February 1
- 1960 – Four African American students begin the Greensboro sit-ins at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, sparking nationwide civil rights protests.
- 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts on board.
February 2
- 1848 – The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican-American War and ceding large territories to the United States.
- 1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is published, a groundbreaking novel that revolutionized modern literature.
February 3
- 1870 – The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, granting African American men the right to vote.
- 1959 – The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper die in a plane crash.
February 4
- 1789 – George Washington is elected as the first President of the United States by the Electoral College.
- 1945 – The Yalta Conference begins, where Allied leaders (Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) discuss post-war Europe.
February 5
- 1919 – United Artists is founded by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith.
- 1958 – A U.S. Air Force B-47 bomber accidentally drops an unarmed nuclear bomb near Tybee Island, Georgia (the bomb was never recovered).
February 6
- 1952 – Queen Elizabeth II ascends to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI.
- 1989 – The Round Table Talks begin in Poland, marking a step toward the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe.
February 7
- 1964 – The Beatles arrive in the United States for the first time, starting the “British Invasion” of American music.
- 1992 – The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.
February 8
- 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
- 1971 – The NASDAQ stock exchange begins operations, revolutionizing financial markets with electronic trading.
February 9
- 1950 – Senator Joseph McCarthy claims to have a list of communists in the U.S. government, sparking the Red Scare.
- 1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million Americans.
February 10
- 1258 – The Mongols sack Baghdad, marking the end of the Islamic Golden Age.
- 1942 – The first gold record is awarded to Glenn Miller for Chattanooga Choo Choo.
February 11
- 1929: The Lateran Treaty is signed, establishing Vatican City as an independent state.
- 1990: Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years.
February 12
- 1809: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin are born.
- 1912: The last emperor of China, Puyi, abdicates, ending the Qing Dynasty.
February 13
- 1633: Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for trial by the Inquisition.
- 1945: Allied forces begin the bombing of Dresden, Germany in World War II.
February 14
- 1929: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurs in Chicago, with seven gang members killed.
- 2005: YouTube is founded by former PayPal employees.
February 15
- 1898: The USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, leading to the Spanish-American War.
- 2003: Millions protest worldwide against the Iraq War, one of the largest anti-war demonstrations in history.
February 16
- 1923: Howard Carter unseals Tutankhamun’s burial chamber.
- 1959: Fidel Castro becomes Cuba’s Prime Minister.
February 17
- 1600: Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned for heresy.
- 1864: H.L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to sink an enemy ship.
February 18
- 1930: Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto.
- 2001: NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. dies in a crash.
February 19
- 1945: U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima.
- 1878: Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.
February 20
- 1962: John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth.
- 1986: The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station.
February 21
- 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated in New York City.
- 1848: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto.
February 22
- 1946: George Kennan’s Long Telegram shapes U.S. Cold War policy.
- 1980: The U.S. hockey team wins the Miracle on Ice.
February 23
- 1455: Gutenberg prints the first Bible.
- 1945: U.S. Marines raise the flag on Iwo Jima.
February 24
- 1582: Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
- 2022: Russia invades Ukraine.
February 25
- 1964: Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins the heavyweight title.
- 1986: Marcos flees the Philippines after a revolution.
February 26
- 1815: Napoleon escapes from Elba.
- 1993: First World Trade Center bombing in NYC.
February 27
- 1933: Reichstag fire in Germany.
- 1951: 22nd U.S. Amendment limits presidential terms.
February 28
- 1844: Dominican Republic gains independence.
- 1986: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme is assassinated.
