Historical Events
Henry John Temple
Feb 6 British government of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston forms
- Feb 8 The Devil's Footprints, hoof-like marks mysteriously appear for over 60km after a snowfall in southern Devon, England
- Feb 8 The Smithsonian Institution Building 'The Castle' first opens to the public on the Mall in Washington D.C.
- Feb 10 US citizenship laws amended; all children of US parents born abroad granted US citizenship
- Feb 11 Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam
- Feb 12 Michigan State University established
- Feb 14 Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas.
- Feb 24 US Court of Claims forms for cases against government
Bill the Butcher Shot
Feb 25 Bowery Boys gang leader William Poole "Bill the Butcher" shot in the back by gang of archrival John Morrissey in New York (dies 8th March)
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 13 Paul Deschanel, French President (d. 1922)
- Feb 15 Gustav Hollaender, German violinist, conductor, and composer, born in Leobschütz, Germany (d. 1915)
- Feb 17 Aleksander Różycki, Polish pianist, composer, and music teacher, born in Zhitomir, Russian Empire (d. 1915)
- Feb 17 Otto Liman von Sanders, German general in Turkey during WWI, born in Stolp, Prussia (d. 1929)
- Feb 19 John Morrill, American baseball first baseman and manager (National League pennant: 1877, 78, 83; Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1932)
- Feb 21 Alice Freeman Palmer, American educator (President of Wesley College), born in Colesville, New York (d. 1902)
- Feb 25 Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet (d. 1886)
- Feb 25 George Bonnor, Australian cricket batsman (17 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 128; NSW CA, Victoria CA), born in Bathurst, Australia (d. 1912)
Famous Deaths
Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)
Feb 23 German mathematician considered one of the greatest of all time (Gaussian distribution, fundamental theorem of algebra), dies at 77
