What Happened in February 1903

Historical Events

Bruckner's 9th Symphony

Feb 11 Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony premieres by the Wiener Concertvereinsorchester, under conductor Ferdinand Löwe, in his own unauthorized arrangement, at Wiener Musikvereinssaal in Vienna, Austria

Expedition Act

Feb 11 US Congress adopts the Expedition Act, which authorizes the Attorney General to 'expedite' anti-trust cases through the courts, reflecting growing popular support for President Theodore Roosevelt's "trust busting" campaign

Feb 14 President Theodore Roosevelt signs bill into law establishing US Department of Commerce & Labor
Feb 15 1st Teddy Bear introduced in America, made by Morris & Rose Michtom
Feb 16 -59°F (-51°C), Pokegama Dam, Minnesota (state record)

In Dahomey

Feb 18 "In Dahomey" the first African American musical to perform on Broadway opens at the New York Theater, starring George Walker and Bert Williams with music by Will Marion Cook

Event of Interest

Feb 18 Dutch government of Abraham Kuyper launches anti-strike laws

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Abraham Kuyper

Feb 20 Nick Young remains as NL president as AG Spalding ends challenge
Feb 21 Cornerstone laid for US army war college, Washington, D.C.
Feb 23 The Sultan agrees to an Austro-Russian plan to reform the government of Macedonia in yet another effort to stifle the rising disorder among the rival Bulgarian
Feb 23 The US and Cuba sign an agreement by which Cuba releases Guantanamo and Bahia Hondo to the US for naval stations
Feb 28 Barney Dreyfuss & James Potter buy Philadelphia Phillies for $170,000

Events in 1903

Famous Birthdays

Feb 1 Carl Reynolds, American baseball outfielder who was 2nd player in MLB history to hit HRs in 3 consecutive innings 1930; Chicago White Sox, born in LaRue, Texas (d. 1978)
Feb 1 Georg Rendl, Austrian miner, beekeeper and writer (The Bees Novel) (d. 1972)
Feb 2 Frank McGrath, American actor (The Reluctant Astronaut, Wagon Train), born in Mound City, Missouri (d. 1967)
Feb 3 (Ivy) Priaulx Rainier, South African-British composer (Ploërmel), born in Howick, British Colony of Natali (now South Africa) (d. 1986)
Feb 3 Walter Linck, Swiss sculptor (1948 Olympics), born in Bern, Switzerland (d. 1975)
Feb 4 Alexander Oppenheim, British mathematician (Oppenheim conjecture), born in Salford, England (d. 1997)
Feb 4 Catherine Wolfe Donohue, American watch dial painter, born in LaSalle County, Illinois (d. 1938) [1]
Feb 4 Edwin Denby, American dance critic and poet (Snoring in N; Horse Eats Hat), born in Tientsin, China (d. 1924)
Feb 4 Frank L. Howley, American general (Commander of American sector of Berlin after WWII), born in Hampton, New York (d. 1993)
Feb 5 Ivan Galamian, American violinist and violin teacher, born in Tabriz, Persia (d. 1981)
Feb 5 Joan Whitney Payson, American heiress, businesswoman and philanthropist (co-founder and majority owner of MLB's New York Mets), born in New York City (d. 1975)
Feb 5 Nathaniel Owings, American architect (Oak Ridge, TN; Sears Tower), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1984)
Feb 6 Claudio Arrau, Chilean pianist (Boston Symphony Orchestra), born in Chillán, Chile (d. 1991)
Feb 6 John Dunning, New Zealand cricketer (NZ medium-fast bowler of 30's), born in Omaha, New Zealand (d. 1971)
Feb 6 Pieter G Buckinx, Flemish writer (Temptation of Poverty), born in Kortessem, Belgium (d. 1987)
Feb 8 Greta Keller, Austrian-born cabaret singer and actress, born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1977)

Tunku Abdul Rahman (1903-1990)

Feb 8 Malaysia's founding father, 1st Prime Minister of Malaya (1957-63) and Malaysia (1963-70), born in Alor Star, Kedah

