February 29 — Ce Jour-là dans l'Histoire

Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.

Christopher Columbus · March 1504 lunar eclipse · Native Americans (Americas)

Abel Tasman's second Pacific voyage began.

Abel Tasman

Queen Anne's War: French forces and Native Americans stage a raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, killing 56 villagers and taking more than 100 captive.

Queen Anne's War · Native American (U.S.) · Raid on Deerfield

February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Julian calendar.

February 30 · Swedish calendar · Julian calendar

Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden abdicates in favour of her husband, who becomes King Frederick I on 24 March.

Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden · Frederick I of Sweden

King Alaungpaya founds Konbaung Dynasty, the last dynasty of Burmese monarchy.

Alaungpaya · Konbaung Dynasty

Polish nobles formed Bar Confederation.

Bar Confederation

The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations.

Jay Treaty

American Civil War: Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid fails: Plans to free 15,000 Union soldiers being held near Richmond, Virginia are thwarted.

American Civil War · Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid · United States · Richmond, Virginia

St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.

St. Petersburg, Florida

The Piedra Movediza (Moving Stone) of Tandil falls and breaks.

Piedra Movediza · Tandil

Tokelau is annexed by the United Kingdom.

Tokelau

Child labor: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.

Child labor · South Carolina · Working age

Czechoslovak National assembly adopted the Constitution.

Czechoslovakia · Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920

February 26 Incident in Tokyo ends.

February 26 Incident

For her performance as "Mammy" in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.

Gone with the Wind (film) · Hattie McDaniel · African American · Academy Award

Finland initiates Winter War peace negotiations.

Winter War

In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, because of the war, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Sweden's Consul General in San Francisco.

Berkeley, California · World War II · Ernest Lawrence · Nobel Prize in Physics · Consul General

World War II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in Operation Brewer led by American General Douglas MacArthur.

Admiralty Islands · Operation Brewer · Douglas MacArthur

The island of Heligoland is restored to West German authority.

Heligoland

The 5.7 Mw Agadir earthquake shakes coastal Morocco with a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme), destroying Agadir, and leaving 12,000 dead and another 12,000 injured.

1960 Agadir earthquake · Morocco · Mercalli intensity scale

In Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition (58.9 seconds).

Dawn Fraser

Vietnam War: Vietnamization: South Korea withdraws 11,000 of its 48,000 troops from Vietnam.

Vietnam War · Vietnamization · Vietnam

Gordie Howe of the then Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal.

Gordie Howe · Carolina Hurricanes · National Hockey League

South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with 100 clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town.

Desmond Tutu · Apartheid · Cape Town

Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the Canadian House of Commons to come out as gay.

Svend Robinson · Canadian House of Commons · Coming out · Gay

First day of Bosnia and Herzegovina independence referendum.

Bosnia and Herzegovina independence referendum, 1992

Faucett Flight 251 crashes in the Andes, all 123 passengers and crew died.

Faucett Flight 251

Siege of Sarajevo officially ends.

Siege of Sarajevo

Second Chechen War: Eighty-four Russian paratroopers are killed in a rebel attack on a guard post near Ulus Kert.

Second Chechen War

Jean-Bertrand Aristide is removed as President of Haiti following a coup.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide · Haiti · 2004 Haitian coup d'état

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence decides to withdraw Prince Harry from a tour of Afghanistan "immediately" after a leak led to his deployment being reported by foreign media.

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) · Prince Harry · Operation Herrick

Misha Defonseca admits to fabricating her memoir, Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, in which she claimed to have lived with a pack of wolves in the woods during the Holocaust.

Misha Defonseca · Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years · The Holocaust

Tokyo Skytree construction completed. It is, as of 2017, the tallest tower in the world, 634 meters high, and second tallest (man-made) structure on Earth, next to Burj Khalifa.

Tokyo Skytree · List of tallest towers in the world · Burj Khalifa

Pope Paul III (d. 1549)

Pope Paul III

Albert V, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1579)

Albert V, Duke of Bavaria

Domingo Báñez, Spanish theologian (d. 1604)

Domingo Báñez

Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon (d. 1638)

Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon

Antonio Neri, Florentine priest and glassmaker (d. 1614)

Antonio Neri

Benjamin Keach, Particular Baptist preacher and author whose name was given to Keach's Catechism (d. 1704)

Benjamin Keach · Particular Baptist · Keach's Catechism

John Byrom, English poet and educator (d. 1763)

John Byrom

Eva Marie Veigel, Austrian-English dancer (d. 1822)

