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What happened in history on this day: February 28?
On February 28 in ...
- 870 - Eighth ecumenical council ends in Constantinople.
- 1261 - Hendrik duke of Brabant (1248-61), dies.
- 1533 - Birth of Michel de Montaigne France, essayist/philosopher.
- 1552 - Birth of Jobst Bürgi [Justus Byrgius], Swiss/German mathematician, watchmaker, astronomer, invented logarithms.
- 1570 - Anti-Portugese uprising on Ternate, Moluccas.
- 1572 - Death of Gilg Tschudi, Swiss historian (Chronicon Helveticum), in Glarus, Switzerland.
- 1573 - Birth of Elias Hill German architect/city builder (Augsburg).
- 1573 - Jan "Hans" Liefrinck Flemish engraver/publisher, dies at about age 54.
- 1609 - Paul Sartorius composer, dies at age 39.
- 1610 - Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, is appointed governor of Virginia.
- 1616 - Birth of Kaspar Forster composer.
- 1618 - Filips Willem Prince of Orange, dies at age 63.
- 1626 - Cyril Tourneur English poet/dramatist, dies at about age 51.
- 1632 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste Lully Florence Italy, composer.
- 1638 - Claude G Bachet de Meziriac French mathematician/poet, dies at age 56.
- 1638 - Henri duc de Rohan, French soldier/Huguenot leader, dies.
- 1638 - Scottish Presbyterians sign National Convenant, Greyfriars, Edinburgh.
- 1653 - Three Day Sea battle English beats Dutch.
- 1663 - Birth of Thomas Newcomen English co-inventor (steam engine).
- 1665 - Lodewijk van Nassau Dutch governor (Bois-le-Duc), dies.
- 1667 - English colony Suriname in Dutch hands.
- 1675 - Birth of Guillaume Delisle Paris, cartographer/geographer.
- 1692 - Salem witch hunt begins.
- 1695 - Death of Sir William Phips, likely of influenza, in London, England.
- 1704 - Elias Neau, a Frenchman, opens a school for blacks in New York City, New York.
- 1704 - Indians attack Deerfield Massachusetts, kill 40, kidnap 100.
- 1708 - Slave revolt, Newton, Long Island New York, 11 die.
- 1710 - 14,000 Danish troops are defeated at the battle of Helsingborg.
- 1712 - Birth of Louis Joseph de Montcalm de Saint-Véran France, General.
- 1728 - Georg F Händels opera "Siroe, re di Persia" premieres in London.
- 1730 - Tsarina Anna Ivanovna leads autocracy.
- 1742 - Willem J 's-Gravesande Dutch physicist, dies at age 53.
- 1749 - First edition of Henry Fieldings' "Tom Jones" published.
- 1750 - Birth of Ignacy Potocki Polish foreign minister.
- 1759 - Pope Clement XIII allows Bible to be translated into various languages.
- 1764 - Birth of Robert Haldane Scottish theologist/philanthropist.
- 1778 - Rhode Island General Assembly authorizes enlistment of slaves.
- 1781 - Death of Richard Stockton at age 50; US attorney (signed Declaration of Independence).
- 1784 - John Wesley charters Methodist Church.
- 1797 - Birth of Mary Lyon; US educator (Mount Holyoke) (Hall of Fame).
- 1797 - Birth of W Frederik K; prince of Netherlands/General/Admiral (10-day campaign).
- 1810 - First US fire insurance joint-stock company organized, Philadelphia.
- 1812 - Birth of Berthold Auerbach; German author (Schwarzwälder Dorfgeschichten).
- 1817 - Birth of James Craig; US Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (dies 1888).
- 1818 - Adriaan Loosjes Pzn, Dutch publisher/writer (Moral Stories), dies at age 56.
- 1820 - Birth of John Tenniel in England; cartoonist/illustrator (Alice in Wonderland).
- 1822 - Birth of Matthew Duncan Ector; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1879).
- 1823 - Birth of Ernest Renan; French philosopher/historian/scholar of religion.
- 1824 - Birth of John Creed Moore; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1910).
- 1825 - Birth of Quincy Adams Gillmore; Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1888).
- 1826 - M Biela, an Austrian officer, discovers Biela's Comet.
- 1827 - The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is the first US railway to be chartered for commercial transportation of freight and passengers.
- 1844 - 12-inch gun aboard USS Princeton explodes.
- 1844 - Abel P Upshur, US Secretary of State, dies in explosion on USS Princeton.
- 1844 - Thommas W Gilmer, US Navy Secretary, dies in explosion on USS Princeton.
