The following events occurred inFebruary 1918:

• Sailors of theAustro-Hungarian Navy Fifth Fleetmutinied in theGulf of Cattaro of theAdriatic Sea nearMontenegro.^[1]
• Soviet–Ukrainian War – TheCentral Council of Ukraine called for an end to anarmed workers uprising at an arsenal factory inKiev with a promise to negotiate immediate socioeconomic reforms.^[2]
• Royal Navy submarineHMS E50 struck amine and sank in theNorth Sea with all 31 crew lost.^[3]
• TheImperial German Army established the17th Army to serve on theWestern Front.^[4]
• TheRoyal Flying Corps established air squadronsNo. 123,^[5]No. 124,^[6]No. 125,^[7]No. 126,^[8] andNo. 128.^[9]
• TheLuftstreitkräfte, the air arm of theImperial German Army, established air squadronsJagdstaffel 68 and69.^[10]
• Movie western starWilliam S. Hart was both director and star of'Blue Blazes' Rawden, released throughParamount Pictures. The film has been preserved and is available in several formats.^[11][12]
• The musicalOh, Lady! Lady!!, written byGuy Bolton andP. G. Wodehouse with music byJerome Kern, was released onBroadway at thePrincess Theatre inNew York City where it ran for 219 performances.^[13]
• TheU-boat War Badge was established to award German submarine crews that completed more than three patrols during wartime.^[14][15]
• ThefootballClub Sportivo was established inBuenos Aires.^[16]
• Born:
  • Carlos Fayt, Argentine politician, Minister of theSupreme Court of Argentina from 1983 to 2015; inSalta, Argentina (d.2016)^{[citation needed]}
  • Muriel Spark, Scottish writer, author ofThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; as Muriel Sarah Camberg, inEdinburgh, Scotland (d.2006)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:
  • William Melville, 67, British law enforcer and intelligence officer, first chief of theBritish Secret Bureau (b.1850)^{[citation needed]}
  • Leonilla Bariatinskaya, 101, Russian noble, wife toLudwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, subject of various portraits by German artistFranz Xaver Winterhalter (b.1816)^{[citation needed]}
  • Juho Halme, 29, Finnish Olympic track and field athlete; executed byRed Guards during theFinnish Civil War (b.1888)^[17]

• Soviet–Ukrainian War – Militias led by Ukrainian independence leaderSymon Petliura enteredKiev and stormed theArsenal Factory whereworkers in support of the Bolsheviks were barricaded.^[2]
• Apair of tornadoes struckBrighton, Victoria, Australia, at the same time, killing two people and injuring six others. Property damages from the storm were estimated to be betweenA£100,000 and 150,000.^[18]
• TheDefence Command of Finland was established.^[19]
• TheLuftstreitkräfte reorganized its fighter wingsJagdstaffel 2, withBruno Loerzer as its first commanding officer, andJagdstaffel 3, withAdolf Ritter von Tutschek in command.^[20]
• The Cape-Kootjieskolk toCalvinia rail line, stretching a total 43 miles 47 chains (70.1 kilometres), opened inSouth Africa.^[21]
• Born:
  • Hella Haasse, Dutch writer, author ofOeroeg; as Hélène Serafia Haasse, in Batavia,Dutch East Indies (present-dayJakarta, Indonesia) (d.2011)^{[citation needed]}
  • Stuart Blanch, British clergy,Archbishop of York from 1975 to 1983; inBlakeney, Gloucestershire, England (d.1994)^{[citation needed]}
  • Fyffe Christie, British artist, best known for his murals atGlasgow University Union; inBushey, England (d.1979)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:John L. Sullivan, 59, American boxer, firstworld heavyweight boxing champion (b.1858)^{[citation needed]}

• TheAustro-Hungarian Navy Third Fleet put down amutiny within the Fifth Fleet offMontenegro. About 800 sailors were imprisoned and dozens faced court-martial (with four later executed).^[22]
• Finnish Civil War:Battle of Oulu – TheWhite Guard defeated theReds.^[23]
• TheTwin Peaks Tunnel, the longest (11,920 feet or 3,630 metres) streetcartunnel in the world, opened inSan Francisco.^[24][25]
• Born:
  • Joey Bishop, American entertainer, member of the "Rat Pack", host ofThe Joey Bishop Show; as Joseph Abraham Gottlieb, inNew York City, United States (d.2007)^{[citation needed]}
  • Helen Stephens, American runner, two-time gold medalist in the1936 Summer Olympics; inFulton, Missouri, United States (d.1994)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Ernest Hoben, 54, New Zealand sports executive, co-founder ofNew Zealand Rugby (b.1864)^{[citation needed]}