Eva Marie Veigel

Ann Lee, English-American religious leader, founded the Shakers (d. 1784)

Ann Lee · Shakers

Gioachino Rossini, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1868)

Gioachino Rossini

James Milne Wilson, Scottish-Australian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1880)

James Milne Wilson · Premier of Tasmania

Emmeline B. Wells, American journalist, poet, and activist (d. 1921)

Emmeline B. Wells

Dickey Pearce, American baseball player and manager (d. 1908)

Dickey Pearce

Frank Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian lawyer and judge, 4th Chief Justice of Australia (d. 1936)

Frank Gavan Duffy · Chief Justice of Australia

Herman Hollerith, American statistician and businessman, co-founded the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (d. 1929)

Herman Hollerith · Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company

Richard S. Aldrich, American lawyer and politician (d. 1941)

Richard S. Aldrich

Augusta Savage, American sculptor (d. 1962)

Augusta Savage

Morarji Desai, Indian civil servant and politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (d. 1995)

Morarji Desai · Prime Minister of India

William A. Wellman, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1975)

William A. Wellman

Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian dancer and choreographer (d. 1986)

Rukmini Devi Arundale

Jimmy Dorsey, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1957)

Jimmy Dorsey

Pepper Martin, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)

Pepper Martin

Balthus, French-Swiss painter and illustrator (d. 2001)

Balthus

Dee Brown, American historian and author (d. 2002)

Dee Brown (writer)

Alf Gover, English cricketer and coach (d. 2001)

Alf Gover

Louie Myfanwy Thomas, Welsh writer (d. 1968)

Louie Myfanwy Thomas

Dinah Shore, American singer and actress (d. 1994)

Dinah Shore

James B. Donovan, American lawyer (d. 1970)

James B. Donovan

Leonard Shoen, founder of U-Haul Corp. (d. 1999)

Leonard Shoen · U-Haul

Fyodor Abramov, Russian author and critic (d. 1983)

Fyodor Abramov

Arthur Franz, American actor (d. 2006)

Arthur Franz

James Mitchell, American actor and dancer (d. 2010)

James Mitchell (actor)

Michèle Morgan, French-American actress and singer (d. 2016)

Michèle Morgan

Howard Nemerov, American poet and academic (d. 1991)

Howard Nemerov

Rolland W. Redlin, American lawyer and politician (d. 2011)

Rolland W. Redlin

David Beattie, New Zealand judge and politician, 14th Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 2001)

David Beattie · Governor-General of New Zealand

Carlos Humberto Romero, Salvadoran politician, President of El Salvador (d. 2017)

Carlos Humberto Romero · President of El Salvador

Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (d. 2015)

Al Rosen

Joss Ackland, English actor

Joss Ackland

Vance Haynes, American archaeologist, geologist, and author

Vance Haynes

Seymour Papert, South African mathematician and computer scientist, co-created the Logo programming language (d. 2016)

Seymour Papert · Logo (programming language)

Gene H. Golub, American mathematician and academic (d. 2007)

Gene H. Golub

Masten Gregory, American race car driver (d. 1985)

Masten Gregory

Reri Grist, American soprano and actress

Reri Grist

Jaguar, Brazilian cartoonist

Jaguar (cartoonist)

Gavin Stevens, Australian cricketer

Gavin Stevens

Jack R. Lousma, American colonel, astronaut, and politician

Jack R. Lousma

Henri Richard, Canadian ice hockey player

Henri Richard

Alex Rocco, American actor (d. 2015)

Alex Rocco

Bartholomew I of Constantinople

Bartholomew I of Constantinople

William H. Turner, Jr. American horse trainer

William H. Turner, Jr.

Ene Ergma, Estonian physicist and politician

Ene Ergma

Dennis Farina, American police officer and actor (d. 2013)

Dennis Farina

Nicholas Frayling, English priest and academic

Nicholas Frayling

Phyllis Frelich, American actress (d. 2014)

Phyllis Frelich

Steve Mingori, American baseball player (d. 2008)

Steve Mingori

Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Italian author and illustrator

Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri

Hermione Lee, English author, critic, and academic

Hermione Lee

Patricia A. McKillip, American author

Patricia A. McKillip

Henry Small, American-born Canadian singer

Henry Small (singer)

Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, American journalist and producer

Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush

Tim Powers, American author and educator

Tim Powers

Raisa Smetanina, Russian cross-country skier

Raisa Smetanina

Bart Stupak, American police officer and politician

Bart Stupak

Jonathan Coleman, English-Australian radio and television host

Jonathan Coleman (presenter)

