Events

• 474 – Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

• 1555 – Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake.

• 1621 – Gregory XV becomes Pope, the last Pope elected by acclamation.

• 1775 – American Revolutionary War: British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion.

• 1788 – The Habsburg Empire joins the Russo-Turkish War in the Russian camp.

• 1822 – Haiti invades the newly founded Dominican Republic.

• 1825 – After no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams President of the United States.

• 1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Confederate convention at Montgomery, Alabama.

• 1870 – The U.S. Weather Bureau is established.

• 1885 – The first Japanese government-approved immigrants arrive in Hawaii.

• 1889 – The United States Department of Agriculture is established as a Cabinet-level agency.

• 1895 – William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball.

• 1900 – The Davis Cup competition is established.

• 1904 – Russo–Japanese War: Battle of Port Arthur

• 1920 – Under the terms of the Spitsbergen Treaty, international diplomacy recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Arctic archipelago Svalbard, and designates it as demilitarized.

• 1922 – Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

• 1934 – The Balkan Entente is formed.

• 1942 – World War II: Top United States military leaders hold their first formal meeting to discuss American military strategy in the war.

• 1942 – Year-round Daylight saving time is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources.

• 1943 – World War II: Allied authorities declare Guadalcanal secure after Imperial Japan evacuates its remaining forces from the island, ending the Battle of Guadalcanal.

• 1945 – World War II: The Battle of the Atlantic – HMS Venturer sinks U-864 off the coast of Fedje, Norway, in a rare instance of submarine-to-submarine combat.

• 1950 – Second Red Scare: Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States Department of State of being filled with Communists.

• 1960 – Joanne Woodward receives the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• 1962 – Jamaica becomes independent nation within the Commonwealth of Nations.

• 1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers.

• 1965 – Vietnam War: The first United States combat troops are sent to South Vietnam.

• 1969 – First test flight of the Boeing 747.

• 1971 – The 6.4 on the Richter Scale Sylmar earthquake hits the San Fernando Valley area of California.

• 1971 – Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

• 1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 14 returns to Earth after the third manned moon landing.

• 1973 – Biju Patnaik of the Pragati Legislature Party is elected leader of opposition in the state assembly in Orissa, India.

• 1975 – The Soyuz 17 Soviet spacecraft returns to Earth.

• 1991 – Voters in Lithuania vote for independence.

• 1994 – Vance-Owen peace plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina is announced.

• 1995 – Space Shuttle astronauts Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Michael Foale become the first African American and first Briton, respectively, to perform spacewalks.

• 1996 – The Irish Republican Army declares the end of its 18 month ceasefire shortly followed by the explosion of a large bomb in London's Canary Wharf.

• 2001 – The American submarine accidentally strikes and sinks the Ehime-Maru, a Japanese training vessel operated by the Uwajima Fishery High School.

Births

• 1533 – Shimazu Yoshihisa, Japanese samurai (d. 1611)

• 1645 – Johann Aegidius Bach, German violist (d. 1716)

• 1666 – George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, British soldier (d. 1737)

• 1748 – Luther Martin, American patriot (d. 1826)

• 1756 – Karel Blažej Kopřiva, Czech composer (d. 1785)

• 1763 – Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden (d. 1830)

• 1769 – Susette Gontard, the beloved of the poet Friedrich Hölderlin (d. 1802)

• 1773 – William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (d. 1841)

• 1775 – Farkas Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1856)

• 1781 – Johann Baptist von Spix, German scientist (d. 1826)

• 1783 – Vasily Zhukovsky, Russian poet (d. 1852)

• 1789 – Franz Xaver Gabelsberger, German inventor of the stenography (d. 1849)

• 1800 – Hyrum Smith, American religious leader (d. 1844)

• 1814 – Samuel Jones Tilden, 28th Governor of New York (d. 1886)

• 1830 – Abd-ul-Aziz, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1876)

• 1834 – Felix Dahn, German author (d. 1912)

• 1839 – Silas Adams, American lawyer and politician (d. 1896)

• 1846 – Wilhelm Maybach, German automotive designer (d. 1929)

• 1846 – Whitaker Wright, English mining tycoon (d. 1904)

