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Contents

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

Liturgical feasts

References

External links

Events

★ 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau was dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols.

★ 1568 - The entire population of the Netherlands - three million people - was sentenced to death by the Roman Catholic Church for heresy; see Eighty Years' War.

★ 1742 - Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, becomes British Prime Minister.

★ 1804 - First Barbary War: Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS ''Philadelphia''.

★ 1838 - Weenen Massacre: Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal were killed by Zulus.

★ 1852 - Studebaker Brothers wagon company, precursor of the automobile manufacturer, is established.

★ 1857 - The National Deaf Mute College (later renamed Gallaudet University) is established in Washington, DC, becoming the first school for the advanced education of the deaf.

★ 1859 - The French Government passes a law to set the A-note above middle C to a frequency of 435 Hz, in an attempt to standardize the pitch.

★ 1862 - American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

★ 1866 - Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington becomes the British Secretary of State for War

★ 1868 - In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).

★ 1883 - ''Ladies' Home Journal'' is published for the first time.

★ 1899 - President Félix Faure of France dies in office.

★ 1899 - Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Iceland's first football club is founded.

★ 1918 - The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence, declaring Lithuania an independent state.

★ 1923 - Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

★ 1934 - Austrian Civil War ends with the defeat of the Social Democrats and the Republican Schutzbund

★ 1934 - Commission of Government sworn in as form of direct rule for the Dominion of Newfoundland.

★ 1936 - Elections bring the Popular Front to power in Spain.

★ 1937 - Wallace H. Carothers receives a patent for nylon.

★ 1940 - World War II: Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS ''Cossack''. 299 British prisoners are freed.

★ 1943 - World War II: USSR reconquers Kharkov.

★ 1945 - World War II: American forces land on Corregidor island in the Philippines.

★ 1945 - World War II: First American Aircraft carrier strikes on Tokyo.

★ 1945 - American forces recapture the Bataan Peninsula.

★ 1947 - Canadians granted Canadian citizenship after 80 years of being British subjects. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.

★ 1957 - The "Toddlers' Truce", a controversial television closedown between 6.00pm and 7.00pm was abolished in the United Kingdom

★ 1959 - Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after President Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.

★ 1961 - Explorer program: Explorer 9 (S-56a) launched.

★ 1968 - In Haleyville, Alabama the first 9-1-1 emergency telephone system goes into service.

★ 1972 - NBA basketball player Wilt Chamberlain scores 30,000th point.

★ 1978 - The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).

★ 1983 - The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia claim the lives of 71 people in Australia's worst ever fires.

★ 1985 - The founding of Hezbollah.

★ 1986 - The Soviet liner ''Mikhail Lermontov'' runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.

★ 1987 - The trial of John Demjanjuk, accused of being a Nazi guard dubbed "Ivan the Terrible" in Treblinka extermination camp, starts in Jerusalem.

★ 1998 - China Airlines Flight 676 crashed into a residential area near by Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, killing 202 people, included all 196 on board and six on the ground.

★ 1999 - In Uzbekistan a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islom Karimov.

★ 1999 - Across Europe, Kurdish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrested one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan.

★ 2003 - Serbian Wikipedia is born.

★ 2005 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.

★ 2005 - The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004-2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labour dispute.

★ 2006 - The last Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) is decommissioned by the United States Army.

★ 2007 - The U.S. House of Representatives passes resolution opposing President George W. Bush's proposed troop surge, regarding the Iraq conflict.

Births

★ 1032 - Emperor Yingzong of China (d. 1067)

★ 1222 - Nichiren Daishonin, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (d. 1282)

★ 1497 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (d. 1560)

★ 1519 - Gaspard de Coligny, French Huguenot leader (d. 1572)

★ 1543 - Kano Eitoku, Japanese painter (d. 1590)

★ 1620 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia (d. 1688)

★ 1643 - John Sharp, English Archbishop of York (d. 1714)

★ 1698 - Pierre Bouguer, French mathematician (d. 1758)

★ 1710 - King Louis XV of France (d. 1774)

★ 1727 - Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, Austrian scientist (d. 1817)

★ 1761 - Charles Pichegru, French general (d. 1804)

★ 1802 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, American philosopher (d. 1866)

★ 1804 - Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist (d. 1885)

★ 1812 - Henry Wilson, 18th Vice President of US (d. 1875)

★ 1821 - Heinrich Barth, German explorer (d. 1865)

★ 1822 - Sir Francis Galton, English explorer and biologist (d. 1911)

★ 1824 - Peter Kozler, Slovenian cartographer and geographer (d. 1879)

★ 1826 - Julia Grant, First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)

★ 1826 - Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German poet (d. 1886)

★ 1831 - Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (d. 1895)

★ 1834 - Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and philosopher (d. 1919)

★ 1838 - Henry Adams, American historian and novelist (d. 1918)

★ 1847 - Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917)

★ 1848 - Hugo de Vries, Dutch botanist (d. 1935)

