory in Menznau, Switzerland, in which five people (including the perpetrator) are killed and five others injured.
  • 2015 – Russian politician Boris Nemtsov is assassinated.

Births on February 27

  • 272 – Constantine the Great, Roman emperor (d. 337)
  • 1343 – Alberto d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara (d. 1393)
  • 1427 – Ruprecht, Archbishop of Cologne (d. 1480)
  • 1500 – João de Castro, Portuguese nobleman and fourth viceroy of Portuguese India (d. 1548)
  • 1535 – Min Phalaung, Burmese monarch (d. 1593)
  • 1567 – William Alabaster, English poet (d. 1640)
  • 1572 – Francis II, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1632)
  • 1575 – John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1616)
  • 1622 – Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter (d. 1654)
  • 1630 – Roche Braziliano, Dutch pirate (d. 1671)
  • 1659 – William Sherard, English botanist (d. 1728)
  • 1667 – Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł, Prussian-Lithuanian wife of Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (d. 1695)
  • 1689 – Pietro Gnocchi, Italian composer, director, historian, and geographer (d. 1775)
  • 1703 – Lord Sidney Beauclerk, English politician (d. 1744)
  • 1711 – Constantine Mavrocordatos, Ottoman ruler (d. 1769)
  • 1724 – Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1767)
  • 1732 – Jean de Dieu-Raymond de Cucé de Boisgelin, French cardinal (d. 1804)
  • 1746 – Louis-Jérôme Gohier, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 1830)
  • 1748 – Anders Sparrman, Swedish physician and activist (d. 1820)
  • 1767 – Jacques-Charles Dupont de l’Eure, French lawyer and politician, 24th Prime Minister of France (d. 1855)
  • 1779 – Thomas Hazlehurst, English businessman, founded Hazlehurst & Sons (d. 1842)
  • 1789 – Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of National Defense (d. 1818)
  • 1795 – José Antonio Navarro, American merchant and politician (d. 1871)
  • 1799 – Edward Belcher, British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer (d. 1877)
  • 1799 – Frederick Catherwood, British artist, architect and explorer (d. 1854)
  • 1807 – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and educator (d. 1882)
  • 1809 – Jean-Charles Cornay, French missionary and saint (d. 1837)
  • 1816 – William Nicholson, English-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Victoria (d. 1865)
  • 1847 – Ellen Terry, English actress (d. 1928)
  • 1848 – Hubert Parry, English composer and historian (d. 1918)
  • 1859 – Bertha Pappenheim, Austrian-German activist and author (d. 1936)
  • 1863 – Joaquín Sorolla, Spanish painter (d. 1923)
  • 1863 – George Herbert Mead, American sociologist and philosopher (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Eemil Nestor Setälä, Finnish linguist and politician, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1935)
  • 1867 – Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (d. 1947)
  • 1867 – Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Swedish composer and critic (d. 1942)
  • 1869 – Alice Hamilton, American physician and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1872 – Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, Romanian politician, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1950)
  • 1875 – Vladimir Filatov, Russian-Ukrainian ophthalmologist and surgeon (d. 1956)
  • 1877 – Adela Verne, English pianist and composer (d. 1952)
  • 1877 – Joseph Grinnell, American zoologist and biologist (d. 1939)
  • 1878 – Alvan T. Fuller, American businessman and politician, 50th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
  • 1880 – Xenophon Kasdaglis, Greek-Egyptian tennis player (d. 1943)
  • 1881 – Sveinn Björnsson, Danish-Icelandic lawyer and politician, 1st President of Iceland (d. 1952)
  • 1881 – L. E. J. Brouwer, Dutch mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1966)
  • 1886 – Hugo Black, American captain, jurist, and politician (d. 1971)
  • 1887 – Pyotr Nesterov, Russian captain, pilot, and engineer (d. 1914)
  • 1888 – Roberto Assagioli, Italian psychiatrist and psychologist (d. 1974)
  • 1888 – Lotte Lehmann, German-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Mabel Keaton Staupers, American nurse and advocate (d. 1989)
  • 1891 – David Sarnoff, American businessman, founded RCA (d. 1971)
  • 1892 – William Demarest, American actor (d. 1983)
  • 1895 – Miyagiyama Fukumatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1943)
  • 1897 – Marian Anderson, American singer (d. 1993)
  • 1899 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (d. 1978)
  • 1901 – Marino Marini, Italian sculptor and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1901 – Kotama Okada, Japanese religious leader (d. 1974)
  • 1902 – Lúcio Costa, French-Brazilian architect and engineer, designed Gustavo Capanema Palace (d. 1998)
  • 1902 – Gene Sarazen, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1999)
  • 1902 – John Steinbeck, American journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
  • 1903 – Reginald Gardiner, English-American actor and singer (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Hans Rohrbach, German mathematician (d. 1993)
  • 1903 – Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Belorussian-American rabbi and philosopher (d. 1993)
  • 1904 – James T. Farrell, American author and poet (d. 1979)
  • 1904 – André Leducq, French cyclist (d. 1980)
  • 1904 – Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Franchot Tone, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 1968)
  • 1907 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (d. 1951)
  • 1907 – Momčilo Đujić, Serbian-American priest and commander (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – Joan Bennett, American actress (d. 1990)
  • 1910 – Peter De Vries, American journalist and author (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (d. 1995)
  • 1910 – Kelly Johnson, American engineer, co-founded Skunk Works (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Oscar Heidenstam, English bodybuilder (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Kusumagraj, Indian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Lawrence Durrell, Indian-French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1913 – Paul Ricœur, French philosopher and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish soldier and politician, President of Poland (d. 1989)
  • 1913 – Irwin Shaw, American author and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1915 – Denis Whitaker, Canadian general, football player, and businessman (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – John Connally, American lieutenant and politician, 61st United States Secretary of Treasury (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Reg Simpson, English cricketer (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Theodore Van Kirk, American soldier, pilot, and navigator (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Hans Rookmaaker, Dutch historian, author, and scholar (d. 1977)
  • 1923 – Dexter Gordon, American saxophonist, composer, and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1925 – Pia Sebastiani, Argentine pianist and composer (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Kenneth Koch, American poet, playwright and professor (d. 2002)
  • 1926 – David H. Hubel, Canadian-American neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Peter Whittle, English-New Zealand mathematician and theorist
  • 1928 – René Clemencic, Austrian composer, recorder player, harpsichordist, conductor and clavichord player
  • 1929 – Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Djalma Santos, Brazilian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Patricia Ward Hales, British tennis player (d. 1985)
  • 1930 – Jovan Krkobabić, Serbian politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Peter Stone, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1930 – Paul von Ragué Schleyer, American chemist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Joanne Woodward, American actress
  • 1932 – Dame Elizabeth Taylor, English-American actress and humanitarian (d. 2011)
  • 1932 – David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
  • 1933 – Raymond Berry, American football player and coach
  • 1933 – Malcolm Wallop, American politician (d. 2011)
  • 1934 – Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer (d. 1992)
  • 1934 – Ralph Nader, American lawyer, politician, and activist
  • 1935 – Mirella Freni, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2020)
  • 1935 – Uri Shulevitz, American author and illustrator
  • 1936 – Sonia Johnson, American feminist activist and author
  • 1936 – Ron Barassi, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1936 – Roger Mahony, American cardinal
  • 1937 – Barbara Babcock, American actress
  • 1938 – Jake Thackray, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and journalist (d. 2002)
  • 1939 – Don McKinnon, English-New Zealand farmer and politician, 12th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
  • 1939 – Peter Revson, American race car driver (d. 1974)
  • 1940 – Pierre Duchesne, Canadian lawyer and politician, 28th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
  • 1940 – Howard Hesseman, American actor
  • 1940 – Bill Hunter, Australian actor (d. 2011)
  • 1941 – Paddy Ashdown, British captain and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Jimmy Burns, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1942 – Robert H. Grubbs, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1942 – Charlayne Hunter-Gault, American journalist
  • 1942 – Klaus-Dieter Sieloff, German footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1943 – Mary Frann, American actress (d. 1998)
  • 1943 – Morten Lauridsen, American composer and conductor
  • 1943 – Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1944 – Ken Grimwood, American author (d. 2003)
  • 1944 – Graeme Pollock, South African cricketer and coach
  • 1944 – Sir Roger Scruton, English philosopher and writer (d. 2020)
  • 1947 – Alan Guth, American physicist and cosmologist
  • 1947 – Gidon Kremer, Latvian violinist and conductor
  • 1950 – Annabel Goldie, Scottish lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Julia Neuberger, Baroness Neuberger, English rabbi and politician
  • 1951 – Carl A. Anderson, 13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
  • 1951 – Lee Atwater, American journalist, activist and political strategist (d. 1991)
  • 1951 – Walter de Silva, Italian car designer
  • 1951 – Steve Harley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Gavin Esler, Scottish journalist and author
  • 1953 – Ian Khama, English-Botswanan lieutenant and politician, 4th President of Botswana
  • 1953 – Stelios Kouloglou, Greek journalist, author, director and politician
  • 1954 – Neal Schon, American rock guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • 1956 – Belus Prajoux, Chilean tennis player
  • 1957 – Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Kevin Curran, American screenwriter and television producer (d. 2016)
  • 1957 – Robert de Castella, Australian runner
  • 1957 – Adrian Smith, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1957 – Timothy Spall, English actor
  • 1958 – Naas Botha, South African rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1958 – Maggie Hassan, American politician, 81st Governor and United States Senator of New Hampshire
  • 1960 – Andrés Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player
  • 1960 – Johnny Van Zant, American singer-songwriter
  • 1961 – James Worthy, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1962 – Adam Baldwin, American actor
  • 1963 – Nasty Suicide, Finnish musician and pharmacist
  • 1964 – Jeffrey Pasley, American educator and academic
  • 1965 – Noah Emmerich, American actor
  • 1965 – Pedro Chaves, Portuguese race car driver
  • 1966 – Donal Logue, Canadian actor and director
  • 1966 – Oliver Reck, German footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Baltasar Kormákur, Icelandic actor, director, and producer
  • 1967 – Dănuț Lupu, Romanian footballer
  • 1967 – Jony Ive, English industrial designer, former chief design officer (CDO) of Apple
  • 1968 – Matt Stairs, Canadian baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Gareth Llewellyn, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1969 – Juan E. Gilbert, American computer scientist, inventor, and academic
  • 1970 – Kent Desormeaux, American jockey
  • 1970 – Patricia Petibon, French soprano and actress
  • 1971 – Sara Blakely, American businesswoman, founded Spanx
  • 1971 – Derren Brown, English magician and painter
  • 1971 – David Rikl, Czech-English tennis player
  • 1971 – Roman Giertych, Polish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
  • 1971 – Rozonda Thomas, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (TLC)
  • 1973 – Peter Andre, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1973 – Mark Taylor, Welsh rugby player and manager
  • 1974 – Carte Goodwin, American lawyer and politician
  • 1975 – Aitor González, Spanish racing driver
  • 1975 – Prodromos Korkizoglou, Greek decathlete
  • 1976 – Sergei Semak, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Ludovic Capelle, Belgian cyclist
  • 1978 – James Beattie, English footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Kakha Kaladze, Georgian footballer and politician
  • 1978 – Emelie Öhrstig, Swedish skier and cyclist
  • 1978 – Simone Di Pasquale, Italian ballet dancer
  • 1980 – Chelsea Clinton, American journalist and academic
  • 1980 – Scott Prince, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Josh Groban, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1981 – Natalie Grandin, English-South African tennis player
  • 1981 – Élodie Ouédraogo, Belgian sprinter
  • 1982 – Ali Bastian, English actress
  • 1982 – Pat Richards, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Bruno Soares, Brazilian tennis player
  • 1983 – Devin Harris, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Kate Mara, American actress
  • 1984 – Aníbal Sánchez, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Lotta Schelin, Swedish footballer
  • 1984 – Akseli Kokkonen, Norwegian ski jumper
  • 1985 – Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Braydon Coburn, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Vladislav Kulik, Ukrainian-Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Asami Abe, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1985 – Thiago Neves, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Brett Stewart, Australian rugby league player
  • 1986 – Yovani Gallardo, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Jonathan Moreira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Sandeep Singh, Indian field hockey player
  • 1987 – Scott Davies, English footballer
  • 1987 – Bridie Kean, Australian wheelchair basketball player
  • 1987 – Florence Kiplagat, Kenyan runner
  • 1987 – Sandy Paillot, French footballer
  • 1987 – Valeriy Andriytsev, Ukrainian wrestler
  • 1987 – Maximiliano Moralez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Iain Ramsay, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Dustin Jeffrey, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – David Button, English footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1989 – Lloyd Rigby, English footballer
  • 1990 – Elijah Taylor, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1991 – Azeem Rafiq, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1992 – Ty Dillon, American race car driver
  • 1992 – Meyers Leonard, American basketball player
  • 1992 – Filip Krajinović, Serbian tennis player
  • 1992 – Ioannis Potouridis, Greek footballer
  • 1992 – Jonjo Shelvey, English footballer
  • 1995 – Laura Gulbe, Latvian tennis player
  • 1998 – Todd Cantwell, English footballer

Deaths on February 27

  • 640 – Pepin of Landen, Frankish lord (b. 580)
  • 906 – Conrad the Elder, Frankish nobleman
  • 956 – Theophylact, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 917)
  • 1167 – Robert of Melun, English theologian and bishop
  • 1416 – Eleanor of Castile, queen consort of Navarre (b. c. 1363)
  • 1425 – Prince Vasily I of Moscow (b. 1371)
  • 1483 – William VIII of Montferrat (b. 1420)
  • 1558 – Johann Faber of Heilbronn, controversial Catholic preacher (b. 1504)
  • 1558 – Kunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, German Noblewoman (b. 1524)
  • 1659 – Henry Dunster, English-American clergyman and academic (b. 1609)
  • 1699 – Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire (b. 1625)
  • 1706 – John Evelyn, English gardener and author (b. 1620)
  • 1712 – Sir William Villiers, 3rd Baronet, English politician (b. 1645)
  • 1720 – Samuel Parris, English-American minister (b. 1653)
  • 1735 – John Arbuthnot, Scottish physician and polymath (b. 1667)
  • 1784 – Count of St. Germain, European adventurer (b. 1710)
  • 1795 – Tanikaze Kajinosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1750)
  • 1844 – Nicholas Biddle, American banker and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1887 – Alexander Borodin, Russian composer and chemist (b. 1833)
  • 1892 – Louis Vuitton, French fashion designer and businessman, founded Louis Vuitton (b. 1821)
  • 1902 – Harry “Breaker” Morant, English-Australian lieutenant (b. 1864)
  • 1921 – Schofield Haigh, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1871)
  • 1931 – Chandra Shekhar Azad, Indian revolutionary (b. 1906)
  • 1936 – Joshua W. Alexander, American judge and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1852)
  • 1936 – Ivan Pavlov, Russian physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1849)
  • 1937 – Hosteen Klah, Navajo artist, medicine man, and weaver (b. 1867)
  • 1937 – Emily Malbone Morgan, American saint, foundress of the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross (b. 1862)
  • 1943 – Kostis Palamas, Greek poet and playwright (b. 1859)
  • 1956 – Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1888)
  • 1964 – Orry-Kelly, Australian-American costume designer (b. 1897)
  • 1968 – Frankie Lymon, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
  • 1969 – Marius Barbeau, Canadian ethnographer and academic (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Bill Everett, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
  • 1977 – John Dickson Carr, American author and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1980 – George Tobias, American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1985 – Ray Ellington, English singer and drummer (b. 1916)
  • 1985 – Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., American politician and diplomat, 3rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1902)
  • 1985 – J. Pat O’Malley, English-American actor and singer (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Jacques Plante, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1929)
  • 1987 – Bill Holman, American cartoonist (b. 1903)
  • 1987 – Joan Greenwood, English actress (b. 1921)
  • 1989 – Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1903)
  • 1992 – S. I. Hayakawa, Canadian-American linguist and politician (b. 1906)
  • 1993 – Lillian Gish, American actress (b. 1893)
  • 1998 – George H. Hitchings, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
  • 1998 – J. T. Walsh, American actor (b. 1943)
  • 1999 – Horace Tapscott, American pianist and composer (b. 1934)
  • 2002 – Spike Milligan, Irish soldier, actor, comedian, and author (b. 1918)
  • 2003 – John Lanchbery, English-Australian composer and conductor (b. 1923)
  • 2003 – Fred Rogers, American minister and television host (b. 1928)
  • 2004 – Yoshihiko Amino, Japanese historian and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2004 – Paul Sweezy, American economist and journalist (b. 1910)
  • 2006 – Otis Chandler, American publisher (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American general and author (b. 1908)
  • 2006 – Linda Smith, English comedian and author (b. 1958)
  • 2007 – Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, German general (b. 1914)
  • 2008 – William F. Buckley, Jr., American author and journalist, founded the National Review (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Myron Cope, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Ivan Rebroff, German vocalist of Russian descent with four and a half octave range (b. 1931)
  • 2010 – Nanaji Deshmukh, Indian educator and activist (b. 1916)
  • 2011 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (b. 1901)
  • 2011 – Necmettin Erbakan, Turkish engineer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Duke Snider, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Gary Winick, American director and producer (b. 1961)
  • 2012 – Ma Jiyuan, Chinese general (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Tina Strobos, Dutch physician and psychiatrist (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Helga Vlahović, Croatian journalist and producer (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Van Cliburn, American pianist (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Ramon Dekkers, Dutch mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (b. 1969)
  • 2013 – Dale Robertson, American actor (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Adolfo Zaldívar, Chilean lawyer and politician (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (b. 1960)
  • 2014 – Terry Rand, American basketball player (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Boris Nemtsov, Russian academic and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (b. 1959)
  • 2015 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Julio César Strassera, Argentinian lawyer and jurist (b. 1933)
  • 2016 – Yi Cheol-seung, South Korean lawyer and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – James Z. Davis, American lawyer and judge (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Steve Folkes, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1959)
  • 2019 – France-Albert René, Seychellois politician, 2nd President of Seychelles (b. 1935)