• Soviet–Ukrainian War – Ukrainian militias quelled thearmed uprising at theArsenal Factory inKiev, resulting in over 300 deaths.^[2]
• Anelection for theEstonian Constituent Assembly was held with theBolsheviks hoping for a majority to keepEstonia part ofRussia. However, they only received 38% of the vote with the majority of the other political parties combined in favor of independence.^[26]
• German submarineSM UC-50 was depth charged and sunk in theEnglish Channel byRoyal NavydestroyerHMS Zubian, killing all 26 crew.^[27]
• A judicial inquiry into theHalifax Explosion last December released a report concluding the captain and crew of theMont-Blanc were responsible for causing the collision with the shipImo inHalifax Harbour that eventually started the explosion that destroyed most of the city inNova Scotia and killed 1,963 people.^[28]
• TheImperial German Army established the19th Army to serve on theWestern Front.^[29]
• Born:Ida Lupino, English-American actress and filmmaker, known for roles inHigh Sierra andThe Hard Way, director of films includingThe Hitch-Hiker andThe Bigamist and television episodes includingAlfred Hitchcock Presents,Thriller, andThe Twilight Zone; inLondon, England (d.1995)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Akiyama Saneyuki, 49, Japanese naval officer, chief planner for theImperial Japanese Navy during theRusso-Japanese War (b.1864)^{[citation needed]}

• Soviet–Ukrainian War – Soviet soldiers totaling 7,000marched onKiev but met little resistance from the Ukrainian garrison.^[30]
• TheDecree on Separation of Church and State was adopted by theRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.^[31]
• BritishtroopshipSS Tuscania, the first ship carrying American troops toEurope, was torpedoed and sunk off the coast ofIreland with 210 killed on board.^[32]
• American fighter pilotStephen W. Thompson achieved the first aerial victory for theUnited States Army inWorld War I, shooting down an attacking GermanAlbatros fighter while part of a bombing raid overSaarbrücken, Germany.^{[33][34][35][36][37]}
• Born:Gara Garayev, Azerbaijani composer, known for works includingSymphony No. 3 andThe Path of Thunder, two-time recipient of theOrder of Lenin; inBaku,Transcaucasian Commissariat (present-dayAzerbaijan) (d.1982)^{[citation needed]}

• TheRepresentation of the People Act was enacted to give most British women over the age of 30 theright to vote.^[38]
• An attempt by theFinnish White Guards to takeVarkaus, Finland, from theFinnish Red Guards failed, resulting in four casualties.^[39]
• TheLuftstreitkräfte established air squadronsJagdstaffel 70 and71.^[40]
• TheBrooklyn Chamber of Commerce was established inBrooklyn and grew to become the largestchamber of commerce in the state ofNew York.^[41]
• Born:
  • Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German writer, author ofDas Boot; inWeimar,German Empire (present-dayGermany) (d.2007)^{[citation needed]}
  • Louis Dudek, Canadian poet, known for his poetry and criticism onmodernism inCanada, recipient of theOrder of Canada; inMontreal, Canada (d.2001)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Gustav Klimt, 55, Austrian painter, member of theVienna Secession, known for works includingJudith I,Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I andThe Kiss (b.1862)^{[citation needed]}

• Vladimir Bogoyavlensky,Bishop of Kiev, was executed in front of his monks byRed Army soldiers under command ofMikhail Artemyevich Muravyov. His death made him a martyr and was canonized by theRussian Orthodox Church in 1998.^[42][43]
• The sports clubCentro Asturiano de México was established inMexico City initially as a football club calledClub Asturia.^[44]
• Born:
  • Peter Blau, Austrian-American sociologist, developedsocial exchange theory; inVienna,Austria-Hungary (present-dayAustria) (d.2002)^{[citation needed]}
  • Lin Lanying, Chinese chemist, developed the chemicalgallium arsenide that is used in circuits, semiconductors and solar panels; inPutian,Republic of China (present-dayChina) (d.2003)^{[citation needed]}