- 1847 - US defeats México in battle of Sacramento.
- 1850 - Birth of Hermann Schell; German theologist/philosopher (Gott und Geist).
- 1854 - Republican Party formally organizes at Ripon, Wisconsin.
- 1858 - Birth of Jacob P Vis; Dutch industrialist (founder Nevada Royal Salt Industries).
- 1859 - Arkansas legislature requires free blacks to choose exile or slavery.
- 1863 - Confederate raider Nashville sinks near Fort McAllister, Georgia.
- 1865 - Birth of Arthur Symons; Welsh poet/critic/co-founder (Savoy).
- 1866 - Birth of Vyacheslav I Ivanov; Russian philosopher/classical/Symbolist poet (Pilot Stars).
- 1871 - Second Enforcement Act gives federal control of congressional elections.
- 1874 - Birth of Soledad Jiminez Santander in Spain; actor (Phantom of the Range).
- 1876 - Birth of John Alden Carpenter in Chicago, Illinois, USA; composer (Sea Drift).
- 1878 - US Congress enacts the Bland-Allison Act (over President Rutherford B. Hayes' veto), requiring the US Treasury to buy silver at market rates and coin it as silver dollars, and authorizes silver certificates of deposit.
- 1879 - "Exodus of 1879" as US southern blacks flee political and economic exploitation.
- 1882 - First US college cooperative store opens, at Harvard University.
- 1882 - Birth of Geraldine Farrar; US soprano/actress (Story of American Singer).
- 1883 - First US vaudeville theater opens (Boston, Massachusetts).
- 1886 - Birth of José Gutiérrez Solana; Spanish painter/author (Madrid Escenas).
- 1886 - Birth of Max Vasmer; German slavic (La Tertulia de Pombo).
- 1887 - Birth of William Zorach in Lithuania; US sculptor (Spirit of the Dance).
- 1888 - Ferry in San Pablo Bay explodes.
- 1889 - Birth of Victor Sutherland in Paducah, Kentucky, USA; actor (Captive City).
- 1891 - Oscar Grundén skates world record 500 metre (50.8 seconds).
- 1893 - Birth of Ben Hecht in New York City, New York, USA; novelist/playwright/screenwriter (The Front Page).
- 1893 - Edward Acheson of Pennsylvania, USA, patents an abrasive he names "carborundum".
- 1895 - Birth of Guiomar Novaes in Brazil; pianist (Brazilian Order of Merit).
- 1895 - Birth of Marcel Pagnol; French playwright/director (Marchands de Gloire).
- 1896 - Birth of Philip Showalter Hench in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; physician (cortisone - Nobel Prize).
- 1896 - France dismisses Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar.
- 1898 - Birth of Molly Picon; Yiddish actress (Milk and Honey).
- 1900 - General Buller's troops relieve Ladysmith, Natal.
- 1901 - Birth of Linus Pauling; chemist/peace worker (Nobel Prize 1954, 1962).
- 1901 - Birth of Rudolf W Nilsen; Norwegian poet (Hverdagen).
- 1906 - Birth of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel in Brooklyn, New York, USA; gangster, created casinos in Las Vegas.
- 1907 - Birth of Milton Caniff in Hillsboro, Ohio, USA; Dutch cartoonist (Terry and the Pirates).
- 1908 - Birth of Billie Bird in Pocatello, Idaho, USA; actress (Mrs Cassidy - Benson, Dear John, Jury Duty).
- 1908 - Failed assassination attempt on Shah Mohammed Ali in Teheran, Iran.
- 1909 - Birth of Olan Soule in La Harpe, Illinois, USA; actor (My Three Sons, Arnie).
- 1909 - Birth of Stephen Harold in Spender, England; poet/critic (Vienna, Edge of Darkness).
- 1910 - Birth of Vincente Minnelli in Chicago, Illinois, USA; movie director (American in Paris, Gigi).
- 1911 - Birth of Amir Hamzah; Indonesian poet (Njanji Sunji).
- 1912 - Bill Storer, English cricket wicketkeeper (6 Tests 1897-99), dies.
- 1912 - Birth of Helmut Coing; German lawyer/director (Max-Planck-institute).
- 1913 - 6.8m, 4000kg elephant seal killed, South Georgia (South Atlantic).
- 1914 - Birth of Jim Boles in Lubbock, Texas, USA; actor (Joe - One Man's Family).
- 1915 - Birth of Peter Medawar in England; zoologist, immunologist (Nobel Prize 1953).
