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Contents

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

Liturgical feasts

External links

Events

★ 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland.

★ 1594 - Henry IV is crowned King of France.

★ 1617 - Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.

★ 1626 - Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after he led the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.

★ 1700 - The island of New Britain is discovered.

★ 1703 - The first Mardi Gras is celebrated in Mobile, Alabama.

★ 1793 - The Giles resolutions are introduced to the United States House of Representatives asking the House to condemn Alexander Hamilton's handling of loans.

★ 1801 - Washington, DC is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.

★ 1812 - Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire.

★ 1827 - The first Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana.

★ 1844 - The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.

★ 1860 - Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that was largely responsible for his election to the Presidency.

★ 1861 - A crowd in Warsaw protesting Russian rule over Poland is fired upon by Russian troops, killing five protesters.

★ 1864 - American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.

★ 1879 - Announcement of the discovery of artificial sweetener saccharin.

★ 1900 - Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronje at the Battle of Paardeberg.

★ 1900 - The British Labour Party is founded.

★ 1900 - The FC Bayern München (Munich) is founded.

★ 1921 - The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.

★ 1922 - A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.

★ 1933 - Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire.

★ 1939 - American Civil Rights Movement: Sit-down strikes are outlawed by the Supreme Court of the United States.

★ 1940 - Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discovered carbon-14

★ 1942 - World War II: During the Battle of the Java Sea, an allied (ABDA) strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea in the Dutch East Indies

★ 1943 - The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.

★ 1943 - The Rosenstrasse protest starts in Berlin

★ 1951 - The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.

★ 1961 - The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.

★ 1963 - The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.

★ 1964 - The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.

★ 1967 - Dominica gains independence from the United Kingdom.

★ 1971 - Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start to perform abortus provocatus.

★ 1973 - The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

★ 1974 - People magazine is published for the first time.

★ 1976 - The formerly Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

★ 1986 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis.

★ 1989 - Venezuela is rocked by the Caracazo.

★ 1990 - Exxon Valdez oil spill: Exxon and its shipping company are indicted on five criminal counts.

★ 1991 - Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated."

★ 1996 - Satoshi Tajiri creates the hit media franchise Pokémon.

★ 1999 - While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes.

★ 1999 - Olusegun Obasanjo becomes Nigeria's first elected president since mid-1983.

★ 1999 - Korea International School is founded by Soon-Il Chung. It is currently directed by Ann Clapper.

★ 2002 - Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire in London Stansted Airport. Subsequent investigations criticize Ryanair's handling of the evacuation.

★ 2002 - A Muslim mob attacks a train a few minutes after it leaves the Godhra railway station, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya; retaliatory riots lead to the death of at least 1000 people, mostly Muslims.

★ 2003 - Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican church.

★ 2004 - A bombing of a Superferry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines worst terrorist attack kills 116.

★ 2004 - Former BPMC general secretary Ordrick Samuel launches a new party in Barbuda, Barbudans for a Better Barbuda.

★ 2005 - Pre-pay price capping on the Transport for London oyster card is introduced.

★ 2006 - The Harlem Globetrotters extended their overall record to 22,000 wins.

★ 2007 - The general strike against Lansana Conté in Guinea ends.

★ 2007 - The Chinese Correction the Shanghai Stock Exchange tumbled 9% the largest drop in 10 years.

Births

★ 272 - Constantine I, Roman emperor (d. 337)

★ 1691 - Edward Cave, English editor and publisher (d. 1754)

★ 1711 - Constantine Mavrocordatos, Prince of Wallachia and Prince of Moldavia (d. 1769)

★ 1779 - Thomas Hazlehurst, English soap and alkali manufacturer (d. 1842)

★ 1807 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (d. 1882)

★ 1861 - Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher (d. 1925)

★ 1862 - Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect and shooter (d. 1937)

★ 1886 - Hugo Black, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1971)

★ 1888 - Roberto Assagioli, Italian psychiatrist (d. 1974)

★ 1888 - Earl Caddock, American professional wrestler (d. 1950)

★ 1888 - Lotte Lehmann, German singer (d. 1976)

★ 1890 - Freddie Keppard, American jazz musician (d. 1933)

★ 1891 - David Sarnoff, Russian-born broadcast pioneer (d. 1971)

★ 1891 - Anne Samson, oldest-ever nun documented (d. 2004)

★ 1892 - William Demarest, American actor (d. 1983)

★ 1897 - Marian Anderson, American contralto (d. 1993)

