Historical Events
- Feb 1 Stapleton, Staten Island, becomes a customs-free port
Bradman Scores 212
Feb 3 Don Bradman scores 212 (in 441 minutes!) in 5th cricket test v England
- Feb 4 Jim Margie, Philadelphia, bowls 900 in 3 (unsanctioned) games
- Feb 6 K Elizabeth Ohi becomes 1st Japanese-US female lawyer
Masque of Kings
Feb 8 Maxwell Anderson's dramatic play "Masque of Kings" premieres in NYC
- Feb 11 44-day sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint Mich ends
- Feb 12 Cleveland (now Los Angeles) Rams granted an NFL franchise
- Feb 13 "Prince Valiant" comic strip appears; known for historical detail
- Feb 13 Boston Redskins receive approval from NFL to move to Washington, D.C; to share baseball's Griffith Stadium with first Washington Senators of the American League
Sports History
Feb 13 Maribel Vinson wins her 9th US figure skating championship
- Feb 13 US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
- Feb 16 DuPont Corp patents nylon, developed by employee Wallace Carothers
Event of Interest
Feb 16 Jean Anouilh's "Le Voyageur Sans Baggage" premieres in Paris
- Feb 21 The League of Nations bans foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War
- Feb 21 Walter Waterman's Arrowbile, the 1st working automobile-airplane combination, tested at Santa Monica, California
- Feb 24 1st US group hospital-medical cooperative authorized, Washington, D.C.
- Feb 26 Christopher Isherwood and W. H. Auden's "Ascent of F6" premieres in London
- Feb 27 Australian cricketer Don Bradman scores 169 in 5th Test match v England in 223 minutes, ensuring Australia wins the Ashes 3-2
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 (Isaac) Don Everly, American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), born in Brownie, Kentucky (d. 2021)
- Feb 1 Garrett Morris, actor (SNL, Martin, Carwash), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Feb 1 Maryan Wisniewski, French soccer striker (33 caps; Lens, Sampdoria, Saint-Étienne, Sochaux, Grenoble), born in Calonne-Ricouart, France (d. 2022)
- Feb 1 Ray Sawyer, American rock singer (Dr Hook - "The Cover of Rolling Stone"), born in Chickasaw, Alabama (d. 2018)
- Feb 1 Tony Waiters, English soccer goalkeeper (5 caps; Blackpool) and manager (Canada, Plymouth Argyle, Vancouver Whitecaps), born in Southport, England (d. 2020)
- Feb 2 Don Buford, American MLB and NPB outfielder/infielder, 1963-76, All-Star (Baltimore Orioles, and 3 other teams), born in Linden, Texas
- Feb 2 Martina Arroyo, American opera soprano (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1965-78), born in New York City
- Feb 2 Remak Ramsay, American actor, born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Feb 2 Tommy Smothers, American comedian and folk singer (The Smothers Brothers Show; Serial), born on Governors Island, NYC, New York (d. 2023) [1]
- Feb 4 Ann Southam, Canadian electronic and classical music and dance composer (Glass Houses; Figures; The Emerging Ground), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2010)
- Feb 4 Bill Ham, American music impresario and manager (ZZ Top), born in Waxahachie, Texas (d. 2016)
- Feb 4 Collin Wilcox, Highlands NC, actor (To Kill a Mocking Bird)
- Feb 4 David Newman, American filmmaker (d. 2003)
- Feb 4 Harry Jacobs, American football linebacker (AFL All Star 1965, 69; AFL C'ship 1964, 65 Buffalo Bills; Boston Patriots, NO Saints), born in Canton, Illinois (d. 2021)
- Feb 4 John Devitt, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 4x200m freestyle relay 1956, 100m freestyle 1960; silver 100m freestyle 1956; International Swimming HOF), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2023)
- Feb 4 Magnar Solberg, Norwegian 20K biathlete (Olympic gold 1968, 72)
- Feb 5 Cocky van Oost [Kommertje van Vliet], Dutch ballet dancer (Sylphides), born in the Netherlands
- Feb 5 Gaston Roelants, Belgian world cross-country champion
- Feb 5 Larry Hillman, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1955 Detroit RW, 1962, 63, 64, 1967 Toronto ML, 1969 Montreal Canadiens) and coach (Winnipeg Jets 1977-79), born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario (d. 2022)
