February 14
is the 45th day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar. There are 320 days remaining, 321 in
leap years.
*
842 -
Charles the Bald and
Louis the German swear the
Oaths of Strasbourg in French and German language.
*
1014 -
Pope Boniface I recognizes
Henry of Bavaria as
King of
Germany.
*
1076 -
Pope Gregory VII excommunicates
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
*
1556 -
Thomas Cranmer is declared a
heretic.
*
1575 -
Henry III of France marries
Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont.
*
1743 -
Henry Pelham becomes
British Prime Minister.
*
1779 -
James Cook is killed by the natives of the
Sandwich Islands.
*
1797 -
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent &
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson led the
British Royal Navy to victory over a
Spanish fleet in the
Battle of Cape St. Vincent near
Gibraltar.
*
1803 -
Chief Justice John Marshall declares that any act of
U.S. Congress which conflicts with the
Constitution is void.
*
1804 -
Karadjordje leads the
First Serbian Uprising against the
Ottoman Empire.
*
1831 - Ras
Marye of Yejju marches into
Tigray and defeats and kills dejjazmatch
Sabagadis in the
Battle of Debre Abbay.
*
1835 - The original
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is formed in
Kirtland,
Ohio.
*
1843 - The event that inspired the song
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! is held.
*
1849 - In
New York City,
James Knox Polk becomes the first
President of the United States to have his
photograph taken.
*
1854 -
Texas is linked by
telegraph with the rest of the
United States, when a connection between
New Orleans and
Marshall, Texas is completed.
*
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
Chilean armed forces occupy the
Bolivian port city of
Antofagasta.
*
1886 - First trainload of
oranges left
Los Angeles via the
transcontinental railroad.
*
1895 - First performance of
Oscar Wilde's last play
The Importance of Being Earnest at the
St James's Theatre in
London).
*
1899 -
Voting machines are approved by the
U.S. Congress for use in federal
elections.
*
1900 -
Russia responds to international pressure to free
Finland by tightening imperial control over the country.
* 1900 -
Second Boer War: In
South Africa, 20,000
British troops invade the
Orange Free State.
*
1903 - The
United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into Dept. of Commerce and
Dept. of Labor).
*
1912 -
Arizona is admitted as the 48th
U.S. state.
* 1912 - In
Groton, Connecticut, the first
diesel-powered
submarine is commissioned.
*
1918 -
Tarzan of the Apes, the first movie featuring
Edgar Rice Burroughs'
Tarzan character, is released.
* 1918 - The
Soviet Union adopts the
Gregorian calendar (
1 February according to the
Julian calendar).
*
1919 - The
Polish-Soviet War begins.
*
1920 - The
League of Women Voters is founded in
Chicago, Illinois.
*
1924 - The
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is founded.
*
1929 -
St. Valentine's Day Massacre: Seven
gangster rivals of
Al Capone are murdered in
Chicago, Illinois.
*
1943 -
World War II:
Rostov,
Russia is liberated.
* 1943 - World War II: The
Battle of the Kasserine Pass -
German General Erwin Rommel and his
Afrika Korps launch an offensive against
Allied defenses in
Tunisia.
*
1944 - World War II: Anti-
Japanese revolt on
Java.
*
1945 - On the second day of the
Bombing of Dresden in World War II the
British Royal Air Force and the
United States Army Air Forces begin
fire-bombing
Dresden, the capital of the
German state of
Saxony.
* 1945 -
Bombing of Prague - probably due to a mistake in the orientation of the pilots bombing Dresden.
* 1945 -
Chile,
Ecuador,
Paraguay and
Peru join the
United Nations.
* 1945 - President
Franklin D. Roosevelt meets with
King Ibn Saud of
Saudi Arabia aboard the
USS Quincy, officially starting the
U.S.-
Saudi diplomatic relationship.
* 1945 - Fascism was destroyed in City of Mostar,Bosnia and Herzegovina(then:Yugoslavia) thanks to partisans(Dalmatinaska birgada,Hercegovacka divizija).
