Dates by Year
Historical Events
- Feb 2 US Congressional Black Caucus organizes with Charles C. Diggs Jr. its first Chair
- Feb 3 A series of house searches by the British Army in Catholic areas of Belfast, resulting in serious rioting and gun battles
- Feb 3 KTSC TV channel 8 in Pueblo-Colorado Spgs, CO (PBS) 1st broadcast
- Feb 3 NYPD officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust while his fellow officers stood outside and failed to call for assistance
- Feb 3 OPEC mandates "total embargo" against any company that rejects 55 percent tax rate
- Feb 4 Baseball announces a special hall of fame wing for black players and coaches
- Feb 4 British automobile and aerospace company Rolls Royce Ltd enters voluntary liquidation
- Feb 4 Government exhibit under construction in Brazil collapses, kills 65
- Feb 4 Lieutenant-General Vernon Erskine-Crum becomes General Officer Commanding of the British Army in Northern Ireland
- Feb 4 National Guard mobilized to quell rioting in Wilmington NC
- Feb 4 The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock exchange, the second-largest in the world - behind the New York Stock Exchange - is founded in New York City
28th Golden Globes
Feb 5 28th Golden Globes: "Love Story",George C. Scott, &Ali MacGraw win
Apollo 14
Feb 5 Apollo 14, 3rd US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra MauroAlan Shepard & Edward Mitchell (Apollo 14) walk on Moon for 4 hrs
- Feb 6 American astronautAlan Shepard is the first to hit a golf ball on the Moon[1]
- Feb 6 Bernard Watt (28), a Catholic civilian, is shot and killed by the British Army (BA) during street disturbances in Ardoyne, Belfast
- Feb 6 James Saunders (22), a member of the IRA, is shot and killed by the British Army during a gun battle near the Oldpark Road, Belfast
- Feb 6 The Irish Republican Army shoots and kills Gunner Robert Curtis, the first British soldier to die during the 'Troubles'
- Feb 7 Switzerland votes for national women's suffrage in a referendum - last European country to do so except for Liechtenstein
- Feb 8 NASDAQ Composite stock market index debuts with 50 companies and a starting value of 100
- Feb 8 Operation Lam Son 719 begins, a limited South Vietnamese incursion into Laos
- Feb 8 Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ
Zappa Concert Cancelled
Feb 8 Royal Albert Hall cancels scheduled concert featuringFrank Zappa, due to concerns about indecent lyrics
- Feb 9 5 men are killed near a BBC transmitter on Brougher Mountain, County Tyrone, in a landmine attack carried out by the Irish Republican Army
- Feb 9 Apollo 14 returns to Earth
- Feb 9 Elektra Records releases eponymous debut album of American singer-songwriter Carly Simon; garners two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist
- Feb 9 First gay-themed TV episode - All in the Family
- Feb 9 Quake in San Fernando Valley kills 64 & causes over $½B damage
Baseball Hall of Fame
Feb 9Satchel Paige becomes 1st Negro League player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Tapestry
Feb 10 A&M Records releases "Tapestry", the second album by singer-songwriterCarole King; wins 4 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year (1972), tops charts in four countries, and goes on to sell over 30 million copies
- Feb 10 American Mensa Ltd incorporates in New York City
- Feb 10 Bill White becomes 1st African American baseball announcer (NY Yankees)
- Feb 10 John Guares' stage comedy "House of Blue Leaves" opens at the Truck and Warehouse Theatre, NYC; runs for 337 performances
- Feb 11 Montreal Canadien John Believau scores his 500th NHL goal
- Feb 11 US, UK, USSR, and others sign the Seabed Arms Control Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor
- Feb 13 12,000 South Vietnamese troops cross into Laos
Agnew Tees Off