★ 1899 - Charles Best, Canadian medical scientist (d. 1978)

★ 1902 - Gene Sarazen, American golfer (d. 1999)

★ 1902 - John Steinbeck, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)

★ 1903 - Grethe Weiser, German actress (d. 1970)

★ 1904 - James T. Farrell, American writer (d. 1979)

★ 1904 - Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist (d. 1996)

★ 1904 - André Leducq, French cyclist (d. 1980)

★ 1904 - Chick Fullis, American baseball player (d. 1946)

★ 1905 - Franchot Tone, American actor (d. 1968)

★ 1907 - Mildred Bailey, American singer (d. 1951)

★ 1910 - Joan Bennett, American actress (d. 1990)

★ 1910 - Peter De Vries, American writer (d. 1993)

★ 1910 - Kelly Johnson, American aircraft engineer (d. 1990)

★ 1912 - Lawrence Durrell, British writer (d. 1990)

★ 1913 - Irwin Shaw, American writer (d. 1984)

★ 1913 - Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish president (d. 1989)

★ 1917 - John Connally, Governor of Texas (d. 1993)

★ 1922 - Hans Rookmaaker, Dutch professor and art historian (d. 1977)

★ 1923 - Dexter Gordon, American jazz saxophonist (d. 1990)

★ 1925 - Samuel Dash, American Congressional counsel (d. 2004)

★ 1926 - David H. Hubel, Canadian neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate

★ 1927 - Lynn Cartwright, American actress (d. 2004)

★ 1927 - Guy Mitchell, American singer (d. 1999)

★ 1928 - Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel

★ 1929 - Djalma Santos, Brazilian footballer

★ 1930 - Paul von Ragué Schleyer, American chemist

★ 1930 - Peter Stone, American writer (d. 2003)

★ 1930 - Joanne Woodward, American actress

★ 1932 - Elizabeth Taylor, British-American actress

★ 1933 - Raymond Berry, American football player

★ 1934 - Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer (d. 1992)

★ 1934 - N. Scott Momaday, American writer

★ 1934 - Ralph Nader, American consumer activist

★ 1934 - Van Williams, American actor

★ 1935 - Mirella Freni, Italian soprano

★ 1936 - Ron Barassi, Australian rules footballer

★ 1936 - Roger Mahony, fourth Archbishop of Los Angeles

★ 1937 - David Ackles, American singer songwriter (d. 1999)

★ 1937 - Barbara Babcock, American actress

★ 1939 - Peter Revson, American racecar driver (d. 1974)

★ 1940 - Howard Hesseman, American actor

★ 1940 - Bill Hunter, Australian actor

★ 1941 - Paddy Ashdown, British politician

★ 1942 - Robert H. Grubbs, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate

★ 1942 - Charlayne Hunter-Gault, American journalist

★ 1942 - Michel Forget, French Canadian actor

★ 1943 - Mary Frann, American actress (d. 1998)

★ 1943 - Morten Lauridsen, American composer

★ 1944 - Ken Grimwood, American writer (d. 2003)

★ 1945 - Carl Anderson, American singer and actor (d. 2004)

★ 1947 - Gidon Kremer, Latvian violinist

★ 1951 - Steve Harley, British rock musician (Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel)

★ 1953 - Gabriela Svobodová, Czech cross country skier

★ 1954 - Neal Schon, American musician (Journey)

★ 1957 - Viktor Markin, Russian athlete

★ 1957 - Timothy Spall, English actor

★ 1957 - Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator

★ 1957 - Adrian Smith, English musician (Iron Maiden)

★ 1958 - Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sid Vicious (d. 1978)

★ 1959 - Johnny Van Zant, American singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

★ 1960 - Andrés Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player

★ 1962 - Adam Baldwin, American actor

★ 1962 - Grant Show, American actor

★ 1963 - Pär Nuder, Swedish politician

★ 1964 - Todd Bodine, race car driver

★ 1965 - Noah Emmerich, American actor

★ 1965 - Frank Peter Zimmermann, German violinist

★ 1965 - Joakim Sundström, Swedish sound editor, sound designer and musician

★ 1966 - Donal Logue, Canadian actor

★ 1968 - Matt Stairs, Canadian baseball player

★ 1969 - Brad Vander Ark, American musician

★ 1970 - Michael A. Burstein, American writer

★ 1970 - Patricia Petibon, French opera singer

★ 1971 - Derren Brown, British psychological illusionist

★ 1971 - Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, American singer (TLC)

★ 1973 - Ali Tabatabaee, American Iranian rapper (Zebrahead)

