February

Listed below by calendar day is a list of important events and people in US and world history.

February Page Wiki Guidelines:
 * Feel free to add important events that you feel are missing.
 * Add any lesson plans in PDF format regarding an important event or person under the appropriate date

**February 1**

**1920 -** The Royal Canadian Mounted Police came into existence, merging the Royal North West Mounted Police and the Dominion Police. 1943 - One of America's most highly decorated military units of World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up almost exclusively of Japenese-Americans, was authorized. 1946 - Norwegian statesman, Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations. 1959 - Men in Switzerland rejected giving women the right to vote by more than 2 - 1 referendum margin. Swiss women gained the right to vote in 1971. 1968 - During the Vietnam War, South Vietnam's police chief, Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head.
 * 1960** - In Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American students sat down and ordered coffee at a lunch counter in Woolworths. They were refused service, but did not leave. Instead, they waited all day. The scene was repeated over the next few days, with protests spreading to other southern states, resulting in the eventual arrest of over 1,600 persons for participating in sit-ins.
 * 2003 ** - Sixteen minutes before it was scheduled to land, the Space Shuttle //Columbia// broke apart in flight over west Texas, killing all seven crew members. The accident may have resulted from damage caused during liftoff when a piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank broke off, piercing a hole in the shuttle's left wing that allowed hot gases to penetrate the wing upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. This was the second space shuttle lost in flight. In January 1986, //Challenger// exploded during liftoff.
 * Birthday ** - Hattie Caraway (1878-1950) the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was born in Bakersville, Tennessee. Her husband became the U.S. Senator from Arkansas. Following his death in 1931, she filled the remainder of his term, then was elected herself, serving a total of 14 years.
 * Birthday ** - Hollywood director John Ford (1895-1973) was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Known for //The Grapes of Wrath// and //The Searchers//, he also served in World War II as chief of the Photographic Unit of OSS, and earned two Academy Awards for documentaries made during the war.

**February 2**

**Candlemas -** Celebrates three occasions according to Christian belief: the presentation of the child Jesus; Jesus’ first entry into the temple; and it celebrates the Virgin Mary’s purification **1653 -** New Amsterdam - now New York City - was incorporated. 1876 - The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in New York. 1943 - The remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered in a major victory for the Soviets in World War II. 1948 - President Harry S. Truman sent a civil rights program to Congress, where the proposals ran into fierce opposition from southern lawmakers.
 * 1848** - The war between the U.S. and Mexico ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In exchange for $15 million, the U.S. acquired the areas encompassing parts or all of present day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas. The treaty was ratified on March 10, 1848.
 * 1990 ** - In South Africa, the 30-year-old ban on the African National Congress was lifted by President F.W. de Klerk, who also promised to free Nelson Mandelaand remove restrictions on political opposition (apartheid) groups.
 * Birthday ** - Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941) was born in Dublin, Ireland. His works included; //Dubliners//, //A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man//, //Ulysses//, and //Finegan's Wake//.

**February 3**

1959 - Rock-and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P, "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
 * Setsubun (Bean Throwing Festival) - ** First day of Spring according to the old Japanese calendar
 * 1865 ** - A four-hour peace conference occurred between President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at Hampton Roads, Virginia. The meeting was unsuccessful as President Lincoln insisted there could be no armistice until the Confederates acknowledged Federal authority. The Confederates wanted an armistice first. Thus the U.S. Civil War continued.
 * 1870 ** - The 15th [|Amendment] to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
 * 1913 ** - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes.
 * 1943 ** - One of the most extraordinary acts of heroism during World War II occurred in the icy waters off Greenland after the U.S. Army transport ship //Dorchester// was hit by a German torpedo and began to sink rapidly. When it became apparent there were not enough life jackets, four U.S. Army chaplains on board removed theirs, handed them to frightened young soldiers, and chose to go down with ship.
 * Birthday ** - The first female physician in the U.S., Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) was born near Bristol, England. As a girl, her family moved to New York State. She was awarded her MD by the Medical Institute of Geneva, New York, in 1849. She then established a hospital in New York City run by an all-female staff. She was also active in training women to be nurses for service in the U.S. Civil War.
 * Birthday ** - American artist and illustrator Norman Rockwell(1894-1978) was born in New York City. He was best known for depicting ordinary scenes from small town American life for the covers of Saturday Evening Post magazine.