Feb 13 US Vice PresidentSpiro Agnew hits 2 tee shots into crowd while golfing, injuring 2
Daytona 500
Feb 14 13th Daytona 500:Richard Petty wins his 3rd Great American Race; goes on to win the inaugural Winston Cup title
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Feb 14 Clark Gesner's musical "You're a Good Man,Charlie Brown", based on characters fromCharles M. Schulz's "Peanuts", and starring Gary Burghoff, closes at Theatre 80 in the East Village, NYC, after 1597 performances
- Feb 14 Movie "Ben Hur" is first shown on television
Nixon Taping System
Feb 14 PresidentRichard Nixon installs a secret recording system in the White House
- Feb 14 Tehran agreement signed; oil companies accept 55 percent tax rate, immediate increase in posted prices, and further successive increases
- Feb 15 A British soldier dies 7 days after being mortally wounded in an Irish Republican Army attack in North Ireland
- Feb 15 After 1,200 years Great Britain abandons pence & shilling system for decimal currency
- Feb 17 England regains cricket Ashes with a 2-0 series win
Parkinson
Feb 19 British TV chat show "Parkinson" debuts on BBC1 presented byMichael Parkinson
Another Day
Feb 19Paul McCartney releases single "Another Day" in UK
Howe's Scores #1,800 Point
Feb 20 "Mr. Hockey,"Gordie Howe scores a goal and adds 3 assists, including his 1,800th career NHL point, in 6-5 Red Wings' win over Buffalo in Detroit; Howe's 1,670th game
Esposito's Magical Season
Feb 20 BruinPhil Esposito is NHL's quickest to score 50 goals in a season
- Feb 20 National Emergency Center erroneously orders US radio & TV stations to go off the air. Mistake wasn't resolved for 30 minutes
- Feb 21 Series of tornadoes cuts through Mississippi & Louisiana killing 117
- Feb 21 The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna
- Feb 23 Boston Bruins begin 13 NHL game winning streak
Music History
Feb 23George Harrison is fined for speeding and his driving license is suspended for 1 year
- Feb 23 US army officer William Calley confesses & implicates Captain Medina during his trial for the My Lai Massacre
- Feb 24 Algeria nationalizes 51 percent of French oil concessions
Oh! Calcutta! - The Bare Facts
Feb 25 "Oh! Calcutta!" moves to Belasco Theater in NYC; runs for 1,316 performances
Meeting of Interest
Feb 25 Northern Ireland Prime MinisterJames Chichester-Clark holds a meeting with Catholic Cardinal of Ireland William Conway, the first such meeting between men holding these offices since 1921
- Feb 25 P Zindel's "And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" premieres in NYC
- Feb 26 Two Royal Ulster Constabulary officers shot and killed by the Irish Republican Army while on mobile patrol in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, North Ireland
- Feb 27 Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start to perform aborti provocati
- Feb 28 A British soldier dies in Derry after his vehicle had been attacked with petrol bombs (he died as a result of inhaling chemicals from fire extinguishers that were used to put out the fire)
PGA Championship
Feb 28 PGA Championship Men's Golf, PGA National East:Jack Nicklaus leads wire-to-wire for his second career Grand Slam, winning by two strokes overBilly Casper
- Feb 28 WDRB TV channel 41 in Louisville, Kentucky (IND) begins broadcasting
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Ajay Jadeja, Indian cricket batsman (15 Tests; 196 ODIs, 6 x 100), born in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India
- Feb 1 Harald Brattbakk, Norwegian soccer striker (17 caps; Rosenburg, Celtic), born in Trondheim, Norway
- Feb 1 Michael C. Hall, American actor (Dexter, Six Feet Under), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Feb 1 Ron Welty, American drummer (The Offspring - "Pretty Fly, For A White Guy"), born in Long Beach, California