Holidays and observances on February 27

  • Christian feast day:
    • Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
    • George Herbert (Anglicanism)
    • Honorina
    • Leander
    • February 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • The second day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (Note: this observance is only on this date in the Gregorian calendar if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz takes place on March 21, which it does not in all years)
  • Doctors’ Day (Vietnam)
  • Independence Day (Dominican Republic), celebrates the first independence of Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1844.
  • Majuba Day (some Afrikaners in South Africa)
  • Marathi Language Day (Maharashtra, India)
  • World NGO Day
  • International Polar Bear Day

February 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

February 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 747 BC – Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy’s Nabonassar Era.
  • 364 – Valentinian I is proclaimed Roman emperor
  • 1233 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols capture Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty, after besieging it for months.
  • 1266 – Battle of Benevento: An army led by Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by Manfred, King of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.
  • 1365 – The Ava Kingdom and the royal city of Ava (Inwa) founded by King Thado Minbya
  • 1606 – The Janszoon voyage of 1605–06 becomes the first European expedition to set foot on Australia, although it is mistaken as a part of New Guinea.
  • 1616 – Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
  • 1775 – The British East India Company factory on Balambangan Island is destroyed by Moro pirates
  • 1794 – The first Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen burns down.
  • 1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
  • 1876 – Japan and Korea sign a treaty granting Japanese citizens extraterritoriality rights, opening three ports to Japanese trade, and ending Korea’s status as a tributary state of Qing dynasty China.
  • 1909 – Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in London.
  • 1914 – HMHS Britannic, sister to the RMS Titanic, is launched at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
  • 1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park.
  • 1929 – President Calvin Coolidge signs an executive order establishing the 96,000 acre Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
  • 1935 – Adolf Hitler orders the Luftwaffe to be re-formed, violating the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
  • 1935 – Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration near Daventry which leads directly to the development of radar in the United Kingdom.
  • 1936 – In the February 26 Incident, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup against the government.
  • 1952 – Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.
  • 1960 – A New York-bound Alitalia airliner crashes into a cemetery in Shannon, Ireland, shortly after takeoff, killing 34 of the 52 persons on board.
  • 1966 – Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket
  • 1971 – U.N. Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
  • 1979 – The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
  • 1980 – Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations.
  • 1987 – Iran–Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
  • 1992 – Nagorno-Karabakh War: Khojaly Massacre: Armenian armed forces open fire on Azeri civilians at a military post outside the town of Khojaly leaving hundreds dead.
  • 1993 – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand people.
  • 1995 – The UK’s oldest investment banking institute, Barings Bank, collapses after a rogue securities broker Nick Leeson loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange using futures contracts.
  • 2008 – The New York Philharmonic performs in Pyongyang, North Korea; this is the first event of its kind to take place in North Korea.
  • 2012 – Trayvon Martin was shot and killed at the age of 17 in Sanford, Florida.
  • 2012 – A train derails in Burlington, Ontario, Canada killing at least three people and injuring 45.
  • 2013 – A hot air balloon crashes near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.

Births on February 26

  • 1361 – Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (d. 1419)
  • 1416 – Christopher of Bavaria (d. 1448)
  • 1564 – Christopher Marlowe, English playwright, poet and translator (d. 1593)
  • 1584 – Albert VI, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1666)
  • 1587 – Stefano Landi, Italian composer and educator (d. 1639)
  • 1629 – Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, Scottish peer (d. 1685)
  • 1651 – Quirinus Kuhlmann, German Baroque poet and mystic (d. 1689)
  • 1671 – Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English philosopher and politician (d. 1713)
  • 1672 – Antoine Augustin Calmet, French monk and theologian (d. 1757)
  • 1677 – Nicola Fago, Italian composer and teacher (d. 1745)
  • 1718 – Johan Ernst Gunnerus, Norwegian bishop, botanist and zoologist (d. 1773)
  • 1720 – Gian Francesco Albani, Italian cardinal (d. 1803)
  • 1746 – Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma (d. 1806)
  • 1770 – Anton Reicha, Bohemian composer and flautist (d. 1836)
  • 1777 – Matija Nenadović, Serbian priest, historian, and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Serbia (d. 1854)
  • 1786 – François Arago, French mathematician and politician, 25th Prime Minister of France (d. 1853)
  • 1799 – Benoît Paul Émile Clapeyron, French physicist and engineer (d. 1864)
  • 1802 – Victor Hugo, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1885)
  • 1808 – Honoré Daumier, French painter, illustrator, and sculptor (d. 1879)
  • 1808 – Nathan Kelley, American architect, designed the Ohio Statehouse (d. 1871)
  • 1829 – Levi Strauss, German-American fashion designer, founded Levi Strauss & Co. (d. 1902)
  • 1842 – Camille Flammarion, French astronomer and author (d. 1925)
  • 1846 – Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (d. 1917)
  • 1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon, co-created Corn flakes (d. 1943)
  • 1857 – Émile Coué, French psychologist and pharmacist (d. 1926)
  • 1861 – Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (d. 1948)
  • 1861 – Nadezhda Krupskaya, Russian soldier and politician (d. 1939)
  • 1866 – Herbert Henry Dow, Canadian-American businessman, founded the Dow Chemical Company (d. 1930)
  • 1877 – Henry Barwell, Australian politician, 28th Premier of South Australia (d. 1959)
  • 1877 – Rudolph Dirks, German-American illustrator (d. 1968)
  • 1879 – Frank Bridge, English viola player and composer (d. 1941)
  • 1880 – Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer (d. 1972)
  • 1881 – Janus Djurhuus, Faroese poet (d. 1948)
  • 1882 – Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (d. 1968)
  • 1885 – Aleksandras Stulginskis, Lithuanian farmer and politician, 2nd President of Lithuania (d. 1969)
  • 1887 – Grover Cleveland Alexander, American baseball player and coach (d. 1950)
  • 1887 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (d. 1966)
  • 1887 – Stefan Grabiński, Polish author and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1893 – Wallace Fard Muhammad, American religious leader, founded the Nation of Islam (disappeared 1934)
  • 1893 – Dorothy Whipple, English novelist (d. 1966)
  • 1896 – Andrei Zhdanov, Ukrainian-Russian civil servant and politician (d. 1948)
  • 1899 – Max Petitpierre, Swiss jurist and politician, 54th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1994)
  • 1900 – Halina Konopacka, Polish discus thrower and poet (d. 1989)
  • 1900 – Fritz Wiessner, German-American mountaineer (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Jean Bruller, French author and illustrator, co-founded Les Éditions de Minuit (d. 1991)
  • 1903 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1903 – Orde Wingate, English general (d. 1944)
  • 1906 – Madeleine Carroll, English actress (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Tex Avery, American animator, producer, and voice actor (d. 1980)
  • 1908 – Nestor Mesta Chayres, Mexican operatic tenor and bolero vocalist (d. 1971)
  • 1908 – Jean-Pierre Wimille, French race car driver (d. 1949)
  • 1909 – Fanny Cradock, English chef, author, and critic (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Talal of Jordan (d. 1972)
  • 1910 – Vic Woodley, English footballer (d. 1978)
  • 1911 – Tarō Okamoto, Japanese painter and sculptor (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Dane Clark, American actor and director (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – George Barker, English author and poet (d. 1991)
  • 1914 – Robert Alda, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1986)
  • 1916 – Jackie Gleason, American actor and singer (d. 1987)
  • 1918 – Otis R. Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Pyotr Masherov, Leader of Soviet Belarus (d. 1980)
  • 1918 – Theodore Sturgeon, American author and critic (d. 1985)
  • 1919 – Mason Adams, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Danny Gardella, American baseball player and trainer (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Tony Randall, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
  • 1922 – Bill Johnston, Australian cricketer and businessman (d. 2007)
  • 1922 – Margaret Leighton, English actress (d. 1976)
  • 1924 – Noboru Takeshita, Japanese soldier and politician, 74th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2000)
  • 1924 – Marc Bucci, American composer, lyricist, and dramatist (d. 2002)
  • 1925 – Everton Weekes, Barbadian cricketer and referee
  • 1926 – Doris Belack, American actress (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Verne Gagne, American football player, wrestler, and trainer (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Tom Kennedy, American game show host and actor
  • 1928 – Fats Domino, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Ally MacLeod, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1931 – Robert Novak, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Josephine Tewson, English actress
  • 1932 – Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2003)
  • 1933 – James Goldsmith, French-British businessman and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1934 – Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, Algerian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1936 – José Policarpo, Portuguese cardinal (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – Paul Dickson, American football player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Chuck Wepner, American professional boxer
  • 1940 – Oldřich Kulhánek, Czech painter, illustrator, and stage designer (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Jozef Adamec, Slovak footballer and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1943 – Paul Cotton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Bill Duke, American actor and director
  • 1943 – Dante Ferretti, Italian art director and costume designer
  • 1943 – Bob “The Bear” Hite, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1981)
  • 1944 – Christopher Hope, South African author and poet
  • 1944 – Ronald Lauder, American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Austria
  • 1945 – Peter Brock, Australian race car driver (d. 2006)
  • 1945 – Marta Kristen, Norwegian-American actress
  • 1945 – Mitch Ryder, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Colin Bell, English footballer
  • 1946 – Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
  • 1947 – Sandie Shaw, English singer and psychotherapist
  • 1948 – Sharyn McCrumb, American author
  • 1949 – Simon Crean, Australian trade union leader and politician, 14th Australian Minister for the Arts
  • 1949 – Elizabeth George, American author and educator
  • 1949 – Emma Kirkby, English soprano
  • 1950 – Jonathan Cain, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1950 – Helen Clark, New Zealand academic and politician, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand
  • 1951 – Steve Bell, English cartoonist
  • 1951 – Wayne Goss, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Premier of Queensland (d. 2014)
  • 1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1954 – Prince Ernst August of Hanover
  • 1954 – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish politician, 12th President of Turkey
  • 1955 – Andreas Maislinger, Austrian historian and academic, founded the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
  • 1956 – Michel Houellebecq, French author, poet, screenwriter, and director
  • 1957 – David Beasley, American lawyer and politician, 113th Governor of South Carolina
  • 1957 – Joe Mullen, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1957 – Keena Rothhammer, American swimmer
  • 1958 – Paul Ackford, English rugby player
  • 1958 – Greg Germann, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Susan Helms, American general, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1958 – Tim Kaine, American lawyer and politician, 70th Governor of Virginia
  • 1959 – Rolando Blackman, American basketball player and coach
  • 1959 – Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish political scientist, academic, and politician, 37th Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1960 – Jaz Coleman, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1962 – Ahn Cheol-soo, South Korean physician, academic, and politician
  • 1963 – Chase Masterson, American actress, singer, and activist
  • 1965 – James Mitchell, American wrestler and manager
  • 1966 – Garry Conille, Haitian physician and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Haiti
  • 1966 – Marc Fortier, French-Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1966 – Najwa Karam, Lebanese singer
  • 1967 – Mark Carroll, Australian rugby league player
  • 1967 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese footballer
  • 1968 – Tim Commerford, American bass player
  • 1969 – Hitoshi Sakimoto, Japanese composer and producer
  • 1970 – Mark Harper, English accountant and politician, Minister of State for Immigration
  • 1970 – Scott Mahon, Australian rugby league player
  • 1971 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1971 – Max Martin, Swedish-American record producer and songwriter
  • 1971 – Hélène Segara, French singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1973 – Marshall Faulk, American football player
  • 1973 – Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Norwegian footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Jenny Thompson, American swimmer
  • 1974 – Sébastien Loeb, French race car driver
  • 1974 – Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, Filipina television actress, host and equestrienne
  • 1976 – Nalini Anantharaman, French mathematician
  • 1976 – Chad Urmston, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1977 – Marty Reasoner, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1977 – Tim Thomas, American basketball player
  • 1977 – Shane Williams, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1978 – Abdoulaye Faye, Senegalese footballer
  • 1979 – Corinne Bailey Rae, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Steve Evans, Welsh footballer
  • 1979 – Pedro Mendes, Portuguese international footballer, midfielder
  • 1980 – Steve Blake, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Kertus Davis, American race car driver
  • 1981 – Oh Seung-bum, South Korean footballer
  • 1982 – Li Na, Chinese tennis player
  • 1982 – Matt Prior, South African-English cricketer
  • 1982 – Nate Ruess, American singer-songwriter
  • 1983 – Jerome Harrison, American football player
  • 1983 – Pepe, Brazilian-Portuguese footballer
  • 1984 – Emmanuel Adebayor, Togolese international footballer, forward
  • 1984 – Natalia Lafourcade, Mexican singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Beren Saat, Turkish actress
  • 1985 – Fernando Llorente, Spanish international footballer, striker
  • 1986 – Hannah Kearney, American skier
  • 1989 – Gabriel Obertan, French footballer
  • 1990 – Kateřina Cachová, Czech heptathlete
  • 1990 – Takanoiwa Yoshimori, Mongolian sumo wrestler
  • 1991 – Lee Chae-rin, South Korean singer
  • 1992 – Mikael Granlund, Finnish professional hockey player
  • 1992 – Michael Chee Kam, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1997 – Reghan Tumilty, Scottish footballer

