What Happened in February 1860

Historical Events

  • Feb 1 1st rabbi to open House of Representatives, Morris Raphall of NYC
  • Feb 3 Thomas Clemson takes office as 1st US superintendent of agriculture

Serenade No. 2 in A

Feb 10 Johannes Brahms' orchestral music piece "Serenade No. 2 in A" premieres in Hamburg

  • Feb 13 King Basse Kajuara departs Boni South-Celebes
  • Feb 16 Dutch Rochussen/Van Bosse government resigns
  • Feb 22 Organized baseball played in San Francisco for 1st time between the Eagles and the Red Rovers
  • Feb 22 Shoe-making workers of Lynn, Massachusetts, strike successfully for higher wages

Cooper Union Address

Feb 27 Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency


Famous Birthdays

  • Feb 2 Curtis Guild, Jr., American politician, journalist and soldier, 43rd Governor of Massachusetts (1906-09), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1915)
  • Feb 6 Eliza Johannes Meester, Dutch journalist and writer (Geertje), born in Harderwijk, Netherlands (d. 1931)
  • Feb 11 Rachilde [Marguerite Vallette-Eymery], French author (Monsieur Venus), born near Périgueux, France (d. 1953)
  • Feb 14 Eugen Schiffer, German lawyer and liberal politician, born in Breslau, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1954)
  • Feb 14 Waldemar Lindgren, Swedish-American Geologist (economic geology, ore classification), born in Vassmolösa, Kalmar, Sweden (d. 1939)
  • Feb 18 Anders Zorn, Swedish painter, etcher and sculptor (Gustavus Vasa), born in Mora, Sweden-Norway (d. 1920)
  • Feb 21 Goscombe John, Welsh sculptor (d. 1952)
  • Feb 21 Karel Matěj Čapek-Chod, Czech journalist (d. 1927)
  • Feb 24 Daniel Berkeley Updike, American printer, publisher and writer (Printing Types), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1941)
  • Feb 25 Menso Kamerlingh Onnes, Dutch painter, born in Brussels (d. 1925)
  • Feb 25 William Ashley, English economic historian (The Economic Organisation of England), born in London, England (d. 1927)
  • Feb 29 Herman Hollerith, American inventor (1st electric tabulating machine), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1929)

Famous Deaths

  • Feb 9 Eduard van Dam van Isselt, Dutch military officer and liberal politician, dies at 63
  • Feb 20 Henry Drummond, English banker and religious leader, dies at 69
  • Feb 25 Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman, educator, and lexicographer (b. 1790)
  • Feb 29 George Bridgetower, Polish-African violinist (musical prodigy who inspired Beethoven), dies at 81 [1]