- 1915 - Birth of Zero [Samuel Joel] Mostel in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Fiddler on the Roof).
- 1916 - Henry James, US/British writer (Bostonians), dies in London at age 72.
- 1917 - Associated Press reports México and Japan will ally with Germany if US enters Great War.
- 1917 - Birth of Hans Deutgen in Sweden; world champion archer.
- 1917 - Russian Duma sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets.
- 1918 - Birth of Alfred Burke in London, England; actor (Backfire).
- 1920 - Birth of Jim Olin; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Virginia, 1983-).
- 1921 - Birth of John Bouber [Blom]; actor/author (Fool of Heideloo).
- 1922 - Egypt regains independence from Britain, but British troops remain. Fuad I declares himself king.
- 1922 - English princess Mary marries viscount Lascelles.
- 1923 - Birth of Charles Durning in Highland Falls, New York, USA; actor (Dog Day Afternoon, Fury, The Sting, Tootsie).
- 1924 - Birth of Robert A Roe; American politician (Representative-Democrat-New Jersey, 1969-).
- 1924 - US begins intervention in Honduras.
- 1925 - Birth of Harry H Corbett in Rangoon, Burma; actor (Steptoe and Son, Jabberwacky).
- 1925 - US Congress authorizes a special handling stamp.
- 1925 - Friedrich Ebert, Social-Democrat president of Germany, dies.
- 1926 - Birth of Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Josef Stalin; author (My Life).
- 1927 - Birth of John Swire; British aircraft magnate (Cathay Pacific).
- 1928 - Birth of Bettye Ackerman in Cottageville, South Carolina, USA; actress (Maggie Graham - Ben Casey).
- 1928 - Birth of Tom Aldredge in Dayton, Ohio, USA; actor (What About Bob, Nurse, Mind Snatchers).
- 1929 - Birth of Frank O Gehry; architect (Galleria - Oklahoma City).
- 1929 - Chicago Black Hawks lose record NHL 15th straight game at home.
- 1929 - Clemens Freiherr von Pirquet, Austrian artist (React of P), dies at age 54.
- 1930 - Birth of Leon Cooper; American physicist (Nobel Prize 1972).
- 1931 - Birth of Gavin MacLeod in Mount Kisco, New York, USA; American actor (Murray - The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Captain Stubing - The Love Boat), Christian activist.
- 1931 - Birth of Gustav Thoni in Italy; skier (World Cup-1971, 1972, 1973, 1975).
- 1931 - Canadian Rugby Union adopts the forward pass.
- 1932 - Birth of Brian Moore; British commentator (Big Match).
- 1932 - Birth of Don Francks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; actor (Terminal Choice, Finian's Rainbow).
- 1933 - German President Paul von Hindenburg abolishes free expression of opinion.
- 1933 - Adolf Hitler disallows German communist party (KPD).
- 1934 - Birth of Willie Bobo in New York City, New York, USA; jazz drummer (Cos).
- 1935 - Alexander W F Idenburg, Governor-General of Netherlands Indies (1909-16), dies at age 73.
- 1935 - Birth of Clive Halse; cricket player (South Africa fast bowler on 1963-64 Australia/New Zealand tour).
- 1935 - Nylon discovered by Dr Wallace H Carothers.
- 1938 - Birth of Martin Olav Sabo; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Minnesota, 1979-).
- 1939 - Birth of Charles Brown in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; featherweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1964).
- 1939 - Birth of John Fahey; singer ("Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death").
- 1939 - Birth of Tommy Tune in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA; dancer/choreographer (The Boyfriend).
- 1939 - Great Britain recognizes Franco-regime in Spain.
- 1940 - First televised basketball game (college game at New York City's Madison Square Garden-University of Pittsburgh beats Fordham University, 50-37).
- 1940 - Birth of Joe South in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; guitarist/songwriter/singer ("Games People Play").
- 1940 - Birth of Mario Andretti; race-car driver (1969 Indianapolis 500).
- 1940 - Johan C Braakensiek, Dutch political cartoonist, dies at age 81.
- 1940 - US population at 131,669,275.
- 1941 - Alfonso XIII de Borbón, King of Spain (1902-31), dies.
- 1941 - British-Italian aerial dogfight above Albania.
- 1942 - First weapon drop on Netherlands.
- 1942 - Birth of Brian Jones; rock guitarist (The Rolling Stones - "Brown Sugar").
- 1942 - Birth of Frank Bonner in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; actor (WKRP, Hoax, You Can't Hurry Love, Sidekicks).