Bob Speller, Canadian businessman and politician, 30th Canadian Minister of Agriculture

Bob Speller · Minister of Agriculture (Canada)

Aileen Wuornos, American serial killer (d. 2002)

Aileen Wuornos

Lucian Grainge, English businessman

Lucian Grainge

Khaled, Algerian singer-songwriter

Khaled (musician)

Richard Ramirez, American serial killer (d. 2013)

Richard Ramirez

Tony Robbins, American motivational speaker and author

Tony Robbins

Dave Brailsford, English cyclist and coach

Dave Brailsford

Lyndon Byers, Canadian ice hockey player and radio host

Lyndon Byers

Mervyn Warren, American tenor, composer, and producer

Mervyn Warren

Suanne Braun, South African-English actress

Suanne Braun

Chucky Brown, American basketball player and coach

Chucky Brown

Pete Fenson, American curler and sportscaster

Pete Fenson

Naoko Iijima, Japanese actress and model

Naoko Iijima

Bryce Paup, American football player and coach

Bryce Paup

Howard Tayler, American author and illustrator

Howard Tayler

Eugene Volokh, Ukrainian-American lawyer and educator

Eugene Volokh

Frank Woodley, Australian actor, producer, and screenwriter

Frank Woodley

Mike Pollitt, English footballer and coach

Mike Pollitt

Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Italian-American model and actor

Antonio Sabàto, Jr.

Pedro Sánchez, Spanish politician

Pedro Sánchez (Spanish politician)

Dave Williams, American singer (d. 2002)

Dave Williams (singer)

Saul Williams, American singer-songwriter

Saul Williams

Pedro Zamora, Cuban-American activist and educator (d. 1994)

Pedro Zamora

Zoë Baker, English-New Zealand swimmer and coach

Zoë Baker

Terrence Long, American baseball player

Terrence Long

Ja Rule, American rapper and actor

Ja Rule

Çağdaş Atan, Turkish footballer

Çağdaş Atan

Chris Conley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Chris Conley

Patrick Côté, Canadian mixed martial artist

Patrick Côté (fighter)

Simon Gagné, Canadian ice hockey player

Simon Gagné

Rubén Plaza, Spanish cyclist

Rubén Plaza

Clinton Toopi, New Zealand rugby league player

Clinton Toopi

Taylor Twellman, American soccer player and sportscaster

Taylor Twellman

Darren Ambrose, English footballer

Darren Ambrose

Megan Bernard, Australian audio artist

Megan Bernard

Mark Foster, American musician (Foster the People)

Foster the People

Rica Imai, Japanese model and actress

Rica Imai

Cullen Jones, American swimmer

Cullen Jones

Nuria Martínez, Spanish basketball player

Nuria Martínez

Adam Sinclair, Indian field hockey player

Adam Sinclair

Rakhee Thakrar, English actress

Rakhee Thakrar

Dennis Walger, German rugby player

Dennis Walger

Cam Ward, Canadian ice hockey player

Cam Ward

Lena Gercke, German model and television host

Lena Gercke

Scott Golbourne, English footballer

Scott Golbourne

Benedikt Höwedes, German footballer

Benedikt Höwedes

Brent Macaffer, Australian Rules footballer

Brent Macaffer

Bobby Sanguinetti, American ice hockey player

Bobby Sanguinetti

Sean Abbott, Australian cricketer

Sean Abbott

Ben Hampton, Australian rugby league player

Ben Hampton

Perry Kitchen, American soccer player

Perry Kitchen

Caitlin EJ Meyer, American actress

Caitlin EJ Meyer

Saphir Taïder, French-Algerian footballer

Saphir Taïder

Nelson Asofa-Solomona, New Zealand rugby league player

Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Claudia Williams, New Zealand tennis player

Claudia Williams

Pope Hilarius

Pope Hilarius

Oswald of Worcester, French archbishop and saint (b. 925)

Oswald of Worcester

Hōnen, Japanese monk, founded Jōdo-shū (b. 1133)

Hōnen · Jōdo-shū

Albert III, Duke of Bavaria-Munich (b. 1401)

Albert III, Duke of Bavaria

Patrick Hamilton, Scottish Protestant reformer and martyr (b. 1504)

Patrick Hamilton (martyr)

Alessandro Striggio, Italian composer and diplomat (b. 1540)

Alessandro Striggio

Caspar Hennenberger, German pastor, historian and cartographer (b. 1529)