- Feb 5 Stuart Damon [Zonis], American stage and screen actor (General Hospital, 1977-2007 - "Dr. Alan Quartermaine"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2021)
- Feb 5 Wang Xuan, Chinese computer scientist, born in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China (d. 2006)
- Feb 7 (Frederick) "Rick" Jones, Canadian-British children's television presenter (Play School; Fingerbobs), and folk musician (Meal Ticket - "Better Believe It Babe"), born in London, Ontario (d. 2021)
- Feb 8 David Montgomery, American born photographer known for his portrait images of the 1960s, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 8 Joe Raposa, American composer and songwriter (Sesame Street - "Bein' Green"), born in Fall River Massachusetts (d. 1989)
- Feb 8 Manfred Krug, German actor (Boxer), born in Duisburg, Germany (d. 2016)
- Feb 9 (Leonard) "Len" Skeat, British jazz double-bassist, born in East End, London, England (d. 2021)
- Feb 9 Brian Wenham, British journalist (BBC), and media consultant (d. 1997)
- Feb 9 Clete Boyer, American MLB baseball infielder, 1955-71 (New York Yankees, and 2 other teams), born in Cassville, Missouri (d. 2007)
- Feb 9 Johnny Sayles, American soul singer ("I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love"), born in Winnsboro, Texas (d. 1993)
- Feb 10 Lord Justice Rose, former judge on the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
Roberta Flack (87 years old)
Feb 10 American pop vocalist ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song"), born in Black Mountain, North Carolina
- Feb 10 Yuriy Poyarkov, USSR, volleyball player (Olympic 2 gold/1 silver-1964-72)
- Feb 11 Bill Lawry AM, Australian cricket batsman and captain (67 Tests, 5,234 runs @ 47.15, 13 x 100s) and broadcaster (9 Network), born in Melbourne, Australia
- Feb 11 Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey left wing (NHL All Star 1962, 63, 64; Stanley Cup 1962, 63, 64, 67; Toronto Maple Leafs), born in Sudbury, Ontario (d. 2020)
- Feb 11 Lodewijk Boer, Dutch violist, librettist, actor, and playwright (The Family), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2004)
- Feb 11 Marilyn Butler, Rector (Exeter College-Oxford)
- Feb 11 Peter Lashley, cricketer (4 Tests for West Indies 1960-66)
- Feb 11 Phillip Walker, American electric blues guitarist, and singer ("Hello My Darling"), born in Welsh, Louisiana (d. 2010)
- Feb 12 Charles Dumas, American high jumper (Olympic gold 1956; first to clear 7 foot mark), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (d. 2004)
- Feb 12 Larry Lacewell, American college football coach (Arkansas State Uni 1979-89) and administrator (AD Arkansas State; Dallas Cowboys Dir college & pro scouting 1992-2004), born in Fordyce, Arkansas (d. 2022)
- Feb 13 Ali El-Maak, Sudanese writer, born in Omdurman, Sudan (d. 1992)
- Feb 13 Angelo Mosca, American football defensive tackle (CFL All Star 1963, 70 Hamilton Tiger-Cats), born in Waltham, Massachusetts (d. 2021)
- Feb 13 Sigmund Jaehn, German cosmonaut (Soyuz 31/29), born in Muldenhammer, Germany
- Feb 14 "Magic" Sam [Maghett], American blues guitarist ("Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)"), born in Granada County, Mississippi (d. 1969)
- Feb 14 Carlos Campos, Chilean soccer striker (39 caps; Universidad de Chile 259 games), born in Santiago, Chile (d. 2020)
- Feb 14 John MacGregor, British MP
- Feb 15 Coen Moulijn, Dutch soccer winger (38 caps; Feyenoord 487 games, European Cup 1970), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2011)
- Feb 15 Gregory Mcdonald, American author
- Feb 15 Terry Everett, American politician (Rep-R-Alabama 1993-2009), born in Dothan, Alabama
- Feb 15 Zoltán Peskó, Hungarian opera conductor and composer, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2020)
- Feb 16 Paul Bailey, English novelist and biographer, born in London
- Feb 16 Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko, Russian cosmonaut who died during training in a surdobar chamber, born in Kharkov. (d. 1961)