Deaths on February 26

  • 420 – Porphyry of Gaza, Greek bishop and saint (b. 347)
  • 943 – Muirchertach mac Néill, king of Ailech (Ireland)
  • 1154 – Roger II of Sicily (b. 1093)
  • 1266 – Manfred, King of Sicily (b. 1232)
  • 1275 – Margaret of England, Queen consort of Scots (b. 1240)
  • 1349 – Fatima bint al-Ahmar, Nasrid princess in the Emirate of Granada (b. c.1260)
  • 1360 – Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English commander (b. 1328)
  • 1462 – John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, English politician (b. 1408)
  • 1548 – Lorenzino de’ Medici, Italian writer and assassin (b. 1514)
  • 1577 – Eric XIV of Sweden (b. 1533)
  • 1603 – Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, spouse of Maximilian II (b. 1528)
  • 1608 – John Still, English bishop (b. 1543)
  • 1611 – Antonio Possevino, Italian priest and diplomat (b. 1533)
  • 1625 – Anna Vasa of Sweden, Polish and Swedish princess (b. 1568)
  • 1630 – William Brade, English violinist and composer (b. 1560)
  • 1638 – Claude Gaspard Bachet de Méziriac, French mathematician and linguist (b. 1581)
  • 1723 – Thomas d’Urfey, English poet and playwright (b. 1653)
  • 1726 – Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (b. 1662)
  • 1770 – Giuseppe Tartini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1692)
  • 1790 – Joshua Rowley, English admiral (b. 1730)
  • 1802 – Esek Hopkins, American admiral (b. 1718)
  • 1806 – Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, Haitian-French general (b. 1762)
  • 1813 – Robert R. Livingston, American lawyer and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs (b. 1746)
  • 1815 – Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. 1737)
  • 1821 – Joseph de Maistre, French lawyer and diplomat (b. 1753)
  • 1864 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, Canadian jurist and politician, 3rd Premier of Canada East (b. 1807)
  • 1883 – Alexandros Koumoundouros, Greek lawyer and politician, 56th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1817)
  • 1887 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, First Indian women physician (b. 1865)
  • 1889 – Karl Davydov, Russian cellist and composer (b. 1838)
  • 1903 – Richard Jordan Gatling, American engineer, invented the Gatling gun (b. 1818)
  • 1906 – Jean Lanfray, Swiss convicted murderer (b. 1874)
  • 1913 – Felix Draeseke, German composer and academic (b. 1835)
  • 1921 – Carl Menger, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (b. 1840)
  • 1930 – Mary Whiton Calkins, American philosopher and psychologist (b. 1863)
  • 1931 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1847)
  • 1936 – February 26 Incident:
    • Takahashi Korekiyo, Japanese accountant and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1854)
    • Saitō Makoto, Japanese admiral and politician, 30th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1858)
    • Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (b. 1874)
  • 1943 – Theodor Eicke, German general (b. 1892)
  • 1945 – Sándor Szurmay, Minister of Defence of the Hungarian portion of Austria-Hungary (b. 1860)
  • 1947 – Heinrich Häberlin, Swiss judge and politician, President of the Swiss National Council (b. 1868)
  • 1950 – Harry Lauder, Scottish comedian and singer (b. 1870)
  • 1951 – Sabiha Kasimati, Albanian ichthyologist (b. 1912) executed with 20 others
  • 1952 – Theodoros Pangalos, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (b. 1878)
  • 1961 – Karl Albiker, German sculptor, lithographer, and educator (b. 1878)
  • 1961 – Mohammed V of Morocco (b. 1909)
  • 1966 – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian poet and politician (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Levi Eshkol, Israeli soldier and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1895)
  • 1969 – Karl Jaspers, German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher (b. 1883)
  • 1981 – Robert Aickman, English author and activist (b. 1914)
  • 1981 – Howard Hanson, American composer, conductor, and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1985 – Tjalling Koopmans, Dutch-American economist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
  • 1989 – Roy Eldridge, American trumpet player (b. 1911)
  • 1993 – Constance Ford, American model and actress (b. 1923)
  • 1994 – Bill Hicks, American comedian (b. 1961)
  • 1995 – Jack Clayton, English director and producer (b. 1921)
  • 1997 – David Doyle, American actor (b. 1929)
  • 1998 – Theodore Schultz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 2000 – George L. Street III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Lawrence Tierney, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 2004 – Adolf Ehrnrooth, Finnish general (b. 1905)
  • 2004 – Boris Trajkovski, Macedonian politician, 2nd President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1956)
  • 2005 – Jef Raskin, American computer scientist, created Macintosh (b. 1943)
  • 2006 – Georgina Battiscombe, British biographer (b. 1905)
  • 2008 – Bodil Udsen, Danish actress (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – Johnny Kerr, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1932)
  • 2009 – Wendy Richard, English actress (b. 1943)
  • 2009 – Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Jun Seba, also known as “Nujabes”, Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger (b. 1974)
  • 2011 – Arnošt Lustig, Czech author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Richard Carpenter, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Marie-Claire Alain, French organist and educator (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Stéphane Hessel, German-French diplomat and author (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Simon Li, Hong Kong judge and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Sorel Etrog, Romanian-Canadian sculptor, painter, and illustrator (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Phyllis Krasilovsky, American author and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Paco de Lucía, Spanish guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Sheppard Frere, English historian and archaeologist (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, educator, and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Earl Lloyd, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Tom Schweich, American lawyer and politician, 36th State Auditor of Missouri (b. 1960)
  • 2016 – Andy Bathgate, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Don Getty, Canadian football player and politician, 11th Premier of Alberta (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Joseph Wapner, American lieutenant and judge (b. 1919)

Holidays and observances on February 26

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexander of Alexandria
    • Emily Malbone Morgan (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Isabelle of France
    • Li Tim-Oi (Anglican Church of Canada)
    • Porphyry of Gaza
    • February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • The first day of Ayyám-i-Há (Bahá’í Faith) (Please note that this observance is only locked into this date the Gregorian calendar on this date if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz takes place on March 21, which it doesn’t in all years)
  • Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly Massacre (Azerbaijan)
  • Liberation Day (Kuwait)
  • Saviours’ Day (Nation of Islam)

February 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

For superstitious reasons, when the Romans began to intercalate to bring their calendar into line with the solar year, they chose not to place their extra month of Mercedonius after February but within it. February 24 — known in the Roman calendar as “the sixth day before the Kalends of March” — was replaced by the first day of this month since it followed Terminalia, the festival of the Roman god of boundaries. After the end of Mercedonius, the rest of the days of February were observed and the new year began with the first day of March. The overlaid religious festivals of February were so complicated that Julius Caesar opted not to change it at all during his 46 bc calendar reform. The extra day of his system’s leap years was located in the same place as the old intercalary month but he opted to ignore it as a date. Instead, the sixth day before the Kalends of March was simply said to last for 48 hours and all the other days continued to bear their original names. (The Roman practice of inclusive counting initially caused the priests in charge of the calendar to add the extra hours every three years instead of every four and Augustus was obliged to omit them for a span of decades until the system was back to where it should have been.) When the extra hours finally began to be reckoned as two separate days instead of a doubled sixth (“bissextile”) one, the leap day was still taken to be the one following hard on the February 23 Terminalia. Although February 29 has been popularly understood as the leap day of leap years since the beginning of sequential reckoning of the days of months in the late Middle Ages, in Britain and most other countries, no formal replacement of February 24 as the leap day of the Julian and Gregorian calendars has occurred. The exceptions include Sweden and Finland, who enacted legislation to move the day to February 29. This custom still has some effect around the world, for example with respect to name days in Hungary.

February 24 in History

  • 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
  • 1303 – Battle of Roslin, of the First War of Scottish Independence.
  • 1386 – King Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at Buda.
  • 1525 – A Spanish-Austrian army defeats a French army at the Battle of Pavia.
  • 1538 – Treaty of Nagyvárad between Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and King John Zápolya of Hungary and Croatia.
  • 1582 – With the papal bull Inter gravissimas, Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1607 – L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance.
  • 1711 – The London première of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.
  • 1739 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah.
  • 1803 – In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the principle of judicial review.
  • 1809 – London’s Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute.
  • 1821 – Final stage of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain with Plan of Iguala.
  • 1822 – The first Swaminarayan temple in the world, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, is inaugurated.
  • 1826 – The signing of the Treaty of Yandabo marks the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War.
  • 1831 – The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
  • 1848 – King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
  • 1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
  • 1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
  • 1868 – Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. He is later acquitted in the Senate.
  • 1875 – The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high-profile civil servants and dignitaries.
  • 1881 – China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.
  • 1895 – Revolution breaks out in Baire, a town near Santiago de Cuba, beginning the Cuban War of Independence, that ends with the Spanish–American War in 1898.
  • 1916 – The Governor-General of Korea establishes a clinic called Jahyewon in Sorokdo to segregate Hansen’s disease patients.
  • 1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
  • 1918 – Estonian Declaration of Independence.
  • 1920 – Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.
  • 1920 – The Nazi Party (NSDAP) was founded by Adolf Hitler in the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany
  • 1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles: A false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.
  • 1942 – An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations of the War Measures Act gives the Canadian federal government the power to intern all “persons of Japanese racial origin”.
  • 1944 – Merrill’s Marauders: The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese-occupied Burma.
  • 1945 – Egyptian Premier Ahmad Mahir Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.
  • 1946 – Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, is elected to his first term as President of Argentina.
  • 1949 – The Armistice Agreements are signed, to formally end the hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
  • 1971 – The All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, is killed three days earlier. P.K. Mookiah Thevar is appointed as the new chairman.
  • 1976 – The current constitution of Cuba is formally proclaimed.
  • 1978 – The Yuba County Five disappear in California. Four of their bodies are found four months later.
  • 1980 – The United States Olympic hockey team completes its Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4–2 to win the gold medal.
  • 1981 – The 6.7 Ms Gulf of Corinth earthquake affected Central Greece with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Twenty-two people were killed, 400 were injured, and damage totaled $812 million.
  • 1983 – A special commission of the United States Congress condemns the Japanese American internment during World War II.
  • 1984 – Tyrone Mitchell perpetrates the 49th Street Elementary School shooting in Los Angeles, killing two children and injuring 12 more.
  • 1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus beginning the ground phase of the war.
  • 1996 – Two civilian airplanes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue are shot down in international waters by the Cuban Air Force.
  • 1999 – China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft, crashes on approach to Wenzhou Longwan International Airport in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. All 61 people on board are killed.
  • 2004 – The 6.3 Mw Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern Morocco with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
  • 2006 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.
  • 2007 – Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.
  • 2008 – Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another three years.
  • 2015 – A Metrolink train derails in Oxnard, California following a collision with a truck, leaving more than 30 injured.
  • 2016 – Tara Air Flight 193, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed, with 23 fatalities, in Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone, while en route from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.

Births on February 24

  • 1103 – Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156)
  • 1304 – Ibn Battuta, Moroccan jurist
  • 1413 – Louis, Duke of Savoy (d. 1465)
  • 1463 – Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher (d. 1494)
  • 1494 – Johan Friis, Danish statesman (d. 1570)
  • 1500 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1558)
  • 1536 – Pope Clement VIII (d. 1605)
  • 1545 – John of Austria (d. 1578)
  • 1553 – Cherubino Alberti, Italian engraver and painter (d. 1615)
  • 1557 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1619)
  • 1593 – Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and courtier (d. 1625)
  • 1595 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (d. 1640)
  • 1604 – Arcangela Tarabotti, Venetian nun and feminist (d. 1652)
  • 1619 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (d. 1690)
  • 1622 – Johannes Clauberg, German theologian and philosopher (d. 1665)
  • 1709 – Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (d. 1782)
  • 1721 – John McKinly, Irish-American physician and politician, 1st Governor of Delaware (d. 1796)
  • 1723 – John Burgoyne, English general and politician (d. 1792)
  • 1736 – Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1806)
  • 1743 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and explorer (d. 1820)
  • 1762 – Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer and educator (d. 1830)
  • 1767 – Rama II of Siam (d. 1824)
  • 1774 – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (d. 1850)
  • 1786 – Martin W. Bates, American lawyer and politician (d. 1869)
  • 1786 – Wilhelm Grimm, German anthropologist, author, and academic (d. 1859)
  • 1788 – Johan Christian Dahl, Norwegian-German painter (d. 1857)
  • 1827 – Lydia Becker, English-French activist (d. 1890)
  • 1831 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1899)
  • 1835 – Julius Vogel, English-New Zealand journalist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1899)
  • 1836 – Winslow Homer, American painter and illustrator (d. 1910)
  • 1837 – Rosalía de Castro, Spanish poet (d. 1885)
  • 1842 – Arrigo Boito, Italian journalist, author, and composer (d. 1918)
  • 1848 – Andrew Inglis Clark, Australian engineer, lawyer, and politician (d. 1907)
  • 1852 – George Moore, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
  • 1868 – Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (d. 1949)
  • 1869 – Zara DuPont, American suffragist (d. 1946)
  • 1874 – Honus Wagner, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1955)
  • 1877 – Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1972)
  • 1877 – Ettie Rout, Australian-New Zealand educator and activist (d. 1936)
  • 1885 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (d. 1966)
  • 1885 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish author, poet, and painter (d. 1939)
  • 1890 – Marjorie Main, American actress (d. 1975)
  • 1896 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1898 – Kurt Tank, German pilot and engineer (d. 1983)
  • 1900 – Irmgard Bartenieff, German-American dancer and physical therapist, leading pioneer of dance therapy (d. 1981)
  • 1903 – Vladimir Bartol, Italian-Slovene author and playwright (d. 1967)
  • 1908 – Telford Taylor, American general, lawyer, and historian (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – August Derleth, American anthologist and author (d. 1971)
  • 1914 – Ralph Erskine, English-Swedish architect, designed The Ark and Byker Wall (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Weldon Kees, American author, poet, painter, and pianist (d. 1955)
  • 1915 – Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (d. 1986)
  • 1919 – John Carl Warnecke, American architect (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – Richard Hamilton, English painter and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Steven Hill, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Hal Herring, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Erik Nielsen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Kintaro Ohki, South Korean wrestler (d. 2006)
  • 1930 – Barbara Lawrence, American model and actress (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Dominic Chianese, American actor and singer
  • 1931 – Brian Close, English cricketer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Michel Legrand, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Zell Miller, American sergeant and politician, 79th Governor of Georgia (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1933 – Judah Folkman, American physician and biologist (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – David “Fathead” Newman, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1934 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2000)
  • 1934 – Johnny Hills, English footballer, full-back
  • 1934 – Renata Scotto, Italian soprano
  • 1935 – Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet, essayist, and translator (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Guillermo O’Donnell, Argentine political scientist (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – James Farentino, American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Phil Knight, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Nike, Inc.
  • 1939 – Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)
  • 1940 – Jimmy Ellis, American boxer (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Denis Law, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1941 – Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress
  • 1942 – Colin Bond, Australian race car driver
  • 1942 – Paul Jones, English singer, harmonica player, and actor
  • 1942 – Joe Lieberman, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Indian philosopher, theorist, and academic
  • 1943 – Kent Haruf, American novelist (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Gigi Meroni, Italian footballer (d. 1967)
  • 1943 – Pablo Milanés, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Terry Semel, American businessman
  • 1944 – Nicky Hopkins, English keyboard player (d. 1994)
  • 1944 – Ivica Račan, Croatian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Barry Bostwick, American actor and singer
  • 1946 – Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1947 – Mike Fratello, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1947 – Rupert Holmes, English-American singer-songwriter and playwright
  • 1947 – Edward James Olmos, American actor and director
  • 1948 – Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (d. 2016)
  • 1948 – Walter Smith, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Tim Staffell, English singer and guitarist
  • 1948 – Dennis Waterman, English actor
  • 1950 – Steve McCurry, American photographer and journalist
  • 1951 – David Ford, Northern Irish social worker and politician
  • 1951 – Derek Randall, English cricketer
  • 1951 – Debra Jo Rupp, American actress
  • 1951 – Helen Shaver, Canadian actress and director
  • 1951 – Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian economist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Latvia
  • 1953 – Anatoli Kozhemyakin, Soviet footballer (d. 1974)
  • 1954 – Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Judith Ortiz Cofer, Puerto Rican American award-winning author (d. 2016)
  • 1954 – Aurora Levins Morales, Puerto Rican Jewish writer and activist
  • 1954 – Sid Meier, Canadian-American game designer and programmer, created the Civilization series
  • 1954 – Mike Pickering, English DJ and saxophonist
  • 1955 – Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founded Apple Inc. and Pixar (d. 2011)
  • 1955 – Eddie Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1955 – Alain Prost, French race car driver
  • 1956 – Judith Butler, American philosopher, theorist, and author
  • 1956 – Eddie Murray, American baseball player and coach
  • 1956 – Paula Zahn, American journalist and producer
  • 1958 – Sammy Kershaw, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1958 – Mark Moses, American actor
  • 1959 – Beth Broderick, American actress and director
  • 1959 – Mike Whitney, Australian cricketer and television host
  • 1963 – Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
  • 1963 – Mike Vernon, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1963 – Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gujarati family, most versatile filmmaker of Hindi cinema.
  • 1964 – Russell Ingall, British-Australian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Paul Gruber, American football player
  • 1965 – Jane Swift, American businesswoman and politician, Governor of Massachusetts
  • 1966 – Billy Zane, American actor and producer
  • 1967 – Brian Schmidt, Australian astrophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1968 – Mitch Hedberg, American comedian and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1969 – Kim Seung-woo, South Korean actor
  • 1970 – Jeff Garcia, American football player and coach
  • 1970 – Neil Sullivan, English born Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
  • 1970 – Jonathan Ward, American actor
  • 1971 – Josh Bernstein, American anthropologist, explorer, and author
  • 1971 – Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish race car driver
  • 1971 – Brian Savage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Teodor Currentzis, Greek conductor and composer
  • 1972 – Manon Rhéaume, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1973 – Stubby Clapp, Canadian baseball player and coach
  • 1973 – Chris Fehn, American drummer
  • 1973 – Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player and pilot
  • 1974 – Chad Hugo, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1974 – Mike Lowell, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Bonnie Somerville, American actress
  • 1975 – Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
  • 1976 – Crista Flanagan, American actress and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Zach Johnson, American golfer
  • 1976 – Bradley McGee, Australian cyclist and coach
  • 1976 – Matt Skiba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Marco Campos, Brazilian Formula 3000 race car driver (d. 1995)
  • 1977 – Jason Akermanis, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1977 – Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player and singer
  • 1977 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., American boxer
  • 1978 – Gary, South Korean rapper and producer
  • 1978 – Shinya, Japanese drummer and songwriter
  • 1978 – John Nolan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – DeWayne Wise, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Leon Constantine, English footballer
  • 1980 – Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
  • 1981 – Felipe Baloy, Panamanian footballer
  • 1981 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
  • 1981 – Mauro Rosales, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1982 – Nick Blackburn, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Emanuel Villa, Argentinian footballer
  • 1982 – Klára Koukalová, Czech tennis player
  • 1982 – Fala Chen, Chinese actress and singer
  • 1984 – Corey Graves, American wrestler and sportscaster
  • 1985 – Nakash Aziz, Indian playback singer and music composer
  • 1987 – Kim Kyu-jong, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor
  • 1988 – Mathieu Baudry, French footballer
  • 1989 – Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1991 – Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
  • 1991 – Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
  • 1996 – Royce Freeman, American football player

