Historical Events
Trygve Lie First Secretary General
Feb 1 Norwegian politician Trygve Lie elected the 1st Secretary General of the United Nations
- Feb 1 Republic of Hungary proclaims Zoltán Tildy as its communist president
- Feb 2 "Nellie Bly" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 16 performances
- Feb 2 The Proclamation of Hungarian Republic made
- Feb 4 Garson Kanin's "Born Yesterday" premieres in NYC
- Feb 5 The Chondoist Chongu Party is founded in North Korea
- Feb 6 "Lute Song" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 142 performances
- Feb 7 Filibuster in US Senate kills FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) bill
Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto
Feb 8 Béla Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto premieres in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy with György Sándor as piano soloist
Salazar Forbids Opposition
Feb 8 Portuguese Dictator António de Oliveira Salazar forbids opposition parties
- Feb 9 Dutch Labor Party (Dutch Social Democratic Party) forms
Lucky Luciano Deported
Feb 10 Charles "Lucky" Luciano is deported to Italy, and never returns to the United States
- Feb 11 World War II: The Royal Navy's Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 116 of 156 captured German U-boats
- Feb 13 "The Duchess Misbehaves" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 5 performances
- Feb 16 1st commercially designed helicopter tested, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Feb 16 Frank Black's musical "The Duchess Misbehaves" closes at Adelphi Theater, NYC, after 5 performances
- Feb 17 Humanistic Covenant forms in Amsterdam
- Feb 19 New York Giants outfielder Danny Gardella is 1st major leaguer to announce he is jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican Baseball League for a fee of $10,000
- Feb 21 Anti-British demonstrations in Egypt
Election of Interest
Feb 24 General Juan Perón first elected President of Argentina
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Bart Braverman, American actor (Bobby-Vega$, Roy-New Odd Couple), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 1 Carol Neblett, American operatic soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1979-93), born in Modesto, California (d. 2017)
- Feb 1 Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures), born in Liverpool, England
- Feb 1 Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1968; Federation Cup 1970), born in Brisbane, Australia (d. 1977)
- Feb 2 Alpha Oumar Konaré, Mali politician and historian, President of Mali (1992-2002), born in Kayes, Mali
- Feb 2 Gerrie Mühren, Dutch soccer midfielder (10 caps; Ajax, Volendam), born in Volendam, Netherlands (d. 2013)
- Feb 2 Howard Bellamy, American pop and country vocalist (Bellamy Bros - "Let Your Love Flow"), born in Darby, Florida
- Feb 3 Eva Maros, Hungarian classical harpist, born in Pécs, Hungary
- Feb 3 Stan Webb, English blues musician (Chicken Shack), born in London, England
- Feb 4 Mary Meyer, American 500m speed skater (Olympic silver 1968)
- Feb 5 Charlotte Rampling, English actress (Zardoz, Night Porter, Verdict), born in Sturmer, United Kingdom
- Feb 5 Mauro Pagani, Italian progressive rock violinist (Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)), and film soundtrack composer, born in Chiari, Lombardy, Italy
- Feb 6 Jim Turner, American politician, born in Fort Lewis, Washington
- Feb 6 Kate McGarrigle, Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2010)
- Feb 6 Richie Hayward, American drummer (Little Feat), born in Des Moines, Iowa (d. 2010)
- Feb 7 Héctor Babenco, film director (Kiss of the Spider Woman), born in Mar del Plata, Argentina (d. 2016)
- Feb 7 Lawrence Ascott, rocker (Isotope)
- Feb 7 Sammy Johns, rocker (Politics, Religion & Her), (d. 2013)
- Feb 8 Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra, Mexican blues-rock drummer (Canned Heat), born in Mexico City, Mexico