- 1942 - Japanese land in Java, last Allied bastion in Dutch East Indies.
- 1942 - Race riot, Sojourner Truth Homes, Detroit, Illinois.
- 1943 - "Porgy and Bess" opens on Broadway with Anne Brown and Todd Duncan.
- 1943 - Birth of Barbara Acklin [Allen] in Chicago, Illinois, USA; rhythm and blues singer ("Love Makes a Woman").
- 1943 - Birth of Hans F Dijkstal; Dutch minister of the Interior (VVD, 1994-).
- 1944 - Birth of Colin Nutley; director/writer (Such is Life, Black Jack).
- 1944 - Birth of Kelly Bishop in Colorado, USA; actress (Unmarried Woman, Advice to Lovelorn).
- 1945 - Birth of Charles "Bubba" Smith in Texas, USA; NFL player (Baltimore Colts)/actor (Police Academy).
- 1945 - Birth of Mimsy Farmer in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Devil's Angel, Road to Salina).
- 1945 - Birth of Ronnie Rosman; rocker (Tommy James and the Shondells - "Crystal Blue Persuasion").
- 1946 - Birth of Graham Vivian; cricket player (son of Giff, five Tests for New Zealand 1965-72).
- 1946 - Combined Chiefs of Staff reveal that the American, Canadian, and British Governments had experimented with building ice ships during 1942-43. The Habbakuk project was to create a two-million-ton ship made of ice and wood pulp, 2000 feet long, 300 feet wide, as a floating aircraft base.
- 1947 - Anti Kuomintang demonstration on Taiwan.
- 1947 - Birth of Stephanie Beacham in England; actress (Devil's Widow, Schizo, Dallas, The Colbys).
- 1948 - Birth of Bernadette Peters [Lazzaro] in Queens, New York, USA; actress (The Jerk, Song and Dance).
- 1948 - Birth of Mercedes Ruehl in Queens, New York, USA; actress (Lost in Yonkers, Crazy People).
- 1950 - Birth of Ilene Graff in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (Marsha - Mr Belvedere).
- 1951 - Birth of Gustavo Thoeni in Italy; giant slalom (Olympics-gold-1972).
- 1951 - Birth of John Roarke in Providence, Rhode Island, USA; comedian (Fridays).
- 1951 - Birth of Karsan Ghavri; cricket player (Indian lefty medium pacer early 80s).
- 1951 - French government of Pleven dissolves.
- 1951 - US Senate committee reports of at least two major US crime syndicates.
- 1952 - Birth of Cristina Raines [Tina Herazo] in Manila, Philippines; actress (Sentinel).
- 1952 - Birth of Jennie Lynn in San Diego, California, USA; actress (Love and Marriage).
- 1952 - Birth of Melissa Babish in South Carolina, USA; swimmer (Olympics).
- 1953 - Birth of Ricky "Dragon" Steamboat [Richard Blood]; wrestler (NWA/WWF/WCW/AWA).
- 1953 - Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule containing human genes.
- 1954 - Patty Berg/Pete Cooper win LPGA Orlando Mixed Golf Tournament.
- 1954 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island.
- 1955 - Birth of Gilbert Gottfried; comedian (Beverly Hills Cop).
- 1955 - Birth of Randy Jackson in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; guitarist (Zebra - "Tell Me What You Want").
- 1956 - Thirteen die in a train crash in Swampscott, Massachusetts, USA.
- 1956 - Birth of Adrian Dantley in Washington DC; NBA forward (Olympics-gold-1976, Utah Jazz, 1981, 1984 top scorer).
- 1956 - Forrester issued a patent for computer core memory.
- 1957 - Birth of Cindy Wilson in Athens, Georgia, USA; rock vocalist (B-52's - "Love Shack").
- 1957 - Birth of Ian Smith; cricket wicket-keeper (New Zealand of the 1980s).
- 1957 - Birth of Jeff Woodland in Papua New Guinea; Nike golfer (1991 Dakota Dunes Open).
- 1957 - Birth of John Turturro in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Brain Donor, Color of Money, Jungle Fever).
- 1957 - Birth of Phil Gould; rock percussionist (Level 42 - "Hot Water").
- 1957 - Jockey Johnny Longden's 5,000th career victory.
- 1958 - Birth of Christine Lathan-Brehmer in German Democratic Republic; 400 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1976).
- 1958 - Birth of Mark Pavelich; NHL player (New York Rangers).
- 1958 - West Indies 1-504 in reply to Pakistan 328, day three of third Test Cricket.