Caspar Hennenberger

John Whitgift, English archbishop and academic (b. 1530)

John Whitgift

Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal (b. 1667)

Pietro Ottoboni (cardinal)

John Theophilus Desaguliers, French-English physicist and philosopher (b. 1683)

John Theophilus Desaguliers

Johann Andreas Stein, German piano builder (b. 1728)

Johann Andreas Stein

Johann Joachim Eschenburg, German historian and critic (b. 1743)

Johann Joachim Eschenburg

Louis-François Lejeune, French general, painter and lithographer (b. 1775)

Louis-François Lejeune

Matsudaira Katataka, Japanese daimyo (b. 1806)

Matsudaira Katataka

Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1786)

Ludwig I of Bavaria

James Milne Wilson, Scottish-Australian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1812)

James Milne Wilson · Premier of Tasmania

Pat Garrett, American sheriff (b. 1850)

Pat Garrett

John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow, Scottish-Australian politician, 1st Governor-General of Australia (b. 1860)

John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow · Governor-General of Australia

Ernie Courtney, American baseball player (b. 1875)

Ernie Courtney

Adolphe Appia, Swiss architect and theorist (b. 1862)

Adolphe Appia

Ina Coolbrith, American poet and librarian (b. 1841)

Ina Coolbrith

E. F. Benson, English archaeologist and author (b. 1867)

E. F. Benson

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Finnish lawyer, judge and politician, 3rd President of Finland (b. 1861)

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud · President of Finland

Robert Barrington-Ward, English lawyer and journalist (b. 1891)

Robert Barrington-Ward

Rebel Oakes, American baseball player and manager (b. 1883)

Rebel Oakes

Quo Tai-chi, Chinese politician and diplomat, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations (b. 1888)

Quo Tai-chi · Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations

Elpidio Quirino, Filipino lawyer and politician, 6th President of the Philippines (b. 1890)

Elpidio Quirino · President of the Philippines

Melvin Purvis, American police officer and FBI agent (b. 1903)

Melvin Purvis · FBI

Walter Yust, American journalist and author (b. 1894)

Walter Yust

Frank Albertson, American actor and singer (b. 1909)

Frank Albertson

Lena Blackburne, American baseball player, coach and manager (b. 1886)

Lena Blackburne

Tore Ørjasæter, Norwegian poet and educator (b. 1886)

Tore Ørjasæter

Tom Davies, American football player and coach (b. 1896)

Tom Davies (American football)

Florence P. Dwyer, American politician (b. 1902)

Florence P. Dwyer

Yigal Allon, Israeli general and politician, Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1918)

Yigal Allon · Prime Minister of Israel

Gil Elvgren, American painter and illustrator (b. 1914)

Gil Elvgren

Ludwik Starski, Polish screenwriter and songwriter (b. 1903)

Ludwik Starski

Sidney Harmon, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1907)

Sidney Harmon

Ruth Pitter, English poet and author (b. 1897)

Ruth Pitter

Wes Farrell, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1939)

Wes Farrell

Ralph Rowe, American baseball player, coach and manager (b. 1924)

Ralph Rowe

Dennis Danell, American guitarist (b. 1961)

Dennis Danell

Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (b. 1923)

Kagamisato Kiyoji · Yokozuna

Jerome Lawrence, American playwright and author (b. 1915)

Jerome Lawrence

Harold Bernard St. John, Barbadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Barbados (b. 1931)

Harold Bernard St. John · Prime Minister of Barbados

Lorrie Wilmot, South African cricketer (b. 1943)

Lorrie Wilmot

Janet Kagan, American author (b. 1946)

Janet Kagan

Erik Ortvad, Danish painter and illustrator (b. 1917)

Erik Ortvad

Akira Yamada, Japanese scholar and philosopher (b. 1922)

Akira Yamada

Roland Bautista, American guitarist (b. 1951)

Roland Bautista

Davy Jones, English singer, guitarist and actor (b. 1945)

Davy Jones (musician)

Sheldon Moldoff, American illustrator (b. 1920)

Sheldon Moldoff

P. K. Narayana Panicker, Indian social leader (b. 1930)

P. K. Narayana Panicker

Wenn V. Deramas, Filipino director and screenwriter (b. 1968)

Wenn V. Deramas

Gil Hill, American police officer, actor and politician (b. 1931)

Gil Hill

Josefin Nilsson, Swedish singer (b. 1969)

Josefin Nilsson

Louise Rennison, English author (b. 1951)

Louise Rennison