• 1865 – Mrs. Patrick Campbell, British actress (d. 1940)

• 1865 – Erich von Drygalski, German geographer, geophysicist, and polar scientist (d. 1949)

• 1867 – Natsume Sōseki, Japanese novelist. (d. 1916)

• 1874 – Amy Lowell, American poet (d. 1925)

• 1880 – Lipót Fejér, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1959)

• 1885 – Alban Berg, Austrian composer (d. 1935)

• 1891 – Ronald Colman, English actor (d. 1958)

• 1892 – Tommy Treichel, American wrestler (d. 1936)

• 1892 – Peggy Wood, American actress (d. 1978)

• 1895 – Hermann Brill, German politician (d. 1959)

• 1897 – Charles Kingsford Smith, Australian pilot (d. 1935)

• 1901 – Brian Donlevy, Irish actor (d. 1972)

• 1901 – James Murray, American actor (d. 1936)

• 1902 – Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, German women's leader (d. 1999)

• 1906 – André Kostolany, stock market expert and speculator (d. 1999)

• 1909 – Heather Angel, British actress (d. 1986)

• 1909 – Harald Genzmer, German composer (d. 2007)

• 1909 – Carmen Miranda, Brazilian actress (d. 1955)

• 1909 – Dean Rusk, 54th United States Secretary of State (d. 1994)

• 1910 – Jacques Monod, French biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1976)

• 1911 – William Darby, American World War II Army officer (d. 1945)

• 1914 – Ernest Tubb, American singer (d. 1984)

• 1914 – Bill Veeck, American baseball executive (d. 1986)

• 1915 – Lennard Pearce, English actor (d. 1984)

• 1916 – Tex Hughson, American baseball player (d. 1993)

• 1922 – Kathryn Grayson, American actress

• 1922 – Jim Laker, English cricketer (d. 1986)

• 1923 – Brendan Behan, Irish author (d. 1964)

• 1925 – Burkhard Heim, German physicist (d. 2001)

• 1926 – Garret FitzGerald, 7th Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland

• 1928 – Frank Frazetta, American illustrator

• 1928 – Rinus Michels, Dutch football coach (d. 2005)

• 1928 – Roger Mudd, American journalist

• 1929 – Clement Meadmore, Australian-born sculptor (d. 2005)

• 1930 – Garner Ted Armstrong, American evangelist (d. 2003)

• 1931 – Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and novelist (d. 1989)

• 1931 – Josef Masopust, Czech footballer

• 1932 – Tatsuro Hirooka, Japanese baseball player

• 1932 – Gerhard Richter, German painter

• 1933 – Loris Azzaro, French fashion designer (d. 2003)

• 1934 – John Ziegler, former NHL Commissioner

• 1936 – Stompin' Tom Connors, Canadian country singer

• 1936 – Clive Swift, British actor

• 1937 – Clete Boyer, American baseball player (d. 2007)

• 1939 – Barry Mann, American singer

• 1939 – Janet Suzman, South African actress

• 1940 – Brian Bennett, British musician (The Shadows)