★ 1975 - Shelby Walker, American mixed martial artist (d. 2006)

★ 1975 - Prodromos Korkizoglou, Greek decathlete

★ 1976 - Tony Gonzalez, American football player

★ 1977 - Lance Hoyt, American professional wrestler

★ 1977 - Ji Sung, South Korean actor

★ 1978 - James Beattie, English footballer

★ 1980 - Bobby Valentino, American singer

★ 1980 - Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton

★ 1981 - Josh Groban, American singer

★ 1984 - Juliana Imai, Brazilian model

★ 1984 - Antti Tuisku, Finnish singer

★ 1985 - Abe Asami, Japanese singer and actress

Deaths

★ 1659 - Henry Dunster, first President of Harvard College (b. 1609)

★ 1699 - Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton, English politician (b. c. 1625)

★ 1706 - John Evelyn, English diarist (b. 1620)

★ 1720 - Samuel Parris, English-born Puritan minister (b. 1653)

★ 1735 - John Arbuthnot, English physician and writer (b. 1667)

★ 1844 - Nicholas Biddle, President of the Second Bank of the United States (b. 1786)

★ 1887 - Alexander Borodin, Russian composer (b. 1833)

★ 1892 - Louis Vuitton, French luggage maker (b. 1821)

★ 1902 - Breaker Morant, Anglo-Australian soldier executed in Boer War under controversial circumstances (b. 1864)

★ 1921 - Schofield Haigh, English cricketer (b. 1871)

★ 1932 - William Southam, Canadian newspaper publisher (b. 1843)

★ 1936 - Ivan Pavlov, Russian physiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1849)

★ 1936 - Joshua W. Alexander, U.S. Secretary of Commerce under Woodrow Wilson (b. 1852)

★ 1941 - William D. Byron, U.S. Congressman (b. 1895)

★ 1943 - Kostis Palamas, Greek poet, twice nominated for the Nobel prize (b. 1859)

★ 1964 - Orry-Kelly, Australian costume designer (b. 1897)

★ 1968 - Frankie Lymon, American singer (b. 1942)

★ 1969 - Marius Barbeau, French Canadian folklorist (b. 1883)

★ 1970 - Marie Dionne, one of the French Canadian Dionne quintuplets (b. 1934)

★ 1972 - Pat Brady, American actor and singer (b. 1914)

★ 1977 - John Dickson Carr, American author (b. 1905)

★ 1978 - Vadim Salmanov, Russian composer (b. 1912)

★ 1980 - George Tobias, American actor (b. 1901)

★ 1981 - Jacob H. Gilbert, American politician (b. 1920)

★ 1985 - Henry Cabot Lodge, American politician (b. 1902)

★ 1986 - Jacques Plante, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)

★ 1987 - Joan Greenwood, English actress and director (b. 1921)

★ 1989 - Paul Oswald Ahnert, German astronomer (b. 1897)

★ 1989 - Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1903)

★ 1990 - Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Jewish-American scholar (b. 1903)

★ 1992 - S. I. Hayakawa, Canadian-American linguist and politician (b. 1906)

★ 1993 - Lillian Gish, American actress (b. 1893)

★ 1998 - George H. Hitchings, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1905)

★ 1998 - J. T. Walsh, American actor (b. 1943)

★ 2002 - Spike Milligan, Irish comedian (b. 1918)

★ 2003 - John Lanchbery, English composer (b. 1923)

★ 2003 - Fred Rogers, American children's television actor (b. 1928)

★ 2004 - Paul Sweezy, American economist and editor (b. 1910)

★ 2006 - Otis Chandler, American newspaper publisher (b. 1927)

★ 2006 - Robert Lee Scott, Jr., U.S. General, Flying Tiger, and author (b. 1908)

★ 2006 - Linda Smith, British comedian (b. 1958)

★ 2007 - Bobby Rosengarden, American jazz drummer (b. 1924)

★ 2007 - Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven, German soldier (b. 1914)

Holidays and observances

★ Roman Empire - Equirria; horse races in honor of the war god Mars were held.

★ Bahá'í Faith - Day 2 of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.

★ Denmark - Street Urchins' Carnival.

★ Dominican Republic - Independence Day.

★ Dominican Republic - National Day.

★ First day of Maslenitsa in Russia (2006)

Liturgical feasts

★ Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

★ Saint Leander

★ Saint Antigone

★ Saint Honorine

★ February 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links

★ BBC: On This Day

★

★ On This Day in Canada
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