- 1959 - Birth of Sydney P Mufamadi; South African leader (SACP).
- 1959 - Ice Dance Championship at Colorado Springs USA won by Denny and Jones of Great Britain.
- 1959 - Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Wagner and Paul of Canada.
- 1959 - Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by Carol Heiss USA.
- 1959 - Launch of Discoverer 1 (WTR)-first polar orbit.
- 1959 - Maxwell Anderson, US dramatist (Key Largo, Bad Seed), dies at age 70.
- 1959 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by David Jenkins USA.
- 1959 - NFL Chicago Cardinals trade Ollie Matson to Los Angeles Rams for nine players.
- 1960 - F S Flint, British translator/poet (imagist movement), dies at age 74.
- 1960 - Jonathan Hale, actor (Blondie), shoots himself at age 68.
- 1960 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.
- 1960 - US wins Olympics hockey gold medal by defeating Czechoslovakia 9-4.
- 1960 - VIII Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley, California close.
- 1961 - Birth of Barry McGuigan; British boxer.
- 1961 - Birth of Wayne Smith in Albany, Washington, USA; Australasia golfer.
- 1961 - US President John Kennedy names Henry Kissinger special advisor.
- 1961 - Joris Vriamont, Flemish writer/music publisher, dies at age 64.
- 1962 - Birth of Angela Bailey in England; Canadian 4X100 metre relayer (Olympics-silver-1984).
- 1962 - Birth of Chunli Li in Auckland, New Zealand; table tennis player (Olympics-1996).
- 1962 - Birth of Rae Dawn Chong in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; actress (Quest for Fire).
- 1962 - Birth of Steve Tsujiura; hockey forward (Team Japan 1998).
- 1962 - Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson, comedian (Olsen and Johnson), dies at age 70.
- 1963 - Theodore Newton, actor (Voltaire, Ace of Aces), dies at age 58.
- 1964 - Dirk Filarski, painter/lithographer (Bergen School), dies at age 78.
- 1965 - Adolf Schärf, President of Austria (1957-65), dies at age 74.
- 1965 - Birth of Duane Ferrell; NBA forward (San Francisco Warriors, Indiana Pacers).
- 1965 - Birth of Mikko Makela in Tampere, Finland; NHL right wing (New York Islanders).
- 1966 - Birth of Erik van Kessel; Dutch soccer player (FC Utrecht).
- 1966 - Birth of Jan Varholik in Kosice, Czechoslovakia; hockey defenseman (Team Slovakia).
- 1966 - Birth of Tim Goad; NFL defensive tackle (Cleveland Browns).
- 1966 - Birth of Vincent Askew; NBA guard/forward (Seattle Supersonics, Portland Trail Blazers).
- 1966 - Charles A Bassett II, astronaut, dies in a crash of T-38 jet at age 34.
- 1966 - Elliot McKay See Junior, astronaut, dies in T-38 jet crash at age 38.
- 1966 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout against Los Angeles Dodgers.
- 1967 - Birth of Antone Davis; NFL tackle (Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles).
- 1967 - Birth of Jeff[rey] Pfaendtner in Detroit, Michigan, USA; rower (Olympics-bronze-1996).
- 1967 - Birth of Marcus Lillington; rock guitarist (Breathe - "All I Need").
- 1967 - Wilt Chamberlain sinks NBA record 35th consecutive field goal.
- 1967 - Death of Henry Robinson Luce in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; co-founder of Time magazine, founder of Fortune magazine, founder of Sports Illustrated.
- 1968 - Birth of J T Snow; US baseball first baseman (New York Yankees, California Angels).
- 1968 - Birth of Mike Milchin in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; pitcher (Minnesota Twins).
- 1968 - Doretta Morrow, actress (Because You're Mine), dies at age 41.
- 1968 - Death of Frankie Lymon of heroin drug overdose at age 25; singer (Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers - "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (1955)).
- 1968 - Death of Juanita Hall due to diabetes at age 66; singer/actress (Bloody Mary - South Pacific Broadway show (Tony Award) and movies, Capt Billy's Mississippi Music Hall TV show (1948)).
- 1969 - Birth of Elisa Fiorillo; singer ("Forgive Me For Dreaming").
- 1969 - Birth of Robert Sean Leonard in Westwood, New Jersey, USA; actor (Dead Poets Society, Mr and Mrs Bridge).
- 1969 - Birth of Shawn McEachern in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA; NHL forward (Boston Bruins, Washington Senators).
- 1969 - West of Portugal, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurs, killing two in Portugal and 11 in Morosso.