• 1940 – J. M. Coetzee, South African author, Nobel laureate

• 1941 – Sheila Kuehl, American actress

• 1942 – Carole King, American singer

• 1943 – Barbara Lewis, American singer and songwriter

• 1943 – Jonny Nilsson, Swedish speedskater

• 1943 – Joe Pesci, American actor

• 1943 – Joseph E. Stiglitz, American economist, Nobel laureate

• 1944 – Derryn Hinch, Australian media personality

• 1944 – Alice Walker, American writer

• 1945 – Mia Farrow, American actress

• 1945 – Gérard Lenorman, French singer

• 1946 – Séan Neeson, Northern Irish politician

• 1946 – Vince Papale, American football player

• 1946 – Jim Webb, United States Senator from Virginia

• 1947 – Carla Del Ponte, Swiss UN prosecutor

• 1947 – Joe Ely, American musician

• 1947 – Major Harris, American singer

• 1947 – Michel Lamarche, Canadian professional wrestler

• 1949 – Judith Light, American actress

• 1950 – Richard F. Colburn, American politician

• 1952 – Danny White, American football player

• 1952 – Mookie Wilson, American baseball player

• 1953 – Ciarán Hinds, Northern Irish actor

• 1953 – Gabriel Rotello, American television documentary producer

• 1954 – Mary Jo Duffy, American comic book writer and editor

• 1954 – Christopher Gardner, American entrepreneur

• 1954 – Kevin Warwick, Cyborg Scientist

• 1955 – Jim J. Bullock, American actor

• 1955 – Charles Shaughnessy, British actor

• 1957 – Gordon Strachan, Scottish football player and manager

• 1958 – Chris Nilan, National Hockey League player

• 1958 – Cyrille Regis, English former footballer

• 1960 – Holly Johnson, British singer (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

• 1960 – Peggy Whitson, NASA astronaut

• 1961 – John Kruk, American baseball player

• 1961 – Jussi Lampi, Finnish musician and actor

• 1962 – Anik Bissonnette, Quebec ballet dancer (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens)

• 1963 – Brian Greene, American physicist

• 1963 – Travis Tritt, American singer

• 1965 – Igor Malkov, Russian speedskater

• 1965 – Julie Warner, American actress

• 1966 – Harald Eia, Norwegian TV – comedian

• 1966 – Ellen van Langen, Dutch athlete

• 1967 – Todd Pratt, American baseball player

• 1968 – Alejandra Guzmán, Mexican singer

• 1968 – Rahul Roy, Indian actor

• 1969 – Ian Eagle, American sportscaster

• 1969 – Jimmy Smith, American football player

• 1970 – Glenn McGrath, Australian cricketer

• 1971 – Sharon Case, American actress

• 1971 – Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer

• 1972 – Darren Ferguson, Scottish footballer

• 1972 – Crispin Freeman, American voice actor

• 1972 – Jason Winston George, American actor

• 1973 – Svetlana Boginskaya, Soviet gymnast

• 1973 – Colin Egglesfield, American actor

• 1974 – Brad Maynard, National Football League punter

• 1974 – Amber Valletta, American model

• 1974 – Erra Fazira, Malaysian actress & Beauty Queen

• 1974 – John Wallace, American basketball player

• 1975 – Viktor Chistiakov, Russian-born Australian athlete

• 1975 – Clinton Grybas, Australian Football commentator (d. 2008)

• 1976 – Charlie Day, American actor

• 1976 – Vladimir Guerrero, Dominican baseball player

• 1976 – Georgios Korakakis, Greek footballer

• 1978 – Airton Daré, Brazilian racing driver

• 1979 – David Gray, English snooker player

• 1979 – Akinori Iwamura, Japanese baseball player

• 1979 – Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater

• 1979 – Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress

• 1980 – Angelos Charisteas, Greek footballer

• 1980 – Shelly Martinez, American wrestler

• 1981 – Joël Camathias, Swiss racing driver

• 1981 – John Walker Lindh, American Taliban fighter

• 1982 – Jameer Nelson, American basketball player

• 1982 – Ami Suzuki, Japanese singer

• 1983 – Mikel Arruabarrena, Spanish footballer

• 1984 – Han Kyung, Korean singer Super Junior

• 1984 – Dioner Navarro, Venezuelan baseball player

• 1985 – David Gallagher, American actor

• 1985 – Rachel Melvin, American actress

• 1986 – Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein, of Jordan

• 1987 – Magdalena Neuner, German biathlete

• 1987 – Joe O'Cearuill, Irish footballer

• 1989 – Wu Chia-ching, Taiwanese pool player

• 1989 – Gia Farrell, American singer

• 1990 – Camille Winbush, American actress

• 1992 – Avan Jogia, Canadian actor

• 1996 – Jimmy Bennett, American actor

Deaths

• 1011 – Bernard I, Duke of Saxony

• 1199 – Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shogun (b. 1147)

• 1450 – Agnès Sorel, mistress of King Charles VII of France (b. 1421)

• 1555 – Rowland Taylor, English pastor (executed) (b. 1510)

• 1619 – Lucilio Vanini, Italian philosopher (b. 1585)

• 1675 – Gerhard Douw, Dutch painter (b. 1613)

