Events

• 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France.
• 1597 - A group of early Japanese Christians are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society.
• 1631 - Roger Williams emigrates to Boston.
• 1778 - South Carolina becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
• 1782 - Spanish defeat British forces and capture Minorca.
• 1818 - Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway.
• 1859 - Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexander John Cuza as the United Principalities.
• 1885 - King Léopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal possession.
• 1900 - The United States and the United Kingdom sign treaty for Panama Canal
• 1917 - The current constitution of Mexico is adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
• 1917 - The Congress of the United States passes a law, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, banning most Asian immigration to the United States.
• 1918 - Stephen W. Thompson shot down a German airplane. It was the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.
• 1919 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists.
• 1924 - The Royal Greenwich Observatory begin broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the "BBC pips".
• 1945 - World War II: General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila.
• 1946 - The Chondoist Chongu Party is founded in North Korea.
• 1958 - Gamel Abdel Nasser is nominated to be the first president of the United Arab Republic.
• 1958 - A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered.
• 1962 - French President Charles De Gaulle calls for allowing Algeria to be an independent nation.
• 1968 - Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh begins.
• 1971 - Apollo program: Apollo 14 Mission - Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell aboard LM, Antares land on the Moon at Fra Mauro formation.
• 1972 - Bob Douglas becomes the first African American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
• 1974 - John Murtha becomes the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the Congress of the United States.
• 1988 - Manuel Noriega is indicted on drug smuggling and money laundering charges.
• 1994 - Byron De La Beckwith is convicted of the 1963 murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
• 1994 - During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina more than 60 people are killed and some 200 wounded as a mortar shell slams into a downtown marketplace in Sarajevo.
• 1997 - The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families.
• 2004 - Twenty-three Chinese people drown when a group of 35 cockle-pickers are trapped by rising tides in Morecambe Bay, England. Twenty-one bodies are recovered.
• 2004 - Rebels from the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front capture the city of Gonaďves, starting the 2004 Haiti rebellion.
• 2008 - A major tornado outbreak across the Southern United States leaves at least 58 dead, the most since the May 31, 1985 outbreak that killed 88.

