February 28

February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 306 days remaining, 307 in leap years.

Table of contents

1 Events 2 Births 3 Deaths 4 Holidays and observances

Events

• 364 - Valentinian I is elevated as Roman Emperor.
• 1700 - February 28 is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish calendar.
• 1784 - John Wesley charters the Methodist Church.
• 1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
• 1849 - Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California in San Francisco Bay. The California left New York Harbor on October 6, 1848, rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America, and arrived at San Francisco, California after the 4 month 21 day journey.
• 1850 - The University of Utah opens in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1854 - The United States Republican Party is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin.
• 1861 - Colorado is organized as a United States territory.
• 1883 - The first vaudeville theater is opened, in Boston, Massachusetts.
• 1935 - Nylon is discovered by Wallace Carothers.
• 1940 - Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
• 1948 - Bud Gartiser sets a new world record after clearing the 50-yard low hurdles in 6.8 seconds.
• 1953 - James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA.
• 1974 - After seven years, the United States and Egypt re-establish diplomatic relations.
• 1975 - A major tube train crash at Moorgate tube station, London killed 43 people.
• 1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history.
• 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.
• 1993 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest cult leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and six Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins.
• 1998 - Serbian police begin to wipe out so-called "terrorist gangs" in Kosovo.
• 2001 - An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter Scale hits the Northwest area of the United States. There were no reports of any deaths.
• 2002 - Ethnic conflict in India: At least 55 are killed in Ahmadabad, India when Hindus burn Muslim homes.

Births

• 1553 - Michel de Montaigne, writer and philosopher (+ 1592)
• 1683 - René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, scientist (+ 1757)
• 1820 - John Tenniel, illustrator
• 1833 - Alfred von Schlieffen, German field marshal (+ 1913)
• 1894 - Ben Hecht, playwright, film writer (+ 1964)
• 1900 - Wolfram Hirth, pilot and designer of aircrafts (+ 1959)
• 1901 - Linus Pauling, the only winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1954 and Peace 1962 (+ 1994)
• 1903 - Vincente Minnelli, director (+ 1986)
• 1906 - Bugsy Siegel, gangster (+ 1947)
• 1915 - Zero Mostel, actor (+ 1977)
• 1938 - Klaus Staeck, graphic artist
• 1939 - Erika Pluhar, actress and singer
• 1939 - Tommy Tune, dancer, choreographer, actor
• 1940 - Mario Andretti, automobile driver
• 1942 - Brian Jones, musician ("The Rolling Stones") (+ 1969)
• 1942 - Joe South, musician
• 1945 - Bubba Smith, Football Hall of Famer
• 1946 - Robin Cook, British politician
• 1948 - Bernadette Peters, actress, singer
• 1948 - Mike Figgis, director, writer, composer
• 1948 - Mercedes Ruehl, actress
• 1973 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey star
• 1976 - Ja Rule, rap music singer

Deaths

• 1916 - Henry James, writer
• 1941 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain
• 1942 - Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral
• 1959 - Maxwell Anderson, playwright, film writer
• 1979 - "The famous Mr. Ed", the talking horse, dies.
• 1977 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, actor
• 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1993 - Ruby Keeler, actress, singer, dancer

Holidays and observances

• Bahá'í Faith - Day 3 of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.

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See Also:

February 27 - February 29 - March 1 - January 28 - March 28 -- listing of all days

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December\n