★ 1856 - Rudolph Karstadt, German entrepreneur (d. 1944)

★ 1856 - Willem Kes, Dutch conductor (d. 1934)

★ 1866 - Billy Hamilton (baseball player), MLB Hall of Fame Outfielder (d. 1940)

★ 1866 - Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian poet (d. 1949)

★ 1876 - George Macaulay Trevelyan, English historian (d. 1962)

★ 1883 - Elizabeth Craig, British writer (d. 1980)

★ 1884 - Robert J. Flaherty, American filmmaker (d. 1951)

★ 1886 - Van Wyck Brooks, American historian and critic (d. 1963)

★ 1887 - Kathleen Clifford, American actress (d. 1962)

★ 1898 - Katharine Cornell, American actress (d. 1974)

★ 1891 - Hans F.K. Günther, German eugenicist (d. 1967)

★ 1901 - Vincent Coleman, American actor (d. 1971)

★ 1901 - Chester Morris, American film actor (d. 1970)

★ 1903 - Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (d. 1978)

★ 1903 - George-Henri Lévesque, Quebec priest and sociologist (d. 2000)

★ 1904 - George F. Kennan, American historian, diplomat and political policy-maker (d. 2005)

★ 1909 - Hugh Beaumont, American actor (d. 1982)

★ 1909 - Jeffrey Lynn, American actor (d. 1995)

★ 1909 - Richard McDonald, American fast food pioneer (d. 1998)

★ 1915 - Jim O'Hora, American college football coach (d. 2005)

★ 1915 - Michael Relph, British film producer and director (d. 2004)

★ 1916 - Bill Doggett, American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist (d. 1996)

★ 1918 - Patty Andrews, American singer

★ 1921 - Jean Behra, French Formula One driver (d. 1959)

★ 1921 - Araucaria, British crossword compiler

★ 1921 - Vera-Ellen, American actress (d. 1981)

★ 1925 - Carlos Paredes, Portuguese guitar master (d. 2004)

★ 1926 - John Schlesinger, English film director (d. 2003)

★ 1927 - June Brown, British actress

★ 1929 - Gerhard Hanappi, Austrian footballer (d. 1980)

★ 1931 - Ken Takakura, Japanese actor

★ 1932 - Gretchen Wyler, American actress and dancer

★ 1932 - Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and singer (d. 2002)

★ 1932 - Harry Goz, American actor (d. 2003)

★ 1932 - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone

★ 1934 - Herbie & Harold Kalin, American singers (d. 2005-Harold / 2006-Herbie)

★ 1934 - Marlene Hagge, American professional golfer

★ 1935 - Sonny Bono, American entertainer (d. 1998)

★ 1936 - Jill Kinmont, American skier

★ 1937 - Yuri Manin, Russian mathematician

★ 1938 - John Corigliano, American composer

★ 1938 - Barry Primus, American actor

★ 1942 - Kim Jong-il, North Korean leader

★ 1943 - Brig Owens, American football player

★ 1944 - Richard Ford, American novelist

★ 1945 - Jeremy Bulloch, English actor

★ 1945 - Frank Welker, American voice actor

★ 1950 - Peter Hain, British politician

★ 1950 - Kazuki Tomokawa, Japanese acid-folk singer

★ 1950 - Roman Tam, Hong Kong famous singer (d. 2002)

★ 1951 - William Katt, American actor

★ 1952 - Barry Foote, Major League Baseball player

★ 1953 - George Martin, American footballer

★ 1953 - Lanny McDonald, Canadian ice hockey player

★ 1953 - Roberta Williams, computer game designer

★ 1954 - Michael Holding, West Indian fast bowler cricket

★ 1954 - Iain Banks, Scottish author

★ 1954 - Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)

★ 1955 - Hunt Block, American actor

★ 1956 - James Ingram, American singer

★ 1957 - LeVar Burton, American actor

★ 1958 - Ice-T, American rapper, songwriter, and actor

★ 1958 - Lisa Loring, American actress

★ 1958 - Oscar Schmidt, Brazilian basketball player

★ 1958 - Michael W. Burns, American politician

★ 1959 - John McEnroe, American tennis player

★ 1959 - Kelly Tripucka, American basketball player

★ 1960 - Pete Willis, English guitarist (Def Leppard)

★ 1960 - Cherie Chung, Hong Kong actress

★ 1961 - Andy Taylor, English musician (Duran Duran)

★ 1963 - Dave Lombardo, Cuban drummer (Slayer)