• 1709 – François Louis, Prince of Conti, French general (b. 1664)

• 1751 – Henri François d'Aguesseau, Chancellor of France (b. 1668)

• 1752 – Fredric Hasselquist, Swedish naturalist (b. 1722)

• 1777 – Seth Pomeroy, American gunsmith and soldier (b. 1706)

• 1782 – Joseph Aloysius Assemani, Lebanese orientalist (b. 1710)

• 1803 – Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French poet (b. 1716)

• 1857 – Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet of the Greek national anthem (b. 1798)

• 1874 – Jules Michelet, French historian (b. 1798)

• 1881 – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian novelist (b. 1821)

• 1891 – Johan Jongkind, Dutch painter (b. 1819)

• 1906 – Paul Laurence Dunbar, American poet (b. 1872)

• 1930 – Richard With, Norwegian businessman, politician and captain, founder of Hurtigruten (b. 1846)

• 1940 – Eugene Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist (b. 1857)

• 1951 – Eddy Duchin, American musician (b. 1910)

• 1957 – Miklós Horthy, Hungarian admiral (b. 1868)

• 1960 – Alexandre Benois, Russian artist (b. 1870)

• 1960 – Ernő Dohnányi, Hungarian pianist, conductor and composer (b. 1877)

• 1966 – Sophie Tucker, Russian-born actress (b. 1884)

• 1969 – Gabby Hayes, American actor (b. 1885)

• 1973 – Vasiliki Maliaros, Greek actress (b. 1883)

• 1973 – Max Yasgur, American farmer (Woodstock Festival) (b. 1919)

• 1976 – Percy Faith, Canadian musician (b. 1908)

• 1977 – Sergey Ilyushin, Russian aircraft designer (b. 1894)

• 1978 – Costante Girardengo, Italian cyclist (b. 1893)

• 1978 – Julio Jaramillo, Ecuadorian singer (b. 1935)

• 1979 – Dennis Gabor, Hungarian physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)

• 1980 – Tom Macdonald, Welsh journalist and novelist (b. 1900)

• 1981 – Bill Haley, American musician (Bill Haley & His Comets) (b. 1925)

• 1984 – Yuri Andropov, Soviet politician (b. 1914)

• 1989 – Osamu Tezuka, Japanese manga artist (b. 1928)

• 1991 – James Cleveland, American gospel singer (b. 1931)

• 1994 – Howard Martin Temin, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (b. 1934)

• 1995 – J. William Fulbright, American politician (b. 1905)

• 1995 – David Wayne, American actor (b. 1914)

• 1997 – Brian Connolly, Scottish singer (Sweet) (b. 1945)

• 1999 – Bryan Mosley, British actor (b. 1931)

• 2001 – Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1916)

• 2002 – Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom (b. 1930)

• 2002 – Vicente Sardinero, Spanish baritone (b. 1937)

• 2004 – Claude Ryan, Canadian newspaper director and politician (b. 1925)

• 2005 – Tyrone Davis, American soul singer (b. 1938)

• 2005 – Robert Kearns, Inventor of the intermittent wiper (b. 1927)

• 2006 – Freddie Laker, British airline entrepreneur (b. 1922)

• 2006 – Nadira, Indian actress (b. 1932)

• 2007 – Hank Bauer, American baseball player (b. 1922)

• 2007 – Ian Richardson, Scottish actor (b. 1934)

• 2008 – Christopher Hyatt Occultist,Philosopher and Author. (b. 1943)

• 2008 – Jazeh Tabatabai, Iranian avant-garde painter, poet and sculptor. (b. 1931)

• 2008 – Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal, the eleventh Mindrolling Trichen, Tibetan Buddhist lama of the Nyingma school (b. 1930)

• 2008 – Scott Halpin, American musician, temporary drummer for (The Who) (b. 1954)

• 2009 – Eluana Englaro, an Italian woman who lived in a persistent vegetative state for 17 years (b. 1970)

Holidays and observances

• Saint Ansbert of Rouen

• Saint Maron's Day – Lebanon

• Saint Apollonia, patron saint of dentists and dental technicians

• Saint Teilo's Day – Wales

• February 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)