• Soviet–Ukrainian War – Soviet forcesoccupiedKiev, forcing the Ukrainian government to relocate toZhytomyr, Ukraine.^[30]
• German submarineSM UB-38 struck a mine and sank in theNorth Sea with the loss of all 27 crew.^[45]
• Royal NavydestroyerHMS Boxer collided with another ship in theEnglish Channel and sank with all but one crew rescued.^[46]
• TheLafayette Escadrille, the American volunteer squadron serving in theFrench Army, was transferred to theUnited States Army to become the103rd Aero Squadron.^[47]
• TheUnited States replaced thestar insignia for its military aircraft adopted in 1917 with a roundel that contained an outer red ring, an inner blue ring, and a white center. TheAllies requested the change out of a fear that the star could be mistaken for a German cross.^[48]
• TheYork Daily Record inYork, Pennsylvania, released a news article onJim McIlherron, a son of a black landowner inEstill Springs, Tennessee, who was lynched and burned alive by a mob following a manhunt and shootout with local police.^[49] McIlherron was on the run after shooting three young white men he accused of throwing rocks at him. A grand jury later concluded there was little substantial evidence to charge any members of the lynch mob.^[50]
• TheBritish Army established the4th Guards Brigade when it reorganized its brigades from four to three battalions for theWestern Front.^[51]
• Tbilisi State University was established inTbilisi, Georgia, the first post-secondary education institution of its time in theCaucasus region.^[52]
• Born:Freddie Blassie, American professional wrestler, prominent early member of theWorld Wrestling Federation; as Frederick Kenneth Blassie, inSt. Louis, United States (d.2003)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Louis Renault, 74, French lawyer, recipient of theNobel Peace Prize for his working on developinginternational law (b.1843)^{[citation needed]}

• TheCentral Powers signed anexclusive protectorate treaty with theUkrainian People's Republic as part of the negotiations that took place inBrest-Litovsk, Belarus.^[53]
• A violent rail strike grounded much ofArgentina, with federal troops mobilized to prevent anarchists from destroying rail tracks and train cars carrying grain.^[54]
• German agricultural equipment manufacturerFella-Werke was established inFeucht, Germany.^[55]

• Marco Fidel Suárez won thepresidential election inColombia over opponentGuillermo Valencia with 54% of the vote, becoming the ninthPresident of Colombia.^[56]
• Invasion of Åland – A squad of 460Finnish White Guards landed on theÅland Islands in theBaltic Sea in an attempt to discourage a local group from advocating secession fromFinland and union withSweden during theFinnish Civil War.^[57]
• A shootout between a group of lawmen and the Powers, a family of miners, at their cabin in theGaliuro Mountains ofArizona resulted in four deaths and the start of the largest manhunt in the state's history. Jeff Power, Sheriff Robert F. McBride, Undersheriff Martin R. Kempton and Deputy Sheriff Thomas Kane Wooten of theGraham County, Arizona Sheriff's Office were killed in the shootout.^{[58][59][60][61][62]}
• TheMinistry of Information was established for theGovernment of the United Kingdom, withLord Beaverbrook appointed as minister.^[63]
• TheRoyal Flying Corps established air squadronNo. 148 atRAF Andover, England.^[64]
• The sports clubRaufoss was established inRaufoss, Norway.^[65]
• Born:Albert Geyser, South African theologian, member of theDutch Reformed Church in South Africa and anti-apartheid activist; as Albertus Geyser, in Naboomspruit,Union of South Africa (present-dayMookgophong, South Africa) (d.1985)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:
  • Abdul Hamid II, 75, Turkish noble, 34thSultan of the Ottoman Empire (b.1842)^{[citation needed]}
  • Johannes Wilhelm Colenbrander, 62,Natal-born British soldier and colonial official, drowned with two other actors during filming ofSymbol of Sacrifice (b.1855)^[66][67]
  • Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, 84, Italian activist, founder of the Lombard Association for Peace and Arbitration, recipient of theNobel Peace Prize (b.1833)^{[citation needed]}

• Battle of Antrea – TheFinnish Reds marched onAntrea, Finland, which held an important rail hub for the east half of the country. They captured the villages of Seistola and Ahvola west of the rail town ofHannila but failed to take the community itself.^[68]
• German submarineSM U-53 torpedoed and sank British cargo ship SSMerton Hall in theAtlantic Ocean, killing 57 crew.^[69]
• Royal NavyQ-ship HMSWestphalia was sunk by German submarineSM U-97 with the loss of 46 crew.^[70]
• An internal explosion sank the French submarineDiane in theBay of Biscay, killing all 43 crew.^[71]
• TheDefence Command of Finland established its ownIntelligence Division.^[72]
• TheLuftstreitkräfte established air squadronsJagdstaffel 72 and73.^[73]
• The roof of thePortland–Lewiston Interurban electric rail car barn inGray, Maine, collapsed under heavy snow.^[74]
• ComposerCarl Nielsen premiered hissymphonic poemPan and Syrinx inCopenhagen.^[75]
• Former employees forThomas Edison formed theEdison Pioneers society on the same day as the inventor's 71st birthday, although Edison himself was unavailable to attend as he was "engaged in important government service" (rumored to be a secret government weapons project for use inWorld War I).^[76]
• Born:
  • Anne Stine Ingstad, Norwegian archaeologist, co-discoverer of Viking artifacts atL'Anse aux Meadows,Newfoundland; as Anne Kirstine Moe, inLillehammer, Norway (d.1997)^{[citation needed]}
  • Lawrence H. Johnston, American physicist, member of theManhattan Project, only man to witness all three atomic explosions in 1945 including theTrinity nuclear test and theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; inShandong,Republic of China (present-dayChina) (d.2011)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:
  • Alexey Kaledin, 56, Russian army officer, commander of theDon Cossacks during theKaledinschina counterrevolution against the Soviet government; died bysuicide (b.1861)^{[citation needed]}
  • Taytu Betul, 66-67, Ethiopian noble,Consort for the Ethiopian Empire from 1889 to 1913 (b.1851)^{[citation needed]}

• TheDonetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic was established with the cityKharkov as its capital.^[77]
• Battle of Antrea – In early stages of the battle,White Guard commanderAarne Sihvo disobeyed an order to retreat across theVuoksi River and instead ordered his forces to recapture the village of Ahvola,Finland from theRed Guards. The attack was successful and Sihvo was promoted to commander of all White forces in the area.^[68]
• Royal NavycruiserHMS Roxburgh rammed and sunk German submarineSM U-89 in theAtlantic Ocean, killing all 43 crew.^[78]
• Born:
  • Julian Schwinger, American physicist, recipient of theNobel Prize in Physics for research intoquantum electrodynamics; inNew York City, United States (d.1994)^{[citation needed]}
  • Norman Farberow, American psychologist, considered the founder of modernsuicidology, co-founder of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center; inPittsburgh, United States (d.2015)^{[citation needed]}
  • Werner Schröer, German air force officer, commander of theJagdgeschwader 27 andJagdgeschwader 3 for theLuftwaffe duringWorld War II, recipient of theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross; inMülheim,German Empire (present-dayGermany) (d.1985)^{[citation needed]}

• Anearthquake struckShantou, China with a strength of 7.2 in magnitude, killing 2,000 people and injuring a thousand more.^[79]
• French submarineBernoulli struck amine and sank in theAdriatic Sea with all 23 crew lost.^[71]
• British cellistMay Mukle and her peers, violinistsRebecca Clarke andMarjorie Hayward, gave a recital at theAeolian Hall inNew York City, performing works byHubert Parry,Frank Bridge, and the premiėre ofMorpheus, written by Clarke under the pen-name "Anthony Trent".^[80]
• Born:
  • Patty Berg, American golfer, founding member of theLPGA, winner of theU.S. Women's Open in 1946; as Patricia Jane Berg, inMinneapolis, United States (d.2006)^{[citation needed]}
  • Junichi Sasai, Japanese air naval officer, member of theTainan Air Group duringWorld War II, recipient of theOrder of the Golden Kite; inTokyo,Empire of Japan (present-dayJapan) (d.1942,killed in action during theGuadalcanal campaign)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Henry Arthur Blake, 78, British colonial administrator, 12thGovernor of Hong Kong, 19thGovernor of Ceylon and 65thGovernor of Jamaica (b.1840)^{[citation needed]}

• Russia switched from theJulian calendar to theGregorian calendar, with the date skipping fromJanuary 31 toFebruary 14. As a result, theOctober Revolution was to have occurred in November following the conversion.^[81]
• Invasion of Åland – AWhite Guards unit took the Russian-held villages ofPrästö and the telegraph station inSund on theÅland Islands.^[57]
• TheUnited States Army established the278th Aero Squadron atLove Field, Dallas,Texas.^[82]
• AU.S. Army air naval station was established atAghada, Ireland, but closed the following year.^[83]
• TheBroadway musicalSinbad, byHarold R. Atteridge with music bySigmund Romberg, opened at theWinter Garden Theatre inNew York City withAl Jolson in the lead role. It ran for 164 performances.^[84][85]
• Died:Cecil Spring Rice, 58, British diplomat,Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States from 1912 to 1918 (b.1859)^{[citation needed]}

