February 28

Events

• 1700 - February 28 is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish Calendar
• 1784 - John Wesley charters the Methodist Church
• 1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
• 1849 - Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California[?] in San Francisco Bay. The California left New York Harbor[?] on October 6, 1848, rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America, and arrived at San Francisco, California after the 4 month 21 day journey.
• 1850 - The University of Utah opens in Salt Lake City, Utah
• 1854 - The Republican Party of the United States is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin[?].
• 1861 - Colorado is organized as a United Sates territory[?].
• 1883 - The first vaudeville theater is opened, in Boston, Massachusetts
• 1935 - Nylon is discovered by Wallace Carothers
• 1940 - Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University[?] vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
• 1948 - Bud Gartiser[?] sets a new world record after clearing the 50-yard low hurdles in 6.8 seconds.
• 1953 - James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA
• 1974 - After seven years, the United States and Egypt re-establish diplomatic relations.
• 1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history.
• 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.
• 1993 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest cult leader David Koresh[?] on federal firearms violations. Four agents and six Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins.
• 1998 - Serbian police begin to wipe out so-called "terrorist gangs" in Kosovo.
• 2001 - An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter Scale hits the Northwest area of the United States. There were no reports of any deaths.
• 2002 - Ethnic conflict in India: At least 55 are killed in Ahmadabad[?], India when Hindus burn Muslim homes.

Births

• 1553 - Michel de Montaigne, writer and philosopher (+ 1592)
• 1683 - René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur[?], scientist (+ 1757)
• 1820 - John Tenniel, illustrator
• 1833 - Alfred von Schlieffen[?], German field marshal (+ 1913)
• 1894 - Ben Hecht, playwright, film writer (+ 1964)
• 1900 - Wolfram Hirth[?], pilot and designer of aircrafts (+ 1959)
• 1901 - Linus Pauling, the only winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1954 and Peace 1962 (+ 1994)
• 1903 - Vincente Minnelli[?], director (+ 1986)
• 1906 - Bugsy Siegel, gangster (+ 1947)
• 1915 - Zero Mostel[?], actor (+ 1977)
• 1938 - Klaus Staeck[?], graphic artist
• 1939 - Erika Pluhar[?], actress and singer
• 1939 - Tommy Tune[?], dancer, choreographer, actor
• 1940 - Mario Andretti[?], automobile driver
• 1942 - Brian Jones, musician ("The Rolling Stones") (+ 1969)
• 1942 - Joe South[?], musician
• 1945 - Bubba Smith[?], Football Hall of Famer
• 1948 - Bernadette Peters, actress, singer
• 1948 - Mike Figgis[?], director, writer, composer
• 1948 - Mercedes Ruehl[?], actress
• 1973 - Eric Lindros[?], ice hockey star
• 1976 - Ja Rule, rap music singer

Deaths

• 1916 - Henry James, writer
• 1941 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain
• 1959 - Maxwell Anderson[?], playwright, film writer
• 1979 - "The famous Mr. Ed[?]", the talking horse, dies.
• 1977 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, actor
• 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1993 - Ruby Keeler, actress, singer, dancer

Holidays and observances

• Bahá'í Faith - Day 3 of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.

February 27 - February 29 - March 1 - January 28 - March 28 - more historical anniversaries

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