| 1076:
|
Emperor Henry IV defies Rome and Pope Gregory VII
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| 1198:
|
Pope Innocent III ordained as a priest
|
| 1508:
|
Michaelangelo's "Pope Julius" put in place
|
| 1534:
|
Anabaptists sieze Muenster
|
| 1554:
|
Hieronymus Bock, German doctor, founder of modern botany, dies
|
| 1595:
|
Hanging of Robert Southwell, Jesuit poet, for being a Catholic priest, at Tyburn, England
|
| 1598:
|
Election of Boris Godenov as Czar of Muscovy
|
| 1630:
|
Peter Paul Rubens knighted in England
|
| 1631:
|
Michael Romanov, son of the Patriarch of Moscow, is elected Russian Tsar
|
| 1744:
|
The British blockade of Toulon is broken by 27 French and Spanish warships attacking 29 British ships
|
| 1794:
|
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Mexican Revolutionary born
|
| 1797:
|
Trinidad, West Indies surrenders to the British
|
| 1801:
|
John Henry Newman, Roman Catholic Cardinal born
|
| 1804:
|
1st self-propelled locomotive on rails demonstrated, in Wales
|
| 1821:
|
Charles Scribner, Music Publisher born
|
| 1828:
|
The first issue of the Cherokee Phoenix is printed, both in English and in the newly invented Cherokee alphabet
|
| 1838:
|
Alexis De Rochon, Spyglass Developer born
|
| 1838:
|
The first burglar alarm is installed in the United States. It is installed in Boston, Massachusetts by E. T. Holmes
|
| 1842:
|
John J. Greenough of Washington, DC. patented the sewing machine
|
| 1846:
|
Sara Bagley of Lowell, Massachusetts, becomes the first female telegraph operator
|
| 1849:
|
In the Second Sikh War, Sir Hugh Goughs well placed guns win a victory over a Sikh force twice the size of his at Gujerat on the Chenab River, assuring British control of the Punjab for years to come
|
| 1862:
|
The Texas Rangers win a Confederate victory in the Battle of Val Verde, New Mexico
|
| 1866:
|
Lucy B. Hobbs became the first woman to graduate from a dental school, the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati
|
| 1874:
|
Oakland Daily Tribune begins publication
|
| 1878:
|
The first telephone directory was issued, by the District Telephone Company of New Haven, Connecticut
|
| 1885:
|
The Washington Monument was dedicated
|
| 1905:
|
The Mukden campaign of the Russo-Japanese War, begins
|
| 1907:
|
Poet W.H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden born
|
| 1914:
|
Actor Zachary Scott (Flamingo Road, The Young One, The Southerner, Appointment in Honduras) born
|
| 1915:
|
Actress Ann (Clara) Sheridan (Appointment in Honduras, The Man Who Came to Dinner) born
|
| 1916:
|
The World War One Battle of Verdun began in France
|
| 1918:
|
The last known green and yellow Carolina parakeet dies
|
| 1925:
|
Director Sam Peckinpah (Convoy, The Getaway, The Wild Bunch) born
|
| 1925:
|
"The New Yorker" magazine made its debut
|
| 1927:
|
Fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy born
|
| 1927:
|
Humorist and author Erma (Fiste) Bombeck (The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank) born
|
| 1931:
|
Alka Seltzer is introduced. Oh, what a relief it is!