• Invasion of Åland –Sweden landed forces atEckerö on theÅland Islands to safeguard Swedish-held territory from theWhite Guards.^[57]
• Battle of Rarańcza – Polish forces under the command ofJózef Haller attempted to break through Austrian lines atRarancza,Bukovina inEastern Europe.^[86]
• A German navy squadron of Korvettenkapitän Heinecke's 2nd Flotilla of the High Seas Fleetclashed with patrolling British ships in theStrait of Dover, resulting in nine lost ships and 22 sailors and officers killed, 13 wounded, and 54 missing. There were no German casualties.^[87]
• Mortar Board, the first Americanhonor society for female college students, held its inaugural meeting atSyracuse University,New York.^[88]
• TheMetal Central of the State was established to manage imports and exports inNorway affected byWorld War I.^[89]
• Thefootball clubSkarphedin was established inOsterøy, Norway. It merged in 1946 with clubsMjeldalen andSkarpodder to becomeOsterøy IL. It now offers football,handball,track and field,gymnastics andNordic skiing.^[90]
• Born:
  • Allan Arbus, American actor, best known for the role of Dr. Sidney Freeman onM*A*S*H; inNew York City, United States (d.2013)^{[citation needed]}
  • Hank Locklin, American country music songwriter, known for country hits including "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" and "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On"; as Lawrence Hankins Locklin, inMcLellan, Florida, United States (d.2009)^{[citation needed]}
  • Joël Le Tac,French resistance fighter, key player inOperation Savanna andOperation Josephine B duringWorld War II; inParis, France (d.2005)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Vernon Castle, 30, American dancer, noted for his partnership with wifeIrene in promoting modern ballroom dancing; died in a plane crash (b.1887)^{[citation needed]}

• TheCouncil of Lithuaniadeclared independence fromRussia.^[91]
• Battle of Rarańcza – Polish forces defeated Austrian forces atRarancza,Bukovina with some accounts recording heavy casualties.^[86]
• Four GermanRiesenflugzeug bombers raidedEngland. A single 1,000-kg (2,205-lb) bomb was to be dropped onLondon Victoria station, but it landed half a mile away on theRoyal Hospital inChelsea, London, England.^[92]
• TheLuftstreitkräfte established air squadronsJagdstaffel 74 and75.^[93]
• The first solo exhibition of Spanish artistJoan Miró opened at theGaleries Dalmau inBarcelona but his work was ridiculed and defaced by many of the patrons.^[94]
• Japanese silicon manufacturerTokuyama Corporation was established inTokuyama, Yamaguchi, Japan.^[95]
• Born:
  • Patty Andrews, American singer, member ofThe Andrews Sisters; inMound, Minnesota, United States (d.2013)^{[citation needed]}
  • Gordon M. Graham, American air force officer, commander ofUnited States Forces Japan andFifth Air Force in 1970, two-time recipient of theDistinguished Flying Cross and 30Air Medals; inOuray, Colorado, United States (d.2008)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Károly Khuen-Héderváry, 68, Hungarian state leader, 14thPrime Minister of Hungary (b.1849)^{[citation needed]}

• German General Chief of StaffMax Hoffmann announced an end of the cease-fire withRussia following a breakdown in peace talks.^[96]
• Notified that the ceasefire with theCentral Powers was ending,Vladimir Lenin ordered theBaltic Fleet of theImperial Russian Navy to leaveTallinn, Estonia and sail toHelsinki.^[97]
• Invasion of Åland – AFinnish Red Guard unit of 150 men landed on theÅland Islands to help the Russians posted defend against theWhite Guards and the Swedes already in the region. Meanwhile, the White Guards captured the village of Godby inFinström while the Russians retained the villageJomala and the artillery fort of Sålis.^[57]
• A single German bomb attack hitSt Pancras railway station inLondon, killing 21 people and injuring 32.^[98]
• Born:William Bronk, American poet, known for his poetry collectionLife Supports, recipient of theNational Book Award for Poetry; inFort Edward, New York, United States (d.1999)^{[citation needed]}

• Operation Faustschlag – TheCentral Powers launched a final offensive code-named "Operation Fist Punch" on theEastern Front to take advantage of crumbling Russian resistance. A total 53 divisions were involved in a three-pronged attack, with the northern force advancing onPskov, Russia andNarva, Estonia, the central force pushing towardsSmolensk, and the southern force towardsKiev.Daugavpils, Latvia was captured on the first day of the offense.^[99]
• LocalWhite Guard military staff met inPieksämäki, Finland to discuss plans tocaptureVarkaus from theRed Guard.^[100]
• British authorities beganoperations against the Marri and Khetran tribes inBalochistan,British India.^[101]
• TheSisters of Mercy foundedVilla Maria College inChristchurch, New Zealand with 14 students.^[102][103]
• Themain train station forPoughkeepsie, New York, was opened.^[104]