- Feb 8 Paul Wheatbread, American musician (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - "Young Girl";, "Midnight Confession"), born in San Diego, California
- Feb 9 Jim Webb, United States Senator from Virginia
- Feb 9 M J H Sterling, Vice-Chancellor (Brunel University)
- Feb 9 Séan Neeson, Northern Irish politician
- Feb 9 Vince Papale, American football player
- Feb 10 Kenny Edwards, American musician and singer-songwriter (The Stone Poneys; Bryndle), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2010)
- Feb 11 Heinz Winbeck, German composer, conductor and teacher, born in Piflas, Germany (d. 2019)
- Feb 11 Ian Porterfield, English footballer, born in Dunfermline, United Kingdom (d. 2007)
- Feb 12 Ajda Pekkan, Turkish singer and actress, born in Istanbul, Turkey
- Feb 12 Ever Meulen [Eddy Vermeulen], Dutch illustrator and cartoonist (children stamps 1992), born in Kuurne, Belgium
- Feb 13 Artur Jorge, Portuguese soccer striker (16 caps; Académica, Benfica, Belenenses) and manager (Portugal, Switzerland, Cameroon; Porto), born in Porto, Portugal (d. 2024)
- Feb 13 Louis Kondos, Greek actor, born in Athens, Greece
- Feb 13 Richard Blumenthal, American politician (Senator-D- Connecticut 2011-), born in New York City
- Feb 14 Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru (d. 2003)
- Feb 14 David Green, English TV/video producer
- Feb 14 Tina Aumont, actress (Master of Love, Casanova), born in Hollywood, California
- Feb 15 Clare Short, British MP
- Feb 15 Esko Seppänen, Finnish politician
- Feb 15 John Greenway, British MP
- Feb 16 Aleksandr Shaparenko, Soviet 1K kayaker (Olympic gold 1972)
- Feb 16 Ian Lavender, British actor (Stupid Boy in Dad's Army)
- Feb 16 John R. Farndon, British surgeon and professor (d. 2002)
- Feb 17 Andre Dussollier, French actor (3 Men & a Cradle), born in Annecy, France
- Feb 17 Valdemar Bandolowski, Danish sailor (Olympic gold Soling class 1976, 80), born in Esbønderup, Denmark
- Feb 17 Zina Bethune, American actress (Nurses, Who's That Knocking at My Door), born in New York City (d. 2012)
- Feb 18 Buddy Cage, American pedal steel guitarist (New Riders of the Purple Sage; Great Speckled Bird), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2020)
- Feb 18 Jean-Claude Dreyfus, French actor
- Feb 18 Michael Buerk, British newsreader
- Feb 19 Alexander Tchaikovsky, Russian composer (Russian Requiem; Symphony No. 7 - Quarantine), born in Moscow, USSR
- Feb 19 Karen Silkwood, American nuclear lab technician and labor union activist, born in Longview, Texas (d. 1974)
- Feb 19 Paul Dean, Canadian rock guitarist (Loverboy - "Working For The Weekend"), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 19 Peter Hudson, Australian rules footballer
- Feb 19 Pierre van der Linden, Dutch drummer (Brainbox; Focus -"Hocus Pocus"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Feb 20 (John) J. Geils, American rock guitarist (J Geils Band - "Centerfold"; "Freeze Frame"), born in New York City (d. 2017)
- Feb 20 Brenda Blethyn, actress (Secrets & Lies)
- Feb 20 Sandy Duncan, American stage and screen actress (Peter Pan; The Hogan Family), born in Henderson, Texas
Alan Rickman (1946-2016)
Feb 21 English actor (Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Die Hard, Harry Potter), born in Hammersmith, London
- Feb 21 Anthony Daniels, British actor and mime artist (Star Wars - "C-3PO"), born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
- Feb 21 Bob Ryan, American sportswriter (The Boston Globe), born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Feb 21 Desmond Lewis, West Indian cricket batsman/keeper (avg 86.33 in 3 Tests), born in Jamaica (d. 2018)
- Feb 21 Tricia Nixon Cox, daughter of American politician Richard Nixon, born in Whittier, California
- Feb 21 Tyne Daly, American actress (Cagney & Lacey, Angel Unchained), born in Madison, Wisconsin