- 1969 - Ice Dance Championship at Colorado Springs won by Towler and Ford of Great Britain.
- 1969 - Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Rodnina and Ulanov of USSR.
- 1969 - Ladies Figure Skating Champion in Colorado Springs won by Gabriele Seyfert, German Democratic Republic.
- 1969 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by Tim Wood USA.
- 1970 - Birth of Jan Varholik; hockey defenseman (Team Slovakia 1998).
- 1970 - Birth of Mika Stromberg in Helsinki, Finland; hockey defenseman (Team Finland).
- 1970 - Birth of Noureddine Morceli in Algeria; 1500 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1996).
- 1970 - Caroline Walker runs world female record marathon (3:02:53).
- 1971 - 53rd PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 281 at PGA National to win his second golf grand slam.
- 1971 - Birth of John Buchanan; actor (Sidekicks, Black Stallion, Family Man).
- 1972 - Birth of Melisa Moses in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; diver (Olympics-4th-1996).
- 1972 - Birth of Scott Gragg; NFL tackle (New York Giants).
- 1972 - US President Richard Nixon ends historic week-long visit to China.
- 1973 - Birth of Demetrice Martin; WLAF cornerback (Scotland Claymores).
- 1973 - Birth of Denard Walker; cornerback (Tennessee Oilers).
- 1973 - Birth of Eric Lindros in London, Ontario, Canada; NHL center (Philadelphia Flyers).
- 1973 - Birth of Gary Walker; NFL defensive tackle/defensive end (Houston Oilers).
- 1973 - Birth of Henry Bailey; NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Pittsburgh Steelers).
- 1973 - Death of Cecil Kellaway of arteriosclerosis at age 78; character actor (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Adventures in Paradise, Bewitched, Ben Casey MD, The Twilight Zone, Studio One, Schlitz Playhouse, Disneyland).
- 1973 - Hope Landin, actress (I Remember Mama, Sugarfoot), dies at age 79.
- 1973 - In New Jersey, USA, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake occurs.
- 1973 - Suriname government of Sedney arrests 13 union leaders.
- 1974 - Birth of Katie Allen; Australian field hockey full back/half back (Olympics-1996).
- 1974 - Birth of Kevin Abrams; cornerback (Detroit Lions).
- 1974 - Birth of Michael Manasseri; actor (License to Drive).
- 1974 - Birth of Michael Swift; WLAF cornerback (Rhein Fire).
- 1974 - Ethiopian government of Makonnen forms.
- 1974 - Labour Party wins British parliamentary election.
- 1974 - Mees Toxopeus, Dutch rescue-vessel captain, dies at age 89.
- 1974 - US and Egypt re-establish diplomatic relations after seven years.
- 1975 - 40 killed in London Undergroud, as train speeds past final stop.
- 1975 - Birth of Azhar Mahmood; cricket pace bowler (Pakistani ODI 1996).
- 1975 - The first Lome' Agreement is signed between the EC (EG, Europäische Gemeinschaft) and 46 developing nations in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.
- 1975 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1976 - Birth of Angie Kennedy in Nambour, Queensland, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996).
- 1976 - Ceuta and Melilla (Spanish Morocco) are last European African possession.
- 1977 - First killer whale born in captivity (Marineland, Los Angeles, California).
- 1977 - Birth of Aki-Petteri Berg; NHL defenseman (Team Finland Olympics-bronze-1998, Los Angeles Kings).
- 1977 - Birth of Debbie Koegel in Norristown, Pennsylvania; dance skater (and Oleg Fediukov).
- 1977 - Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, comedian (Jack Benny Show), dies at age 71.
- 1977 - Harbor strike in Rotterdam/Amsterdam ends.
- 1978 - Birth of Marissa Perez; Miss Connecticut Teen-USA (1996).
- 1978 - Eric Frank Russell, sci-fi author (Hugo, Deep Space), dies at age 73.
- 1978 - Death of Philip Ahn at age 72 in Los Angeles, California, USA; Korean-American actor (Master Kan - Kung Fu) (born 1905).
- 1979 - Birth of Virginia Ledgerwood in Chester, Virginia; rhythmic gymnast (Olympics-1996).
- 1979 - In Mt. Saint Elias, Alaska, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs.
- 1979 - Jane Hylton, English actress (Adventures of Sir Lancelot), dies at age 52.
- 1979 - Mr Ed, TV show talking horse, dies.
- 1980 - Ian Alexander Ross Peebles, cricket player (45 wickets for England), dies.