Deaths on February 24

  • 616 – Æthelberht of Kent (b. 560)
  • 951 – Liu Yun, Chinese governor (jiedushi)
  • 1018 – Borrell, bishop of Vic
  • 1114 – Thomas, archbishop of York
  • 1386 – Charles III of Naples (b. 1345)
  • 1496 – Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1445)
  • 1525 – Jacques de La Palice, French nobleman and military officer (b. 1470)
  • 1525 – Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet, French soldier (b. c. 1488)
  • 1525 – Richard de la Pole, last Yorkist claimant to the English throne (b. 1480)
  • 1563 – Francis, Duke of Guise (b. 1519)
  • 1580 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (b. 1511)
  • 1588 – Johann Weyer, Dutch physician and occultist (b. 1515)
  • 1666 – Nicholas Lanier, English composer and painter (b. 1588)
  • 1685 – Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland (b. 1629)
  • 1704 – Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (b. 1643)
  • 1714 – Edmund Andros, English courtier and politician, 4th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1637)
  • 1721 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1648)
  • 1732 – Francis Charteris, Scottish soldier (b. 1675)
  • 1777 – Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714)
  • 1785 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican lawyer and politician (b. 1746)
  • 1799 – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German physicist and academic (b. 1742)
  • 1810 – Henry Cavendish, French-English physicist and chemist (b. 1731)
  • 1812 – Étienne-Louis Malus, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775)
  • 1815 – Robert Fulton, American engineer (b. 1765)
  • 1825 – Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (b. 1754)
  • 1856 – Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1792)
  • 1876 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian politician, 1st President of Liberia (b. 1809)
  • 1879 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 11th Yokozuna (b. 1825)
  • 1910 – Osman Hamdi Bey, Greek archaeologist and painter (b. 1842)
  • 1914 – Joshua Chamberlain, American general and politician, 32nd Governor of Maine (b. 1828)
  • 1925 – Hjalmar Branting, Swedish journalist and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Sweden, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
  • 1927 – Edward Marshall Hall, English lawyer and politician (b. 1858)
  • 1929 – André Messager, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1853)
  • 1930 – Hermann von Ihering, German-Brazilian zoologist (b. 1850)
  • 1953 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (b. 1895)
  • 1953 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (b. 1875)
  • 1967 – Mir Osman Ali Khan, Last Nizam of Hyderabad State (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (b. 1897)
  • 1974 – Margaret Leech, American historian and author (b. 1895)
  • 1975 – Hans Bellmer, German artist (b. 1902)
  • 1975 – Nikolai Bulganin, Russian marshal and politician, 6th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1895)
  • 1978 – Alma Thomas, American painter and educator (b.1891)
  • 1982 – Virginia Bruce, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1986 – Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian Bharatnatyam dancer (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (b. 1945)
  • 1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American sergeant and publisher (b. 1917)
  • 1990 – Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th President of Italy (b. 1896)
  • 1990 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
  • 1991 – John Daly, American journalist and game show host (b. 1914)
  • 1991 – George Gobel, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1991 – Webb Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Danny Gallivan, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1917)
  • 1993 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (b. 1941)
  • 1994 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
  • 1998 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban-American cartoonist (b. 1921)
  • 1998 – Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and violinist (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist (b. 1936)
  • 2001 – Theodore Marier, American composer and educator, founded the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician, cryptographer, and engineer (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Leo Ornstein, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1893)
  • 2004 – John Randolph, American actor (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Coşkun Kırca, Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Octavia E. Butler, American author and educator (b. 1947)
  • 2006 – Don Knotts, American actor and comedian (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – John Martin, Canadian broadcaster, co-founded MuchMusic (b. 1947)
  • 2006 – Dennis Weaver, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (b. 1906)
  • 2007 – Damien Nash, American football player (b. 1982)
  • 2008 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Dawn Brancheau, senior animal trainer at SeaWorld (b. 1969)
  • 2011 – Anant Pai, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Virgil Johnson, American singer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Franny Beecher, American guitarist (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Alexis Hunter, New Zealand-English painter and photographer (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Carlos Páez Vilaró, Uruguayan painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Harold Ramis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Mefodiy, Ukrainian metropolitan (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and diplomat (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (b. 1943)
  • 2016 – Nabil Maleh, Syrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – George C. Nichopoulos, American soldier and physician (b. 1927)
  • 2018 – Sridevi, Indian actress (b. 1963)
  • 2020 – Katherine Johnson, American physicist and mathematician (b. 1918)

Holidays and observances on February 24

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
    • Lindel Tsen and Paul Sasaki (Anglican Church of Canada)
    • Modest (bishop of Trier)
    • Sergius of Cappadocia
    • February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dragobete (Romania)
  • Engineer’s Day (Iran)
  • Flag Day in Mexico
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
  • National Artist Day (Thailand)

February 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
  • 1268 – The Battle of Wesenberg is fought between the Livonian Order and Dovmont of Pskov.
  • 1332 – Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces.
  • 1478 – George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London.
  • 1637 – Eighty Years’ War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepts an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them.
  • 1781 – Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana).
  • 1791 – Congress passes a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau.
  • 1861 – In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1861 – With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy.
  • 1873 – Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities.
  • 1878 – John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
  • 1885 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: Imperial forces suffer their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg.
  • 1906 – Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels.
  • 1911 – The first official flight with airmail takes place from Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (now India), when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivers 6,500 letters to Naini, about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) away.
  • 1930 – While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.
  • 1930 – Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft.
  • 1932 – The Empire of Japan creates the independent state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) free from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Aisin Gioro Puyi as Chief Executive of the State.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre, the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed “Nanking International Rescue Committee”, and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement.
  • 1943 – World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech.
  • 1946 – Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in Bombay harbour, from where the action spreads throughout the Provinces of British India, involving 78 ships, twenty shore establishments and 20,000 sailors
  • 1947 – First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to mountains.
  • 1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles.
  • 1955 – Operation Teapot: Teapot test shot “Wasp” is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots in the Teapot series.
  • 1957 – Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government.
  • 1957 – Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand.
  • 1965 – The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
  • 1970 – The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
  • 1972 – The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, (6 Cal.3d 628) invalidates the state’s death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment.
  • 1977 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden “flight” on top of a Boeing 747.
  • 1979 – Richard Petty wins a then-record sixth Daytona 500 after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the final lap of the first NASCAR race televised live flag-to-flag.
  • 1983 – Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee massacre in Seattle. It is said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in U.S. history.
  • 1991 – The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London.
  • 2001 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
  • 2001 – Sampit conflict: Inter-ethnic violence between Dayaks and Madurese breaks out in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, ultimately resulting in more than 500 deaths and 100,000 Madurese displaced from their homes.
  • 2003 – Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
  • 2004 – Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.
  • 2007 – Samjhauta Express bombings occurred around midnight in Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of New Delhi, India.
  • 2010 – WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.
  • 2013 – Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium.
  • 2014 – At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kiev, Ukraine.

Births on February 18

  • 1201 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (d. 1274)
  • 1372 – Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Egyptian jurist and scholar (d. 1448)
  • 1486 – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Indian monk and saint (d. 1534)
  • 1516 – Mary I of England (d. 1558)
  • 1530 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese daimyō (d. 1578)
  • 1543 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1608)
  • 1547 – Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī, founder of Isfahan School of Islamic Philosophy (d. 1621)
  • 1559 – Isaac Casaubon, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1614)
  • 1589 – Henry Vane the Elder, English politician (d. 1655)
  • 1589 – Maarten Gerritsz Vries, Dutch explorer (d. 1646)
  • 1602 – Per Brahe the Younger, Swedish soldier and politician, Governor-General of Finland (d. 1680)
  • 1609 – Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, English historian and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1674)
  • 1626 – Francesco Redi, Italian physician (d. 1697)
  • 1632 – Giovanni Battista Vitali, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1692)
  • 1642 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (d. 1698)
  • 1658 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French philosopher and author (d. 1743)
  • 1732 – Johann Christian Kittel, German organist and composer (d. 1809)
  • 1745 – Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist, invented the battery (d. 1827)
  • 1814 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American lawyer and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1817 – Lewis Armistead, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1836 – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Indian mystic and yogi (d. 1886)
  • 1838 – Ernst Mach, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1916)
  • 1846 – Wilson Barrett, English actor, playwright, and manager (d. 1904)
  • 1848 – Louis Comfort Tiffany, American stained glass artist (d. 1933)
  • 1849 – Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician (d. 1906)
  • 1850 – George Henschel, German-English singer-songwriter, pianist, and conductor (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Jean Jules Jusserand, French historian, author, and diplomat, French Ambassador to the United States (d. 1932)
  • 1860 – Anders Zorn, Swedish artist (d. 1920)
  • 1862 – Charles M. Schwab, American businessman, co-founded Bethlehem Steel (d. 1939)
  • 1867 – Hedwig Courths-Mahler, German writer (d. 1950)
  • 1870 – William Laurel Harris, American painter and author (d. 1924)
  • 1871 – Harry Brearley, English inventor (d. 1948)
  • 1883 – Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek philosopher, author, and playwright (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Henri Laurens, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1954)
  • 1893 – Maksim Haretski, Belarusian prose writer, journalist and activist (d. 1938)
  • 1890 – Edward Arnold, American actor (d. 1956)
  • 1890 – Adolphe Menjou, American actor (d. 1963)
  • 1892 – Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (d. 1944)
  • 1896 – Li Linsi, Chinese educator and diplomat (d. 1970)
  • 1898 – Enzo Ferrari, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded Ferrari (d. 1988)
  • 1898 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet and politician, 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (d. 1985)
  • 1903 – Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Queenie Leonard, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1906 – Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1909 – Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Pee Wee King, American singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Phyllis Calvert, English actress (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Jean Drapeau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1999)
  • 1919 – Jack Palance, American boxer and actor (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Bill Cullen, American game show panelist and host (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Rolande Falcinelli, French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Mary Amdur, American toxicologist and public health researcher (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Oscar Feltsman, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Eric Gairy, Grenadan politician, 1st Prime Minister of Grenada (d. 1997)
  • 1922 – Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Allan Melvin, American actor (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – George Kennedy, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Halit Kıvanç, Turkish journalist and sportscaster
  • 1925 – Ghafar Baba, Malaysian politician (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (d. 1976)
  • 1927 – Luis Arroyo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, manager, and scout (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Fazal Mahmood, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – John Warner, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Navy
  • 1928 – Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Len Deighton, English historian and author
  • 1929 – André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 1968)
  • 1931 – Johnny Hart, American cartoonist, co-created The Wizard of Id (d. 2007)
  • 1931 – Toni Morrison, American novelist and editor, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019).
  • 1931 – Swraj Paul, Baron Paul, Indian-English businessman and philanthropist
  • 1931 – John Ryden, Scottish footballer, centre half (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Bob St. Clair, American football player (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Miloš Forman, Czech-American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Yoko Ono, Japanese-American multimedia artist and musician
  • 1933 – Bobby Robson, English international footballer, inside forward and international manager (d. 2009)
  • 1933 – Mary Ure, Scottish-English actress (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2003)
  • 1934 – Dave Dunmore, English footballer, centre forward
  • 1934 – Audre Lorde, American poet, essayist, memoirist, and activist (d. 1992)
  • 1934 – Paco Rabanne, Spanish-French fashion designer
  • 1936 – Jean M. Auel, American author
  • 1938 – Manny Mota, Dominican baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 50th Yokozuna (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – István Szabó, Hungarian director and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Claude Ake, Nigerian political scientist and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1939 – Bobby Hart, American singer-songwriter
  • 1939 – Marlos Nobre, Brazilian composer
  • 1940 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Prue Leith, English restaurateur and journalist
  • 1941 – Herman Santiago, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
  • 1941 – Irma Thomas, American singer
  • 1943 – Graeme Garden, Scottish comedian, actor, and author
  • 1944 – Pat Bowlen, American businessman (d. 2019)
  • 1945 – Judy Rankin, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Michael Buerk, English journalist
  • 1947 – Dennis DeYoung, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1947 – Eliot Engel, American educator and politician
  • 1948 – Sinéad Cusack, Irish actress
  • 1948 – Bruce Francis, Australian cricketer
  • 1948 – Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (d. 2005)
  • 1949 – Gary Ridgway, American criminal, Green River Killer
  • 1950 – Nana Amba Eyiaba I, Ghanaian queen mother and advocate
  • 1950 – Cristina Ferrare, American model, actress, author, and television host
  • 1950 – John Hughes, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Cybill Shepherd, American actress and singer
  • 1951 – Queen Komal of Nepal
  • 1951 – Isabel Preysler, Filipino-Spanish journalist
  • 1952 – Randy Crawford, American jazz and R&B singer
  • 1952 – Maurice Lucas, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Juice Newton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – Bernard Valcourt, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Robbie Bachman, Canadian rock drummer
  • 1953 – Derek Pellicci, English-Australian drummer
  • 1954 – Charlie Fowler, American mountaineer, author, and photographer (d. 2006)
  • 1954 – Paul Rendall, English rugby player
  • 1954 – John Travolta, American actor and producer
  • 1955 – Cheetah Chrome, American musician
  • 1955 – Miles Tredinnick, English singer-songwriter and playwright
  • 1955 – Lisa See, American writer and novelist
  • 1956 – Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1956 – Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian businessman and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Georgia
  • 1957 – Marita Koch, German sprinter
  • 1957 – Vanna White, American model and game show host
  • 1959 – Jayne Atkinson, English-American actress
  • 1959 – James Metzger, American businessman and philanthropist
  • 1960 – Andy Moog, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1960 – Greta Scacchi, Italian-Australian actress
  • 1963 – Rob Andrew, English rugby player and cricketer
  • 1964 – Matt Dillon, American actor and director
  • 1964 – Paul Hanley, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1965 – Dr. Dre, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1966 – Phillip DeFreitas, Dominican-English cricketer
  • 1967 – Roberto Baggio, Italian footballer
  • 1967 – Colin Jackson, Welsh sprinter and hurdler
  • 1968 – Molly Ringwald, American actress
  • 1969 – Tomaž Humar, Slovenian mountaineer (d. 2009)
  • 1969 – Alexander Mogilny, Russian-American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Susan Egan, American actress and singer
  • 1970 – James H. Fowler, American political scientist and author
  • 1970 – Raine Maida, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1970 – Massimo Taibi, Italian footballer
  • 1971 – Thomas Bjorn, Danish golfer
  • 1971 – Merritt Gant, American guitarist
  • 1972 – Fabian Picardo, Gibraltarian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Gibraltar
  • 1973 – Shawn Estes, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Claude Makélélé, French footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Carrie Ann Baade, American painter and academic
  • 1974 – Jamey Carroll, American baseball player
  • 1974 – Radek Černý, Czech international footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1974 – Ruby Dhalla, Canadian chiropractor and politician
  • 1974 – Julia Butterfly Hill, American environmentalist and author
  • 1974 – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player
  • 1974 – Jillian Michaels, American fitness trainer and author
  • 1975 – Gary Neville, English footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Leilani Munter, American race car driver and environmentalist
  • 1976 – Chanda Rubin, American tennis player
  • 1976 – Bernadette Sembrano, Filipino journalist
  • 1978 – Josip Šimunić, Croatian footballer
  • 1979 – Tinu Yohannan, Indian cricketer
  • 1980 – Aivar Anniste, Estonian footballer
  • 1980 – Nik Antropov, Kazakhstani-Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1981 – Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player
  • 1981 – Alex Ríos, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Ivan Sproule, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Larry Sweeney, American wrestler and manager (d. 2011)
  • 1982 – Juelz Santana, American rapper and actor
  • 1982 – Christian Tiffert, German footballer
  • 1983 – Jermaine Jenas, English international footballer, midfielder, pundit
  • 1984 – Carlos Kameni, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Anton Ferdinand, English footballer
  • 1985 – Lee Boyd Malvo, Jamaican-American murderer
  • 1985 – Jos van Emden, Dutch cyclist
  • 1986 – Robert DeLong, American singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Marc Torrejón, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Cristian Tănase, Romanian footballer
  • 1988 – Changmin, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1990 – Didi Gregorius, Dutch baseball player
  • 1990 – Cody Hodgson, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Sebastian Neumann, German footballer
  • 1991 – Henry Surtees, English race car driver (d. 2009)
  • 1994 – Jake Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – J-Hope, South Korean rapper, dancer, singer-songwriter