- Feb 21 Vito Rizzuto, Italian-Canadian alleged mafia boss, also known as "Montreal's Teflon Don", born in Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy (d. 2013)
- Feb 23 Norman "Rusty" Young, American pedal-steel guitarist, singer and songwriter (Poco - "Rose of Cimarron"; "Crazy Love"), born in Long Beach, California (d. 2021)
- Feb 24 Anthony Mayer, chief executive (Housing Corporation)
- Feb 24 Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician
- Feb 24 Jiří Bělohlávek, Czech conductor (Czech Philharmonic, 1990-92 & 2012-17; Prague Philharmonia, 1993-2005; BBC Symphony, 2006-12), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2017)
- Feb 24 John Stapleton, English television presenter
- Feb 24 Michael Radford, director (1984, White Mischief)
- Feb 24 Sergio "Bobo" Gori, Italian soccer midfielder, forward (3 caps; Vicenza, Cagliari 166 games, Juventus), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2023)
- Feb 25 F Xaver Kroetz, writer
- Feb 25 Jean Todt, French executive director of Scuderia Ferrari
- Feb 25 Rick Hummel, American sports writer (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; J. G. Taylor Spink Award 2007; president Baseball Writers' Association of America), born in Quincy, Illinois (d. 2023)
- Feb 26 Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American chemist and Nobel laureate (1999), born in Damanhur, Egypt (d. 2016)
- Feb 26 Bobby "Bingo" Smith, American NBA star (Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Feb 26 Colin Bell, English soccer midfielder (48 caps; Manchester City 394 games), born in Hesleden, England (d. 2021)
- Feb 26 Phyllis Eisenstein, American sci-fi author (Sorcerer's Son, Born to Exile), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 27 Mary-Claire King, American human geneticist (breast cancer genes), born in Evanston, Illinois
- Feb 28 Don Ciccone, American singer-songwriter (The Critters - "Mr. Dieingly Sad"; The Hit Men), born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2016)
- Feb 28 Graham Vivian, New Zealand cricketer (son of Giff, 5 Tests for NZ 1965-72), born in Auckland New Zealand
- Feb 28 Pierre Dørge, Danish avant-garde and jazz-fusion guitarist (Thermaenius; New Jungle Orchestra), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Feb 28 Robin Cook, British politician (Labour Party MP, 1983-2005, born in Bellshill, Scotland (d. 2005)
- Feb 28 Ysaye Maria Barnwell, American singer gospel and a cappella singer (Sweet Honey in the Rock, 1979-2013), composer, and producer, born in Harlem, New York
Famous Weddings
Jackie Robinson
Feb 10 1st black pro-baseball player Jackie Robinson marries Rachel Isum
Hank Greenberg
Feb 18 MLB baseball player Hank Greenberg (35) weds heiress Caral Gimbel in Sea Island, Georgia
Famous Deaths
George Arliss (1868-1946)
Feb 5 British Academy Award-winning actor (Disraeli; Devil; Green Goddess), dies at 77
Felix Hoffmann (1868-1946)
Feb 8 German chemist (synthesized aspirin and heroin), dies at 78 [1]
- Feb 8 Miles Mander, British actor (Tower of London, Wuthering Heights, Murder!), dies from a heart attack at 57
- Feb 15 Cornelius Johnson, American high jumper (Olympic gold 1936), dies from bronchopneumonia at 32
- Feb 15 Louis "Putney" Dandridge American jazz pianist and singer (Heatin' Up Harlem), dies at 44
- Feb 20 Hugh Allen, British organist, conductor (Bach Choir; Leeds Festival), and educator (Oxford, 1918-46-; Royal College of Music, 1918-37), dies from injuries after being run down by a motorcycle at 76
- Feb 21 José Streel, Belgian World War II collaborator (b. 1911)
- Feb 23 Tomoyuki Yamashita [Yamashita Tomobumi], Imperial Japanese general dubbed "Tiger of Malaya," executed for war crimes by hanging at 60
- Feb 27 James Cecil Parke, Irish tennis player (Australasian C'ship singles & doubles, Davis Cup 1912; Wimbledon doubles 1914) and rugby union centre (20 caps; Leinster Rugby), dies at 64