*
1946 - The
Bank of England is nationalized.
* 1946 -
ENIAC (for "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer"), the first general-purpose electronic
computer, is unveiled at the
University of Pennsylvania.
*
1949 - The
Knesset (
Israeli parliament) first convenes.
* 1949 - The
Asbestos Strike begins in
Canada. The strike marks the beginning of the
Quiet Revolution in
Quebec.
*
1952 -
VI Olympic Winter Games open in
Oslo,
Norway.
*
1956 - The
XX Congress of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union starts in
Moscow. In the last night of the meeting, in a secret session, Premier
Nikita Khruschev condemns
Josef Stalin's crimes.
*
1961 -
Discovery of the chemical elements:
Element 103,
Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the
University of California.
*
1962 -
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes
television viewers on a tour of the
White House.
*
1966 -
Australian currency is
decimalised.
*
1979 - In
Kabul,
Muslim extremists kidnap the
American ambassador to
Afghanistan,
Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
*
1980 -
XIII Olympic Winter Games open in
Lake Placid, New York.
* 1980 -
Walter Cronkite announces his retirement from the
CBS Evening News.
*
1981 -
Stardust Disaster. A fire in a
Dublin nightclub kills 48 people
*
1983 - United American Bank of
Knoxville, Tennessee collapses. Its president,
Jake Butcher is later convicted of
fraud.
*
1985 -
CNN reporter
Jeremy Levin is freed from captivity in
Lebanon.
*
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 the author of
The Satanic Verses,
Salman Rushdie.
* 1989 - The first of 24
satellites of the
Global Positioning System is placed into orbit.
*
1998 - Authorities in the
United States announce that
Eric Robert Rudolph is a suspect in an
Alabama abortion clinic bombing.
*
2000 - The spacecraft
NEAR Shoemaker enters orbit around asteroid
433 Eros, the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.
*
2002 -
The Tullaghmurray Lass sinks off the coast of
Kilkeel,
County Down,
Northern Ireland killing three members of the same family on board.
*
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 -
Lebanon's former
Prime Minister,
Rafik Hariri, is assassinated, prompting the
Cedar Revolution (
Intifada of Independence).
* 2005 - Seven people were killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected
Al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit the
Philippines'
Makati financial district in
Metro Manila,
Davao City, and
General Santos City.
*
1404 -
Leone Battista Alberti, Italian painter, poet, and philosopher (d.
1472)
*
1483 -
Zahir al-Din Mohammed Babur Shah, Moghul emperor of India (d.
1530)
*
1602 -
Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (d.
1676)
*
1680 -
John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester, English privy councillor (d.
1737)
*
1692 -
Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French writer (d.
1754)
*
1701 -
Enrique Florez, Spanish historian (d.
1773)
*
1763 -
Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general (d.
1813)
*
1766 -
Thomas Malthus, English economist (d.
1834)
*
1812 -
Alfred Thomas Agate, American artist (d.
1846)
*
1817 -
Frederick Douglas adopted as his birthday (d.
1895)
*
1819 -
Joshua A. Norton, Emperor Norton I of the United States of America and Protector of Mexico (d.
1880)
*
1828 -
Edmond François Valentin About, French writer (d. [[1885])
*
1846 -
Julian Scott,
American Civil War artist and
Civil War Medal of Honor recipient.
*
1847 -
Anna Howard Shaw, American women's suffrage leader (d.
1919)
*
1848 -
Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer (d.
1934)
*
1856 -
Frank Harris, Irish author and editor (d.
1931)
*
1869 -
Charles Wilson, Scottish physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1959)
*
1884 -
Hezekiah M. Washburn, missionary (d.
1972)
*
1890 -
Nina Hamnett, Welsh artist (d.
1956)
*
1892 -
Radola Gajda, Czech military commander (d.
1948)
*
1894 -
Jack Benny, American actor and comedian (d.
