Events

• 138 – The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor.

• 1570 – Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England.

• 1793 – George Washington holds the first Cabinet meeting as President of the United States.

• 1797 – Colonel William Tate and his force of 1000-1500 soldiers surrender after the Last Invasion of Britain.

• 1836 – Samuel Colt receives an American patent for the Colt revolver.

• 1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress.

• 1901 – J.P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.

• 1912 – Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

• 1919 – Oregon places a 1 cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.

• 1921 – Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, is occupied by Bolshevist Russia.

• 1925 – Glacier Bay National Monument (now Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve) is established in Alaska.

• 1925 – Diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union are established.

• 1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission.

• 1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.

• 1933 – The is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be built solely as an aircraft carrier.

• 1941 – February Strike: In occupied Amsterdam, a general strike is declared in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazis.

• 1945 – World War II: Turkey declares war on Germany.

• 1947 – State of Prussia ceases to exist.

• 1948 – The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia takes control of government in Czechoslovakia and the period of the Third Republic ends.

• 1951 – The first Pan American Games are held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• 1954 – Gamal Abdul Nasser is made premier of Egypt.

• 1956 – In his speech On the Personality Cult and its Consequences Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.

• 1971 – The first unit of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, first

• 1980 – The Suriname government is overthrown by a military coup which is initiated with the bombing of the police station from an army ship of the coast of the nation's capital; Paramaribo

• 1986 – People Power Revolution: President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the first Filipino woman president.

• 1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi Scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.

• 1992 – Khojaly massacre: about 613 civilians are killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan

• 1994 – Mosque of Abraham massacre: In the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Dr. Baruch Kappel Goldstein opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors. Subsequent rioting kills 26 more Palestinians and 9 Israelis.

• 2009 – BDR massacre in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 74 People are being killed, including more than 50 Army officials, by Bangladeshi Boarder Guards inside its headquarter.

Births

• 1398 – Xuande, Emperor of China (d. 1435)

• 1591 – Friedrich von Spee, German writer (d. 1635)

• 1643 – Ahmed II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1695)

• 1663 – Pierre Antoine Motteux, French-born English dramatist (d. 1718)

• 1682 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist (d. 1771)

• 1692 – Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz, German adventurer and writer (d. 1775)

• 1707 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian writer (d. 1793)

• 1714 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, Chancellor of France (d. 1792)

• 1714 – Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet, British admiral (d. 1782)

• 1725 – Karl Wilhelm Ramler, German poet (d. 1798)

• 1752 – John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806)

• 1778 – José de San Martín, Argentine general and liberator of South America (d. 1850)

• 1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter, graphic artist and sculptor (d. 1919)

• 1842 – Karl May, German writer (d. 1912)

• 1845 – George Reid, fourth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918)

• 1855 – George Bonnor, Australian cricketer (d. 1912)

• 1855 – Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet (d. 1886)

• 1860 – Sir William Ashley, economic historian (d. 1927)

• 1861 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher and educator (d. 1925)

• 1866 – Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher (d. 1952)

• 1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian tenor (d. 1921)

• 1877 – Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist (d. 1935)

• 1883 – Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone (d. 1981)

• 1885 – Sylvia Brett, Lady Brooke, Ranee of Sarawak (d. 1971)

• 1885 – Princess Alice of Battenberg (d. 1969)

• 1888 – John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State (d. 1959)

• 1889 – Homer S. Ferguson, United States Senator (d. 1982)

• 1890 – Dame Myra Hess, English pianist (d. 1965)

• 1890 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician (d. 1986)

• 1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual leader (d. 1969)

• 1895 – Lew Andreas, American basketball coach (d. 1984)

• 1901 – Zeppo Marx, American actor (d. 1979)

• 1903 – King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1986)

• 1908 – Frank G. Slaughter, American novelist (d. 2001)

• 1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American fashion editor and politician (d. 1992)

• 1912 – Brenda Joyce, American actress (d. 2009)

• 1913 – Jim Backus, American actor (d. 1989)

• 1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor (d. 1988)

• 1914 – John Arlott, English cricket journalist (d. 1991)

• 1916 – Reinhard Bendix, German sociologist (d. 1991)

• 1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author (d. 1993)

• 1918 – Barney Ewell, American athlete (d. 1996)

• 1918 – Rena Kyriakou, Greek pianist (d. 1994)

• 1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (d. 1995)

• 1919 – Karl H. Pribram, Austrian neuroscientist

• 1920 – Gérard Bessette, Canadian author (d. 2005)

• 1921 – Pierre Laporte, Canadian statesman (d. 1970)

• 1927 – Ralph Stanley, American musician

• 1927 – Dickie Jones, American actor

• 1928 – Larry Gelbart, American comedy writer

• 1929 – Christopher George, American actor (d. 1983)

• 1929 – Tommy Newsom, American bandleader (d. 2007)