**February 4**

**1783 -** Britain's King George III proclaimed a formal end of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. 1861 - Delegates from six states met in Montogemery, Alabama to form the Confederate States of America. 1974 - Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley by the Symbionese Liberation Army. 1976 - More than 23,000 people died when a severe earthquake struck Guatemala with a magnitude of 7.5 according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
 * 1789 -** Electors chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.
 * 1861** - Apache Chief Cochise was arrested in Arizona by the U.S. Army for raiding a ranch. Cochise then escaped and declared war, beginning the period known as the Apache Wars, which lasted 25 years.
 * 1985 ** - Twenty countries in the United Nations signed a document entitled "Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment."
 * Birthday ** - Thaddeus Kosciusko (1746-1817) was born in Poland. He served in the American Revolution, building the first fortifications at West Point. He then returned to Poland and fought against a Russian invasion.
 * Birthday ** - Aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) was born in Detroit, Michigan. He made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris, May 20-21, 1927.

**February 5**

1877 - Verdi's opera "Otello" premeired at La Scala. 1994 - White separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted In Jackson, Miss. of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evars in 1963, and was immediately sentenced to life in prison (Beckwith died Jan. 21, 2001 at age 80).
 * 1811 -** George, Prince of Wales, was named the Prince Regent because of the insanity of his father, Britain's King George III.
 * 1917** - The new constitution of Mexico, allowing for sweeping social changes, was adopted.

**February 6**


 * 1788 ** - Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, by a vote of 187 to 168.
 * 1933 ** - The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted. It set the date for the Presidential Inauguration as Jan. 20, instead of the old date of March 4. It also sets Jan. 3 as the official opening date of Congress, eliminating 'lame-duck' sessions of Congress.
 * 1952 ** - King George VI of England died. Upon his death, his daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her actual coronation took place on June 2, 1953.
 * Birthday ** - Aaron Burr (1756-1836) was born in Newark, New Jersey. In 1804, Vice President Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel over Hamilton's negative remarks and mortally wounded him. Burr was later tried for treason over allegations he was planning to invade Mexico as part of a scheme to establish his own empire in the Southwest, but was acquitted.
 * Birthday ** - Legendary baseball player George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895-1948) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Ruth held or shared 60 major league records, including pitching 29 consecutive scoreless innings and hitting 714 home runs.
 * Birthday ** - Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. President, was born in Tampico, Illinois, February 6, 1911. Reagan spent 30 years as an entertainer in radio, film, and television before becoming governor of California in 1966. Elected to the White House in 1980, he survived an assassination attempt and became the most popular president since Franklin Roosevelt.

**February 7**

1857 - A French court acquitted Gustave Flaubert of obscenity for his serialized novel "Madame Bovary". 1971 - Women in Switzerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed. 1974 - The island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain. 1984 - Space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk which lasted nearly six hours.
 * 1795 ** - The 11th [|Amendment] to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the powers of the Federal Judiciary over the states by prohibiting Federal lawsuits against individual states.
 * Birthday ** - Thomas More(1478-1535) was born in London, England. He was a lawyer, scholar, and held the title Lord Chancellor of England. As a loyal Catholic, he refused to acknowledge the divorce of King Henry VIII from Queen Catherine, and thus the King's religious supremacy. He was charged with treason, found guilty and beheaded in 1535, with his head then displayed from Tower Bridge. 400 years later, in 1935, he was canonized by Pope Pius XI.
 * Birthday ** - English novelist Charles Dickens(1812-1870) was born in Portsmouth, England. He examined social inequalities through his works including; //David Copperfield//, //Oliver Twist//, and //Nicholas Nickleby//. In 1843, he created //A Christmas Carol// in just a few weeks, an enormously popular work even today.
 * Birthday ** - American social critic and novelist Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930. His works included; //Main Street//, //Babbit//, and //It Can't Happen Here//.

