February 8
1587: Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle. Mary, who was a rival of England's Queen Elizabeth I, was tried and condemned by an English court, despite being the sovereign of another country.
1887: On the slopes of Red Wing, Minnesota, the first well-organized US ski competition is conducted. The winner was Mikkel Hemmestvedt, who was also the Norwegian jumping champion.
1924: Heard by about 50 million people, the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast is sent over radio waves when Bell Telephone's vice president spoke at a meeting of the Bond Men's Club in Chicago.
February 10
1863: Alanson Crane of Fortress Monroe, Virginia, receives the first US patent for a building fire extinguishing system that could be used for a multiple-story building.
1949: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman opens at the Morosco Theatre in New York.
1950: Swimmer and multiple Olympic medalist Mark Spitz is born.
When I first read this I though.....wow today was a busy day in history. Then I looked at the date of the posts and felt silly. Thanks for sharing the info, always nice to know about past events. Hope you keep this going.
February 13
1689: William and Mary become king and queen of England and rule the country jointly.
1917: Mata Hari is arrested in Paris on charges of betraying Allied military secrets to Germany. She was later found guilty and sentenced to death.
1959: Mattel Inc. introduces the Barbie doll, which would become the most popular doll of all time. Within 30 years of Barbie's release, about 500 million dolls and 1 billion sets of clothes are sold.
February 14
269: Roman priest St. Valentine is martyred in Rome. It's believed that the tradition of Valentine's Day cards began because the saint sent a letter to his jailer's daughter and signed it "from your Valentine."
1948: NASCAR holds a race for the first time. Red Byron becomes the first NASCAR winner on the 3.2-mile course at Daytona Beach.
1886: The first trainload of oranges from southern California farms pulls out of Los Angeles. Hauled on the transcontinental railroad, this initial load of oranges marks the boom to come in southern California population and citrus production.
February 15
1564: The Italian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician Galileo is born. His publications led to the scientific method of examining nature.
1903: Morris and Rose Michtom, owners of a toy store in Brooklyn, New York, introduce the teddy bear. Inspired by a cartoon in the Washington Post showing Theodore Roosevelt sparing the life of a bear cub, the Michtoms called their cuddly invention "Teddy's Bear."
1946: Called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first digital computer is dedicated in Philadelphia.
February 16
1852: Henry and Clement Studebaker found a blacksmith and wagon-building company in South Bend, Indiana, that would become the world's largest manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. Later, they converted the plant to manufacture cars and then airplanes for World War II.
1841: First continuous filibuster in US Senate began, lasting until March 11
1915: During World War 1, Germany blockades Britain with submarines
1921: British troops occupy Dublin, Ireland
1930: Pluto discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
1965: Gambia gains independence
1972: A report suggested that alcohol abuse was the nation's biggest problem
1688: Quakers in Germantown, Pa. adopt the fist formal antislavery resolution in America.
1885: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is published in New York.
1945: U.S. Marines storm ashore at Iwo Jima.
1972: The California Supreme Court voids the death penalty.
February 20
1872: A US patent is issued to Cyrus W. Baldwin for a vertical geared hydraulic electric elevator, which was installed in the Stephens Hotel in New York City. The design included safety devices to prevent falling and noise suppression.
1950: Welsh poet Dylan Thomas begins his first reading tour in the United States.
1962: John Glenn completes his third orbit of the Earth to become the first US astronaut to accomplish the feat.
February 21
1804: The first self-propelling steam locomotive chugs down a track at the Pen-y-Darren ironworks in England. The engine pulled a 15-ton load at about 5 mph.
1885: The 555-foot-high Washington Monument is dedicated in Washington, DC. Three years later, this tribute to the first US president was opened to the public. When completed, it was the tallest structure in the world and remains the tallest building in Washington, DC.
1972: Ending more than two decades of strained relations, President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China.
February 22
1630: A Native American named Quadequina brings popcorn to the first Thanksgiving celebration, introducing the English colonists to the popping kernels that had been grown for more than 1,000 years on the North American continent.
1879: Frank Winfield Woolworth opens his Great 5 Cents Store in Utica, New York. He pledges to sell everything for a nickel or less. Woolworth went on to open "five and ten" stores across the nation.
1980: The US hockey team defeats the four-time defending Olympic champion Soviet team during the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The team would go on to beat Finland and win the gold medal for what's been called in sports history "the miracle on ice."
February 23
1836: During the Texas war for independence, the Alamo is surrounded by Santa Anna's Mexican army. After 13 days of holding the fort, the Mexican army captured the Alamo.
1896: Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield introduces the Tootsie Roll in New York City. He named the chewy treat after his daughter, who he nicknamed "Tootsie."
1968: Wilt Chamberlain becomes the first NBA player to score 25,000 points in a career.
February 24
1868: The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson for his lenient policies toward the South after the Civil War.
1871: Charles Darwin's Descent of Man was published in London.
1938: Toothbrushes with nylon bristles go on sale, making them the first commercial product to incorporate the synthetic material.
February 27
1922: The Supreme Court declares the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution is legal, upholding women's right to vote.
1964: The Italian government asks for help to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was leaning 17 feet south of its base. Restoration finally began in 1999.
1992: At 16 years old, Tiger Woods begins his pro career as the youngest PGA golfer in 35 years.
