February 19
is the 50th day of the year in the
Gregorian Calendar. There are 315 days remaining, 316 in
leap years.
*
197 -
Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats
usurper Clodius Albinus in the
Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
*
607 -
Boniface III becomes
Pope.
*
1594 - Having already inherited the
throne of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through his mother
Catherine Jagellonica of Poland,
Sigismund III of the
House of Vasa is
crowned King of
Sweden, succeeding his father
John III of Sweden.
*
1600 - The Peruvian stratovolcano
Huaynaputina exploded in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America.
*
1674 -
England and the
Netherlands sign the
Peace of Westminster, ending the
Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of
New Amsterdam to England, which renamed it
New York.
*
1807 - In
Alabama, Former
Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for
treason.
*
1819 -
British explorer William Smith discovers the
South Shetland Islands, and claims them in the name of
King George III.
*
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 Texas'
annexation by the
United States.
*
1847 - The
Donner Party is rescued. It is noted that some of the survivors seem to be remarkably well-fed considering their ordeal.
*
1852 - The
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity is founded at
Jefferson College in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
*
1861 -
Serfdom is
abolished in
Russia.
*
1878 - The
phonograph is patented by
Thomas Edison.
*
1881 -
Kansas became the first
U.S. state to prohibit all
alcoholic beverages.
*
1913 - Prizes are included in
Cracker Jack candy boxes for the first time.
*
1915 -
World War I: The
Battle of Gallipoli began.
*
1937 - During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, two
Eritrean nationalists attempt to kill viceroy
Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades. The Italian security guard fire into the crowd of Ethiopian onlookers, and over the passing weeks indiscriminately slaughter native Ethiopians in reprisal.
*
1941 -
World War II: The
Afrika Korps, the
corps-level headquarters controlling the German
Panzer divisions in
North Africa, was formed.
*
1942 -
World War II: nearly 250
Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of
Darwin killing anywhere from 243 to 1100 people.
* 1942 - World War II:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the
executive order 9066, allowing the
United States military to relocate
Japanese-Americans to
Japanese internment camps.
*
1943 - World War II:
Battle of the Kasserine Pass in
Tunisia begins.
*
1945 - World War II:
Battle of Iwo Jima - about 30,000
United States Marines land on
Iwo Jima.
*
1949 -
Ezra Pound is awarded the first
Bollingen Prize in poetry by the
Bollingen Foundation and
Yale University.
*
1953 -
Censorship:
Georgia approves the first
literature censorship board in the
United States.
*
1959 - The
United Kingdom grants
Cyprus its
independence, which is then on formally proclaimed on
August 16,
1960.
*
1964 -
Paul Simon writes "The Sounds of Silence," the song which, in a year and a half, will catapult him and
Art Garfunkel to stardom as
Simon & Garfunkel.
*
1980 -
Bon Scott (Ronald Belford Scott), lead singer of AC/DC, dies after a night of heavy drinking.
*
1985 -
Artificial heart patient
William J. Schroeder becomes the first such patient to leave
hospital.
* 1985 - A Spanish
Boeing 747 crashes into Mount Oiz in
Spain, killing 148.
* 1985 -
EastEnders first airs on televisions across the
United Kingdom, on the first night of a major ident change for
BBC1.
*
1986 - The
Soviet Union launches the
Mir space station.
* 1986 - After waiting 37 years, the
United States Senate approves a treaty outlawing genocide.
*
1999 -
Dennis Franz receives a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
*
2001 - A
Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated at the
Oklahoma City National Memorial.
*
2002 -
NASA's
Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of
Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.
*
2004 -
Nazi-hunter
Simon Wiesenthal is awarded an honorary
knighthood in recognition of a "lifetime of service to humanity."
*
2006 -
The Rolling Stones made the largest show open to the public of the world in
Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1.3 million people went to the show.
*
1473 -
Nicolaus Copernicus, mathematician and astronomer (d.
1543)
*
1526 -
Charles de L'Ecluse, Flemish botanist (d.
1609)
*
1552 -
Melchior Klesl, Austrian cardinal and statesman (d.
1630)
*
1630 -
Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire (d.
1680)
*
1660 -
Friedrich Hoffmann, German physician and chemist (d.
1742)
*
1717 -
David Garrick, British actor (d.
1779)
*
1722 -
Tiphaigne de la Roche, French writer (d.