**February 8**

1837 - The Senate selected the vice president of the United States, choosing Richard Mentor Johnson after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. 1904 - The Russo-Japanese War, a conflict over Manchuria and Korea, began as a Japanes forces attacked in Port Arthur. 1924 - The first execution by gas in the United States took place at the Nevada State Prision in Carson City as Gee Jon, a Chinese immigrant convicted of murder was put to death. 2005 - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced a cease-fire at a summit in Egypt.
 * 1587** - Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was beheaded at Fotheringhay, England, after 19 years as a prisoner of Queen Elizabeth I. She became entangled in the complex political events surrounding the Protestant Reformation in England and was charged with complicity in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth.
 * 1910 ** - The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce in Washington, DC, modeled after the British Boy Scouts.
 * Birthday ** - Union Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) was born in Lancaster, Ohio.

February 9

**1825 -** The House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of the votes. 1861 - Jefferson Davis was elected provisional president of the Confedrate States of America. 1942 - Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward 1950 - In a speech in Wheeling, W. Va., Senator Joseph McCarthy, R - Wis, claimed the State Department was riddled with Communists.
 * 1943** - During [|World War II in the Pacific], U.S. troops captured Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands after six months of battle, with 9,000 Japanese and 2,000 Americans killed.
 * Birthday ** - William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) the 9th U.S. President was born in Berkeley, Virginia. He took office on March 4, 1841 and died only 32 days later after contracting pneumonia from cold weather during his inaugural ceremonies.

**February 10**

**1763 -** Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Year's War. 1962 - The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States. 1989 - Ron Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the black to head a major U.S. political party. 2009 - The Senate approved President Barack Obama's giant econimic stimulus measure.
 * 1942** - The first U.S. Medal of Honor during World War II was awarded to 2nd Lt. Alexander Nininger (posthumously) for heroism during the Battle of Bataan.
 * 1967 ** - The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, clarifying the procedures for presidential succession in the event of the disability of a sitting president.

**February 11**

**National Foundation Day** - Celebrated in Japan as the founding date of the Japanese nation, which occurred with the accession to the throne of the first Emperor, Jimmu, in 660 BC. 1812 - Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a re-districting law favoring his party - giving rise to the term "gerrymandering." 1858 - A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, reported the first of 18 visions of a lady dressed in white in a grotto near Lourdes. The Catholic Chuirch later accepted that the visions were of the Virgin Mary. 1975 - Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party. 1979 - Followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Iran.
 * 1929 ** - Italian dictator Benito Mussolinigranted independence to the State of Vatican City and recognized the sovereignty of the pope (Holy See) over the area, measuring about 110 acres.
 * 1990 ** - In South Africa, Nelson Mandela, at age 71, was released from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence on charges of attempting to overthrow the apartheid government. In April 1994, he was elected president in the first all-race elections.
 * Birthday ** - American inventor [|Thomas Edison] (1847-1931) was born in Milan, Ohio. Throughout his lifetime he would acquire over 1,200 patents including the incandescent bulb, phonograph and movie camera. Best known for his quote, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration."

**February 12**

1909 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded. 1973 - The first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place. 2000 - Charles M. Schulz, creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip, died in Santa Rosa at age 77. ** Birthday ** - Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) the 16th U.S. President was born in Hardin County, Kentucky. He led the nation through the tumultuous Civil War, freed the slaves, composed the Gettysburg Address, and established Thanksgiving.
 * 1795 -** The University of North Carolina became the first U.S. state university to admit students with the arrival of Hinton James, the only student on campus for two weeks.
 * 1999** - The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in the U.S. Senate ended. With the whole world watching via television, senators stood up one by one during the final role call to vote "guilty" or "not guilty." On Article 1, the charge of perjury, 55 senators, including 10 Republicans and all 45 Democrats voted not guilty. On Article 2, obstruction of justice, the Senate split evenly, 50 for and 50 against the President. With the necessary two-thirds majority not having been achieved, the President was thus acquitted on both charges and would serve out the remainder of his term of office lasting through January 20, 2001.
 * Birthday ** - Author and naturalist Charles Darwin(1809-1882) was born in Shrewsbury, England. Best known for his work //Origin of the Species// concerning the theory of evolution.