Feb 9 Georg Trexler, German composer, choirmaster, and organist (St. Trinitatis, Leipzig, 1930-70), born in Pirna, Germany (d. 1979)
Feb 10 Abel Meeropol, American songwriter ("Strange Fruit"; "The House I Live In'), and librettist ("The Good Soldier Schweick"), born in the Bronx, New York City (d. 1986)
Feb 10 Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer (d. 1939)
Feb 10 Matvey Isaakovich Blanter, Russian-Soviet composer of popular songs and film music ("Katyusha"), born in Pochep, Russian Empire (d. 1990)
Feb 10 Waldemar Hoven, German physician (d. 1948)
Feb 11 Hans Redlich, Austrian-English composer and musicologist (Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1968)
Feb 11 Rex Lease, American actor (Fast Bullets, Sunny Skies, Custer's Last Stand), born in Central City, West Virginia (d. 1966)
Feb 12 Chick Hafey, American Baseball HOF outfielder (World Series 1926, 31 St. Louis Cardinals; NL batting champion 1931; MLB All Star 1933), born in Berkeley, California (d. 1973)
Feb 12 Joseph F. Biroc, American cinematographer (d. 1996)
Feb 13 Georges Simenon, Belgian born mystery writer (Maigret detective novels, Snow Was Black), born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1989)
Feb 14 Fritz Büchtger, German composer, educator, and modern music proponent (Association for Contemporary Music; Studio for New Music), born in Munich, Germany (d. 1978)
Feb 14 Stuart "Stu" Erwin, American actor (The Stu Erwin Show), born in Squaw Valley, California (d. 1967)
Feb 16 Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (Charlie McCarthy), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1978)
Feb 16 George-Henri Lévesque, Quebec priest and sociologist (d. 2000)
Feb 18 Alexei Leontiev, Soviet psychologist, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1979)
Feb 18 Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian Soviet statesman, Premier of the USSR (1965-77), born in Karlovka, Russian Empire (d. 1983)
Feb 19 Kay Boyle, American novelist (Plagued by Nightingales), born in St. Paul, Minnesota (d. 1992)
Feb 19 Sadiq Hidajat, Persian writer (Blind Person Owl), (d. 1951)
Feb 20 Ella Maillart, Swiss travel writer, and sportsperson (Forbidden Journey), born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1997)
Feb 20 Karel Janeček, Czech composer and pedagogue, born in Czestochowa, Czechoslovakia (d. 1974)
Feb 20 Pierre Charles, Belgian heavyweight boxer, born in Heer Agimont, Namur, Belgium (d. 1966)
Feb 21 Anaïs Nin, French-Cuban writer (Delta of Venus), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France (d. 1977)
Feb 21 Eric Fogg, English composer, born in Manchester, England (d. 1939)
Feb 21 Fairfax M. Cone, American advertising executive (d. 1977)
Feb 21 Raymond Queneau [M Presle], French author (Un Enfant a Dit), born in La Havre, France (d. 1976)
Feb 21 Tom Yawkey, American Baseball HOF executive (owner Boston Red Sox 1933-76), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1976)
Feb 22 Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian Nazi (d. 1969)

Frank Ramsey (1903-1930)

Feb 22 British mathematician and philosopher, born in Cambridge, United Kingdom

Feb 22 Morley Callaghan, Canadian author and radio personality (Toronto Star, Native Argosy), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1990)
Feb 22 Robert Weede [Wiedefeld], American operatic and musical theater baritone (Metropolitan Opera, 1937-48; The Most Happy Fella), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1972)
Feb 23 Grigori Aleksandrov, Russian film director (Veselye Rebjata), born in Yekaterinburg, Russia (d. 1983)
Feb 25 King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1986)
Feb 26 Giulio Natta, Italian chemist and Nobel laureate, born in Imperia, Italy (d. 1979)
Feb 27 Grethe Weiser, German actress (The Great Love), born in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany (d. 1970)
Feb 27 Reginald Gardiner, British actor (The Flying Deuces, The Great Dictator), born in London, England (d. 1980)
Feb 28 Vincente Minnelli, director (An American in Paris, Gigi), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1986)