Historical Events
4th Century Bible Discovered
Feb 4 One of the oldest known copies of the Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is seen in Egypt by Constantin von Tischendorf who takes the manuscript home with him
- Feb 5 Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexander John Cuza as the United Principalities
The Indian Mutiny
Feb 10 General Horsford defeats Begum of Oude and Nana Sahib in Indian Mutiny
Un Ballo in maschera
Feb 17 Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Un Ballo in maschera" premieres in Naples
Chess History
Feb 26 Paul Morphy's chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins; Morphy wins
- Feb 28 Arkansas legislature requires free blacks to choose exile or slavery
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Victor Herbert, American cellist, composer, and conductor (Babes in Toyland; Eileen), born in Guernsey, Bailiwick of Guernsey (d. 1924) [he believed he was born in Dublin, Ireland] [1]
- Feb 2 Havelock Ellis, English physician and social reformer who studied sexual behaviour (Psychology of Sex), born in Croydon, England (d. 1939)
- Feb 3 Hugo Junkers, German engineer and aircraft designer, born in Rheydt, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1935)
- Feb 4 Timofei Mikhailov, Russian revolutionary, member of Narodnaya Volya (d. 1881)
- Feb 9 Maurice Read, English cricket batsman (17 Tests, 2 x 50; Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1890; Surrey CCC), born in Thames Ditton, England (d. 1929)
- Feb 10 Alexandre Millerand, French President (d. 1943)
- Feb 13 Frank van de Goes, Dutch writer and Marxist theorist, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1939)
- Feb 13 William Strang, Scottish painter and engraver (illustrated Bunyan, Coleridge and Kipling), born in Dumbarton, Scotland (d. 1921)
- Feb 14 George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., American engineer and inventor (Ferris Wheel), born in Galesburg, Illinois (d. 1896)
- Feb 19 Svante Arrhenius, Swedish physicist and chemist (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1903), born in Wik Castle, Sweden (d. 1927)
- Feb 22 Joey Palmer, Australian cricket medium pace/spin bowler (17 Tests, 78 wickets, BB 7/65; Victoria CA), born in Corowa, Australia (d. 1910)