- 1980 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1980 - Birth of Tayshaun Prince; American basketball player.
- 1980 - Birth of Piotr Giza; Polish football player.
- 1981 - Calvin Murphy (Houston Rockets) sets NBA record with 78 consecutive free throws.
- 1981 - People's Republic of China throws out Netherlands ambassador due to submarine sale to Taiwan.
- 1982 - Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Arizona Copper Golf Classic.
- 1982 - FALN (PR Nationalist Group) bombs Wall Street, New York.
- 1982 - Birth of Andres Nuiamäe; Estonian soldier (dies 2004).
- 1982 - AT&T loses record US$7 billion for fiscal year ending on this day.
- 1983 - Final TV episode of MASH airs (CBS); record 125 million watch.
- 1984 - CBS live telecasts the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presentation of the 26th Annual Grammy Awards. Some winners:
- Record of the Year: Michael Jackson for "Beat It";
- Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female: Irene Cara for "Flashdance - What A Feeling";
- Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male: Michael Jackson for "Thriller";
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: The Police for "Every Breath You Take";
- Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female: Pat Benatar for "Love Is A Battlefield";
- Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male: Michael Jackson for "Beat It";
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: The Police for "Synchronicity";
- Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female: Chaka Khan for "Chaka Khan";
- Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male: Michael Jackson for "Billie Jean";
- Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance: Herbie Hancock for "Rockit";
- Best Video, Short Form: Duran Duran for "Girls On Film/Hungry Like The Wolf".
- 1984 - Leslie Walcott, cricket player (Test for West Indies versus England 1930), dies.
- 1985 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station at Newry, killing nine officers in the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.
- 1985 - Charita Bauer, actress (Mary - Aldrich Family), dies at age 62 in New York City, New York.
- 1986 - European Economic Community signs "Special Act" for Europe free trade.
- 1986 - (11:21 PM) While walking home with his wife from a movie, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme is shot dead in Stockholm.
- 1986 - Seven Major League Baseball players, who are admitted drug users, are severely disciplined by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. Penalties include year-long suspensions without pay, heavy fines, drug-related community service and career-long drug testing.
- 1987 - Anny Ondra, actress (Blackmail), dies at age 83.
- 1987 - Nora Kaye, US ballet dancer, dies at age 67.
- 1988 - XV Olympic Winter Games close at Calgary, Canada.
- 1988 - Anti-Armenian pogrom in Azerbaijan, 30 killed.
- 1988 - Pat Verbeek becomes first New Jersey Devils' player to score four goals in an NHL game.
- 1988 - Yvonne van Gennip skates world record 5 km ladies (7:14.13).
- 1989 - Gretchen Polhemus, age 23, of Texas, crowned 38th Miss USA.
- 1989 - Red Schoendienst and Al Barlick elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1990 - Birth of Anna Muzychuk, Ukrainian chess player.
- 1990 - Colin Milburn, cricket player (9 Tests for England, 654 runs), dies.
- 1990 - Dutch police seize 3,000kg of cocaine.
- 1990 - Fabia Drake, actress (Nice Girl Like Me), dies at age 86.
- 1990 - Tuppy Owen-Smith, South Africa cricket player (batsman versus England 1929), dies.
- 1990 - US 65th manned space mission STS 36 (Atlantis 6) launches into orbit.
- 1990 - In Southern California, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurs.
- 1991 - Don Mattingly named 10th New York Yankees' Captain.
- 1991 - Guillermo Ungo, member of El Salvador junta (1979-80), dies.
- 1991 - Noureddine Morceli runs world record 1500 metre indoor (3:34:16).
- 1991 - US and allied forces grant Iraq a cease fire.
- 1992 - Angelique Pettyjohn, actress (Body Talk, Star Trek), dies at age 49.
- 1993 - Fer A Olthoff, Dutch WWII resistance fighter (Het Parool), dies.
- 1993 - Franco Brusati, Italian director/writer (Bread and Chocolate), dies at age 70.
- 1993 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and five Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins.
- 1993 - Iolanda Chen triple jumps world indoor record hop step (14.46 metres).
- 1993 - Ishiro Honda, Japanese director/producer (Godzilla), dies at age 81.
- 1993 - Joyce Carey [Lawrence], English actress (Number 27), dies at age 94.
- 1993 - Death of Ruby Keeler of cancer at age 82; Canadian singer, dancer, actress (42nd Street, Dames) (born 1910).
- 1994 - Brady Law, imposing a wait-period to buy a hand-gun, goes into effect.