1774)
*
1743 -
Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer (d.
1805)
*
1802 -
Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councillor (d.
1881)
*
1804 -
Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky, German physician (d.
1878)
* 1804 -
David Wark, Canadian politician and Senator (d.
1905)
*
1821 -
August Schleicher, German linguist (d.
1868)
*
1833 -
Élie Ducommun, Swiss journalist and activist, recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize (d.
1906)
*
1859 -
Svante Arrhenius, Swedish chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1927)
*
1865 -
Sven Hedin, Swedish explorer (d.
1952)
*
1876 -
Constantin Brancusi, Romanian sculptor (d.
1957)
*
1877 -
Gabriele Münter, German painter (d.
1962)
*
1888 -
José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian writer (d.
1928)
*
1893 - Sir
Cedric Hardwicke, British actor (d.
1964)
*
1895 -
Louis Calhern, American actor (d.
1956)
*
1899 -
Yury Olesha, Russian novelist (d.
1960)
*
1900 -
Giorgos Seferis, Greek writer,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1971)
*
1902 -
Kay Boyle, American writer (d.
1992)
*
1904 -
Havank, Dutch writer (d.
1964)
*
1911 -
Merle Oberon, British actress (d.
1979)
*
1912 -
Stan Kenton, American musician (d.
1979)
*
1914 -
Jacques Dufilho, French comedian and actor (d.
2005)
*
1916 -
Eddie Arcaro, American jockey (d.
1997)
*
1917 -
Carson McCullers, American author (d.
1967)
*
1920 -
Jaan Kross, Estonian writer
*1920 -
George Rose, British music hall entertainer (d.
1988)
*1920 -
C. Z. Guest, American socialite (d.
2003)
*
1924 -
David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player
*1924 -
Lee Marvin, American actor (d.
1987)
*
1930 -
John Frankenheimer, American film director (d.
2002)
*
1936 -
Sam Myers, American musician and songwriter (d.
2006)
*1936 -
Marin Sorescu, Romanian poet, writer and novelist (d.
1997)
*
1940 -
Smokey Robinson, American musician
*1940 -
Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan
*
1941 -
David Gross, American physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate
*
1942 -
Paul Krause, American football player
*
1943 -
Lou Christie, American singer
*1943 -
Tim Hunt, British biochemist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine*
1945 -
Michael Nader, American actor
*
1946 -
Karen Silkwood, American activist (d.
1974)
*
1948 -
Pim Fortuyn, Dutch politician (d.
2002)
* 1948 -
Tony Iommi, British musician (
Black Sabbath)
*
1948 -
Big John Studd, Professional wrestler
*
1949 -
Dan Bunten, American software developer (d.
1998)
*
1950 -
Andy Powell, British Musician
*
1951 -
Stephen Nichols, American actor
* 1951 -
Tahir-ul-Qadri, Pakastani Islamic scholar
*
1952 -
Amy Tan, American novelist
*
1953 -
Massimo Troisi, Italian actor (d.
1994)
*
1954 -
Socrates, Brazilian footballer
*
1955 -
Jeff Daniels, American actor
*
1956 -
Roderick MacKinnon, American biologist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry*
1957 -
Falco, Austrian singer (d.
1998)
* 1957 -
Ray Winstone, British actor
*
1960 -
Andrew, Duke of York*
1962 -
Hana Mandlikova, Czech tennis player
*
1963 -
Seal, British singer
*
1964 -
Dmitri Lipskerov, Russian writer
*
1966 -
Justine Bateman, American actress
* 1966 -
Paul Haarhuis, Dutch tennis player
*
1967 -
Benicio Del Toro, Puerto Rican actor
*
1969 -
Burton C. Bell, American vocalist (
Fear Factory)
*
1972 -
Francine, American professional wrestler
*
1974 -
Danny Doring, American professional wrestler
*
1977 -
Gianluca Zambrotta, Italian footballer
*
1979 -
Mariska, Finnish female rapper
* 1979 -
Clinton Morrison, Irish International footballer.
*
1983 -
Vitas, Russian singer
* 1983 -
Mika Nakashima, Japanese singer and actress
*
1985 -
Haylie Duff, American singer and actress
*
1986 -
Reon Kadena, Japanese model and actress
* 1986 -
Maria Mena, Norwegian singer
* 1986 -
Judith Bingham, American singer/songwriter
*
1993 -
Victoria Justice, American actress
*
197 -
Clodius Albinus, Roman governor of Britain
*
1133 -
Irene Ducaena, wife of
Alexius I Comnenus (b.