Births

• 976 - Sanj?, Emperor of Japan (d. 1017)
• 1505 - Aegidius Tschudi, Swiss historian (d. 1572)
• 1519 - René of Châlon, (d. 1544)
• 1534 - Giovanni de' Bardi, Italian writer (d. 1612)
• 1589 - Esteban Manuel de Villegas, Spanish poet (d. 1669)
• 1608 - Gaspar Schott, German mathematician (d. 1666)
• 1626 - Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné, French author (d. 1696)
• 1650 - Anne-Jules, French general (d. 1708)
• 1703 - Gilbert Tennent, Irish-born religious leader (d. 1764)
• 1725 - James Otis, American lawyer and patriot (d. 1783)
• 1744 - John Jeffries, Physician, Surgeon, Balloonist
• 1784 - Nancy Hanks Lincoln, mother of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1818)
• 1788 - Robert Peel, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1850)
• 1795 - Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger, Austrian mineralogist (d. 1871)
• 1804 - Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Finnish poet (d. 1877)
• 1808 - Carl Spitzweg, German painter (d. 1885)
• 1810 - Ole Bull, Norwegian violinist (d. 1880)
• 1837 - Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist (d. 1899)
• 1840 - John Boyd Dunlop, Scottish inventor (d. 1921)
• 1840 - Hiram Stevens Maxim, American inventor (Maxim gun) (d. 1916)
• 1848 - Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author (d. 1907)
• 1848 - Belle Starr, American outlaw (d. 1889)
• 1848 - Ignacio Carrera Pinto, Chilean war hero (d. 1882)
• 1878 - André Citroën, French automobile pioneer (d. 1935)
• 1880 - Gabriel Voisin, French aviation pioneer (d. 1973)
• 1889 - Ernest Tyldesley, British cricketer (d. 1962)
• 1900 - Adlai Stevenson, American politician (d. 1965)
• 1903 - Joan Whitney Payson, American heiress (d. 1975)
• 1906 - John Carradine, American actor (d. 1988)
• 1908 - Daisy and Violet Hilton, British conjoined twins (d. 1969)
• 1910 - Francisco Varallo, Argentine footballer
• 1910 - Charles Leblond, Canadian Cell Biologist (d. 2007)
• 1911 - Jussi Björling, Swedish tenor (d. 1960)
• 1914 - William S. Burroughs, American author (d. 1997)
• 1914 - Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1998)
• 1915 - Robert Hofstadter, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1990)
• 1919 - Red Buttons, American actor (d. 2006)
• 1919 - Andreas Papandreou, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1996)
• 1919 - Tim Holt, American actor (d. 1973)
• 1920 - Frank Muir, British comedian (d. 1998)
• 1921 - John Pritchard, British conductor (d. 1989)
• 1922 - Alain de Changy, Belgian racing driver (d. 1994)
• 1923 - Claude King, American musician
• 1927 - Ruth Fertel, American entrepreneur (d. 2002)
• 1928 - Andrew Greeley, American priest and novelist
• 1929 - Luc Ferrari, French composer (d. 2005)
• 1929 - Fred Sinowatz, Austrian politician
• 1929 - Al Worthington, baseball player
• 1930 - John A. Gambling, American radio show host (d. 2004)
• 1932 - Cesare Maldini - Italian footballer and manager
• 1933 - Jörn Donner, Finnish writer/director
• 1934 - Don Cherry, Canadian hockey commentator
• 1934 - Hank Aaron, American baseball player
• 1937 - Stuart Damon, American actor
• 1937 - Gaston Roelants, Belgian athlete
• 1937 - Wang Xuan, Chinese scientist (d. 2006)
• 1940 - H.R. Giger, Swiss artist
• 1941 - Jane Bryant Quinn, American journalist
• 1941 - Stephen J. Cannell, American television producer and writer
• 1941 - David Selby, American actor
• 1941 - Kaspar Villiger, Swiss Federal Councilor
• 1942 - Roger Staubach, American football player
• 1942 - Cory Wells, American singer (Three Dog Night)
• 1943 - Nolan Bushnell, American video game pioneer
• 1943 - Michael Mann, American film director
• 1943 - Craig Morton, American football player
• 1944 - Al Kooper, American musician
• 1946 - Charlotte Rampling, British actress
• 1947 - Darrell Waltrip, American race car driver
• 1948 - Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football manager
• 1948 - Christopher Guest, American actor
• 1948 - Barbara Hershey, American actress
• 1948 - Errol Morris, American film director
• 1952 - Daniel Balavoine, French singer and songwriter (d. 1986)
• 1953 - John Beilein, American basketball coach
• 1954 - Cliff Martinez, American musician
• 1955 - Mike Heath, baseball player
• 1956 - Hector Rebaque, Mexican racing driver
• 1956 - Betty Ong, flight attendant that died on September 11, 2001, on American Airlines Flight 11
• 1959 - Jennifer Granholm American Politician
• 1960 - Aris Christofellis, Greek countertenor
• 1961 - Savvas Kofidis, Greek footballer and manager
• 1961 - Tim Meadows, American actor and comedian
• 1962 - Jennifer Jason Leigh, American actress
• 1963 - Steven Shainberg, American film director
• 1964 - Alexia, Cypriot singer
• 1964 - Laura Linney, American actress
• 1964 - Duff McKagan, American musician
• 1965 - Gheorghe Hagi, Romanian footballer
• 1966 - Rok Petrovi?, Slovenian skier (d. 1993)
• 1966 - Apostolos Nanos, Greek archer
• 1967 - Chris Parnell, American actor
• 1968 - Roberto Alomar, baseball player
• 1968 - Eyţór Guđjónsson, Icelandic actor
• 1968 - Nir Kabaretti, Israeli conductor
• 1969 - Bobby Brown, American singer
• 1969 - Michael Sheen, Welsh actor
• 1971 - Sara Evans, American singer
• 1972 - Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
• 1972 - Koriki Ch?sh?, Japanese comedian
• 1973 - Richard Matvichuk, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1973 - Trijntje Oosterhuis, Dutch singer
• 1975 - Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Dutch footballer
• 1975 - Adam Carson, American musician (AFI)
• 1976 - Tony Jaa, Thai actor
• 1976 - Abhishek Bachchan, Indian actor
• 1976 - John Aloisi, Australian footballer
• 1976 - Brian Moorman, American football player
• 1977 - Ben Ainslie, British sailor
• 1977 - Adam Everett, American baseball player
• 1977 - Ahmad Merritt, American football player
• 1978 - Shawn Reaves, American actor
• 1978 - Brian Russell, American football player
• 1980 - Brad Fitzpatrick, American programmer
• 1980 - Prince Peter, American-born Yugoslav royalty
• 1980 - Jo Swinson, British politician
• 1980 - Robin Vik, Czech tennis player
• 1981 - Nora Zehetner, American actress
• 1981 - Loukas Vyntra, Greek football player
• 1982 - Aidin Nikkhah Bahrami, Iranian basketball player (d. 2007)
• 1982 - Rodrigo Palacio, Argentine footballer
• 1982 - Kevin Everett, American football player
• 1982 - Tomas Kopecky, Ice hockey player
• 1984 - Carlos Tévez, Argentinine footballer
• 1984 - Nate Salley, American football player
• 1985 - Laurence Maroney, American football player
• 1985 - Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer
• 1985 - Crystal Hunt, American actress
• 1985 - Lindsey Cardinale, American singer
• 1986 - Reed Sorenson, American racecar driver
• 1986 - Billy Sharp, English footballer
• 1986 - Manuel Fernandes, Portuguese footballer
• 1989 - Cristine Reyes, Filipino actress
• 1989 - Jeremy Sumpter, American actor