• TheEgyptian Expeditionary Force beganattacking Ottoman defenses in theJordan Valley east ofJerusalem.^[105]
• TheImperial Russian Navy began evacuating the first of their ships fromTallinn, Estoniathrough thick ice over theGulf of Finland.^[97]
• Battle of Varkaus – A force of 1,000White Guards attackedVarkaus, Finland. The 1,200Red Guards in the city were lightly armed despite their numbers, with only 150 rifles among them.^[106]
• Invasion of Åland –Sweden dispatched another regiment to theÅland Islands to press the remaining Russian units to leave.^[107]
• Born:
  • Fay McKenzie, American actress, starred in both silent and sound films includingStation Content,Down Mexico Way andCowboy Serenade; as Eunice Fay McKenzie, inHollywood, Los Angeles, United States (d.2019)^{[citation needed]}
  • Forest Evashevski, American college football coach, manager for theWashington State Cougars football team from 1950 to 1951 and theIowa Hawkeyes football team from 1952 to 1960; inDetroit, United States (d.2009)^{[citation needed]}
  • Andrija Puharich, American medical researcher, endorser of paranormal individuals includingUri Geller andPeter Hurkos; as Henry Karel Puharić, inChicago, United States (d.1995)^{[citation needed]}

• Invasion of Åland – Finnish army officerCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, commander of theWhite Guards in theFinnish Civil War, issued an order for the White Guards to retreat from theÅland Islands, although it was ruse to dispatch a larger invasion force to take the islands and set it up as a staging ground for a siege on theRed Guard capital ofTurku in southwestFinland.^[57]
• Battle of Varkaus – TheWhite Guards surroundedVarkaus, Finland.^[106]
• German military command issued a memorandum directing air squadrons to support ground troops with suppressing aerial fire for the upcomingspring offensive on theWestern Front, the first time aircraft worked in tandem with ground units in military operations.^[108]
• TheOrder of Sleeping Car Conductors was established inKansas City, Missouri.^[109]
• Born:
  • Leonore Annenberg, American business leader, 23rdChief of Protocol of the United States, president of theAnnenberg Foundation, wife to publisherWalter Annenberg; as Leonore Cohn, inNew York City, United States (d.2009)^{[citation needed]}
  • Ben Klassen, Ukrainian-American religious leader and white supremacist, founder of theCreativity movement; as Bernhardt Klassen, inRudnerweide, Ukraine (d.1993)^{[citation needed]}

• TheEgyptian Expeditionary Force occupiedJericho, beginning theBritish occupation of the Jordan Valley inPalestine. The British force lost 510 casualties but captured 144 Ottoman prisoners and eight machine guns.^[110]
• Operation Faustschlag – TheCentral Powers capturedMinsk during "Operation Fist Punch".^[111]
• Battle of Rautu – Fighting commenced between theWhite Guards against theRed Guards at RautuFinland (nowRussia).Russia provided much support for the Red Guards as the rail station at Rautu was located 60 kilometers north ofPetrograd and had the potential to be a staging area for an attack on the Russian capital.^[112]
• Battle of Varkaus – TheRed Guards, outgunned, retreated fromVarkaus, Finland, with 700 holed up in a pulp mill in Ahlström. After running out of ammo, the force surrendered at 10:00 pm. A total of 20 Red Guards were killed, along with a dozen men from theWhite Guard force.^[106]
• Austrian submarineSM U-23 was sunk in theStrait of Otranto by an Italian destroyer, killing all 18 crew.^[113]
• Incas the last captiveCarolina parakeet (the onlyparrot species native to theeastern United States) died at theCincinnati Zoo in the same enclosure whereMartha, the lastpassenger pigeon, died in 1914.^[114]
• TheCharles Cuvillier operettaThe Lilac Domino opened for its second run at theEmpire Theatre inLondon.^[115]
• Died:William H. Workman, 79, American politician, 18thMayor of Los Angeles (b.1839)^{[citation needed]}