**February 13**

1741 - Andrew Bradford of Pennsylvania published the first American magazine. Titled "The American Magazine, or A Monthly View of the Political State of the British Colonies," it lasted three issues. 1920 - The League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland. 1935 - A jury in Flemington, N.J. found Bruno Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap slaying of the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh (Hauptmann was later executed). 1960 - France exploded its first atomic bomb, in the Sahara Desert. 2009 - A $787 billion stimulus bill aimed at easing the worst economic crisis in decades cleared both houses of Congress.
 * 1635 ** - Boston Latin School, the first public school in America was established in Boston, Mass.
 * 1945 ** - The Allies began massive bombing raids on Dresden, Germany, starting a four day firestorm visible for 200 miles that engulfed the historic old city, killing an estimated 135,000 persons.
 * Birthday ** - American artist Grant Wood (1892-1942) was born near Anamosa, Iowa. Best known for his painting //American Gothic// featuring a farm couple.

**February 14**

- Celebrated as Valentine's Day, one of the most widely observed unofficial holidays in which romantic greeting cards and gifts are exchanged. 1920 - The League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago. 1989 - Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill Salmon Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses", a novel condemned as blasphemous.
 * 1849 ** - Photographer Mathew Brady took the first photograph of a U.S. President in office, James Polk.
 * 1929 ** - The St. Valentine's Day massacre occurred in Chicago as seven members of the Bugs Moran gang were gunned down by five of Al Capone's mobsters posing as police.

**February 15**

1879 - President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court. 1942 - The British colony Singapore surrendered to the Japanese during World War II. 1965 - Canada's new maple-leaf flag was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa. 2009 - President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela won a referendum to eliminate term limits, paving the way for him to run again in 2012.
 * Nirvana Day -** Day to celebrate the death of Buddha and his entry into Nirvana. Usually observed on February 15th.
 * 1764 -** The city of St. Louis was established by Pierre Laciede and Auguste Chouteau.
 * 1898** - In Havana, the U.S. [|Battleship //Maine//] was blown up while at anchor and quickly [|sank] with 260 crew members lost. The incident inflamed public opinion in the U.S., resulting in a declaration of war against Spain on April 25, 1898, amid cries of "Remember the Maine!"
 * 1933 ** - An assassination attempt on newly elected U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt occurred in Miami, Florida. A spectator deflected the gunman's aim, as a result, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was shot and killed instead. The gunman, an Italian immigrant, was captured and later sentenced to death.
 * 1989 ** - The Soviets completed their military withdrawal from Afghanistan after nine years of unsuccessful involvement in the civil war between Muslim rebel groups and the Soviet backed government, with over 15,000 Soviet soldiers killed.
 * Birthday ** - Astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei(1564-1642) was born in Pisa, Italy. He was the first astronomer to use a telescope and advanced the theory that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system.
 * Birthday ** - Inventor Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884) was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He invented the horse drawn mechanical reaper, a machine that freed farmers from hard labor and contributed to the development and cultivation of vast areas of the American Great Plains.
 * Birthday ** - Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was born in Adams, Mass. A pioneer in women's rights, she worked tirelessly for woman's suffrage (right to vote) and in 1872 was arrested after casting a vote in the presidential election. She was commemorated in 1979 with the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, thus became the first American woman to have her image on a U.S. coin.

**February 16**

1862 - During the Civil War, some 14,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered at Fort Donelson, Tenn. (Union General Ulysses S. Grant's victory earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender Grant".) 1945 - American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philipines during World War II. 1959 - Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba a month and a half after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista. 1960 - The nuclear-powered radar picket submarine USS Triton departed New London, Conn., on the first totally submerged circumnavigation by a vessel, a voyage which took nearly three months. 1968 - The nation's first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, Ala.
 * 1804 -** Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor to furn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates.