Deaths

• 995 - William IV, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 937)
• 1520 - Sten Sture the Younger, regent of Sweden (b. 1493)
• 1578 - Giambattista Moroni, Italian painter
• 1705 - Philipp Jakob Spener, German theologian (b. 1635)
• 1766 - Leopold Josef Graf Daun, Austrian field marshal (b. 1705)
• 1775 - Eusebius Amort, German Catholic theologian (b. 1692)
• 1790 - William Cullen, Scottish physician and chemist (b. 1710)
• 1807 - Pasquale Paoli, Corsican patriot and military leader (b. 1725)
• 1881 - Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer and historian (b. 1795)
• 1892 - Emilie Flygare-Carlén, Swedish novelist (b. 1807)
• 1915 - Ross Barnes, baseball player (b. 1850)
• 1917 - Jaber II Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1860)
• 1922 - Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, Croatian inventor (b. 1871)
• 1922 - Christiaan De Wet, South African general (b. 1854)
• 1927 - Inayat Khan, Indian sufi
• 1937 - Lou Andreas-Salome, Russian-born writer (b. 1861)
• 1938 - Hans Litten, German jurist (b. 1903)
• 1941 - Banjo Paterson, Australian poet, author of "Walzing Matilda" (b. 1864)
• 1946 - George Arliss, English actor (b. 1868)
• 1948 - Johannes Blaskowitz, German general (b. 1883)
• 1957 - Sami Ibrahim Haddad, Lebanese surgeon (b. 1890)
• 1962 - Jacques Ibert, French composer (b. 1890)
• 1967 - Leon Leonwood Bean, American department store founder (b. 1872)
• 1969 - Thelma Ritter, American actress (b. 1905)
• 1970 - Rudy York, American baseball player (b. 1913)
• 1972 - Marianne Moore, American poet (b. 1887)
• 1976 - Rudy Pompilli, American musician (Bill Haley and His Comets) (b. 1926)
• 1977 - Oskar Klein, Swedish physicist (b. 1894)
• 1981 - Ella Grasso, Governor of Connecticut (b. 1919)
• 1984 - Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, Mexican wrestler and film actor (b. 1917)
• 1985 - Georges-Émile Lapalme, Quebec politician (b. 1907)
• 1987 - William Collier, American film and stage actor (b. 1902)
• 1991 - Dean Jagger, American actor (b. 1903)
• 1992 - Miguel Rolando Covian, Brazilian physiologist (b. 1913)
• 1993 - Marcel Léger, Quebec politician (b. 1930)
• 1993 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American writer, producer, and director (b. 1909)
• 1993 - Tip Tipping, British actor and stuntman (parachuting accident) (b. 1958)
• 1995 - Doug McClure, American actor (b. 1935)
• 1997 - Pamela Harriman, English-born American diplomat (b. 1920)
• 1998 - Tim Kelly, American musician (b. 1963)
• 1999 - Wassily Leontief, Russian economist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1906)
• 2000 - Claude Autant-Lara, French film director (b. 1901)
• 2003 - Helge Boes, American Central Intelligence Agency officer
• 2004 - John Hench, American animator (b. 1908)
• 2005 - Gnassingbe Eyadema, President of Togo (b. 1937)
• 2006 - Norma Candal, Puerto Rican actress and comedian (b. 1930)
• 2006 - Franklin Cover, American actor (b. 1928)
• 2007 - Alfred Worm, Austrian investigative journalist (b. 1945)
• 2007 - Leo T. McCarthy, American politician and 43rd Lieutenant Governor of California (1983?1995) (b. 1930)
• 2008 - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian guru, founder of Transcendental Meditation (b. ca. 1917)

