What Happened in February 1831

Historical Events

  • Feb 5 Jan van Speyk blows up his gunboat in Antwerp to avoid capture by the Belgian, killing about 30
  • Feb 7 Belgium adopts its Constitution
  • Feb 14 Ras Marye of Yejju marches into Tigray and defeats and kills Dejazmach Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay
  • Feb 19 1st practical US coal-burning locomotive makes 1st trial run in Pennsylvania
  • Feb 20 Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow

Famous Birthdays

  • Feb 3 Cyrus Ballou Comstock, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Wrentham, Massachusetts (d. 1910)
  • Feb 4 Oliver Ames, 35th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1895)
  • Feb 12 John Morrissey, Irish born American boxer, US Congressman developer of Saratoga Springs horse race track, born in Templemore, Ireland (d. 1878)
  • Feb 13 John Aaron Rawlins, Bvt Major General (Union Army), (d. 1869)
  • Feb 16 Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (The Tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea; Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), and playwright, born in Gorokhovo, Russia (d. 1895)
  • Feb 17 Francisco Salvador Daniel, French composer, and ethnomusicologist, born in Bourges, France (d. 1871)
  • Feb 18 Rebecca Lee Crumpler, American physician and medical writer (first African American woman to receive a medical degree), born in Delaware (d. 1895) [1]
  • Feb 21 Eduard Rappoldi, Austrian composer and violinist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1903)
  • Feb 23 Hendrik Willem Mesdag, Dutch painter (Panorama Mesdag), born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1915)
  • Feb 24 Leo von Caprivi, German politician (Chancellor of Germany 1890-94), born in Charlottenburg, Prussia (d. 1899)
  • Feb 26 Filippo Marchetti, Italian opera composer, born in Bolognola, Papal States (d. 1902)
  • Feb 27 Hiram Bond Everest, American co-founder of The Vacuum Oil Company (d. 1913)

Famous Deaths

  • Feb 5 Jan van Speyk, Dutch naval hero, commits suicide by blowing up own gunboat to avoid capture during Belgian Revolution at 29
  • Feb 14 Henry Maudslay, English inventor of the metal lathe, dies at 59

Vicente Guerrero (1782-1831)

Feb 14 Mexican revolutionary hero, general and 2nd President of Mexico (1829, executed by firing squad at 48