Deaths on February 18

  • 675 – Colmán, bishop of Lindisfarne
  • 814 – Angilbert, Frankish monk and diplomat (b. 760)
  • 901 – Thābit ibn Qurra, Arab astronomer and physician (b. 826)
  • 999 – Gregory V, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 972)
  • 1139 – Yaropolk II, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1082)
  • 1218 – Berthold V, duke of Zähringen (b. 1160)
  • 1225 – Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk, Norman nobleman
  • 1294 – Kublai Khan, Mongol emperor (b. 1215)
  • 1379 – Albert II, duke of Mecklenburg (b. 1318)
  • 1397 – Enguerrand VII, French nobleman (b. 1340)
  • 1405 – Timur, Turco-Mongol ruler (b. 1336)
  • 1455 – Fra Angelico, Italian priest and painter (b. 1395)
  • 1478 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, English nobleman (b. 1449)
  • 1502 – Hedwig Jagiellon, duchess of Bavaria (b. 1457)
  • 1535 – Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, German magician, astrologer, and theologian (b. 1486)
  • 1546 – Martin Luther, German priest and theologian, leader of the Protestant Reformation (b. 1483)
  • 1564 – Michelangelo, Italian sculptor and painter (b. 1475)
  • 1654 – Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac, French author (b. 1594)
  • 1658 – John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck, English courtier (b. c. 1591)
  • 1683 – Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Dutch painter (b. 1620)
  • 1695 – William Phips, governor of Massachusetts (b. 1650)
  • 1712 – Louis, Dauphin of France, (b. 1682)
  • 1743 – Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, Italian noble (b. 1667)
  • 1748 – Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (b. 1677)
  • 1772 – Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Danish politician (b. 1712)
  • 1778 – Joseph Marie Terray, French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1715)
  • 1780 – Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (b. 1714)
  • 1788 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (b. 1713)
  • 1803 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet and educator (b. 1719)
  • 1851 – Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, German mathematician and academic (b. 1804)
  • 1873 – Vasil Levski, Bulgarian activist, founded the Internal Revolutionary Organization (b. 1837)
  • 1880 – Nikolay Zinin, Russian organic chemist (b. 1812)
  • 1893 – Serranus Clinton Hastings, American lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Justice of California (b. 1814)
  • 1902 – Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (b. 1812)
  • 1906 – John Batterson Stetson, American businessman, founded the John B. Stetson Company (b. 1830)
  • 1910 – Lucy Stanton, American activist (b. 1831)
  • 1911 – Billy Murdoch, Australian cricketer (b. 1854)
  • 1915 – Frank James, American soldier and criminal (b. 1843)
  • 1923 – Alois Rašín, Czech economist and politician (b. 1867)
  • 1931 – Milan Šufflay, Croatian historian, author, and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1931 – Louis Wolheim, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1880)
  • 1933 – James J. Corbett, American boxer and actor (b. 1866)
  • 1938 – David King Udall, American missionary and politician (b. 1851)
  • 1942 – Albert Payson Terhune, American journalist and author (b. 1872)
  • 1945 – Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Russian general (b. 1906)
  • 1956 – Gustave Charpentier, French composer (b. 1860)
  • 1957 – Dedan Kimathi, Kenyan rebel leader (b. 1920)
  • 1957 – Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer, astrophysicist, and academic (b. 1877)
  • 1960 – Gertrude Vanderbilt, American stage actress (b. c. 1885)
  • 1964 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (b. 1907)
  • 1966 – Robert Rossen, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1967 – J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (b. 1904)
  • 1969 – Dragiša Cvetković, Serbian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1893)
  • 1973 – Frank Costello, Italian-American gangster (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 1977 – Andy Devine, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1978 – Maggie McNamara, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 1981 – Jack Northrop, American engineer and businessman, founded the Northrop Corporation (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author (b. 1895)
  • 1989 – Mildred Burke, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1915)
  • 1990 – Richard de Zoysa, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1958)
  • 1993 – Jacqueline Hill, English actress (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Eddie Gilbert, American wrestler (b. 1961)
  • 1995 – Bob Stinson, American guitarist (b. 1959)
  • 1997 – Emily Hahn, American journalist and author (b. 1905)
  • 1998 – Harry Caray, American sportscaster (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Balthus, Polish-Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1908)
  • 2001 – Dale Earnhardt, American stock car racer and team owner (b. 1951)
  • 2001 – Eddie Mathews, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2003 – Isser Harel, Belarusian-Israeli intelligence officer (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer and guitarist (b. 1948)
  • 2008 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French director, screenwriter, and novelist (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Tayeb Salih, Sudanese journalist and author (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Miika Tenkula, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1974)
  • 2010 – John Babcock, Canadian soldier (b. 1900)
  • 2012 – George Brizan, Grenadian politician, 9th Prime Minister of Grenada (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Elizabeth Connell, South African-English soprano (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Kevin Ayers, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – Jerry Buss, American chemist and businessman (b. 1933)
  • 2014 – Mavis Gallant, Canadian-French author and playwright (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Kristof Goddaert, Belgian cyclist (b. 1986)
  • 2014 – Nikhil Baran Sengupta, Indian art director and production designer (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Maria Franziska von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (b. 1914)
  • 2015 – Cass Ballenger, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Abdul Rashid Khan, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2016 – Pantelis Pantelidis, Greek singer (b. 1983)
  • 2017 – Ivan Koloff, Canadian wrestler (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Norma McCorvey, American abortion rights activist; Plaintiff, Roe v. Wade (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Clyde Stubblefield, American drummer (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Alessandro Mendini, Italian designer and architect (b.1931)

Holidays and observances on February 18

  • Christian feast day:
    • Bernadette Soubirous (France)
    • Colmán of Lindisfarne
    • Flavian of Constantinople
    • Geltrude Comensoli
    • Simeon of Jerusalem (Western Christianity)
    • February 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dialect Day (Amami Islands, Japan)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Gambia from the United Kingdom in 1965.
  • Kurdish Students Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • National Democracy Day, celebrates the 1951 overthrow of the Rana dynasty (Nepal)
  • Wife’s Day (Konudagur) (Iceland)

February 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

February 13 in History

  • 951 – Guo Wei, a court official, leads a military coup and declares himself emperor of the new Later Zhou.
  • 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the Diploma Ottonianum, recognizing John as ruler of Rome.
  • 1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th.
  • 1462 – The Treaty of Westminster is finalised between Edward IV of England and the Scottish Lord of the Isles.
  • 1503 – Challenge of Barletta: Tournament between 13 Italian and 13 French knights near Barletta.
  • 1542 – Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, is executed for adultery.
  • 1633 – Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition.
  • 1660 – With the accession of young Charles XI of Sweden, his regents begin negotiations to end the Second Northern War.
  • 1689 – William and Mary are proclaimed co-rulers of England.
  • 1692 – Massacre of Glencoe: Almost 80 Macdonalds at Glen Coe, Scotland are killed early in the morning for not promptly pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange.
  • 1726 – Parliament of Negrete between Mapuche and Spanish authorities in Chile bring an end to the Mapuche uprising of 1723–26.
  • 1755 – Treaty of Giyanti signed by VOC, Pakubuwono III and Prince Mangkubumi. The treaty divides the Javanese kingdom of Mataram into 2: Sunanate of Surakarta and Sultanate of Yogyakarta.
  • 1849 – The delegation headed by Metropolitan bishop Andrei Șaguna hands out to the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria the General Petition of Romanian leaders in Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina, which demands that the Romanian nation be recognized.
  • 1861 – Italian unification: The Siege of Gaeta ends with the capitulation of the defending fortress, effectively bringing an end of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
  • 1867 – Work begins on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels’s primary river and creating the modern central boulevards.
  • 1880 – Thomas Edison observes Thermionic emission.
  • 1913 – The 13th Dalai Lama proclaims Tibetan independence following a period of domination by Manchu Qing dynasty and initiated a period of almost four decades of independence.
  • 1914 – Copyright: In New York City the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is established to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members.
  • 1920 – The Negro National League is formed.
  • 1931 – The British Raj completes its transfer from Calcutta to New Delhi.
  • 1935 – A jury in Flemington, New Jersey finds Bruno Hauptmann guilty of the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, the son of Charles Lindbergh.
  • 1945 – World War II: The siege of Budapest concludes with the unconditional surrender of German and Hungarian forces to the Red Army.
  • 1945 – World War II: Royal Air Force bombers are dispatched to Dresden, Germany to attack the city with a massive aerial bombardment.
  • 1951 – Korean War: Battle of Chipyong-ni, which represented the “high-water mark” of the Chinese incursion into South Korea, commences.
  • 1954 – Frank Selvy becomes the only NCAA Division I basketball player ever to score 100 points in a single game.
  • 1955 – Israel obtains four of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
  • 1960 – With the success of a nuclear test codenamed “Gerboise Bleue”, France becomes the fourth country to possess nuclear weapons.
  • 1960 – Black college students stage the first of the Nashville sit-ins at three lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • 1961 – An allegedly 500,000-year-old rock is discovered near Olancha, California, US, that appears to anachronistically encase a spark plug.
  • 1967 – American researchers discover the Madrid Codices by Leonardo da Vinci in the National Library of Spain.
  • 1975 – Fire at One World Trade Center (North Tower) of the World Trade Center in New York.
  • 1978 – Hilton bombing: a bomb explodes in a refuse truck outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, killing two refuse collectors and a policeman.
  • 1979 – An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a ​1⁄2-mile-long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
  • 1981 – A series of sewer explosions destroys more than two miles of streets in Louisville, Kentucky.
  • 1983 – A cinema fire in Turin, Italy, kills 64 people.
  • 1984 – Konstantin Chernenko succeeds the late Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
  • 1990 – German reunification: An agreement is reached on a two-stage plan to reunite Germany.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: Two laser-guided “smart bombs” destroy the Amiriyah shelter in Baghdad. Allied forces said the bunker was being used as a military communications outpost, but over 400 Iraqi civilians inside were killed.
  • 1996 – The Nepalese Civil War is initiated in the Kingdom of Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre).
  • 1999 – The last hockey game is played in Maple Leaf Gardens: the Toronto Maple Leafs lose 6–2 to the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • 2001 – An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter magnitude scale hits El Salvador, killing at least 944.
  • 2004 – The Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announces the discovery of the universe’s largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093. Astronomers named this star “Lucy” after The Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
  • 2007 – Taiwan opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou resigns as the chairman of the Kuomintang party after being indicted on charges of embezzlement during his tenure as the mayor of Taipei; Ma also announces his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election.
  • 2008 – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes a historic apology to the Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations.
  • 2010 – A bomb explodes in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India, killing 17 and injuring 60 more.
  • 2011 – For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe, are able to hunt and harvest a bison just outside Yellowstone National Park, restoring a centuries-old tradition guaranteed by a treaty signed in 1855.
  • 2012 – The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted the first launch of the European Vega rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
  • 2017 – Kim Jong-nam, brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, is assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Births on February 13

  • 1440 – Hartmann Schedel, German physician (d. 1514)
  • 1457 – Mary of Burgundy, Sovereign Duchess regnant of Burgundy, married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1482)
  • 1469 – Elia Levita, Renaissance Hebrew grammarian (d. 1549)
  • 1480 – Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (d. 1542)
  • 1523 – Valentin Naboth, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1593)
  • 1539 – Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine (d. 1582)
  • 1569 – Johann Reinhard I, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1625)
  • 1599 – Pope Alexander VII (d. 1667)
  • 1602 – William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1637)
  • 1672 – Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (d. 1731)
  • 1683 – Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Italian painter (d. 1754)
  • 1719 – George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, English admiral and politician (d. 1792)
  • 1721 – John Reid, Scottish general (d. 1807)
  • 1728 – John Hunter, Scottish surgeon and anatomist (d. 1793)
  • 1766 – Thomas Robert Malthus, English economist and scholar (d. 1834)
  • 1768 – Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, French general and politician, 15th Prime Minister of France (d. 1835)
  • 1769 – Ivan Krylov, Russian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1844)
  • 1805 – Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, German mathematician and academic (d. 1859)
  • 1811 – François Achille Bazaine, French general (d. 1888)
  • 1815 – Rufus Wilmot Griswold, American anthologist, editor, poet and critic (d. 1857)
  • 1831 – John Aaron Rawlins, American general and politician, 29th United States Secretary of War (d. 1869)
  • 1834 – Heinrich Caro, Sephardic Jewish Polish-German chemist and academic (d. 1910)
  • 1835 – Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Indian religious leader (d. 1908)
  • 1849 – Lord Randolph Churchill, English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1895)
  • 1855 – Paul Deschanel, Belgian-French politician, 11th President of France (d. 1922)
  • 1863 – Hugo Becker, German cellist and composer (d. 1941)
  • 1867 – Harold Mahony, Scottish-Irish tennis player (d. 1905)
  • 1870 – Leopold Godowsky, Polish-American pianist and composer (d. 1938)
  • 1873 – Feodor Chaliapin, Russian opera singer (d. 1938)
  • 1876 – Fritz Buelow, German-American baseball player and umpire (d. 1933)
  • 1879 – Sarojini Naidu, Indian poet and activist (d. 1949)
  • 1880 – Dimitrie Gusti, Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, historian, and philosopher (d. 1955)
  • 1881 – Eleanor Farjeon, Jewish-English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1965)
  • 1883 – Hal Chase, American baseball player and manager (d. 1947)
  • 1883 – Yevgeny Vakhtangov, Russian-Armenian actor and director (d. 1922)
  • 1884 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American pole vaulter and businessman, founded the A. C. Gilbert Company (d. 1961)
  • 1885 – Bess Truman, American wife of Harry S. Truman, 35th First Lady of the United States (d. 1982)
  • 1887 – Géza Csáth, Hungarian playwright and critic (d. 1919)
  • 1888 – Georgios Papandreou, Greek lawyer, economist, and politician, 162nd Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1968)
  • 1889 – Leontine Sagan, Austrian actress and director (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Kate Roberts, Welsh author and activist (d. 1985)
  • 1891 – Grant Wood, American painter and academic (d. 1942)
  • 1892 – Robert H. Jackson, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 57th United States Attorney General (d. 1954)
  • 1898 – Hubert Ashton, English cricketer and politician (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Barbara von Annenkoff, Russian-born German film and stage actress (d. 1979)
  • 1901 – Paul Lazarsfeld, Austrian-American sociologist and academic (d. 1976)
  • 1902 – Harold Lasswell, American political scientist and theorist (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – Georgy Beriev, Georgian-Russian engineer, founded the Beriev Aircraft Company (d. 1979)
  • 1903 – Georges Simenon, Belgian-Swiss author (d. 1989)
  • 1906 – Agostinho da Silva, Portuguese philosopher and author (d. 1994)
  • 1907 – Katy de la Cruz, Filipino-American singer and actress (d. 2004)
  • 1910 – William Shockley, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
  • 1911 – Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Indian-Pakistani poet and journalist (d. 1984)
  • 1911 – Jean Muir, American actress and educator (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Harald Riipalu, Russian-Estonian commander (d. 1961)
  • 1912 – Margaretta Scott, English actress (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Khalid of Saudi Arabia (d. 1982)
  • 1915 – Lyle Bettger, American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1915 – Aung San, Burmese general and politician, 5th Premier of British Crown Colony of Burma (d. 1947)
  • 1916 – Dorothy Bliss, American invertebrate zoologist (d. 1987)
  • 1919 – Tennessee Ernie Ford, American singer and actor (d. 1991)
  • 1919 – Eddie Robinson, American football player and coach (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Boudleaux Bryant, American songwriter (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Eileen Farrell, American soprano and educator (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Jeanne Demessieux, French pianist and composer (d. 1968)
  • 1921 – Aung Khin, Burmese painter (d. 1996)
  • 1922 – Francis Pym, Baron Pym, Welsh soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 2008)
  • 1922 – Gordon Tullock, American economist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American soldier, judge, and politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Chuck Yeager, American general and pilot; first test pilot to break the sound barrier
  • 1924 – Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, French journalist and politician (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Fay Ajzenberg-Selove, American nuclear physicist (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Gerald Regan, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Nova Scotia (d. 2019)
  • 1929 – Omar Torrijos, Panamanian commander and politician, Military Leader of Panama (d. 1981)
  • 1930 – Ernst Fuchs, Austrian painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Israel Kirzner, English-American economist, author, and academic
  • 1932 – Susan Oliver, American actress (d. 1990)
  • 1933 – Paul Biya, Cameroon politician, 2nd President of Cameroon
  • 1933 – Kim Novak, American actress
  • 1933 – Emanuel Ungaro, French fashion designer (d. 2019)
  • 1934 – George Segal, American actor
  • 1937 – Ali El-Maak, Sudanese author and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1937 – Angelo Mosca, American-Canadian football player and wrestler
  • 1938 – Oliver Reed, English actor (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Bram Peper, Dutch sociologist and politician, Mayor of Rotterdam
  • 1941 – Sigmar Polke, German painter and photographer (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Bo Svenson, Swedish-American actor, director, and producer
  • 1942 – Carol Lynley, American model and actress (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Peter Tork, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Donald E. Williams, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2016)
  • 1943 – Elaine Pagels, American theologian and academic
  • 1944 – Stockard Channing, American actress
  • 1944 – Jerry Springer, English-American television host, actor, and politician, 56th Mayor of Cincinnati
  • 1945 – Marian Dawkins, English biologist and academic
  • 1945 – King Floyd, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1945 – Simon Schama, English historian and author
  • 1945 – William Sleator, American author and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Richard Blumenthal, American sergeant and politician, 23rd Attorney General of Connecticut
  • 1946 – Janet Finch, English sociologist and academic
  • 1946 – Colin Matthews, English composer and educator
  • 1947 – Stephen Hadley, American soldier and diplomat, 21st United States National Security Advisor
  • 1947 – Mike Krzyzewski, American basketball player and coach
  • 1947 – Bogdan Tanjević, Montenegrin-Bosnian professional basketball coach
  • 1947 – Kevin Bloody Wilson, Australian comedian, singer-songwriter, and guitarist
  • 1949 – Peter Kern, Austrian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1950 – Vera Baird, English lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Peter Gabriel, English singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1952 – Ed Gagliardi, American bass player (d. 2014)
  • 1953 – Akio Sato, Japanese wrestler and manager
  • 1954 – Donnie Moore, American baseball player (d. 1989)
  • 1955 – Joe Birkett, American lawyer, judge, and politician
  • 1956 – Peter Hook, English singer, songwriter, bass player, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
  • 1957 – Denise Austin, American fitness trainer and author
  • 1958 – Pernilla August, Swedish actress
  • 1958 – Marc Emery, Canadian publisher and activist
  • 1958 – Jean-François Lisée, Canadian journalist and politician
  • 1958 – Derek Riggs, English painter and illustrator
  • 1958 – Øivind Elgenes, Norwegian vocalist, guitarist and composer
  • 1959 – Gaston Gingras, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1960 – Pierluigi Collina, Italian footballer and referee
  • 1960 – John Healey, English journalist and politician
  • 1960 – Gary Patterson, American football player and coach
  • 1960 – Artur Yusupov, Russian-German chess player and author
  • 1961 – Marc Crawford, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – cEvin Key, Canadian singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1961 – Henry Rollins, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1962 – Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Puerto Rican lawyer and politician
  • 1962 – Baby Doll, American wrestler and manager
  • 1962 – Michele Greene, American actress
  • 1964 – Stephen Bowen, American engineer, captain, and astronaut
  • 1964 – Ylva Johansson, Swedish educator and politician, Swedish Minister of Employment
  • 1965 – Peter O’Neill, Papua New Guinean accountant and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
  • 1966 – Neal McDonough, American actor and producer
  • 1966 – Jeff Waters, Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1966 – Freedom Williams, American rapper and singer
  • 1967 – Stanimir Stoilov, Bulgarian footballer and coach
  • 1968 – Kelly Hu, American actress
  • 1969 – Joyce DiDonato, American soprano and actress
  • 1970 – Karoline Krüger, Norwegian singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1971 – Sonia Evans, English singer-songwriter
  • 1971 – Mats Sundin, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1971 – Todd Williams, American baseball player
  • 1972 – Virgilijus Alekna, Lithuanian discus thrower
  • 1972 – Charlie Garner, American football player
  • 1974 – Fonzworth Bentley, American rapper and actor
  • 1974 – Robbie Williams, English singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Ben Collins, English race car driver
  • 1975 – Katie Hopkins, English media personality and columnist
  • 1976 – Jörg Bergmeister, German race car driver
  • 1976 – Shannon Nevin, Australian rugby league player
  • 1977 – Randy Moss, American football player and coach
  • 1978 – Niklas Bäckström, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Philippe Jaroussky, French countertenor
  • 1979 – Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian murderer
  • 1979 – Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
  • 1979 – Rachel Reeves, English economist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
  • 1979 – Mena Suvari, American actress and fashion designer
  • 1980 – Carlos Cotto, Puerto Rican-American wrestler and boxer
  • 1981 – Luisão, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Even Helte Hermansen, Norwegian guitarist and composer
  • 1982 – Michael Turner, American football player
  • 1983 – Mike Nickeas, Canadian baseball player
  • 1983 – Anna Watkins, English rower
  • 1984 – Hinkelien Schreuder, Dutch swimmer
  • 1985 – Kwak Ji-min, South Korean actress
  • 1986 – Luke Moore, English footballer
  • 1986 – Aqib Talib, American football player
  • 1987 – Eljero Elia, Dutch footballer
  • 1988 – Ryan Goins, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Eddy Pettybourne, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player
  • 1989 – Rodrigo Possebon, Brazilian footballer
  • 1991 – Eliaquim Mangala, French footballer
  • 1991 – Junior Roqica, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1991 – Vianney, French singer
  • 1994 – Memphis Depay, Dutch footballer