|
| 1932:
|
William N. Goodwin of Newark, New Jersey, patented the camera exposure meter
|
| 1933:
|
Singer (Eunice Waymon) Nina Simone born
|
| 1933:
|
Movie director Bob Rafelson born
|
| 1934:
|
Actress Rue McClanahan born
|
| 1937:
|
Actor Gary (Yusolfsky) Lockwood (2001 in Paradise, Firecreek) born
|
| 1939:
|
Actor-director Richard Beymer (The Diary of Anne Frank, West Side Story, Twin Peaks, The Longest Day) born
|
| 1940:
|
Actor Peter McEnery (I Killed Rasputin, Negatives, Victim, Pictures) born
|
| 1940:
|
The Germans begin construction of a concentration camp at Auschwitz. The hunt for Nazi war criminals spans more than half a century and continues to this day
|
| 1943:
|
Recording executive David Geffen born
|
| 1943:
|
German tanks and two infantry battalions break the Allied line and take Kasserine Pass in North Africa
|
| 1944:
|
Hideki Tojo becomes chief of staff of the Japanese army
|
| 1946:
|
Actor Alan Rickman born
|
| 1946:
|
Actress Tyne Daly born
|
| 1946:
|
Tricia Nixon Cox born
|
| 1947:
|
Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds
|
| 1949:
|
Rock musician Jerry Harrison (The Heads) born
|
| 1949:
|
Nicaragua and Costa Rica sign a friendship treaty ending hostilities over their borders
|
| 1950:
|
The United States formally breaks relations with Bulgaria
|
| 1953:
|
Actor William Petersen born
|
| 1955:
|
Actor Kelsey Grammer born
|
| 1956:
|
A Grand Jury in Montgomery, Alabama, indicts 115 in a Negro bus boycott
|
| 1958:
|
Country singer Mary-Chapin Carpenter born
|
| 1958:
|
Actor Jack Coleman born
|
| 1960:
|
Havana places all Cuban industry under direct control of the government
|
| 1961:
|
Actor Christopher Atkins born
|
| 1961:
|
Rock singer Ranking Roger (General Public, English Beat) born
|
| 1963:
|
Actor Billy Baldwin born
|
| 1965:
|
Former Black Muslim leader Malcolm X, 39, was shot to death in New York by assassins identified as Black Muslims
|
| 1967:
|
Ford recalls 217,000 cars to check brakes and steering
|
| 1969:
|
Blues musician Corey Harris born
|
| 1970:
|
Rock musician Eric Wilson (Sublime) born
|
| 1972:
|
President Nixon began his historic visit to China. The first American president to visit China and the first president to visit a country not oficially recognized by the United States
|
| 1973:
|
Israeli fighter planes shot down a Libyan Airlines jet over the Sinai Desert, killing more than 100 people
|
| 1974:
|
A report claims that the use of defoliants by the U.S. has scarred Vietnam for century. Defoliation was meant to save lives by denying the enemy cover. But for some the 'cure' was worse than the problem
|
| 1976:
|
Florence Ballard, one of the original Supremes, died in Detroit, Michigan. She was 32. Ballard had said that she never received a royalty check prior to 1967 for any of her work with the Supremes, who featured Diana Ross and included Mary Wilson
|
| 1979:
|
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Party of Five") born
|
| 1981:
|
Dolly Parton reached the top spot on the pop music charts with "9 to 5", from the movie of the same name, in which Dolly starred with Lili Tomlin and Jane Fonda
|
| 1982:
|
Legendary disc jockey, Murray The K died in Los Angeles
|
| 1986:
|
Singer Charlotte Church born
|
| 1988:
|
TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart tearfully confessed to his congregation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that he was guilty of an unspecified sin, and said he was leaving the pulpit temporarily. (Reports linked Swaggart to an admitted prostitute, Debra Murphree.)
|
| 1989:
|
President Bush called Ayatollah Khomeini's death warrant against "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie "deeply offensive to the norms of civilized behavior."
|
| 1990:
|
Addressing the U.S. Congress, Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel said his nation welcomed U.S. help after decades of Soviet domination, but also said Europe should eventually "decide for itself" how long American and Soviet troops should remain
|
| 1991:
|
The Soviet Union announced that Iraq had agreed to a proposal for ending the Persian Gulf War but the Bush administration called the plan unacceptable
|
| 1991:
|
Ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn died in Panama City at age 71
|
| 1992:
|
Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Albertville Olympics; Midori Ito of Japan won the silver, Nancy Kerrigan of the US the bronze
|
| 1993:
|
Four days after suspending Bosnian relief operations because of interference from Serbs, Muslims and Croats, the UN high commissioner for refugees (Sadako Ogata) ordered full resumption of the aid effort, following a rebuke from UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
|
| 1994:
|
With Bosnian Serbs complying with a NATO ultimatum to remove its heavy guns from around Sarajevo, President Clinton promised renewed US efforts to help "reinvigorate the peace process."