1974)
*
1895 -
Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (d.
1973)
*
1898 -
Fritz Zwicky, Swiss-American physicist and astronomer (d.
1974)
*
1903 -
Stu Erwin, American actor (d.
1967)
*
1905 -
Thelma Ritter, American actress (d.
1969)
*
1912 -
Tibor Sekelj, Croatian explorer (d.
1988)
*
1913 -
Mel Allen, American sports reporter (d.
1996)
* 1913 -
Woody Hayes, American college football coach (d.
1987)
* 1913 -
Jimmy Hoffa, American labor union leader (disappeared
1975)
*
1916 -
Masaki Kobayashi, Japanese director (d.
1996)
* 1916 -
Edward Platt, American actor (d.
1974)
*
1917 -
Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry*
1921 -
Hugh Downs, American television host
*
1927 -
Lois Maxwell, Canadian actress
*
1929 -
Vic Morrow, actor (d.
1982)
*
1931 -
Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian hockey player (d.
2006)
* 1931 -
Brian Kelly, American actor (d.
2005)
*
1932 -
Alexander Kluge, German actor and film director
*
1933 -
Madhubala, Indian actress (d.
1969)
*
1934 -
Michel Corboz, Swiss conductor
* 1934 -
Florence Henderson, American actress
*
1936 -
Fanne Foxe, Argentine dancer
* 1936 -
Andrew Prine, American actor
*
1941 -
Donna Shalala, American politician, educator
* 1941 -
Paul Tsongas, U.S. Senator (d.
1997)
*
1942 -
Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City
* 1942 -
Andrew Robinson, actor
*
1943 -
Maceo Parker, American musician (
P-Funk)
*
1944 -
Carl Bernstein, American journalist
* 1944 -
Alan Parker, British film director and writer
*
1945 -
Frank Welker, American actor
*
1946 -
Bernard Dowiyogo,
President of Nauru (d.
2003)
* 1946 -
Gregory Hines, American dancer and actor (d.
2003)
*
1948 -
Pat O'Brien, American sportscaster and television host
* 1948 -
Teller, American magician (
Penn and Teller)
*
1951 -
Kevin Keegan, Liverpool Footballer
* 1951 -
JoJo Starbuck, American ice skater. Married
Terry Bradshaw.
*
1959 -
Renee Fleming, Canadian soprano
*
1960 -
Jim Kelly, American football player
* 1960 -
Meg Tilly, Canadian actress
*
1962 -
Kevyn Aucoin, American cosmetologist (d.
2002)
* 1962 -
Philippe Sella, French rugby player
*
1963 -
Enrico Colantoni, Canadian actor
* 1963 -
Zach Galligan, American actor
*
1964 -
Gianni Bugno, Italian cyclist
*
1967 -
Manuela Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player
* 1967 -
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, British entrepreneur
*
1968 -
Jules Asner, American model and television personality
* 1968 -
Nelson Frazier, Jr., American professional wrestler
*
1970 -
Simon Pegg, British comedian, writer, and actor
*
1971 -
Noriko Sakai, Japanese singer
* 1971 -
Tommy Dreamer, American professional wrestler
*
1972 -
Drew Bledsoe, American football player
* 1972 -
Hiroshi, Japanese comedian
* 1972 -
Rob Thomas, American musician (
matchbox twenty)
*
1973 -
Steve McNair, American football player
*
1977 -
Cadel Evans, Australian cyclist
*
1978 -
Richard Hamilton, American basketball player
* 1978 -
Darius Songaila, basketball player
*
1979 -
Antonio Chatman, American football player
*
1980 -
Fatima Leyva, Mexican footballer
*
1983 -
Will South,
Thirteen Senses frontman
*
1985 -
Philippe Senderos, Swiss footballer
*
1992 -
Freddie Highmore, British actor
*
1994 -
Paul Butcher Jr., American actor
*
1317 -
Marguerite of France, queen of
Edward I of England (b.