Deaths on February 13

  • 106 – Emperor He of Han (Han Hedi) of the Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty (b. AD 79)
  • 721 – Chilperic II, Frankish king (b. 672)
  • 858 – Kenneth MacAlpin, Scottish king (probable; b. 810)
  • 921 – Vratislaus I, duke of Bohemia
  • 936 – Xiao Wen, empress of the Liao Dynasty
  • 942 – Muhammad ibn Ra’iq, Abbasid emir and regent
  • 988 – Adalbert Atto, Lombard nobleman
  • 1021 – Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, Fatimid caliph (b. 985)
  • 1130 – Honorius II, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1060
  • 1141 – Béla II, king of Hungary and Croatia (b. 1110)
  • 1199 – Stefan Nemanja, Serbian grand prince (b. 1113)
  • 1219 – Minamoto no Sanetomo, Japanese shōgun (b. 1192)
  • 1332 – Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1259)
  • 1351 – Kō no Morofuyu, Japanese general
  • 1539 – Isabella d’Este, Italian noblewoman (b. 1474)
  • 1542 – Catherine Howard, English wife of Henry VIII of England (executed;b. 1521)
  • 1571 – Benvenuto Cellini, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1500)
  • 1585 – Alfonso Salmeron, Spanish priest and scholar (b. 1515)
  • 1602 – Alexander Nowell, English clergyman and theologian (b. 1507)
  • 1660 – Charles X Gustav, king of Sweden (b. 1622)
  • 1662 – Elizabeth Stuart, queen of Bohemia (b. 1596)
  • 1693 – Johann Caspar Kerll, German organist and composer (b. 1627)
  • 1727 – William Wotton, English linguist and scholar (b. 1666)
  • 1728 – Cotton Mather, American minister and author (b. 1663)
  • 1732 – Charles-René d’Hozier, French historian and author (b. 1640)
  • 1741 – Johann Joseph Fux, Austrian composer and theorist (b. 1660)
  • 1787 – Roger Joseph Boscovich, Croatian physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1711)
  • 1787 – Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes, French lawyer and politician, Foreign Minister of France (b. 1717)
  • 1813 – Samuel Ashe, American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of North Carolina (b. 1725)
  • 1818 – George Rogers Clark, American general (b. 1752)
  • 1826 – Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen, Russian general and politician, Governor-General of Baltic provinces (b. 1745)
  • 1831 – Edward Berry, English admiral (b. 1768)
  • 1837 – Mariano José de Larra, Spanish journalist and author (b. 1809)
  • 1845 – Henrik Steffens, Norwegian-German philosopher and poet (b. 1773)
  • 1877 – Costache Caragiale, Romanian actor and manager (b. 1815)
  • 1883 – Richard Wagner, German composer (b. 1813)
  • 1888 – Jean-Baptiste Lamy, French-American archbishop (b. 1814)
  • 1892 – Provo Wallis, Canadian-English admiral (b. 1791)
  • 1893 – Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Mexican intellectual and journalist (b. 1834)
  • 1905 – Konstantin Savitsky, Russian painter (b. 1844)
  • 1906 – Albert Gottschalk, Danish painter (b. 1866)
  • 1934 – József Pusztai, Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist (b. 1864)
  • 1942 – Otakar Batlička, Czech journalist (b. 1895)
  • 1942 – Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian lawyer, judge, and politician, 11th President of Brazil (b. 1865)
  • 1950 – Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer (b. 1875)
  • 1951 – Lloyd C. Douglas, American minister and author (b. 1877)
  • 1952 – Josephine Tey, Scottish author and playwright (b. 1896)
  • 1954 – Agnes Macphail, Canadian educator and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1956 – Jan Łukasiewicz, Polish mathematician and philosopher (b. 1878)
  • 1958 – Christabel Pankhurst, English activist, co-founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (b. 1880)
  • 1958 – Georges Rouault, French painter and illustrator (b. 1871)
  • 1964 – Paulino Alcántara, Filipino-Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1896)
  • 1964 – Werner Heyde, German psychiatrist and academic (b. 1902)
  • 1967 – Yoshisuke Aikawa, entrepreneur, businessman, and politician, founded Nissan Motor Company (b. 1880)
  • 1967 – Abelardo L. Rodríguez, substitute president of Mexico (1932-1934) (b. 1889)
  • 1968 – Mae Marsh, American actress (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Portia White, Canadian opera singer (b. 1911)
  • 1973 – Marinus Jan Granpré Molière, Dutch architect and educator (b. 1883)
  • 1975 – André Beaufre, French general (b. 1902)
  • 1976 – Murtala Mohammed, Nigerian general and politician, 4th President of Nigeria (b. 1938)
  • 1976 – Lily Pons, French-American soprano and actress (b. 1904)
  • 1980 – David Janssen, American actor (b. 1931)
  • 1984 – Cheong Eak Chong, Singaporean entrepreneur (b. 1888)
  • 1986 – Yuri Ivask, Russian-American poet and critic (b. 1907)
  • 1989 – Wayne Hays, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1911)
  • 1991 – Arno Breker, German sculptor and illustrator (b. 1900)
  • 1992 – Nikolay Bogolyubov, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and physicist (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Martin Balsam, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1997 – Robert Klark Graham, American eugenicist and businessman (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Mark Krasnosel’skii, Russian-Ukrainian mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Anders Aalborg, Canadian educator and politician (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – James Cooke Brown, American sociologist and author (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – John Leake, English soldier (b. 1949)
  • 2002 – Waylon Jennings, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1937)
  • 2003 – Kid Gavilán, Cuban-American boxer (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Walt Whitman Rostow, American economist; 7th United States National Security Advisor (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – François Tavenas, Canadian engineer and academic (b. 1942)
  • 2004 – Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, Chechen politician, 2nd President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (b. 1952)
  • 2005 – Nelson Briles, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1943)
  • 2005 – Lúcia Santos, Portuguese nun (b. 1907)
  • 2006 – P. F. Strawson, English philosopher and author (b. 1919)
  • 2007 – Elizabeth Jolley, English-Australian author and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Charlie Norwood, American captain and politician (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Richard Gordon Wakeford, English air marshal (b. 1922)
  • 2008 – Kon Ichikawa, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 2009 – Edward Upward, English author and educator (b. 1903)
  • 2010 – Lucille Clifton, American poet and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2010 – Dale Hawkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Russell Arms, American actor and singer (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Louise Cochrane, American-English screenwriter and producer (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Daniel C. Gerould, American playwright and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Gerry Day, American journalist and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Miles J. Jones, American pathologist and physician (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Pieter Kooijmans, Dutch judge and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for The Netherlands (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Andrée Malebranche, Haitian artist (b. 1916)
  • 2013 – Yuko Tojo, Japanese activist and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Balu Mahendra, Sri Lankan-Indian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Richard Møller Nielsen, Danish footballer and manager (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Ralph Waite, American actor and activist (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Faith Bandler, Australian activist and author (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Stan Chambers, American journalist and actor (b. 1923)
  • 2016 – O. N. V. Kurup, Indian poet and academic (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Antonin Scalia, American lawyer and judge, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (b. 1936)
  • 2017 – Ricardo Arias Calderón, Panamanian politician, Vice President (1990–1992) (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Aileen Hernandez, American union organizer and activist (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Seijun Suzuki, Japanese filmmaker (b. 1923)
  • 2017 – Kim Jong-nam, North Korean politician (b. 1971)
  • 2017 – E-Dubble, American rapper (b. 1982)
  • 2018 – Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, French-born Danish royal (b. 1934)

Holidays and observances on February 13

  • Children’s Day (Myanmar)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Absalom Jones (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Beatrice of Ornacieux
    • Castor of Karden
    • Catherine of Ricci
    • Ermenilda of Ely
    • Fulcran
    • Jordan of Saxony
    • Polyeuctus (Roman Catholic Church)
    • February 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • World Radio Day

February 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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)

February 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1258 – Mongol invasions: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, bringing the Islamic Golden Age to an end.
  • 1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn sparking the revolution in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
  • 1355 – The St Scholastica Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days.
  • 1502 – Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India.
  • 1567 – Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, is found strangled following an explosion at the Kirk o’ Field house in Edinburgh, Scotland, a suspected assassination.
  • 1712 – Huilliches in Chiloé rebel against Spanish encomenderos.
  • 1763 – French and Indian War: The Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Quebec to Great Britain.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Champaubert ends in French victory over the Russians and the Prussians.
  • 1840 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
  • 1846 – First Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Sobraon: British defeat Sikhs in the final battle of the war.
  • 1861 – Jefferson Davis is notified by telegraph that he has been chosen as provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: A Union naval flotilla destroys the bulk of the Confederate Mosquito Fleet in the Battle of Elizabeth City on the Pasquotank River in North Carolina.
  • 1906 – HMS Dreadnought, the first of a revolutionary new breed of battleships is christened and launched by King Edward VII.
  • 1920 – Józef Haller de Hallenburg performs symbolic wedding of Poland to the sea, celebrating restitution of Polish access to open sea.
  • 1920 – About 75 % of the population in Zone I votes to join Denmark in the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites.
  • 1923 – Texas Tech University is founded as Texas Technological College in Lubbock, Texas
  • 1930 – The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng launches the failed Yên Bái mutiny in hope to overthrow French protectorate over Vietnam.
  • 1933 – In round 13 of a boxing match at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Primo Carnera knocks out Ernie Schaaf. Schaaf dies four days later.
  • 1936 – Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italian troops launched the Battle of Amba Aradam against Ethiopian defenders.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: The Nationalists conclude their conquest of Catalonia and seal the border with France.
  • 1940 – The Soviet Union begins mass deportations of Polish citizens from occupied eastern Poland to Siberia.
  • 1940 – Cartoon characters Tom and Jerry make their debut with Puss Gets the Boot.
  • 1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Army capture Banjarmasin, capital of Borneo in Dutch East Indies.
  • 1943 – World War II: Attempting to completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, the Soviet Red Army engages German troops and Spanish volunteers in the Battle of Krasny Bor.
  • 1947 – The Paris Peace Treaties are signed by Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland and the Allies of World War II.
  • 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns against United States intervention in Vietnam.
  • 1962 – Cold War: Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
  • 1962 – Roy Lichtenstein’s first solo exhibition opened, and it included Look Mickey, which featured his first employment of Ben-Day dots, speech balloons and comic imagery sourcing, all of which he is now known for.
  • 1964 – Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collides with and sinks the destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, killing 82.
  • 1967 – The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
  • 1972 – Ras Al Khaimah joins the United Arab Emirates, now making up seven emirates.
  • 1984 – Kenyan soldiers kill an estimated 5000 ethnic Somali Kenyans in the Wagalla massacre.
  • 1989 – Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party.
  • 1996 – IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess for the first time.
  • 2003 – France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq.
  • 2007 – Then Illinois senator Barack Obama announces his candidacy for president in the 2008 elections, which he later goes on to win.
  • 2009 – The communications satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collide in orbit, destroying both.
  • 2013 – Thirty-six people are killed and 39 others are injured in a stampede in Allahabad, India, during the Kumbh Mela festival.
  • 2016 – South Korea decides to stop the operation of the Kaesong joint industrial complex with North Korea in response to the launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4.
  • 2018 – 19 people are killed and 66 injured when a Kowloon Motor Bus double-decker on route 872 in Hong Kong overturns.

Births on February 10

  • 1486 – George of the Palatinate, German bishop (d. 1529)
  • 1499 – Thomas Platter, Swiss author and scholar (d. 1582)
  • 1514 – Domenico Bollani, Bishop of Milan (d. 1579)
  • 1606 – Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1663)
  • 1609 – John Suckling, English poet and playwright (d. 1642)
  • 1627 – Cornelis de Bie, Flemish poet and jurist (d. 1715)
  • 1685 – Aaron Hill, English poet and playwright (d. 1750)
  • 1696 – Johann Melchior Molter, German violinist and composer (d. 1765)
  • 1744 – William Cornwallis, English admiral and politician (d. 1819)
  • 1766 – Benjamin Smith Barton, American botanist and physician (d. 1815)
  • 1775 – Charles Lamb, English poet and essayist (d. 1834)
  • 1785 – Claude-Louis Navier, French physicist and engineer (d. 1836)
  • 1795 – Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter and academic (d. 1858)
  • 1797 – George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall (d. 1883)
  • 1821 – Roberto Bompiani, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1908)
  • 1824 – Samuel Plimsoll, English merchant and politician (d. 1898)
  • 1842 – Agnes Mary Clerke, Irish astronomer and author (d. 1907)
  • 1843 – Adelina Patti, Italian-French opera singer (d. 1919)
  • 1846 – Lord Charles Beresford, Irish admiral and politician (d. 1919)
  • 1846 – Ira Remsen, American chemist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1847 – Nabinchandra Sen, Bangladeshi poet and author (d. 1909)
  • 1859 – Alexandre Millerand, French lawyer and politician, 12th President of France (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Robert Garran, Australian lawyer and public servant (d. 1957)
  • 1868 – Prince Waldemar of Prussia (d. 1879)
  • 1868 – William Allen White, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
  • 1869 – Royal Cortissoz, American art critic (d. 1948)
  • 1879 – Ernst Põdder, Estonian general (d. 1932)
  • 1881 – Pauline Brunius, Swedish actress and director (d. 1954)
  • 1883 – Edith Clarke, American electrical engineer (d. 1959)
  • 1883 – H.V. Hordern, Australian cricketer (d. 1938)
  • 1889 – Cevdet Sunay, Turkish general and politician, 5th President of Turkey (d. 1982)
  • 1890 – Fanny Kaplan, Ukrainian-Russian activist (d. 1918)
  • 1890 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1960)
  • 1892 – Alan Hale Sr., American actor and director (d. 1950)
  • 1893 – Jimmy Durante, American actor, singer, and pianist (d. 1980)
  • 1893 – Bill Tilden, American tennis player and coach (d. 1953)
  • 1894 – Harold Macmillan, English captain and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1986)
  • 1897 – Judith Anderson, Australian actress (d. 1992)
  • 1897 – John Franklin Enders, American virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Bertolt Brecht, German director, playwright, and poet (d. 1956)
  • 1898 – Joseph Kessel, French journalist and author (d. 1979)
  • 1901 – Stella Adler, American actress and educator (d. 1992)
  • 1902 – Walter Houser Brattain, Chinese-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Waldemar Hoven, German physician (d. 1948)
  • 1903 – Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer and manager (d. 1939)
  • 1904 – John Farrow, Australian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1963)
  • 1905 – Walter A. Brown, American businessman, founded the Boston Celtics (d. 1964)
  • 1905 – Chick Webb, American drummer and bandleader (d. 1939)
  • 1906 – Lon Chaney Jr., American actor (d. 1973)
  • 1907 – Anthony Cottrell, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1988)
  • 1908 – Jean Coulthard, Canadian composer and educator (d. 2000)
  • 1909 – Min Thu Wun, Burmese poet, scholar, and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1910 – Dominique Pire, Belgian friar, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1969)
  • 1914 – Larry Adler, American harmonica player, composer, and actor (d. 2001)
  • 1915 – Vladimir Zeldin, Russian actor (d. 2016)
  • 1919 – Ioannis Charalambopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2014)
  • 1920 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Neva Patterson, American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – José Manuel Castañón, Spanish lawyer and author (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Árpád Göncz, Hungarian author, playwright, and politician, 1st President of Hungary (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – José Gabriel da Costa later known as Mestre Gabriel, Brazilian spiritual leader, founder of the União do Vegetal (d. 1971)
  • 1923 – Allie Sherman, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Max Ferguson, Canadian radio host and actor (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Bud Poile, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Pierre Mondy, French actor and director (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Sidney Bryan Berry, American general (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Danny Blanchflower, Northern Irish soldier, footballer and manager (d. 1993)
  • 1927 – Leontyne Price, American operatic soprano
  • 1929 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Jim Whittaker, American mountaineer
  • 1929 – Lou Whittaker, American mountaineer
  • 1930 – E. L. Konigsburg, American author and illustrator (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Robert Wagner, American actor and producer
  • 1931 – James Edward Maceo West, American inventor and acoustician
  • 1932 – Barrie Ingham, English-American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Richard Schickel, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Faramarz Payvar, Iranian santur player and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – Theodore Antoniou, Greek composer and conductor (d. 2018)
  • 1937 – Anne Anderson, Scottish physiologist and academic (d. 1983)
  • 1937 – Roberta Flack, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1939 – Adrienne Clarkson, Hong Kong-Canadian journalist and politician, 26th Governor General of Canada
  • 1939 – Deolinda Rodríguez de Almeida, Angolan nationalist (d. 1967)
  • 1940 – Mary Rand, English sprinter and long jumper
  • 1940 – Kenny Rankin, American singer-songwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1941 – Michael Apted, English director and producer
  • 1944 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1944 – Frank Keating, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Oklahoma
  • 1944 – Frances Moore Lappé, American author and activist
  • 1944 – Rufus Reid, American bassist and composer
  • 1945 – Delma S. Arrigoitia, Puerto Rican historian, author, educator and lawyer
  • 1947 – Louise Arbour, Canadian lawyer and jurist
  • 1947 – Butch Morris, American cornet player, composer, and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Nicholas Owen, English journalist
  • 1949 – Nigel Olsson, English rock drummer and singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexican economist and politician (d. 1994)
  • 1950 – Mark Spitz, American swimmer
  • 1951 – Bob Iger, American media executive
  • 1952 – Lee Hsien Loong, Singaporean general and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore
  • 1955 – Jim Cramer, American television personality, pundit, and author
  • 1955 – Greg Norman, Australian golfer and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Enele Sopoaga, Tuvaluan politician, 12th Prime Minister of Tuvalu
  • 1957 – Katherine Freese, American astrophysicist and academic
  • 1959 – John Calipari, American basketball player and coach
  • 1960 – Jim Kent, American biologist, computer programmer, academic
  • 1961 – Alexander Payne, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1961 – George Stephanopoulos, American television journalist
  • 1962 – Randy Velischek, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Cliff Burton, American heavy metal bassist (d. 1986)
  • 1963 – Lenny Dykstra, American baseball player
  • 1964 – Glenn Beck, American journalist, producer, and author
  • 1966 – Natalie Bennett, Australian-English journalist and politician
  • 1966 – Daryl Johnston, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Laura Dern, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1967 – Jacky Durand, French cyclist and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Vince Gilligan, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Peter Popovic, Swedish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Garrett Reisman, American engineer and astronaut
  • 1969 – Joe Mangrum, American painter and sculptor
  • 1969 – James Small, South African rugby player (d. 2019)
  • 1970 – Melissa Doyle, Australian journalist and author
  • 1970 – Noureddine Naybet, Moroccan international footballer, central defender and manager
  • 1970 – Åsne Seierstad, Norwegian journalist and author
  • 1971 – Lorena Rojas, Mexican actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1972 – Michael Kasprowicz, Australian cricketer
  • 1973 – Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, English businesswoman and politician
  • 1974 – Elizabeth Banks, American actress
  • 1974 – Ty Law, American football player
  • 1974 – Ivri Lider, Israeli singer
  • 1974 – Henry Paul, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1976 – Lance Berkman, American baseball player and coach
  • 1976 – Keeley Hawes, English actress
  • 1977 – Salif Diao, Senegalese footballer
  • 1979 – Joey Hand, American race car driver
  • 1980 – César Izturis, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1980 – Enzo Maresca, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Mike Ribeiro, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Uzo Aduba, American actress
  • 1981 – Stephanie Beatriz, American actress
  • 1981 – Andrew Johnson, English international footballer, forward and club ambassador
  • 1981 – Holly Willoughby, English model and television host
  • 1982 – Justin Gatlin, American sprinter
  • 1982 – Tarmo Neemelo, Estonian footballer
  • 1982 – Hamad Al-Tayyar, Kuwaiti footballer
  • 1982 – Iafeta Paleaaesina, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1983 – Vic Fuentes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Greg Bird, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Alex Gordon, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Kim Hyo-jin, South Korean actress
  • 1985 – Selçuk İnan, Turkish footballer
  • 1985 – Paul Millsap, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Jeff Adrien, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Josh Akognon, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Radamel Falcao, Colombian footballer
  • 1986 – Roberto Jiménez Gago, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Viktor Troicki, Serbian tennis player
  • 1987 – Jakub Kindl, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Facundo Roncaglia, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Francesco Acerbi, Italian footballer
  • 1989 – Liam Hendriks, Australian baseball player
  • 1990 – Barbara Guarischi, Italian cyclist
  • 1990 – Choi Soo-young, South Korean singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer
  • 1991 – Rebecca Dempster, Scottish footballer
  • 1991 – Emma Roberts, American actress
  • 1992 – Haruka Nakagawa, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1992 – Reinhold Yabo, German footballer
  • 1993 – Max Kepler, German baseball player
  • 1993 – Filip Twardzik, Czech footballer
  • 1993 – Luis Madrigal, Mexican footballer
  • 1994 – Kang Seul-gi, South Korean singer and member of Red Velvet
  • 1995 – Carolane Soucisse, Canadian ice dancer
  • 1996 – Emanuel Mammana, Argentinian footballer
  • 1997 – Lilly King, American swimmer
  • 1997 – Chloë Grace Moretz, American actress
  • 1997 – Nadia Podoroska, Argentinian tennis player
  • 2000 – Yara Shahidi, American actress and model

Deaths on February 10

  • 547 – Scholastica, Christian nun
  • 1127 – William IX, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 1071)
  • 1163 – Baldwin III of Jerusalem (b. 1130)
  • 1242 – Emperor Shijō of Japan (b. 1231)
  • 1242 – Saint Verdiana, Italian recluse (b. 1182)
  • 1280 – Margaret II, Countess of Flanders (b. 1202)
  • 1306 – John “the Red” Comyn, Scottish nobleman
  • 1307 – Temür Khan, Emperor Chengzong of Yuan (b. 1265)
  • 1346 – Blessed Clare of Rimini (b. 1282)
  • 1471 – Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg (b. 1413)
  • 1524 – Catherine of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria (b. 1468)
  • 1526 – John V, Count of Oldenburg, German noble (b. 1460)
  • 1567 – Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1545)
  • 1576 – Wilhelm Xylander, German scholar, translator, and academic (b. 1532)
  • 1686 – William Dugdale, English genealogist and historian (b. 1605)
  • 1755 – Montesquieu, French lawyer and philosopher (b. 1689)
  • 1782 – Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, German theologian and author (b. 1702)
  • 1829 – Pope Leo XII (b. 1760)
  • 1837 – Alexander Pushkin, Russian poet and author (b. 1799)
  • 1854 – José Joaquín de Herrera, Mexican politician and general. President three times (1844–1854) (b. 1792)
  • 1857 – David Thompson, English-Canadian surveyor and explorer (b. 1770)
  • 1865 – Heinrich Lenz, Estonian-Italian physicist and academic (b. 1804)
  • 1879 – Honoré Daumier, French illustrator and painter (b. 1808)
  • 1887 – Ellen Wood, English author (b. 1814)
  • 1891 – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (b. 1850)
  • 1904 – John A. Roche, American lawyer and politician, 30th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1844)
  • 1906 – Ezra Butler Eddy, American-Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1827)
  • 1912 – Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, English surgeon and academic (b. 1827)
  • 1913 – Konstantinos Tsiklitiras, Greek long jumper (b. 1888)
  • 1917 – John William Waterhouse, English soldier and painter (b. 1849)
  • 1918 – Abdul Hamid II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1842)
  • 1918 – Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian soldier and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1833)
  • 1920 – Henry Strangways, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of South Australia (b. 1832)
  • 1923 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
  • 1928 – José Sánchez del Río, Mexican martyr and saint (b. 1913)
  • 1932 – Edgar Wallace, English author and screenwriter (b. 1875)
  • 1939 – Pope Pius XI (b. 1857)
  • 1944 – E. M. Antoniadi, Greek-French astronomer and chess player (b. 1870)
  • 1945 – Anacleto Díaz, Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1878)
  • 1950 – Marcel Mauss, French sociologist and anthropologist (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Leonora Speyer, American poet and violinist (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Emmanouil Tsouderos, Greek banker and politician, 132nd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1882)
  • 1957 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (b. 1867)
  • 1960 – Aloysius Stepinac, Croatian cardinal (b. 1898)
  • 1966 – Billy Rose, American composer and songwriter (b. 1899)
  • 1967 – Dionysios Kokkinos, Greek historian and author (b. 1884)
  • 1975 – Nikos Kavvadias, Greek sailor and poet (b. 1910)
  • 1979 – Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
  • 1992 – Alex Haley, American soldier, journalist, and author (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Fred Hollows, New Zealand-Australian ophthalmologist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Paul Monette, American author, poet, and activist (b. 1945)
  • 1997 – Brian Connolly, Scottish musician, lead singer The Sweet (b. 1945)
  • 2000 – Jim Varney, American actor, comedian and writer (b. 1949)
  • 2001 – Abraham Beame, American academic and politician, 104th Mayor of New York City (b. 1906)
  • 2001 – Buddy Tate, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Dave Van Ronk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2003 – Edgar de Evia, Mexican-American photographer (b. 1910)
  • 2003 – Albert J. Ruffo, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of San Jose (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Ron Ziegler, American politician, 14th White House Press Secretary (b. 1939)
  • 2005 – Arthur Miller, American actor, playwright, and author (b. 1915)
  • 2006 – James Yancey, American record producer and rapper (b. 1974)
  • 2008 – Roy Scheider, American actor and boxer (b. 1932)
  • 2010 – Fred Schaus, American basketball player and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Charles Wilson, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2011 – Trevor Bailey, English cricketer and journalist (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Lloyd Morrison, New Zealand banker and businessman, founded H. R. L. Morrison & Co (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Jeffrey Zaslow, American journalist and author (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – W. Watts Biggers, American author, screenwriter, and animator (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – David Hartman, American-Israeli rabbi and philosopher, founded the Shalom Hartman Institute (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Stuart Hall, Jamaican-English sociologist and theorist (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Shirley Temple, American actress and diplomat (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Naseer Aruri, Palestinian scholar and activist (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Karl Josef Becker, German cardinal and theologian (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Deng Liqun, Chinese theorist and politician (b. 1915)
  • 2016 – Fatima Surayya Bajia, Indian-Pakistani author and playwright (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Mike Ilitch, American businessman (b. 1929)
  • 2019 – Carmen Argenziano, American actor (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Jan-Michael Vincent, American actor (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances on February 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Austrebertha
    • Charalambos
    • José Sánchez del Río
    • Scholastica
    • February 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck (Malta)
  • Fenkil Day (Eritrea)
  • Kurdish Authors Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe (Italy)

February 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

February 8 in History

  • 421 – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
  • 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah.
  • 1347 – The Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos.
  • 1575 – Leiden University is founded, and given the motto Praesidium Libertatis.
  • 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
  • 1590 – Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva is tortured by the Inquisition in Mexico, charged with concealing the practice Judaism of his sister and her children.
  • 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Queen Elizabeth I and the revolt is quickly crushed.
  • 1693 – The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
  • 1807 – After two days of bitter fighting, the Russians under Bennigsen and the Prussians under L’Estocq concede the Battle of Eylau to Napoleon.
  • 1817 – Las Heras crosses the Andes with an army to join San Martín and liberate Chile from Spain.
  • 1837 – Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate.
  • 1865 – Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Slavery was outlawed in the United States, including Delaware, when the Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states on December 6, 1865. Delaware ratified the Thirteenth Amendment on February 12, 1901, which was the ninety-second anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
  • 1879 – Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.
  • 1879 – The England cricket team led by Lord Harris is attacked in a riot during a match in Sydney.
  • 1885 – The first government-approved Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaii.
  • 1887 – The Dawes Act authorizes the President of the United States to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into individual allotments.
  • 1904 – Battle of Port Arthur: A surprise torpedo attack by the Japanese at Port Arthur, China starts the Russo-Japanese War.
  • 1904 – Aceh War: Dutch Colonial Army’s Marechaussee regiment led by General G.C.E. van Daalen launch military campaign to capture Gayo Highland, Alas Highland, and Batak Highland in Dutch East Indies’ Northern Sumatra region, which ends with genocide to Acehnese and Bataks people.
  • 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce.
  • 1915 – D. W. Griffith’s controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
  • 1922 – United States President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio set in the White House.
  • 1924 – Capital punishment: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japan invades Singapore.
  • 1942 – World War II: Dutch Colonial Army General Destruction Unit (AVC, Algemene Vernielings Corps) burns Banjarmasin, South Borneo to avoid Japanese capture.
  • 1945 – World War II: The United Kingdom and Canada commence Operation Veritable to occupy the west bank of the Rhine.
  • 1945 – World War II: Mikhail Devyataev escapes with nine other Soviet inmates from a Nazi concentration camp in Peenemünde on the island of Usedom by hijacking the camp commandant’s Heinkel He 111.
  • 1946 – The first portion of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first serious challenge to the popularity of the Authorized King James Version, is published.
  • 1946 – The People’s Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North, establishing the communist-controlled Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea.
  • 1950 – Cold War: The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established.
  • 1955 – The Government of Sindh, Pakistan, abolishes the Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km2) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
  • 1960 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
  • 1962 – Charonne massacre. Nine trade unionists are killed by French police at the instigation of Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Paris Prefecture of Police.
  • 1963 – Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F. Kennedy administration.
  • 1963 – The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq, Brigadier General Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba’ath Party.
  • 1965 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean and explodes, killing everyone aboard.
  • 1968 – American civil rights movement: The Orangeburg massacre: An attack on black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation at the town’s only bowling alley, leaves three or four dead in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
  • 1971 – The NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time.
  • 1971 – South Vietnamese ground troops launch an incursion into Laos to try to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration.
  • 1974 – After 84 days in space, the crew of Skylab 4, the last crew to visit American space station Skylab, returns to Earth.
  • 1978 – Proceedings of the United States Senate are broadcast on radio for the first time.
  • 1981 – Twenty-one association football spectators are trampled to death at Karaiskakis Stadium in Neo Faliro, Greece, after a football match between Olympiacos F.C. and AEK Athens F.C.
  • 1983 – The Melbourne dust storm hits Australia’s second largest city. The result of the worst drought on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 320 metres (1,050 ft) deep dust cloud envelops the city, turning day to night.
  • 1986 – Hinton train collision: Twenty-three people are killed when a VIA Rail passenger train collides with a 118-car Canadian National freight train near the town of Hinton, Alberta, west of Edmonton. It is the worst rail accident in Canada until the Lac-Mégantic, Quebec derailment in 2013 which killed forty-seven people.
  • 1989 – Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport (Azores) killing all 144 passengers on board.
  • 1993 – General Motors sues NBC after Dateline NBC allegedly rigs two crashes intended to demonstrate that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places. NBC settles the lawsuit the next day.
  • 1993 – An Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154 and an Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 collide in mid-air near Qods, Iran, killing all 133 people on board both aircraft.
  • 1996 – The U.S. Congress passes the Communications Decency Act.
  • 2005 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former MP A. Chandranehru dies of injuries sustained in an ambush the previous day.
  • 2010 – A freak storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of at least 36 avalanches, burying over two miles of road, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 travelers.
  • 2013 – A blizzard disrupts transportation and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada.
  • 2014 – A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia kills 15 Egyptian pilgrims with 130 others injured.

Births on February 8

  • 120 – Vettius Valens, Greek astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer (probable; d. 175)
  • 412 – Proclus, Greek mathematician and philosopher (probable; d. 485)
  • 882 – Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, Egyptian commander and politician, Abbasid Governor of Egypt (d. 946)
  • 1191 – Yaroslav II of Vladimir (d. 1246)
  • 1291 – Afonso IV of Portugal (d. 1357)
  • 1405 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1453)
  • 1487 – Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1550)
  • 1514 – Daniele Barbaro, Venetian churchman, diplomat and scholar (d. 1570)
  • 1552 – Agrippa d’Aubigné, French poet and soldier (d. 1630)
  • 1577 – Robert Burton, English priest, physician, and scholar (d. 1640)
  • 1591 – Guercino, Italian painter (d. 1666)
  • 1685 – Charles-Jean-François Hénault, French historian and author (d. 1770)
  • 1700 – Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1782)
  • 1720 – Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (d. 1750)
  • 1741 – André Grétry, Belgian-French organist and composer (d. 1813)
  • 1762 – Gia Long, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1820)
  • 1764 – Joseph Leopold Eybler, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1846)
  • 1792 – Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (d. 1873)
  • 1798 – Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia (d. 1849)
  • 1807 – Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, English sculptor and zoologist (d. 1889)
  • 1817 – Richard S. Ewell, American general (d. 1872)
  • 1819 – John Ruskin, English author, critic, and academic (d. 1900)
  • 1820 – William Tecumseh Sherman, American general (d. 1891)
  • 1822 – Maxime Du Camp, French photographer and journalist (d. 1894)
  • 1825 – Henry Walter Bates, English geographer, biologist, and explorer (d. 1892)
  • 1828 – Jules Verne, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1905)
  • 1829 – Vital-Justin Grandin, French-Canadian bishop and missionary (d. 1902)
  • 1830 – Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1876)
  • 1834 – Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and academic (d. 1907)
  • 1850 – Kate Chopin, American author (d. 1904)
  • 1860 – Adella Brown Bailey, American politician and suffragist (d. 1937)
  • 1866 – Moses Gomberg, Ukrainian-American chemist and academic (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Paula Modersohn-Becker, German painter (d. 1907)
  • 1878 – Martin Buber, Austrian-Israeli philosopher and academic (d. 1965)
  • 1880 – Franz Marc, German soldier and painter (d. 1916)
  • 1880 – Viktor Schwanneke, German actor and director (d. 1931)
  • 1882 – Thomas Selfridge, American lieutenant and pilot (d. 1908)
  • 1883 – Joseph Schumpeter, Czech-American economist and political scientist (d. 1950)
  • 1884 – Snowy Baker, Australian boxer, rugby player, and actor (d. 1953)
  • 1886 – Charlie Ruggles, American actor (d. 1970)
  • 1888 – Edith Evans, English actress (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Giuseppe Ungaretti, Egyptian-Italian soldier, journalist, and poet (d. 1970)
  • 1890 – Claro M. Recto, Filipino lawyer, jurist, and politician (d. 1960)
  • 1893 – Ba Maw, Burmese lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1977)
  • 1894 – King Vidor, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Zakir Hussain, Indian academic and politician, 3rd president of India (d. 1969)
  • 1899 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Greta Keller, Austrian-American singer and actress (d. 1977)
  • 1903 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1990)
  • 1906 – Chester Carlson, American physicist and lawyer, invented Xerography (d. 1968)
  • 1909 – Elisabeth Murdoch, Australian philanthropist (d. 2012)
  • 1911 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet and author (d. 1979)
  • 1913 – Betty Field, American actress (d. 1973)
  • 1913 – Danai Stratigopoulou, Greek singer-songwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1914 – Bill Finger, American author and screenwriter, co-created Batman (d. 1974)
  • 1915 – Georges Guétary, Egyptian-French singer, dancer, and actor (d. 1997)
  • 1918 – Freddie Blassie, American wrestler and manager (d. 2003)
  • 1921 – Barney Danson, Canadian colonel and politician, 21st Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Nexhmije Hoxha, Albanian politician (d. 2020)
  • 1921 – Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1922 – Audrey Meadows, American actress and banker (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – Jack Lemmon, American actor (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Neal Cassady, American author and poet (d. 1968)
  • 1926 – Birgitte Reimer, Danish film actress
  • 1930 – Alejandro Rey, Argentinian-American actor and director (d. 1987)
  • 1931 – James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
  • 1932 – Cliff Allison, English racing driver and businessman (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – John Williams, American pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1933 – Elly Ameling, Dutch soprano
  • 1937 – Joe Raposo, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
  • 1937 – Harry Wu, Chinese human rights activist (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Jose Maria Sison, Filipino activist and theorist
  • 1940 – Sophie Lihau-Kanza, Congolese politician (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Ted Koppel, English-American journalist
  • 1941 – Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
  • 1941 – Tom Rush, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1941 – Jagjit Singh, Indian singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1942 – Robert Klein, American comedian, actor, and singer
  • 1942 – Terry Melcher, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
  • 1944 – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Sebastião Salgado, Brazilian photographer and journalist
  • 1947 – J. Richard Gott, American astronomer and academic
  • 1948 – Dan Seals, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
  • 1949 – Brooke Adams, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Niels Arestrup, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1953 – Mary Steenburgen, American actress
  • 1954 – Joe Maddon, American baseball coach and manager
  • 1955 – John Grisham, American lawyer and author
  • 1955 – Jim Neidhart, American wrestler (d. 2018)
  • 1956 – Marques Johnson, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Karine Chemla, French historian of mathematics and sinologist
  • 1958 – Sherri Martel, American wrestler and manager (d. 2007)
  • 1958 – Marina Silva, Brazilian environmentalist and politician
  • 1959 – Heinz Gunthardt, Swiss tennis player
  • 1959 – Andrew Hoy, Australian equestrian rider
  • 1959 – Mauricio Macri, Argentinian businessman and politician, President of Argentina
  • 1960 – Benigno Aquino III, Filipino politician, 15th President of the Philippines
  • 1960 – Dino Ciccarelli, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1961 – Vince Neil, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1963 – Mohammad Azharuddin, Indian cricketer and politician
  • 1964 – Arlie Petters, Belizean-American mathematical physicist and academic
  • 1964 – Santosh Sivan, Indian director, cinematographer, producer, and actor
  • 1964 – Trinny Woodall, English fashion designer and author
  • 1966 – Kirk Muller, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1966 – Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Gary Coleman, American actor (d. 2010)
  • 1969 – Pauly Fuemana, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1969 – Mary Robinette Kowal, American puppeteer and author
  • 1969 – Mary McCormack, American actress and producer
  • 1970 – Stephanie Courtney, American actress and comedian
  • 1970 – John Filan, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1970 – Alonzo Mourning, American basketball player and executive
  • 1971 – Aidy Boothroyd, English footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Mika Karppinen, Swedish-Finnish drummer and songwriter
  • 1972 – Big Show, American wrestler and actor
  • 1974 – Seth Green, American actor, voice artist, comedian, producer, writer, and director
  • 1976 – Khaled Mashud, Bangladeshi cricketer
  • 1976 – Nicolas Vouilloz, French rally driver and mountain biker
  • 1977 – Roman Kostomarov, Russian ice dancer
  • 1978 – Mick de Brenni, Australian politician
  • 1979 – Aaron Cook, American baseball player
  • 1980 – William Jackson Harper, American actor
  • 1981 – Steve Gohouri, Ivorian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1981 – Myriam Montemayor Cruz, Mexican singer
  • 1983 – Jermaine Anderson, Canadian basketball player
  • 1983 – Cory Jane, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1983 – Jim Verraros, American singer and actor
  • 1984 – Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canadian skier
  • 1984 – Cecily Strong, American actress
  • 1984 – Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, Greek basketball player
  • 1985 – Petra Cetkovská, Czech tennis player
  • 1985 – Jeremy Davis, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1987 – Javi García, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater
  • 1988 – Keegan Meth, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1989 – Zac Guildford, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1989 – Julio Jones, American football player
  • 1989 – Courtney Vandersloot, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Emily Scarratt, English rugby union player
  • 1990 – Klay Thompson, American professional basketball player
  • 1991 – Aristidis Soiledis, Greek footballer
  • 1991 – Roberto Soriano, Italian footballer
  • 1991 – Nam Woo-hyun, South Korean singer and actor with the boy band Infinite.
  • 1992 – Bruno Martins Indi, Portuguese-Dutch footballer
  • 1992 – Carl Jenkinson, English-Finnish footballer
  • 1994 – Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Turkish footballer
  • 1994 – Nikki Yanofsky, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1995 – Joshua Kimmich, German footballer
  • 1996 – Kenedy, Brazilian footballer

Deaths on February 8

  • 538 – Severus of Antioch, patriarch of Antioch
  • 1135 – Elvira of Castile, Queen of Sicily (b.c. 1100)
  • 1204 – Alexios IV Angelos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1182)
  • 1229 – Ali ibn Hanzala, sixth Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq of Tayyibi Isma’ilism
  • 1250 – Robert I, Count of Artois (b. 1216)
  • 1250 – William II Longespée, English martyr (b. 1212)
  • 1265 – Hulagu Khan, Mongol ruler (b. 1217)
  • 1285 – Theodoric of Landsberg (b. 1242)
  • 1296 – Przemysł II of Poland (b. 1257)
  • 1314 – Helen of Anjou, queen of Serbia (b. 1236)
  • 1382 – Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (b. 1328)
  • 1537 – Saint Gerolamo Emiliani, Italian humanitarian (b. 1481)
  • 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1542)
  • 1599 – Robert Rollock, Scottish theologian and academic (b. 1555)
  • 1623 – Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (b. 1546)
  • 1676 – Alexis of Russia (b. 1629)
  • 1696 – Ivan V of Russia (b. 1666)
  • 1709 – Giuseppe Torelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1658)
  • 1725 – Peter the Great, Russian emperor (b. 1672)
  • 1749 – Jan van Huysum, Dutch painter (b. 1682)
  • 1750 – Aaron Hill, English playwright and poet (b. 1685)
  • 1768 – George Dance the Elder, English architect, designed St Leonard’s and St Botolph’s Aldgate (b. 1695)
  • 1772 – Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (b. 1719)
  • 1849 – François Habeneck, French violinist and conductor (b. 1781)
  • 1849 – France Prešeren, Slovenian poet and lawyer (b. 1800)
  • 1856 – Agostino Bassi, Italian entomologist and academic (b. 1773)
  • 1907 – Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist and academic (b. 1854)
  • 1910 – Hans Jæger, Norwegian philosopher and activist (b. 1854)
  • 1914 – Dayrolles Eveleigh-de-Moleyns, 4th Baron Ventry, Irish hereditary peer (b. 1828)
  • 1915 – François Langelier, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1838)
  • 1921 – George Formby Sr, English actor and singer (b. 1876)
  • 1921 – Peter Kropotkin, Russian zoologist, geographer, and philologist (b. 1842)
  • 1928 – Theodor Curtius, German chemist (b. 1857)
  • 1932 – Yordan Milanov, Bulgarian architect, designed the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church (b. 1867)
  • 1935 – Eemil Nestor Setälä, Finnish linguist and politician, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
  • 1936 – Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (b. 1860)
  • 1945 – Italo Santelli, Italian fencer and coach (b. 1866)
  • 1956 – Connie Mack, American baseball player and manager (b. 1862)
  • 1957 – Walther Bothe, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
  • 1957 – John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist (b. 1903)
  • 1959 – William J. Donovan, American head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (b. 1911)
  • 1960 – Giles Gilbert Scott, English architect and engineer, designed the Red telephone box and Liverpool Cathedral (b. 1880)
  • 1963 – George Dolenz, Italian-American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1964 – Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist and author (b. 1888)
  • 1968 – Maurice Maillot, French actor (b. 1906)
  • 1972 – Markos Vamvakaris, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (b. 1905)
  • 1975 – Robert Robinson, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
  • 1977 – Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and theorist (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Dennis Gabor, Hungarian-English physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1900)
  • 1980 – Nikos Xilouris, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1936)
  • 1982 – John Hay Whitney, American financier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1904)
  • 1985 – William Lyons, English businessman, co-founded Swallow Sidecar Company (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Harriet E. MacGibbon, American actress (b. 1905)
  • 1990 – Del Shannon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 1992 – Stanley Armour Dunham, American sergeant (b. 1918)
  • 1992 – Denny Wright, British guitarist (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Raymond Scott, American pianist and composer (b. 1908)
  • 1996 – Del Ennis, American baseball player (b. 1925)
  • 1997 – Corey Scott, American motorcycle stunt rider (b. 1968)
  • 1998 – Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1998 – Enoch Powell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Julian Simon, American economist and author (b. 1932)
  • 1999 – Iris Murdoch, Irish-born British novelist and philosopher (b. 1919)
  • 2000 – Sid Abel, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1918)
  • 2000 – Derrick Thomas, American football player (b. 1967)
  • 2001 – Ivo Caprino, Norwegian director and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Ong Teng Cheong, Singaporean architect and politician, 5th President of Singapore (b. 1936)
  • 2004 – Julius Schwartz, American journalist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – A. Chandranehru, Sri Lankan sailor and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Elton Dean, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1945)
  • 2006 – Thierry Fortineau, French actor (b. 1953)
  • 2006 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer (b. 1914)
  • 2007 – Anna Nicole Smith, American model and actress (b. 1967)
  • 2007 – Ian Stevenson, Canadian-American psychiatrist and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Ruby Garrard Woodson, American educator and cultural historian (b. 1931)
  • 2010 – John Murtha, American colonel and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2011 – Tony Malinosky, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1909)
  • 2012 – Wando, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Gunther Plaut, German-Canadian rabbi and author (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentinian singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Giovanni Cheli, Italian cardinal (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – James DePreist, American conductor and educator (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Maureen Dragone, American journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – Nevin Scrimshaw, American scientist (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Els Borst, Dutch physician and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (b. 1988)
  • 2014 – Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, Finnish physician and parapsychologist (b. 1939)
  • 2016 – Amelia Bence, Argentine actress (b. 1914)
  • 2016 – Nida Fazli, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (b. 1938)
  • 2016 – Violette Verdy, French ballerina (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Peter Mansfield, English physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Rina Matsuno, Japanese idol singer (Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku) (b. 1998)
  • 2017 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, English socialite, television presenter, model, and charity patron (b. 1971)
  • 2017 – Alan Simpson, English scriptwriter (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances on February 8

  • Christian feast day:
    • Cuthmann of Steyning
    • Elffled of Whitby
    • Gerolamo Emiliani
    • Josephine Bakhita
    • Juventius of Pavia
    • Meingold of Huy
    • Stephen of Muret
    • February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Feast of Orthodoxy can fall, while March 14 is the latest; celebrated 42 days before Easter. (Orthodoxy)
  • Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions, most celebrate on February 15)
  • Prešeren Day (Slovenia)
  • Propose Day

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