Historical Events
- "Nature of Things" science show premieres on NBC prime time
- 18-year-old Dick Button becomes first American men's figure skating Olympic gold medallist at the St. Moritz Winter Games; first to complete a double axel in competition; retains title in 1952
- Gretchen Fraser becomes 1st US woman Olympic ski slalom champion
Famous Birthdays
- Barbara Hershey [Herzstein], American actress (Stuntman, Shy People), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Christopher Guest, American actor (SNL, 1984-85; This is Spinal Tap; The Princess Bride), and filmmaker (Best In Show; Waiting for Huffman), born in New York City
- David Denny, American rock guitar player (Steve Miller Band - "Abracadabra"; "The Joker"), born in Berkeley, California
- Elco Brinkman, Dutch politician, born in Dirksland, Netherlands
- Errol Morris, American documentary film director (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara), born in Hewlett, New York
- Nigel Tufnel, British fictional heavy metal guitarist (Spinal Tap), born in Squatney, East London, England
- Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football manager and player, born in Sunne, Sweden
- Tom Wilkinson, English stage and screen BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning actor (The Full Monty; John Adams; Michael Clayton), born in Wharfedale, West Riding of Yorkshire, England (d. 2023) [1]
Famous Deaths
- Johann Blaskowitz, German general (surrendered at Wageningen), dies at 64
Died in 1948 1948 Highlights
About February 5, 1948
Day of the Week: Thursday
How Long Ago? 76 years, 2 months and 23 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Pig
Star Sign: Aquarius