1282)
*
1400 - King
Richard II of England (murdered) (b.
1367)
*
1405 -
Timur, Mongol conqueror (b.
1336)
*
1523 -
Pope Adrian VI*
1676 -
Abraham Bosse, French engraver and artist
*
1737 -
Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot of Hensol,
Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b.
1685)
*
1744 -
John Hadley, inventor (b.
1682)
*
1779 -
James Cook, British naval captain and explorer (b.
1728)
*
1780 -
William Blackstone, English jurist (b.
1723)
*
1808 -
John Dickinson, American lawyer and
Governor of Delaware and
Pennsylvania (b.
1732)
*
1831 -
Vicente Guerrero, Mexican revolutionary hero (b.
1782)
* 1831 -
Henry Maudslay, English inventor (b.
1771)
*
1885 -
Jules Vallès, French writer (b.
1832)
*
1891 -
William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War General (b.
1820)
*
1894 -
Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian mathematician (b.
1814)
*
1929 -
Tom Burke, American runner (b.
1875)
*
1943 -
Dora Gerson, German actress, cabaret singer, and Holocaust victim (b.
1899)
*
1943 -
David Hilbert, German mathematician (b.
1862)
*
1949 -
Yusuf Salman Yusuf, Iraqi communist leader
*
1952 -
Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (b.
1896)
*
1958 -
Abdul Rab Nishtar, veteran leader of
Pakistan Movement, (b.
1899)
*
1959 -
Baby Dodds, American jazz drummer (b.
1898)
*
1969 -
Vito Genovese, American gangster (b.
1897)
*
1970 -
Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer (b.
1880).
*
1974 -
Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer (b.
1903)
*
1975 -
Julian Huxley, British biologist (b.
1887)
* 1975 -
P. G. Wodehouse, English writer (b.
1881)
*
1979 -
Adolph Dubs, American diplomat (b.
1920)
*
1983 -
Lina Radke, German athlete (b.
1903)
*
1987 -
Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky, Russian composer (b.
1904)
*
1988 -
Frederick Loewe, Austrian-American composer (b.
1901)
*
1989 -
James Bond, American ornithologist (b.
1900)
*
1994 -
Andrei Chikatilo, Russian serial killer (executed) (b.
1936)
* 1994 -
Michael V. Gazzo, American actor (b.
1923)
*
1995 -
U Nu, Burmese politician (b.
1907)
*
1999 -
John Ehrlichman, American presidential advisor (b.
1925)
*
2002 -
Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer (b.
1922)
*
2003 -
Dolly the sheep, first cloned mammal (b.
1996)
* 2003 -
Johnny Longden, English jockey (b.
1907)
*
2004 -
Marco Pantani, Italian cyclist (b.
1970)
*
2005 -
Najai Turpin, American boxer
* 2005 -
Rafik Hariri, Lebanese politician and billionaire businessman (b.
1944)
*
2006 -
Shoshana Damari, the "Queen of
Israeli song" (b.
1923)
* 2006 -
Lynden David Hall, British singer (b.
1974)
* 2006 -
Jackie Pallo, Famous
British wrestler
* 2006 -
Darry Cowl, French musician and actor (b.
1925)
*
Denmark -
Fastelavn. Children dress up, much like Halloween in the US.
*
Mexico -
Day of National Mourning (
1831).
*
Arizona -
Admission Day (
1912).
*
Oregon -
Admission Day (1859).
*
Western World -
Valentine's Day.
*
Iraq - 'Communist Martyrs Day' celebrated by
Iraqi Communist Party.
Liturgical feasts
*
Europe/
Catholicism - Feast day of Saints
Cyril and
Methodius, patron saints of
Europe.
*
Saint Abraham (d. 422)
*
Saint Valentine (d. 422).
*
On this day in Canada*
NY Times: On this day*
BBC: On This DayFebruary 13 -
February 15 -
January 14 -
March 14 --
historical anniversaries