|
| 1995:
|
The United States and Mexico signed an agreement to unlock $20 billion in U.S. support to stabilize the peso, but under tough conditions
|
| 1995:
|
Chicago stockbroker Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon, landing in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada
|
| 1997:
|
Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr reversed his decision to resign
|
| 1997:
|
The space shuttle "Discovery" returned to earth after a mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope
|
| 1997:
|
A bomb exploded at a gay and lesbian nightclub in Atlanta, injuring five people
|
| 1998:
|
UN Secretary-General Koei Annan began formal talks with Iraqi officials in the standoff over weapons inspections
|
| 1998:
|
New flash flood warnings went up in northern California, as a powerful storm lashed the region with heavy rains and strong winds. The storm dumped a half inch more of rain on San Francisco, which has logged the wettest February since records began in 1849
|
| 1998:
|
Russia and Japan signed a breakthrough treaty giving Japanese fishermen access to waters around the Kurile islands, which lie at the heart of half a century of disputes between Moscow and Tokyo
|
| 1998:
|
The UN reported that heavy rains intensified in Peru as a result of the El Nino freak weather condition that battered Peru since mid-December. Bridges and roads were distroyed isolating towns and villages and bringing disease and an outbreak of malaria. Mudslides and floods killed more than 200 Peruvians and left some 200,000 homeless
|
| 1999:
|
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reported little progress toward a Kosovo peace settlement during talks in Rambouillet, France
|
| 2000:
|
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced his entry into the presidential race, bidding for the nomination of the Green Party
|
| 2005:
|
Author Hunter S. Thompson found dead
|
| 2005:
|
Romania plans its next privatisation initiatives
|
| 2005:
|
Bucharest boasts largest cinema complex in Southeastern Europe
|
| 2005:
|
New research reveals a more emotional and troubled President Abraham Lincoln
|
| 2005:
|
Thirty hospitalised after Melbourne airport gas leak
|
| 2005:
|
Professional cyclist fired for breaking contract through anti-doping statements
|
| 2005:
|
Five hundred Palestinian prisoners released by Israel
|
| 2005:
|
Ex-priest Shanley sentenced to 12-15 years for child rape
|
| 2005:
|
Kashmir avalanches kill at least 100
|
| 2005:
|
University of Southern California spit test predicts cavities
|
| 2005:
|
Spain says Yes to EU constitution
|
| 2006:
|
Australia sends more troops to Afghanistan
|
| 2006:
|
USA rejects UN Guantanamo report
|
| 2006:
|
Californian computer company lodges antitrust suit against Microsoft
|
| 2006:
|
Chinese party elders denounce media censorship
|
| 2006:
|
Microsoft changes OEM license, forcing new purchases after motherboard upgrade
|
| 2006:
|
Narathiwat raid recovers stolen weapons
|
| 2006:
|
Paul Bernardo admits to more rapes
|
| 2006:
|
Thick fog blankets Houston area
|
| 2006:
|
Mladic arrest operation 'under way'
|
| 2006:
|
Senator Hatch lashes out at critics of domestic surveillance program
|
| 2006:
|
Three Ohio men indicted for terrorist plot against U.S. military in Iraq
|
| 2006:
|
SpaceX delays Falcon 1 launch again
|
| 2006:
|
Maryland, US school close-mouthed on police incident
|
| 2007:
|
Italian PM Prodi resigns
|
| 2007:
|
New Zealand post shop closed due to "fart bomb"
|
| 2007:
|
Canadian MPP joins Ontario's Liberal cabinet
|
| 2007:
|
Indonesia to plug mud volcano
|
| 2007:
|
Minnesota considers open-format state documents
|
| 2007:
|
UK and Denmark announce troop withdrawals from Iraq
|
| 2007:
|
Police to question Blair aide again in UK "cash-for-honours" corruption probe
|
| 2007:
|
Natural methods of family planning under investigation
|
| 2008:
|
John McCain denies romantic relationship with lobbyist
|
| 2008:
|
Explosions target ethnic Albanians in Croatia
|
| 2008:
|
US Navy successfully destroys disabled spy satellite
|
| 2008:
|
National Hockey League news: February 21, 2008
|
| 2008:
|
Steve Wright found guilty of murdering five women in Suffolk, England
|
| 2008:
|
Several earthquakes shake Nevada
|
| 2008:
|
Pakistan opposition parties form coalition
|
| 2008:
|
East Timorese President regains consciousness
|
| 2008:
|
Belgrade: demonstration against independent Kosovo escalates into riots
|
| 2009:
|
Slovak bus accident kills 12
|
| 2009:
|
Church of Scientology blames Pearl Harbor, 9/11 on psychiatry
|
| 2009:
|
LTTE strikes Sri Lanka capital
|
| 2009:
|
UK firm gets ESA funding to ground test new jet engine for spaceplane
|
| 2009:
|
Chinese cargo ship sinks after being shot by Russian navy
|
| 2009:
|
Turbulence on Northwest Airlines flight injures 47
|
| 2010:
|
Madeira storm kills at least 42
|
| 2010:
|
BBC broadcasts first live episode of EastEnders
|
| 2010:
|
Train accident kills three girls in Central Florida
|
| 2010:
|
Man killed after shop robbery in West Yorkshire, England; murder investigation launched
|
| 2011:
|
NASCAR: Trevor Bayne wins the Daytona 500
|
| 2011:
|
38 killed in attack on Afghan bank
|
| 2011:
|
'Pichileminian Week' ends
|
| 2011:
|
Strikeforce Challengers 14 MMA Results
|
| 2011:
|
Cricket World Cup: India vs Bangladesh
|
| 2012:
|
Egyptian MP calls for web porn ban
|
History
Icons
Sculptor Sir William 
Housewife, humorist and nationally syndicated columnist, Erma Bombeck born in Dayton, Ohio
Emmy and Tony Award winning actress, Tyne Daly born in Madison, Wisconsin
Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning actor, Kelsey Grammer born in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands