24/02/0303 - 1st official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued 16/02/0374 - 9th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet 27/02/0837 - 15th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet 28/02/0870 - 8th Ecumenical council ends in Constantinople 02/02/1461 - 2nd battle of St Alban's-Lancastrian defeat Yorkists 24/02/1530 - 1st imperial coronation by a Pope, Charles V crowned by Clement V 10/02/1535 - 12 nude anabaptists run through Amsterdam streets 27/02/1557 - 1st Russian Embassy opens in London, Russia and US sign trade agreement 11/02/1573 - 1st European, Francis Drake sees the Pacific (from Panama) 05/02/1644 - 1st US livestock branding law passed, by Connecticut 06/02/1651 - -7] Cardinal Mazarin flees Paris 16/02/1659 - 1st known check (400) (on display at Westminster Abbey) 20/02/1673 - 1st recorded wine auction held (London) 03/02/1690 - 1st paper money in America issued (colony of Mass) 04/02/1697 - 3 VOC-ships anchor at Dirk-Hartogeiland, Australia 04/02/1699 - 350 rebellious Streltsi executed in Moscow 20/02/1725 - 10 sleeping Indians scalped by whites in NH for 100/scalp bounty 26/02/1732 - 1st mass celebrated in 1st American Catholic church, Philadelphia 08/02/1735 - 1st opera in US "Flora," opens in Charleston, SC 18/02/1735 - 1st opera performed in America, "Flora," in Charleston, SC 10/02/1749 - 10th (final) volume of Fielding's "Tom Jones" is published 28/02/1749 - 1st edition of Henry Fieldings' "Tom Jones" published 16/02/1751 - 1st publication of Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard" 25/02/1751 - 1st performing monkey exhibited in America, NYC (admission 1) 15/02/1768 - 1st mustard manufactured in America advertised, Philadelphia 20/02/1768 - 1st American chartered fire insurance company opens (Penn) 17/02/1772 - 1st partition of Poland-Russia and Prussia, joined later by Austria 22/02/1775 - 1st US joint stock company (to make cloth) offers shares at 10 17/02/1776 - 1st volume of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of Roman Empire" published 22/02/1784 - 1st US ship to trade with China, "Empress of China," sails from NY 04/02/1787 - 1st Anglican bishops of NY and Pennsylvania consecrated in London 01/02/1788 - 1st US steamboat patent issued, by Georgia to Briggs and Longstreet 04/02/1789 - 1st electoral college chooses Washington and Adams as Pres and VP 25/02/1791 - 1st Bank of US chartered 12/02/1793 - 1st US fugitive slave law passed; requires return of escaped slaves 25/02/1793 - 1st cabinet meeting (At George Washington's home) 11/02/1794 - 1st session of US Senate open to the public 14/02/1794 - 1st US textile machinery patent granted, to James Davenport, Phila 07/02/1795 - 11th Amendment to US Constitution ratified, affirms power of states 13/02/1795 - 1st state university in US opens, University of North Carolina 19/02/1797 - 1/3 of papal domain ceded to France 13/02/1799 - 1st US law regulating insurance passed, by Massachusetts 15/02/1799 - 1st US printed ballots authorized, Pennsylvania 25/02/1799 - 1st federal forestry legislation authorizes purchase of timber land 02/02/1802 - 1st leopard exhibited in US, Boston (admission 25) 25/02/1803 - 1,800 sovereign German states unite into 60 states 18/02/1804 - 1st US land-grant college, Ohio University, Athens Ohio, chartered 21/02/1804 - 1st locomotive, Richard Trevithick's, runs for 1st time, in Wales 24/02/1807 - 17 die and 15 wounded in a crush to witness execution of Holloway, Heggerty and Elizabeth Godfrey in England 01/02/1810 - 1st insurance co managed by blacks (American Insurance Co of Phila) 28/02/1810 - 1st US fire insurance joint-stock company organized, Philadelphia 07/02/1812 - 8.2 earthquake shakes New Madrid, Missouri 23/02/1813 - 1st US raw cotton-to-cloth mill founded in Waltham, Mass 27/02/1813 - 1st federal vaccination legislation enacted 13/02/1816 - -14] Teatro San Carlo in Naples destroyed by fire 05/02/1817 - 1st US gas co incorporated, Baltimore (coal gas for street lights) 17/02/1817 - 1st US city lit by gas (Baltimore) 07/02/1818 - 1st successful US educational magazine "Academician," begins (NYC) 28/02/1819 - 1st public performance of a Schubert song, "Schfers Klageleid" 06/02/1820 - 1st organized emigration of blacks back to Africa (NY to Sierra Leone) 27/02/1827 - 1st Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans 28/02/1827 - 1st commercial railroad in US, Baltimore and Ohio (BandO) chartered 21/02/1828 - 1st American Indian newspaper in US, "Cherokee Phoenix," published 19/02/1831 - 1st practical US coal-burning locomotive makes 1st trial run, Penn 06/02/1832 - 1st appearance of cholera at Edinburgh, Scotland 13/02/1832 - 1st appearance of cholera at London 18/02/1834 - 1st US labor newspaper, "The Man," published, NYC 26/02/1834 - 1st US interstate crime compact (NY-NJ) ratified 24/02/1836 - 3,000 Mexicans attack 182 Texans at Alamo, lasts 13 days 08/02/1837 - 1st VP chosen by Senate, Richard Johnson (Van Buren admin) 25/02/1837 - 1st US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport 18/02/1841 - 1st continuous filibuster in US Senate began, lasting until March 11 15/02/1842 - 1st adhesive postage stamps in US (private delivery company), NYC 21/02/1842 - 1st known sewing machine patented in US, John Greenough, Wash DC 28/02/1844 - 12-inch gun aboard USS Princeton explodes 21/02/1846 - 1st US woman telegrapher, Sarah G Bagley, Lowell, Mass 04/02/1847 - 1st US telegraph co established in Maryland 02/02/1848 - 1st ship load of Chinese arrive in SF 26/02/1848 - 2nd French Republic forms 26/02/1848 - 2nd French Republic proclaimed 18/02/1849 - 1st regular steamboat service to California starts (or 02/28) 28/02/1849 - 1st boat load of gold rush prospectors arrives in SF from east coast 11/02/1851 - 1st cricket 1st-class game in Australia, Tasmania v Vic, Launceston 02/02/1852 - 1st British public men's toilet opens (Fleet St London) 11/02/1852 - 1st British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London) 22/02/1854 - 1st meeting of Republican Party (Michigan) 22/02/1856 - 1st national meeting of Republican Party (Pittsburgh) 24/02/1857 - 1st perforated US postage stamps delivered to govt 11/02/1858 - 1st apparition of Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes France 25/02/1859 - 1st use of "insanity plea" to prove innocence 01/02/1860 - 1st rabbi to open House of Representatives, Morris Raphall of NYC 05/02/1861 - 1st moving picture peep show machine is patented by Samuel Goodale 06/02/1861 - 1st meeting of Provisional Congress of Confederate States of America 13/02/1861 - 1st military action to result in Congressional Medal of Honor, AZ 10/02/1863 - 1st US fire extinguisher patent granted to Alanson Crane, Virginia 01/02/1864 - 2nd German-Danish war begins 04/02/1864 - 24th Amendment abolishes Poll tax 06/02/1864 - -7] Skirmish at Barnett's Ford Virginia 21/02/1864 - 1st US Catholic parish church for blacks dedicated, Baltimore 21/02/1864 - -22] Battle at Okolona, Mississippi