• 1932 – Tony Brooks, English race car driver

• 1932 – Faron Young, American singer (d. 1996)

• 1934 – Bernard Bresslaw, English actor (d. 1993)

• 1934 – Tony Lema, American golfer (d. 1966)

• 1935 – Sally Jessy Raphaël, American talk show host

• 1937 – Tom Courtenay, English actor

• 1937 – Barbara Piasecka Johnson, widow of John Seward Johnson I

• 1937 – Bob Schieffer, American broadcast journalist

• 1938 – Diane Baker, American actress

• 1938 – Herb Elliott, Australian runner

• 1940 – Danny Cater, American baseball player

• 1940 – Billy Packer, American sports broadcaster

• 1940 – Ron Santo, American baseball player

• 1942 – Karen Grassle, American actress

• 1943 – George Harrison, English musician (The Beatles) (d. 2001)

• 1943 – Wilson da Silva Piazza, Brazilian footballer

• 1944 – Matt Guokas, American basketball player & head coach

• 1945 – Elkie Brooks, English singer

• 1945 – Herbert Léonard, French singer

• 1946 – Franz Xaver Kroetz, German dramatist

• 1946 – Jean Todt, French executive director of Scuderia Ferrari

• 1947 – Lee Evans, American athlete

• 1947 – Doug Yule, American bass guitarist (The Velvet Underground)

• 1947 – Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence

• 1948 – Aldo Busi, Italian writer

• 1948 – Danny Denzongpa, Indian actor

• 1949 – Ric Flair, American professional wrestler

• 1950 – Neil Jordan, Irish director

• 1950 – Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina

• 1950 – Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish alpine skier (d. 2006)

• 1951 – James Brown, American sportscaster

• 1951 – César Cedeño, Dominican baseball player

• 1951 – Don Quarrie, Jamaican runner

• 1952 – Jerry Chamberlain, American musician

• 1952 – Joey Dunlop, Irish motorcycle racer (d. 2000)

• 1952 – Inger Segelström, Swedish politician

• 1953 – José María Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain

• 1953 – Kim Yeong-cheol, South Korean actor

• 1954 – John Doe, American musician

• 1954 – Gerardo Pelusso, Uruguayan football manager

• 1957 – Sérgio Marques, Portuguese politician

• 1958 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player

• 1958 – Jeff Fisher, American football coach

• 1959 – Carl Marotte, Canadian actor

• 1959 – Mike Peters, Welsh musician (The Alarm)

• 1960 – Stefan Blöcher, German field hockey player

• 1960 – Tony Grimaud, Maltese-born singer and songwriter

• 1961 – Davey Allison, American race car driver (d. 1993)

• 1961 – Todd Blackledge, American football player

• 1962 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker

• 1962 – Faron Moller, Canadian-born British computer scientist

• 1963 – Paul O'Neill, American baseball player

• 1964 – Lee Evans, English comedian

• 1964 – Don Majkowski, American football player

• 1965 – Brian Baker, American guitarist

• 1965 – Carrot Top, American comedian

• 1966 – Alexis Denisof, American actor

• 1966 – Samson Kitur, Kenyan athlete (d. 2003)

• 1966 – Téa Leoni, American actress

• 1966 – Nancy O'Dell, American reporter and television personality

• 1966 – Samantha Phillips, American actress

• 1968 – Evridiki, Greek Cypriot singer

• 1968 – Sandrine Kiberlain, French actress

• 1969 – Paul Trimboli, Australian soccer player

• 1970 – Julie Hesmondhalgh, English actress

• 1971 – Sean Astin, American actor

• 1971 – Dave Harris, American disc jockey

• 1971 – Daniel Powter, Canadian musician

• 1973 – Julio Iglesias, Jr., Spanish singer

• 1973 – Justin Jeffre, American singer (98 Degrees)

• 1973 – Anson Mount, American actor

• 1973 – Normann Stadler, German triathlete

• 1975 – Chelsea Handler, American comedian and actress

• 1976 – Rashida Jones, American actress, writer, model, and musician

• 1976 – Chris Pitman, American keyboardist (Guns N' Roses)

• 1976 – Samaki Walker, American basketball player

• 1977 – Sarah Jezebel Deva, English singer

• 1977 – Josh Wolff, American footballer

• 1979 – Jennifer Ferrin, American actress

• 1979 – David Hoflin, Swedish-born Australian Actor

• 1980 – Antonio Burks, American basketball player

• 1980 – Christy Knowings, American actress

• 1981 – Misty Giles, American beauty queen and Survivor contestant

• 1981 – Park Ji-Sung, South Korean footballer

• 1981 – Shahid Kapoor, Indian actor

• 1981 – Jamie Lynn, American porn star

• 1982 – Chris Baird, Irish footballer

• 1982 – Maria Kanellis, American model and professional wrestler

• 1982 – Bert McCracken, American singer (The Used)