**February 17**

1897 - The forerunner of the National PTA, the National Congress of Mothers, convened its first meeting in Washington. 1904 - The original two-act version of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" was poorly received at its premiere at La Scala in Lilan, Italy. 1947 - The Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet Union. 1972 - President Richard Nixon departed on his historic trip to China.
 * 1801 -** The U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president. burr became vice president.
 * 1865** - During the U.S. Civil War, Fort Sumter in South Carolina was returned to the Union after nearly a year and a half under Confederate control. The fort had been the scene of the first shots of the war.
 * 1909 ** - Apache Chief Geronimo (1829-1909) died while in captivity at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He had led a small group of warriors on raids throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Caught once, he escaped. The U.S. Army then sent 5,000 men to recapture him.
 * Birthday** - **James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown** (born 1936) is an former professional player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by //The Sporting News// as the greatest professional football player ever. He is considered to be one of the greatest professional athletes the has ever produced.


 * Birthday** - **Michael Jeffrey Jordan** (born 1963) is a retired American player and active businessman. His biography on the (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s

**February 18**

1861- Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Ala. 1885 - Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time (it had been published in Canada and England the previous December) 1970 - The "Chicago Seven" defendants were found not guilty of conspiracy to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention.
 * 1546 -** Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben.
 * 1564 -** Artist Michelangelo died in Rome.

**February 19**

1945 - During World War II, some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful monthlong battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces. 1959 - An agreement signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granted Cyprus its independence. 1999 - President Bill Clinton posthumously pardoned Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of West Point, whose military career had been tarnished by a racially motivated discharge. 2008 - An ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power; his brother Raul was later named to succeed him.
 * 1942 ** - Internment of Japanese Americans began after President Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring those living on the Pacific coast to report for relocation. Over 110,000 persons shut down their businesses, sold off their property, quit school and moved inland to relocation centers.
 * Birthday ** - Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus(1473-1543) was born in Torun, Poland. Considered the founder of modern astronomy, he theorized that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system.

**February 20**

1950 - The U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Rabinowitz, ruled 5 -3 that authorties making a lawful arrest did not need a warrant to search and seize evidence in an area in the "immediate and complete control" of the suspect. 1962 - Astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7.
 * 1792 -** President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.
 * 1943** - German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel broke through American lines at Kasserine Pass in North Africa as inexperienced U.S. Troops lost their first major battle of World War II in Europe, with 1,000 Americans killed.
 * Birthday** - Sir Sidney Poitier, born 1927 is a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. He broke through as a star in acclaimed performances in American films and plays, which, by consciously defying racial stereotyping, gave a new dramatic credibility for black actors to mainstream film audiences. In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in //Lilies of the Field//.

**February 21**

1916 - The World War I Battle of Verdun began in France as German forces attacked; the French were able to prevail after 10 months of fighting. 1995 - Chicago adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a ballon landing in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada.
 * 1885 -** The Washington Monument was dedicated.
 * 1965** - Former Black Muslim leader Malcolm X (1925-1965) was shot and killed while delivering a speech in a ballroom in New York City.
 * 1972 ** - President Richard Nixon arrived in China for historic meetings with Chairman Mao Tse-tung and Premier Chou En-lai.
 * 1994 ** - CIA agent Aldrich Ames was arrested on charges he spied for the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991.

**February 22**

1862 - Jefferson Davis, already provisional president of the Confederacy, was inaugurated for a six-year term following his election in November 1861. 1959 - The inaugural Daytona 500 race was held in Daytona Deach, Fla; although Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner, the victory was later awarded to Lee Petty. 1980 - The "Miracle on Ice" occurred in Lake Placid, N.Y as the United States Olympic hockey team upset the Soviets, 4 - 3 (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal). ** Birthday ** - [|George Washington] (1732-1799) was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He served as commander of the Continental Army during the [|American Revolution] and became the first U.S. President.
 * 1810 -** Polish composer Fredric Chopin was born (Chopin, however claimed March 1 as his birthday).
 * 1956** - In Montgomery, Alabama, 80 participants in the three month old bus boycottvoluntarily gave themselves up for arrest after an ultimatum from white city leaders. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks were among those arrested. Later in 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated desegregation of the buses.