★ 1963 - Dano Halsall, Swiss swimmer

★ 1964 - Bebeto, Brazilian footballer

★ 1964 - Christopher Eccleston, English actor

★ 1967 - John Valentin, baseball player

★ 1967 - Keith Gretzky, former hockey player; brother of Wayne Gretzky

★ 1968 - Warren Ellis, British comic book writer

★ 1969 - David Heath, American professional wrestler better known as Gangrel

★ 1970 - D.J. Wallis, American fitness competitor

★ 1970 - Serdar Ortac, Turkish popstar

★ 1970 - Angelo Peruzzi, Italian footballer

★ 1971 - Amanda Holden, British Actress

★ 1972 - Jerome Bettis, American football player

★ 1973 - Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete

★ 1973 - Nikos Kostakis, Greek footballer

★ 1974 - Fanis Katergiannakis, Greek footballer

★ 1974 - Johnny Tri Nguyen, Vietnamese American stuntman and martial arts actor

★ 1975 - Nanase Aikawa, Japanese singer

★ 1975 - Vanina Ickx, Belgian racing driver

★ 1976 - Eric Byrnes, American baseball player

★ 1976 - Kyo, Japanese singer (Dir en grey)

★ 1977 - Ian Clarke, Irish computer programmer

★ 1977 - Ahman Green, American football player

★ 1978 - John Tartaglia, Broadway actor and Muppeteer

★ 1979 - Eric Mun, Korean rapper (Shinhwa)

★ 1979 - Valentino Rossi, Italian motorcycle racer

★ 1980 - Ashley Lelie, American football player

★ 1981 - Jay Howard, British racing driver

★ 1981 - Jerry Owens, American baseball player

★ 1981 - Qyntel Woods, American basketball player

★ 1982 - Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, American rapper

★ 1985 - Zoi Dimoschaki, Greek swimmer

★ 1988 - Denílson Pereira Neves, Brazilian footballer

Deaths

★ 1247 - Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204)

★ 1279 - King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1210)

★ 1391 - John V Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1332)

★ 1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1452)

★ 1560 - Jean du Bellay, French Catholic cardinal and diplomat

★ 1710 - Esprit Fléchier, French writer and Bishop of Nîmes (b. 1632)

★ 1721 - James Craggs the Younger, English politician (b. 1686)

★ 1754 - Richard Mead, English physician (b. 1673)

★ 1844 - Joseph Crosfield, English soap and alkali manufacturer (b. 1792)

★ 1898 - Thomas Bracken, New Zealand poet (b. 1843)

★ 1899 - Félix Faure, President of France (b. 1841)

★ 1907 - Giosuè Carducci, Italian writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1835)

★ 1912 - St. Nikolai of Japan, Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836)

★ 1917 - Octave Mirbeau, French writer (b. 1848)

★ 1919 - Vera Kholodnaya, Russian film star (b. 1893)

★ 1928 - Eddie Foy, American singer and dancer (b. 1856)

★ 1932 - Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1841)

★ 1967 - Antonio Moreno, Spanish-born actor (b. 1887)

★ 1967 - Smiley Burnette, American actor, singer and songwriter (b. 1911)

★ 1974 - John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)

★ 1975 - Morgan Taylor, American athlete (b. 1903)

★ 1977 - Carlos Pellicer, Mexican poet (b. 1897)

★ 1978 - E. Roland Harriman, American financier (b. 1895)

★ 1980 - Erich Hückel, German physicist (b. 1895)

★ 1988 - Jean Carignan, French Canadian fiddler (b. 1916)

★ 1990 - Keith Haring, American artist (b. 1958)

★ 1992 - Angela Carter, English writer (b. 1940)

★ 1992 - Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician (b. 1917)

★ 1992 - Herman Wold, Swedish statistician (b. 1908

★ 1996 - Roger Bowen, American actor (b. 1932)

★ 1996 - Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California (b. 1905)

★ 1996 - Brownie McGhee, American singer (b. 1915)

★ 1997 - Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American physicist (b. 1912)

★ 1999 - Michael Larson, Press Your Luck Big-winning contestant (b. 1949)

★ 2000 - Marceline Day, American actress (b. 1908)

★ 2000 - Karsten Solheim, Norwegian-born engineer and inventor (b. 1911)

★ 2000 - Lila Kedrova, Russian-born actress (b. 1918)

★ 2001 - Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)

★ 2001 - Howard W. Koch, American film director (b. 1916)

★ 2001 - William Masters, American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915)

★ 2002 - Walter Winterbottom, England football manager (b. 1913)

★ 2003 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)

★ 2004 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (b. 1925)

★ 2004 - Doris Troy, American singer (b. 1937)

★ 2005 - Nicole DeHuff, American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975)

★ 2006 - Johnny Grunge, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)

★ 2006 - Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

★ Lithuania - Independence Day (1918)

★ Kyoto Protocol Day (2005)

Liturgical feasts

★ Saint Abda of Edessa ^[1]

★ Saint Elias and companions

★ Remembrance of Lambertus

★ Saint Juliana

★ Saint Lucilla

★ Saint Gilbert of Sempringham

★ Saint Aganus

★ Saint Honestus

★ Saint Julian of Egypt

★ Saint Onesimus

★ February 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

References

1. Holweck, F. G. ''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints''. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924.

External links

★ BBC: On This Day

★

★ On this day in Canada
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