Holidays and observances

• St. Agatha

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

af:5 Februarie ar:5 ?????? an:5 de febrero frp:5 fevriér ast:5 de febreru az:5 fevral be:5 ?????? be-x-old:5 ?????? bs:5. februar br:5 C'hwevrer bg:5 ???????? ca:5 de febrer cv:?????, 5 ceb:Pebrero 5 cs:5. únor co:5 frivaghju cy:5 Chwefror da:5. februar de:5. Februar et:5. veebruar el:5 ??????????? es:5 de febrero eo:5-a de februaro eu:Otsailaren 5 fa:? ????? fo:5. februar fr:5 février fy:5 febrewaris fur:5 di Fevrâr ga:5 Feabhra gan:2?5? gv:5 Toshiaght Arree gd:5 an Gearran gl:5 de febreiro ko:2? 5? hy:???????? 5 hi:5 ????? hr:5. velja?e io:5 di februaro ig:February 5 ilo:Febrero 5 bpy:??????????? ? id:5 Februari ia:5 de februario ie:5 februar os:5 ??????? is:5. febrúar it:5 febbraio he:5 ??????? jv:5 Februari pam:Pebreru 5 kn:????????? ? ka:5 ????????? csb:5 gromicznika kk:???????? 5 sw:5 Februari ht:5 fevriye ku:5'ę re?emiyę la:5 Februarii lv:5. febru?ris lb:5. Februar lt:Vasario 5 lmo:05 02 hu:Február 5. mk:5 ???????? ml:????????? 5 mr:?????????? ? ms:5 Februari nah:Tla?nti 5 nl:5 februari nds-nl:5 febrewaori ja:2?5? nap:5 'e frevaro no:5. februar nn:5. februar nrm:5 Févri nov:5 de februare oc:5 de febričr uz:5-fevral nds:5. Februar pl:5 lutego pt:5 de Fevereiro ksh:5. Febrowaa ro:5 februarie ru:5 ??????? se:Guovvamánu 5. sco:5 Februar sq:5 Shkurt scn:5 di frivaru simple:February 5 sk:5. február sl:5. februar sr:5. ??????? sh:5.2. su:5 Pébruari fi:5. helmikuuta sv:5 februari tl:Pebrero 5 ta:???????? 5 tt:5. Febräl te:???????? 5 th:5 ?????????? vi:5 tháng 2 tr:5 ?ubat uk:5 ?????? vec:5 de febraro vo:Febul 5 fiu-vro:5. radokuu päiv wa:5 di fevrî vls:5 februoari war:Pebrero 5 yo:5 February zh-yue:2?5? cbk-zam:5 de Febrero bat-smg:Vasar? 5 zh:2?5?