• Russian icebreakerYermak begancutting a path through the ice in theGulf of Finland for the bulk of the retreatingImperial Russian NavyBaltic Fleet to follow.^[116]
• Operation Faustschlag – TheCentral Powers offensive advance was so rapid that in a week it had advanced 150 miles (240 km) and was within 100 miles (160 km) ofPetrograd. Much of the advance was done by rail, with German GeneralMax Hoffmann writing in his diary: "It is the most comical war I have ever known. We put a handful of infantrymen with machine guns and one gun onto a train and rush them off to the next station; they take it, make prisoners of the Bolsheviks, pick up few more troops, and so on. This proceeding has, at any rate, the charm of novelty."^[117]
• Invasion of Åland –Russia confirmed their forces would be leaving theÅland Islands, with 300 RussianFinnish Red Guards redeployed toTurku, Finland.^[57]
• A Sovietdecree, initially thought to be released byVladimir Lenin but later attributed toLeon Trotsky, ordered citizens to defend the territory to "the last drop of blood" and destroy any food provisions before having them fall to enemy hands as theCentral Powers "Operation Fist Punch" closed in onPetrograd. The decree further disruptedpeace talks betweenSoviet Russia and theCentral Powers.^[118]
• TheUnited States Army Air Corps established the73rd Aero Squadron atRich Field,Texas.^[119]
• Born:
  • Charlie Finley, American sports executive, owner of theOakland Athletics from 1960 to 1980; as Charles Oscar Finley, inEnsley,Alabama, United States (d.1996)^{[citation needed]}
  • Sid Abel, Canadian hockey player,centre for theDetroit Red Wings andChicago Blackhawks from 1938 to 1954, three-timeStanley Cup champion; as Sidney Gerald Abel, inMelville, Saskatchewan, Canada (d.2000)^{[citation needed]}
  • Don Pardo, American television personality, announcer forSaturday Night Live from 1975 to 2014; as Dominick George Pardo Jr., inWestfield, Massachusetts, United States (d.2014)^{[citation needed]}
  • Robert Wadlow, American personality, officially thetallest man ever according toGuinness World Records; inAlton, Illinois, United States (d.1940)^{[citation needed]}
  • Alfred J. Gross, Canadian-American inventor, patented earlywireless communication including thewalkie-talkie,Citizens band radio, thepager, and thecordless telephone; as Irving Gross, inToronto, Canada (d.2000)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Terry McGovern, 37, American boxer,World Bantamweight Champion andWorld Lightweight Champion in 1899,World Featherweight Champion in 1900 (b.1880)^{[citation needed]}

• The first drafting of new recruits forSoviet Russia were held inPetrograd andMoscow while the first professional infantry units fought occupying German forces, marking it as the unofficial birth of theRed Army.^[120]
• Battle of Rautu – The force of 1,0000Finnish Red Guards were forced to retreat from Rautu,Finland and were encircled on three sides byFinnish White Guards days later, with the only escape route leading back toPetrograd. The Red Guards dug trenches and began holding off White Guard attacks for several weeks.^[112]
• Newfoundland passenger shipFlorizel ran aground in a winter sea storm atCappahayden,Newfoundland, killing 94 passengers and crew. An SOS was sent out as the 44 survivors took shelter in the undamaged part of the ship until rescue the following day.^[121]
• TheEstonian Red Riflemen were established.^[122]
• Arthur Scherbius applied topatent theEnigma machine.^[123]
• Pompton Township, New Jersey, was split up into three separate boroughs includingBloomingdale,Ringwood, andWanaque.^[124]
• Born:Robert T. Smith, American air force officer, member of theFlying Tigers squadron and commander of the337th Fighter Squadron duringWorld War II, recipient of theDistinguished Flying Cross from both theUnited States andUnited Kingdom, theAir Medal andSilver Star; inYork, Nebraska, United States (d.1995)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:
  • Adolphus Frederick, 35, German royalty, last monarch for theGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; died bysuicide (b.1882)^{[citation needed]}
  • Noman Çelebicihan, 32-33, Crimean state leader, president of theCrimean People's Republic;executed (b.1885)^{[citation needed]}
  • Thomas Brassey, 82, British politician, 9thGovernor of Victoria (b.1836)^{[citation needed]}

• Estoniadeclared its independence fromRussia after seven centuries of foreign rule.^[125][126]
• TheImperial Russian Navy completed theirevacuation of theBaltic Fleet fromTallinn, Estonia.^[97]
• Operation Faustschlag – TheCentral Powers capturedZhytomyr, Ukraine during "Operation Fist Punch".^[111]
• Battle of Antrea – A front line between theWhite Guards and theRed Guards formed around the villages of Ahvola and Pullila east ofAntrea. Both sides, evenly matched at 1,500 men, engaged in trench warfare that dragged the battle out for several weeks, long enough that it was nicknamed "Verdun of Finland" in reference to the 1916battle atVerdun, France.^[68]
• Invasion of Åland –Sweden landed a second force atEckerö and took control of the entireÅland Islands by March 2, although there were still 1,200 disarmed Russian soldiers present on the islands.^[57]
• Ageneral election began inSpain to elect the 17thCortes Generales, with final results tallied on March 10.^[127]
• TheUnited States Army established theSecond Corps for action on theWestern Front.^[128]
• Born:Hans Berglund, Swedish canoeist, gold medalist at the1948 Summer Olympics; inStockholm, Sweden (d.2006)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Voltaire P. Twombly, 76, American army officer, recipient of theMedal of Honor for action atBattle of Fort Donelson during theAmerican Civil War (b.1842)^{[citation needed]}