- Feb 17 Mickey McGill, American doo-wop vocalist (The Dells - "Love is Blue"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 18 Alan Johnson, American Emmy Award-winning screen and stage choreographer (The Producers - "Springtime for Hitler"; Legs Diamond), director (To Be Or Not To Be), and dancer (West Side Story), born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
- Feb 18 Jeff Farrell, American swimmer (Olympics 2 gold-1960)
- Feb 19 Norman O'Neill, Australian cricket batsman (42 Tests @ 45.55, 6 x 100s; NSW CA), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2008)
- Feb 20 Alfredo Rojas, Argentine soccer striker (15 caps; CA Lanús, Real Betis, Gimnasia de La Plata, CA Boca Juniors), born in Lanús, Argentina (d. 2023)
- Feb 20 David Ackles, American singer-songwriter (American Gothic), born in Rock Island, Illinois (d. 1999)
- Feb 20 Nancy Wilson, American Grammy Award-winning R&B and jazz vocalist ("Guess Who I Saw Today"; "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am"), and actress, born in Chillicothe, Ohio (d. 2018)
- Feb 20 Robert Huber, German biochemist (Nobel Prize, 1988), born in Munich. Germany
- Feb 20 Roger Penske, American auto racer, and motorsport entrepreneur, born in Shaker Heights, Ohio
- Feb 21 Gary Lockwood, American actor (2001, Survival Zone, Lieutenant), born in Van Nuys, California
- Feb 21 Harald V, King of Norway (1991-present), born in Akershus, Norway
- Feb 21 Ron Clarke, Australian athlete (17 x WRs, 5,000m, 10,000m, 20,000m; 2, 3, 6, 10 miles) and politician (mayor Gold Coast), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2015)
- Feb 22 Dubravko Detoni, Croatian composer, born in Križevci, Croatia
- Feb 22 Joanna Russ, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Female Man, Alyx), born in New York City
- Feb 22 Noel Murphy, Irish rugby union player, born in County Cork, Ireland
- Feb 22 Samuel Whitbread, English brewer & multi-millionaire
- Feb 22 Tommy Aaron, American golfer (US Masters 1973), born in Gainesville, Georgia
- Feb 23 David Ward, president (Law Society)
- Feb 23 Lord Tugendhat, British politician (Conservative party)
- Feb 23 Tom Osborne, college football coach
- Feb 24 Jerry Wiggin, British MP (cash for amendments scandal), born in Worcestershire (d. 2015)
- Feb 25 Basia Johnson (née Barbara Piasecka), Polish-American domestic servant, philanthropist, humanitarian, art collector, and heir to Johnson & Johnson fortune, born in Staniewicze, Poland (d. 2013)
- Feb 25 Bob Schieffer, newscaster (CBS Weekend News), born in Austin, Texas
- Feb 25 Don Randi [Schwartz], American session and touring pop, rock, and jazz keyboard player (Nancy Sinatra), born in New York City
- Feb 25 Tom Courtenay, England, actor (Dresser, Doctor Zhivago, To Catch a Spy)
- Feb 26 Hagood Hardy, American-Canadian jazz and easy listening pianist, vibraphonist and film score composer ("The Homecoming"), born in Angola, Indiana (d. 1997)
- Feb 26 William Ferris, American composer and conductor (William Ferris Chorale, 1971-2000), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2000)
- Feb 27 Barbara Babcock, American actress (Dr Quinn,; Dallas; Hill Street Blues), born in Fort Riley, Kansas
- Feb 27 Donald MacKay, CEO (Scottish Enterprise), born in Griffith, Australia (d. 1977)
- Feb 27 L. Jay Silvester, American discus thrower (Olympic silver 1972), born in Tremonton, Utah
Famous Weddings
Mary Astor
Feb 18 Actress Mary Astor (30) weds film editor Manuel del Campo (23) in Yuma, Arizona
Famous Deaths
Elihu Root (1845-1937)
Feb 7 American statesman (Nobel Peace Prize, 1912), dies at 91
- Feb 8 Scato Gocko de Vries, Dutch paleographer and librarian, dies at 75
- Feb 11 Walter Burley Griffin, American architect (L-shaped floor plan, Carport) who designed Australia's capital Canberra and the NSW towns of Griffith and Leeton, dies of peritonitis at 60 after gall bladder surgery in Lucknow, India
- Feb 13 Carl Albrecht Bernoulli, Swiss writer, dies at 69
- Feb 14 Erkki Melartin, Finnish composer (Juhlamarssi; Summer Symphony; Fantasia Apocaliptica), dies at 62
- Feb 18 Sergo Ordzhonikidze, Georgian Bolshevik and Soviet politician, dies at 50
- Feb 20 Barlow Carkeek, Australian cricket wicket-keeper (6 Tests, 6 dismissals; Victoria), dies when struck by a car at 58
- Feb 23 Claude Buckenham, cricketer (21 wkts in 4 Tests for Eng 1909-10), dies