1066)
*
1553 -
Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer and mathematician (b.
1511)
*
1605 -
Orazio Vecchi, Italian composer (b.
1550)
*
1602 -
Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercoeur, French soldier (b.
1558)
*
1620 -
Roemer Visscher, Dutch writer (b.
1547)
*
1622 -
Henry Savile, English educator (b.
1549)
*
1653 -
Luigi de Rossi, Italian composer (b.
1597)
*
1663 -
Adam Adami, German bishop and diplomat (b.
1603)
*
1670 - King
Frederick III of Denmark (b.
1609)
*
1672 -
Charles Chauncy, English-born president of Harvard College (b.
1592)
*
1709 -
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shogun (b.
1646)
*
1716 -
Dorthe Engelbrechtsdatter, Norwegian poet (b.
1634)
*
1789 -
Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and
President of Delaware (b.
1738)
*
1799 -
Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, political scientist, and sailor (b.
1733)
*
1806 -
Elizabeth Carter, English writer (b.
1717)
*
1837 -
Georg Büchner, German playwright (b.
1813)
*
1873 -
Vasil Levski, Bulgarian revolutionary (b.
1837)
*
1887 -
Multatuli, Dutch writer (b.
1820)
*
1897 -
Karl Weierstraß, German mathematician (b.
1815)
*
1916 -
Ernst Mach, Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher (b.
1838)
*
1927 -
Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer (b.
1847)
*
1936 -
Billy Mitchell, American general and military aviation pioneer (b.
1879)
* 1936 -
Max Schreck, German actor (b.
1879)
* 1936 -
Charles Harding Firth, British historian (b.
1857)
*
1942 -
Frank Abbandando, American gangster (executed) (b.
1910)
*
1951 -
André Gide, French writer,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1869)
*
1952 -
Knut Hamsun, Norwegian author,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1859)
*
1957 -
Maurice Garin, French cyclist (b.
1871)
*
1968 -
Georg Hackenschmidt, wrestler (b.
1878)
*
1969 -
Madge Blake, American actress (b.
1899)
*
1972 -
John Grierson, Scottish documentary filmmaker (b.
1898)
* 1972 -
Tedd Pierce, American animator (b.
1906)
*
1973 -
Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian violinist (b.
1892)
*
1975 -
Luigi Dallapiccola, Italian composer (b.
1904)
*
1977 -
Mike González, baseball player (b.
1890)
*
1977 -
Anthony Crosland, (British Politician) {b.
1918)
*
1980 -
Bon Scott, Australian musician (
AC/DC) (b.
1946)
*
1983 -
Alice White, American film actress (b.
1904)
*
1986 -
Adolfo Celi, Italian actor (b.
1922)
*
1988 -
André Frédéric Cournand, French-born physician, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b.
1895)
*
1994 -
Derek Jarman, British Film Director (b.
1942)
*
1996 -
Charles O. Finley, American sports entrepreneur (b.
1918)
*
1997 -
Deng Xiaoping, Chinese Communist leader and revolutionary (b.
1904)
* 1997 -
Leo Rosten, American Yiddish writer and humorist (b.
1908)
*
1998 -
John Acheson, actor
*1998 -
Grandpa Jones, American entertainer (b.
1913)
*
1999 -
Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, Iraqi Shiite leader (assassinated)
*
2000 -
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian artist (b.
1928)
*
2001 -
Priscilla Davis, American socialite (b.
1942)
* 2001 -
Stanley Kramer, American director (b.
1913)
* 2001 -
Charles Trenet, French singer (b.
1913)
*
2003 -
Johnny Paycheck, American singer (b.
1938)
*
Chaoflux (
Discordianism)
*
Astrology: First day of sun sign
Pisces*
Astrology: Can also be last day of sun sign
Aquarius depending on the time of birth and the astrologer's viewpoint.
*
Narconon Day: This holiday celebrates the 1966 creation of Narconon, which seeks to cure drug addiction by administering Scientology's
Purification Rundown and various "training routines".
*
BBC: On This Day *
The New York Times: On This Day*
On This Day in CanadaFebruary 18 -
February 20 -
January 19 -
March 19 --
listing of all days