• Operation Faustschlag – German forces capturedTallinn, Estonia. Rather than recognize the country'sdeclaration of independence the day before,Germany overthrew the Estonian government and made the country part of theGerman Empire.^[129]
• Finnish White Guards commanderCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheimdeclared officers could carry out executions ofRed Guard prisoners at their discretion. The "shoot on the spot" declaration lead to the massacre of 180 communist Finns following theBattle of Varkaus in what was referred to as the "Lottery of Huruslahti".^[106]
• The film romantic comedyHeadin' South, starringDouglas Fairbanks and directed byArthur Rosson, was released to become one of the top 10 grossing films for the year. The film is now considered lost.^[130]
• Born:
  • Barney Ewell, American runner, two-time silver medalist and gold medalist at the1948 Summer Olympics; as Henry Norwood Ewell, inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States (d.1996)^{[citation needed]}
  • Bobby Riggs, American tennis player, held thetop world ranking in tennis in 1939, 1946 and 1947; as Robert Larimore Riggs, inLos Angeles, United States (d.1995)^{[citation needed]}

• A massivefire at theHappy Valley Racecourse inHong Kong killed 590 people.^[131]
• Royal Navyhospital shipHMHS Glenart Castle was torpedoed and sunk in theBristol Channel by German submarineSM UC-56, killing 162 passengers and crew.^[132]
• U.S. Navy tugboatUSS Cherokee foundered in theAtlantic Ocean with the loss of 32 of her 42 crew.^[133]
• Born:
  • Herbert Blaize, Grenadian state leader, 6thPrime Minister of Grenada; inCarriacou, Grenada (d.1989)^{[citation needed]}
  • Otis Bowen, American politician, 44thGovernor of Indiana; inFulton County, Indiana, United States (d.2013)^{[citation needed]}
  • Theodore Sturgeon, American science fiction writer, author ofMore Than Human; as Edward Hamilton Waldo, inStaten Island,New York, United States (d.1985)^{[citation needed]}
  • Michael Sinclair, British army officer, escapee from the GermanPOW camp atOflag IV-C atColditz Castle inGermany, recipient of theDistinguished Service Order; as Albert Michael Sinclair (d.1944, killed while attempting to escape)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Edmond Francis Prendergast, 74, American clergy,Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1911 to 1918 (b.1843)^{[citation needed]}

• TheFruehauf Trailer Corporation was established inDetroit and began producing the first "semi-trailers".^[134]
• Born:
  • Brian Carbury, New Zealand air force officer, one of the four "aces in a day" during theBattle of Britain, recipient of theDistinguished Flying Cross; inWellington, New Zealand (d.1961)^{[citation needed]}
  • Thomas Kirby-Green, British air force pilot, member of the escape team from the GermanPOW campStalag Luft III; inDowa,Nyasaland (present-dayMalawi) (d.1944,executed)^{[citation needed]}

• Operation Faustschlag – TheCentral Powers capturedPskov, Russia andNarva, Estonia during "Operation Fist Punch".^[96]
• Invasion of Åland – A German naval unit was dispatched for theÅland Islands.^[57]
• The borough ofOcean Gate, New Jersey, was established using portions ofBerkeley.^[135]
• Born:
  • Alfred Burke, English actor, best known for his role in theBBC seriesPublic Eye; inPeckham,London, England (d.2011)^{[citation needed]}
  • Pepita Embil, Spanish opera singer, best known for her collaborations with composersFederico Moreno Torroba,Jacinto Guerrero, andPablo Sorozábal, wife to opera singerPlácido Domingo Ferrer; as Josefa Embil Echániz, inGetaria, Spain (d.1994)^{[citation needed]}
  • Lim Goh Tong, Chinese-Malaysian business leader, best known for developing theGenting Highlands ofBentong, Malaysia into a resort destination; inAnxi County,Republic of China (present-dayChina) (d.2007)^{[citation needed]}
• Died:Hans Mustad, 81, Norwegian business leader, founder ofO. Mustad & Son (b.1837)^{[citation needed]}

• Franks, Norman L. R.; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell F. (1993).Above The Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914-1918. London, UK: Grub Street.ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
• Harjula, Mirko (2010).Itämeri 1914-1921: Itämeren laivastot maailmansodassa sekä Venäjän vallankumouksissa ja sisällissodassa [Baltic Sea 1914-1921: Baltic Fleets in World War I, Russian Revolutions and Civil War] (in Finnish).Helsinki: Books on Demand.ISBN 978-952-49838-3-9.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988).RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd.ISBN 978-1-85310-053-6.
• Roselius, Aapo (2014).The Finnish Civil War 1918: History, Memory, Legacy. Leiden: Brill Publishers.ISBN 978-900-42436-6-8.

• February 1918
• February by year
• Months in the 1910s

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