28/06/0548 - Theodora, dancer/empress of Byzantine (Nika-oproer), dies 28/04/1770 - Marie AC de Camargo, Spanish/Italian/Belgian dancer, dies at 60 11/03/1787 - Maximilian JLP Gardel, French ballet dancer/choreographer, dies at 45 16/12/1816 - Vincenzo Galeotti, [Tomazelli], Ital dancer/choreographer, dies at 73 05/12/1842 - MJ Auguste Vestrius, French ballet dancers, dies at 82 03/04/1897 - Johannes Brahms, German composer/conductor (Hung Dances), dies at 63 07/07/1898 - Lucien Petipa, French dancer/choreograph/ballet leader, dies 10/06/1899 - Ernest Chausson, French composer (Solitude dance le bois), dies at 44 21/09/1908 - Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist/composer (Spanish Dancer), dies 01/07/1910 - Marius Petipa, Fren ballet dancer/choreographer (Casse-noisette), dies 28/12/1916 - Eduard Strauss, Austrian composer (318 dances), dies at 81 15/10/1917 - Mata Hari, Dutch dancer/German spy, executed by firing squad in Paris 01/11/1927 - Florence Mills, dancer/singer, dies in NYC at 32 15/03/1942 - Alexander van Zemlinsky, Aust/US composer (African Dance), dies at 70 16/03/1942 - Alexander van Zemlinsky, Austrian composer (African Dance), dies at 69 22/08/1942 - Mikhailmichel Fokine, Russian ballet dancer/choreographer, dies 18/10/1943 - Benedictus H Dancer, botanist, dies at 52 12/08/1944 - Franois Ambrosiny, Fr dancer/choreographer (Ftes d'Hb), dies at 66 25/11/1949 - Luther "Bill" Robinson, "Bojangles" famed tap dancer, dies at 71 08/04/1950 - Vaslav Fromich Nijinsky, Ukrainian ballet dancer, dies in London 05/11/1951 - Agrippina J Vaganova, Russian ballet dancers/pegagoge, dies at 72 27/07/1952 - W de Basil, [US Voskresenski], Russia, ballet dancer, dies 06/02/1958 - 7 soccer players of Manchester United, die in an aircrash at Munich 29/12/1958 - Doris Humphrey, US dancer/choreographer (Dances of Women), dies at 63 19/11/1963 - Carmen Amaya, Spanish flamenco dancer, dies at about 50 10/05/1964 - Carol Haney, dancer (Pantomime Quiz), dies at 35 23/08/1970 - Nel Rose, dancer, dies at 55 22/09/1971 - Yvonne St Clair, dancer, dies at 57 09/01/1972 - Ted Shawn, US dancer, dies at 80 02/12/1972 - Jos LimĒn, Mexican/US dancer (moor's pavane), dies at 64 15/07/1975 - Charles Weidman, US dancer/choreographer (Fables for Our Time), dies 05/08/1978 - Queenie Smith, actress/dancer (Funny Side), dies at 79 24/09/1978 - Ruth Etting, US dancer/singer (Ziegfeld Follies), dies at 80 16/10/1978 - Dan Dailey, dancer/actor (Gov Drinkwater-Governor and JJ), dies at 63 16/12/1978 - Blanche Calloway, US singer/dancer/radio hostess, dies at 76 25/08/1980 - Gower Champion, dancer (Marge and Gower Champion Show), dies at 60 27/07/1981 - Ray Harrison, dancer (American Song), dies at 64 19/09/1984 - June Preisser, dancer/actress (Babes in Arms), dies in car crash at 61 02/05/1985 - Hal LeRoy, dancer/actor (Harold Teen), dies at 71 after surgery 18/05/1986 - John Bubbles Sublett, tap dancer (Black and Bubbles), dies at 84 03/06/1986 - Anna Neagle, actress (Courtney Affair)/dancer, dies at 81 15/01/1987 - Ray Bolger, actor/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at 83 20/04/1987 - Antony Tudor, dancer/choreographer (Amer Ballet Theater) dies at 78 22/06/1987 - Fred Astaire, actor/dancer (Royal Wedding, Let's Dance), dies at 88 22/12/1988 - Tucker Smith, singer/dancer (Cool-West Side Story), dies 23/08/1989 - Helen le Clerq, Dutch dancer, dies 16/09/1990 - Steve Condos, tap dancer, dies of heart attack at 71 22/05/1991 - Lino Brocka, director (Macho Dancer, Jaguar), dies