Historical Events
A Law Repugnant to the Constitution is Void
Feb 14 Chief Justice John Marshall declares that any act of U.S. Congress that conflicts with the Constitution is void
- Feb 19 US Congress accepts Ohio's bid for statehood, but neglects to ratify their constitution; oversight no corrected until1953 [1]
- Feb 24 US Supreme Court 1st rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury v Madison)
- Feb 25 In the last significant act of the Holy Roman Empire, more than 100 German polities are abolished in a major internal reorganization
- Feb 27 Great fire in Bombay, India
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 2 Albert Sidney Johnston, Gen (Confederate Army), (d. 1862)
- Feb 15 John Augustus Sutter, Swiss-American immigrant on whose land the California gold rush began (New Helvetia, Sutter Mill), born in Kandern, Baden (d. 1880)
- Feb 20 Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich, Swiss pianist and composer, born in Brugg, Switzerland (d. 1836)
- Feb 23 John Sutter, German-Swiss-American colonist who established Sutter's Fort in what is now Sacramento and where gold was first discovered in California, born in Kandern, Margraviate of Baden, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1880)
Famous Deaths
- Feb 3 Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes, 1st Count of Campomanes, Spanish economist and politician, dies at 79
- Feb 9 Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French poet (b. 1716)
- Feb 16 Giovanni Punto [Jan Václav Stich], Bohemian horn player and composer, dies at 56
- Feb 18 J W L Gleim, writer, dies
- Feb 20 Marie Dumesnil, French actress (Iphigénie en Aulide), dies at 90
- Feb 21 Edward Despard, Irish born British officer, convicted for organising a conspiracy against the government and hung in front of a crowd of 20,000 in London
Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Dragon
Year of the Snake
Year of the Horse
Year of the Goat/Sheep
Year of the Monkey