- Feb 1 Tommy Salo, Swedish ice hockey goalie (Olympic gold 1994; World C'ship gold 1998; NHL All Star 2000, 02; Edmonton Oilers), born in Surahammar, Sweden
- Feb 1 Zlatko Zahovič, Slovenian soccer midfielder (80 caps; Partizan, Porto, Benfica), born in Maribor, Slovenia
- Feb 2 Ken Dilger, American NFL tight end (Indianapolis Colts), born in Mariah Hill, Indiana
- Feb 2 Tony Miller, American 400m runner, born in Mount Pleasant, Texas
- Feb 3 Elisa Donovan, American actress (Clueless; Sabrina the Teenage Witch), born in Poughkeepsie, New York
- Feb 3 Hong Seok-cheon, South Korean actor
- Feb 3 Sarah Kane, English playwright (d. 1999)
- Feb 4 Maarten Atmodikoro, soccer player (Dordrecht '90, NAC)
- Feb 4 Michael Goorjian, American actor (Party Of Five, SLC Punk!), born in San Francisco, California
- Feb 4 Rob Corddry, American actor and comedian known for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", born in Weymouth, Massachusetts
- Feb 4 Sterling Palmer, NFL defensive end (Washington Redskins)
- Feb 5 Sara Evans, American country music singer ("Suds in the Bucket"; "A Real Fine Place to Start"), born in Boonville, Missouri
- Feb 6 Brad Hogg, Australian cricketer (WA chinaman all-rounder, Australia v India 1996), born in Narrogin, Australia
- Feb 6 Brian Stepanek, American actor (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody; Brian O'Brian), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Feb 6 Carlos Rogers, American NBA forward/center (Toronto Raptors), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Feb 6 Lance Bade, American target shooter (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Vancouver, Washington
- Feb 6 Peter Tchernyshev, Russian-American ice dancer (with Naomi Lang), born in St Petersburg, Russia
- Feb 7 Marvin Graves, CFL quarterback (Montreal Alouettes)
- Feb 8 Maura Healey, American politician (1st woman governor of Massachusetts 2023-), born in Bethesda, Maryland
- Feb 8 William "Will" Turpin, American musician (Collective Soul) and producer (Gooey Music), born in Fairbanks, Alaska
- Feb 9 Gonzalo Floyd, CFL defensive end (Hamilton Tiger Cats)
- Feb 9 Jason Mathews, NFL tackle (Indianapolis Colts)
- Feb 9 Jim Miller, NFL quarterback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Feb 9 Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer
- Feb 9 Ken Felder, American baseball outfielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Feb 9 Pat O'Neill, NFL punter/place kicker (NE Patriots)
- Feb 9 Sharon Case, Det Mich, actress (Sharon Collins-Young & Restless)
- Feb 10 Kevin Sefcik, American infielder (Philadelphia Phillies), born in Oaklawn, Illinois
- Feb 10 Louie Spicolli [Louis Mucciolo Jr.], American wrestler, born in San Pedro, California (d. 1998)
- Feb 10 Marty Nothstein, US sprint cyclist (Olympic silver 1996), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Feb 10 Wayne Gandy, American football offensive tackle (St Louis Rams), born in Haines City, Florida
- Feb 11 Damian Lewis, British actor, born in St John's Wood, London
- Feb 11 Linda Wild, American tennis star (1993 Melbourne Open), born in Arlington Heights, Illinois
- Feb 12 Lincoln Kennedy, American NFL tackle (Oakland Raiders), born in York, Pennsylvania
- Feb 12 Vernon Forrest, American boxer (WBC, IBF, Ring magazine, lineal welterweight title 2002-03; WBC super welterweight title 2007-09), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 2009)
- Feb 13 Mats Sundin, Swedish NHL center (Olympics gold 2006; Toronto Maple Leafs), born in Bromma, Sweden
- Feb 13 Sonia [Evans], British pop singer ("You'll Never Stop Me Loving You"), born in Liverpool, England
- Feb 14 Gheorghe Mureșan, Romanian basketball center (NBA Most Improved Player 1996; NBA Field Goal % Leader 1996, 97; Washington Bullets/Wizards), born in Tritenii de Jos, Romania