• 1982 – Anton Volchenkov, Russian ice hockey player

• 1982 – Tara Wilson, Canadian actress

• 1982 – Flavia Pennetta, Italian professional tennis player

• 1983 – Eduardo da Silva, Brazilian-born Croatian footballer

• 1984 – Logan Leistikow, American director and actor

• 1984 – Lovefoxxx, Brazilian singer (CSS)

• 1985 – Benji Marshall, New Zealand rugby player

• 1985 – Joakim Noah, American basketball player

• 1986 – Justin Berfield, American actor

• 1986 – James and Oliver Phelps, English actors

• 1986 – Danny Saucedo, Swedish singer

• 1987 – Eva Avila, Canadian singer

• 1987 – Andrew Poje, Canadian figure skater

• 1989 – Logan Browning, American Actress

• 1990 – Alejandra Andreu, Miss International 2008

• 1991 – Tony Oller, American actor

• 1998 – Brendon Baerg, American actor

Deaths

• 1246 – Dafydd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd

• 1522 – William Lilye, English classical scholar

• 1536 – Berthold Haller, German-born reformer (b. 1492)

• 1553 – Hirate Masahide, Japanese diplomat and tutor of Oda Nobunaga (suicide) (b. 1492)

• 1558 – Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal and France (b. 1498)

• 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English politician (b. 1566)

• 1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general (b. 1583)

• 1643 – Marco da Gagliano, Italian composer (b. 1582)

• 1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish scholar (b. 1580)

• 1682 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (b. 1639)

• 1713 – King Frederick I of Prussia (b. 1657)

• 1715 – Pu Songling, Chinese writer (b. 1640)

• 1723 – Sir Christopher Wren, English architect (b. 1632)

• 1756 – Eliza Haywood, English actress and writer (b. 1693)

• 1798 – Louis-Jules Mancini-Mazarini, Duc de Nivernais, French diplomat and writer (b. 1716)

• 1805 – Thomas Pownall, British colonial statesman (b. 1722)

• 1831 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German writer (b. 1752)

• 1850 – Daoguang, Emperor of China (b. 1782)

• 1852 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet (b. 1779)

• 1860 – Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman, educator, and lexicographer (b. 1790)

• 1899 – Paul Julius Reuter, German-born journalist (b. 1816)

• 1912 – Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 1852)

• 1919 – Josef Christiaens, Belgian racing driver (b. 1879)

• 1922 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (b. 1869)

• 1928 – William O'Brien, Irish author, journalist and politician (M.P.) (b. 1852)

• 1934 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (b. 1873)

• 1945 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian writer and photographer (b. 1893)

• 1950 – George Minot, American physician, Nobel laureate (b. 1885)

• 1953 – Sergei Winogradsky, Russian scientist (b. 1856)

• 1957 – George "Bugs" Moran, American gangster (b. 1893)

• 1964 – Grace Metalious, American writer (b. 1924)

• 1966 – James D. Norris, American sports businessman (b. 1906)

• 1970 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-born American painter (b. 1903)

• 1971 – Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1884)

• 1975 – Elijah Muhammad, American Black Muslim leader (b. 1897)

• 1978 – Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., American general (b. 1920)

• 1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright (b. 1911)

• 1987 – James Coco, American actor (b. 1930)

• 1993 – Eddie Constantine, American-born actor and singer (b. 1917)

• 1993 – Mary Walter, Filipino actress (b. 1912)

• 1994 – Baruch Goldstein, American-born mass murderer (b. 1956)

• 1994 – Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer (b. 1914)

• 1996 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-born actor (b. 1940)

• 1998 – Celestine Tate Harrington, a quadriplegic street musician and writer. (b. 1956)

• 1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1912)

• 2001 – Sir Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer (b. 1908)

• 2003 – Tom O'Higgins, Irish Chief Justice (b. 1916)

• 2003 – Alberto Sordi, Italian actor (b. 1920)

• 2004 – Donald Hings, Canadian inventor (b. 1907)

• 2005 – Peter Benenson, English founder of Amnesty International (b. 1921)

• 2006 – Darren McGavin, American actor (b. 1922)

• 2006 – Charlie Wayman, English footballer (b. 1922)

• 2006 – Thomas Koppel, Danish musician (b. 1944)

• 2007 – William R. Anderson, CO USS Nautilus submarine, US Congressman (b. 1921)

• 2007 – Mark Spoelstra, American singer/songwriter (b. 1940)

• 2008 – Ashley Cooper, Australian race car driver (b. 1980)

• 2008 – Hans Raj Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India (b. 1912)

• 2008 – Static Major, American singer (b. 1974)

• 2008 – Charles Chan, Father of Jackie Chan (b. 1914)

• 2009 – Ivan Cameron, son of David Cameron UK politician

Holidays and observances

• Kuwait's national day.

• People Power Day, special holiday in the Philippines.

• February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani,OSB