in car crash at 51 03/07/1991 - Irina Nijinska, Russian/US dancer, dies at 77 12/08/1991 - Irene Campbell, British actress/dancer (Wicker Man, St Justice), dies 20/08/1991 - Betty Bowden, British dancer/actress (Vote for Nigel), dies at 86 15/09/1991 - Allan Sobek, dancer, dies 10/11/1991 - Tutte Lemkow, dancer/dir (Capt Paradise, I am a Camera), dies at 73 15/12/1991 - Horatio Luro, US horse trainer (Northern Dancer), dies at 90 27/12/1991 - Edward M Love, choreographer/dancer, dies of AIDS at 43 01/01/1992 - Corky Geil, dancer, dies in Long Beach CA at 64 28/01/1992 - Clark Tippet, dancer/choreographer, dies at 37 20/03/1992 - Frank Westbrook, dancer/choreographer, dies at 82 02/05/1992 - Joey Cuevas, dancer, dies at 34 27/05/1992 - Glen White, dancer/actor (Graft, Camille), dies of AIDS at 42 07/09/1992 - Indra Kamadjojo, [Broekveld], Indon/Dutch dancer (Stille Kracht), dies 26/10/1992 - Jerome Andrews, US/French dancer/choreographer, dies 28/10/1992 - Joan Maloney Rio, dancer, dies of cancer at 57 08/11/1992 - Hans Zllig, Swiss/German dancer (Green Table), dies 12/11/1992 - Charles "Honi" Coles, tap dancer, dies of cancer at 81 24/11/1992 - Mary Smithuysen, Dutch dancer/actress (Bridge Too Far), dies 29/11/1992 - Cary Scott Lowenstein, dancer/singer, dies of AIDS at 30 30/11/1992 - Jorge Donn, dancer, dies after long illness at 45 06/01/1993 - Rudolph Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer (Kirov), dies of AIDS at 54 29/01/1993 - Michel Renault, French ballet dancer (Giselle), dies 11/03/1993 - Edgar Nelson Barclift, dancer, dies after lengthy illness at 76 22/03/1993 - Gret Palucca, German dancer/choreographer (Entartet), dies at 91 09/06/1993 - Alexis Smith, dancer/actress (Follies), dies of cancer at 72 06/10/1993 - Agnes de Mille, US dancer/choreographer (Oklahoma!), dies at 88 06/06/1994 - John Morey Downs, actor/dancer/singer, dies at 80 13/06/1994 - Igor Youskevitch, dancer, dies at 82 08/07/1994 - Dominic Lucero, dancer/singer, dies of lymphatic cancer 03/10/1994 - Virginia Dale, US actress/dancer (Holiday Inn), dies at about 77 20/10/1994 - Charles Robert Owen Medley, dancer/Choreographer, dies at 88 29/10/1994 - Pearl Primus, dancer, dies at 44 29/10/1994 - Evelyn Anderson, dancer, dies at 87 12/11/1994 - Charles "Honi" Coles, dancer (1983 Tony award), dies at 81 18/11/1994 - Michael [George] Somes, English dancer (Royal Ballet), dies at 77 23/11/1994 - Erick Frederick Hawkins, US dancer/wed to Martha Graham, dies at 85 13/03/1995 - Lorraine Macleod, dancer (Girls Just Want to Have Fun), dies at 65 01/04/1995 - Francisco Moncion, dancer, dies at 73 25/04/1995 - Ginger Rogers, actress/dancer (Top Hat, Stage Door), dies at 83 18/05/1995 - Alexander Gudonov, Russian dancer/actor (Witness), dies at 45 28/05/1995 - Henning Kronstam, dancer, dies at 60 01/06/1995 - Prudence Hyman, dancer, dies at 80 05/06/1995 - Bettina Vernon-Warren, dancer, dies at 75 16/07/1995 - Travis Kemp, dancer/teacher, dies at 91 06/08/1995 - Youly Algaroff, ballet dancer, dies at 77 21/08/1995 - James Truitte, dancer, dies at 72 25/09/1995 - Dorothy Dickson, actress/dancer (Paying the Piper), dies at 102 19/11/1995 - Martha Hill, modern dancer/teacher, dies at 94 22/11/1995 - Edna Deanne Fuelling, dancer choreographer/drama teacher, dies at 90 24/11/1995 - Woiciech Woytek Wiesidlowski Lowski, dancer, dies at 56 15/12/1995 - James Geoffrey Cutcliffe Hepburn, tap-dancer/socialist, dies at 88 16/12/1995 - Nina Verchinina, dancer choreographer/teacher, dies at 85