- Feb 14 Kris Aquino, Filipino actress and TV host, born in Quezon City, Philippines
- Feb 14 Noriko Sakai, Japanese J-pop singer ("Aoi Usagi"), born in Fukuoka, Japan
- Feb 14 Tommy Dreamer, American professional wrestler, born in Yonkers, New York
- Feb 15 Ray Sefo, New Zealand kick boxer, born in Auckland, New Zealand
- Feb 15 Renee O'Connor, American actress (Xena Warrior Princess), born in Katy, Texas
- Feb 16 Larry Jones, NFL running back (Washington Redskins)
- Feb 16 Mike Hubbard, MBA catcher (Chicago Cubs), born in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Feb 17 Denise Richards, American actress (The World is not Enough), born in Downers Grove, Illinois
- Feb 17 Jeremy Edwards, British actor (Holby City), born in London, England
- Feb 17 Martyn Bennett [-Knight], Canadian-Scottish celtic-fusion piper, pianist, and composer, born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (d. 2005)
- Feb 18 Constantin Popa, Romanian-Israeli basketball player, born in Bucharest, Romania
- Feb 19 Becky Dyroen-Lancer, American synchronized swimmer (Olympic gold 1996), born in San Jose, California
- Feb 19 Gil Shaham, Israeli-American concert violinist, born in Urbana, Illinois
- Feb 19 Glyn Milburn, American football running back/kick returner (First-team All-Pro 1999; Pro Bowl 1995, 99; Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 19 Jeff Kinney, American author (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), born in Fort Washington, Maryland
- Feb 19 William Henderson, American football running back (Super Bowl XXXI; Pro Bowl & First Team All Pro 2004; Green Bay Packers), born in Richmond, Virginia
- Feb 20 Jari Litmanen, soccer player (Ajax)
- Feb 20 Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union halfback (89 Tests; Bulls), born in Pretoria, South Africa (d. 2017)
- Feb 21 Arco Jochemsen, Dutch soccer player (SVDB, Vitesse), born in Barneveld, the Netherlands
- Feb 21 Jose Solano, American actor (Baywatch), born in Inglewood, California
- Feb 21 Randy Blythe, American heavy metal singer (Lamb of God), born in Richmond, Virginia
- Feb 22 Jason Marshall, Canadian NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks), born in Cranbrook, Canada
- Feb 22 Lea Salonga, Filipina singer and actress (Miss Siagon), born in Manila, Philippines
- Feb 22 Lisa Fernandez, American softball pitcher (Olympic gold 1996), born in Lakewood, California
- Feb 22 Mohammed Sylla, Guinean football player (Willem II, FC Martigues), born in Conakry, Guinea (d. 2010)
- Feb 22 Rico Mack, American WLAF linebacker (Amsterdam Admirals), born in Statham, Georgia
- Feb 23 Carin Koch, Swedish golfer (2 LPGA Tour titles), born in Kungälv, Sweden
- Feb 23 Jason Keller, American actor (Jason-Out of the Blue), born in Scarsdale, New York
- Feb 23 Jeong Chan, South Korean actor, born in Boryeong, South Korea
- Feb 23 Melinda Messenger, English television presenter, born in Swindon, Wiltshire
- Feb 23 Shane Keller, American actor (Shane-Out of the Blue), born in Scarsdale, New York
- Feb 23 Torsten Kienass, German hockey defenseman (Team Germany), born in Berlin, East Germany
- Feb 24 Aki Rahunen, Finland, tennis star
- Feb 24 Brian Savage, Sudbury, NHL left wing (Montreal Canadiens)
- Feb 24 Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish Formula One driver
- Feb 25 Byron Dafoe, NHL goalie (Los Angeles Kings), born in Sussex, England
- Feb 25 Daniel Powter, Canadian rock singer-songwriter ("Bad Day"), born in Vernon, British Columbia
- Feb 25 David Fox, American 50m freestyle (Olympic 6th 1996)
- Feb 25 Helen Dobson, British golfer (ANA Inspiration 1998 runner-up), born in Skegness, England
- Feb 25 Konstantin Matoussevich, Israeli high jumper (Olympic 7th-1996), born in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Feb 25 Nova Peris, Australian field hockey halfback (Olympic gold 1996; World Cup gold 1994; Champions Trophy gold 1993, 95) and Senator for the NT (2013–16), born in Darwin, Australia