**February 23**

1870 Mississippi was readmitted to the Union. 1945 - U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi, where they raised the American flag twice (the second flag-raising was captured in the iconic photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal). 1981 - An attempted coup began in Spain as 200 members of the Civil Guard invaded the Parliament, taking lawmakers hostage (however the attempt collapsed 18 hours later).
 * 1836 -** The siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas.
 * 1942** - The first attack on the U.S. mainland occurred as a Japanese submarine shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California, causing minor damage.
 * 1991 ** - In Desert Storm, the Allied ground offensive began after a devastating month long air campaign targeting Iraqi troops in Iraq and Kuwait.
 * Birthday ** - African American educator and leader W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born in Great Barrington, Mass.
 * Birthday ** - Historian William L. Shirer (1904-1993) was born in Chicago, Illinois. As a news reporter stationed in Europe, he witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and reported on the surrender of France. Following the war he complied the first major history of Nazi Germany //The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich//.

**February 24**

1821 - Mexican rebels proclaimed the "Plan de Iguala," their declaration of independence from Spain. 1920 - The German Workers Party, which later became the Nazi Party met in Munich to adopt its platform. 1942 - The Voice of America went on the air for the first time. 1983 - A congressional commission released a report condemning the internment of Japanese Americans during World Warr II as a "grave injustice".
 * 1582 ** - Pope Gregory XIII corrected mistakes on the Julian calendar by dropping 10 days and directing that the day after October 4, 1582 would be October 15. The Gregorian, or New Style calendar, was then adopted by Catholic countries, followed gradually by Protestant and other nations.
 * 1867 ** - The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson. The vote followed bitter opposition by the Radical Republicans in Congress to Johnson's reconstruction policies in the South. However, the effort to remove him failed in the Senate by just one vote.
 * Birthday ** - Admiral Chester Nimitz (1885-1966) was born in Fredericksburg, Texas. He commanded Allied naval, land and air forces in the South Pacific during World War II, and signed the Japanese surrender document on September 2, 1945.

February 25

1913 - The 16th Amendment to the Constition giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secratary of State Philander Chase Knox. 1964 - Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) became world heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. 1986 - President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Phillipines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency.
 * 1901 -** United States Steel Corporation was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.
 * Birthday** - Millicent Fenwick (1910-1992) was born in New York City. She championed liberal causes, serving as a member of the U.N. General Assembly and as a U.S. Congresswoman.

**February 26**

1919 - President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. 1952 - Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb. 1987 - The Tower Commission which probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff. 1993 - A bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of New York's World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. 2008 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his country's constitution changed to allow presidential challengers in an upcoming fall election.
 * 1815 -** Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba.
 * 1848** - The //Communist Manifesto// pamphlet was published by two young socialists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, advocating the abolition of all private property and a system in which workers own all the means of production, land, factories and machinery.
 * 1994 ** - Political foes of Russian President Boris Yeltsin were freed by a general amnesty granted by the new Russian Parliament.
 * Birthday ** - American frontiersman "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917) was born in Scott County, Indiana. He claimed to have killed over 4,000 buffalo within 17 months. He became world famous through his Wild West show which traveled throughout the U.S. And Europe for 30 years.

**February 27**

1973 - American Indian Movement members occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, site of the 1890 Sioux massacre (the occupation lasted until May).
 * 1801 -** The District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.
 * 1922** - The Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of women to vote.
 * 1951** - The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the president to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office.
 * 1991 ** - In Desert Storm, the 100 hour ground war ended as Allied troops entered Kuwait just four days after launching their offensive against Iraqi forces.
 * Birthday ** - American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was born in Portland, Maine. Best known for //Paul Revere's Ride//, //The Song of Hiawatha//, and //The Wreck of the Hesperus//.

**February 28**

1849 - The California gold rush begans in earnest as regular steamship service started bringing gold-seekers to San Francisco. 1953 - Scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes. 1993 - A gun battle erupted at a compund near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and firearms agents tried to serve warrants on the Branch Davidians; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.
 * 1844 ** - During a demonstration of naval fire power, one of the guns aboard the USS //Princeton// exploded, killing several top U.S. government officials on the steamer ship, and narrowly missed killing President
 * 1986 ** - Swedish Prime Minster Olof Palme (1927-1986) was assassinated in Stockholm exiting a movie theater with his wife.
 * 1994 ** - NATO conducted its first combat action in its 45 year history as four Bosnian Serb jets were shot down by American fighters in a no-fly zone.