- 1994 - Aisin Giorro Pu Chieh, brother of Last Emperor of China, dies at age 86.
- 1994 - United States F-16 pilots shoot down four Serbian fighter aircraft over Bosnia-Herzegovina for violation of the Operation Deny Flight and its no-fly zone.
- 1995 - Members of the group Patriot's Council are convicted in Minnesota of manufacturing ricin.
- 1995 - Denver International Airport opens in Colorado, USA.
- 1995 - Keith Rigg, cricket player (8 Tests for Australia 1931-37), dies.
- 1996 - CBS live telecasts the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presentation of the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. Some winners:
- Record of the Year: Seal for "Kiss From A Rose";
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Hootie and The Blowfish for "Let Her Cry";
- Best Female Rock Vocal Performance: Alanis Morissette for "You Oughta Know";
- Best Male Rock Vocal Performance: Tom Petty for "You Don't Know How It Feels";
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Blues Traveler for "Run-Around".
- 1997 - FBI agent Earl Pitts pleads guilty to selling secrets to Russia.
- 1997 - Smokers must prove they are over 18 to purchase cigarettes in US.
- 1997 - The North Hollywood shootout takes place between two heavily armed bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department.
- 1997 - WFAA-TV becomes the first TV station in the USA to start broadcasting their newscasts in HDTV on a VHF channel.
- 1997 - In Northwestern Iran, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurs. At least 965 people killed, 2,600 injured, 36,000 homeless, 12,000 houses damaged or destroyed. Severe damage to roads, electrical power lines, communications and water distribution systems.
- 1997 - Turkey's military forces Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan and his Welfare Party out of power.
- 1998 - Serbian police begin to wipe out so-called "terrorist gangs" in Kosovo.
- 1998 - Vancouver Canucks Mark Messier is fourth NHL player to get 1,600 points.
- 2001 - The Selby rail crash near Selby, North Yorkshire, England, kills ten people.
- 2001 - In Washington state, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. About 400 people injured and major damage in the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia area. Damage estimate between US$1 and 4 billion.
- 2002 - The Austrian schilling, Belgian franc, Finnish mark, German mark, Greek drachm, Italian lira, Luxembourg franc, Portuguese escudo, and Spanish peseta expires as valid currencies.
- 2003 - Death of Fidel Sánchez Hernández, President of El Salvador (born 1917).
- 2003 - Death of Rudolf Kingslake, lens designer, and engineer (born 1903).
- 2004 - Death of Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian and Librarian of Congress (born 1914).
- 2004 - Over one million Taiwanese participating in the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally form a 500-kilometre (300-mile) long human chain to commemorate the 228 Incident in 1947.
- 2007 - Birth of HRH Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, daughter of Mohammed VI of Morocco and his wife, Princess Lalla Salma.
- 2007 - The New Horizons space probe makes a gravitational slingshot against Jupiter which changes its trajectory towards Pluto.
- 2007 - Death of Billy Thorpe, Australian musician (Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs) (born 1946).
- 2007 - Death of Charles Forte, English hotelier (born 1908).
- 2008 - A report by the Pew Center on the United States says the American penal system held more than 2.3 million adults at the start of the year, meaning more than one in every 100 American adults is confined in a prison or jail, the highest ratio in the nation's history. The report also notes that the United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world.
- 2008 - The European Court of Human Rights rules unanimously that a government may not deport an individual to a state where he may be at risk of torture.
- 2008 - Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand from exile since 2006 military coup deposed him.
- 2008 - In Kenyan, President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga sign a deal setting up a coalition government. Odinga will become prime minister with wide-ranging executive powers, cabinet posts will be shared, and the constitution will be amended to formalize power-sharing.
- 2009 - Death of Paul Harvey, American radio broadcaster, in Phoenix Arizona, at age 90.
- 2010 - The 2010 Winter Olympics close in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An estimated 3.5 billion people watched the games worldwide. Canada won 14 gold medals, most ever by a single nation at the Winter Games.
- 2013 - Benedict XVI resigns as pope, becoming the first to do so since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.
- 2017 - Death of Vladimir Petrov, Russian ice hockey player (born 1947).
- 2020 - NATO expresses solidarity with Turkey after 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by pro-Syrian government forces.
- 2020 - Death of Stephen Hugh-Jones; columnist (The Economist magazine, "Johnson"), salesman, soldier, journalist.
- 2020 - Death of Joe Coulombe at age 89 in Pasadena, California; founder of Trader Joe's shops.
- 2021 - The Nuevas Ideas party wins 56 out of 84 seats in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.
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