Sean Astin(54 years old)
Feb 25 Americanactor (Goonies, The Lord of the Rings), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 26 Erykah Badu [Erica Abi Wright], American R&B and progressive soul singer-songwriter ("On and On"; "Bag Lady"), born in Dallas, Texas
- Feb 26 Hélène Ségara, French pop singer ("Je vous aime adieu". "Il y a trop de gens qui t'aiment"), born in Six-Fours-les-Plages, France
- Feb 26 Max Martin [Karl Martin Sandberg], Swedish Grammy Award-winning pop record producer and songwriter, with Shellback (Pink; Maroon 5; Taylor Swift; Avril Lavigne), born in Stenhamra, Sweden
- Feb 26 Sean Baker, American filmmaker (Anora), born in Summit, New Jersey
- Feb 27 Derren Brown, British psychological illusionist, born in Purley, London
- Feb 27 Ivan Robinson, American boxer (Olympic-92), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Feb 27 Jaroslav Modry, Czech NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators), born in České Budějovice, Czechia
- Feb 27 Rich Tylski, American football player (Jacksonville Jaguars), born in San Diego, California
- Feb 27 Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, American pop and R&B singer (TLC - "Waterfall", "Creep"), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Feb 28 Junya Nakano, Japanese video game composer (Threads Of Fate; Final Fantasy X), born in Kyoto, Japan
- Feb 28 Nigel Godrich, British record producer, recording engineer, and musician (Radiohead; Thom Yorke; Atoms for Peace), born in Westminster, London
- Feb 28 Peter Stebbings, Canadian actor
- Feb 28 Tristan Louis, French-American technology writer, entrepreneur and activist (iWorld), born in Digne-les-Bains, France
Famous Weddings
Judi Dench
Feb 5 ActressJudi Dench (36) weds actor Michael Williams (35) at St Mary's Catholic Church in Hampstead, London
Famous Deaths
- Feb 1 Jim Christy, South African cricket batsman (10 Tests; top score 103 1932; Transvaal, Queensland), dies at 66
- Feb 3 Jay C. Flippen, American actor (Jet Pilot, The Killing, Thunder Bay), dies at 71
- Feb 5 Mátyás Rákosi, Hungarian party leader and Prime Minister (1952-53), dies at 78
- Feb 7 Morgan Lee "Dock" Boggs, American folk and blues singer and banjo player, dies on his 73rd birthday
- Feb 11 Whitney Young Jr, National Urban League director, drowns in Nigeria
- Feb 12 George Shelton, American actor (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at 86
James Cash Penney(1875-1971)
Feb 12 American department store founder (J C Penney), dies at 95
- Feb 15 Marian Koval, Soviet Russian composer, dies at 63
- Feb 17 Teddy Hart, American actor (After the Thin Man, 3 Men on a Horse), dies at 73
- Feb 20 Alexander Tsfasman, Soviet Russian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, dies at 64
- Feb 21 Adolph Weiss, American bassoonist and composer, dies at 79
- Feb 21 Robert Manry, American copy editor of the Cleveland newspaper editor who sailed the Atlantic (Tinkerbelle), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Feb 22 Barry Macollum, actor (On the Waterfront), dies at 81
- Feb 22 Matt McHugh, American actor (Taxi, Freaks, Barbary Coast, Innocent Affair), dies at 77
- Feb 22 Rudolf Mauersberger, German choral conductor and composer (Dresdner Requiem), dies at 82
- Feb 23 King Lockwood, dies of stroke at 73
- Feb 25 Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist, worked with colloids (Nobel 1926), dies at 86
- Feb 26 Fernandel [Fernand Contandin], French actor (The Little World of Don Camillo), dies of lung cancer at 67
- Feb 26 Josef Berg, Czech composer, librettist (memnber of Group A; European Tourism), and musicologist, dies at 43
- Feb 26 Tullio Carminati, Austrian actor (War and Peace; Roman Holiday), dies at 76
