Historical Events
- Feb 3 Paul Osborn's "On Borrowed Time" premieres in NYC
"Our Town"
Feb 4 "Our Town" a play by Thornton Wilder opens on Broadway, NYC (later awarded Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
Hitler Controls German Army
Feb 4 Adolf Hitler seizes control of German army and puts Nazis in key posts
- Feb 11 World's first science fiction TV program - a broadcast of the play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek
- Feb 12 3rd British Empire Games close in Sydney, Australia
- Feb 12 Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg visits Adolf Hitler in Berchtesgaden
Bringing Up Baby
Feb 16 "Bringing Up Baby" film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, is released
- Feb 16 US Federal Crop Insurance program authorized
- Feb 17 1st public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV (London)
- Feb 19 Soviet arctic ice research station North Pole 1 evacuated, Denmark
- Feb 20 Adolf Hitler announces his support for Japan during the Sino-Japanese War
Anthony Eden Resigns
Feb 20 UK Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden resigns, stating Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has appeased Nazi Germany
- Feb 24 Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
- Feb 25 Lord Halifax becomes British Foreign Secretary
- Feb 26 1st passenger ship equipped with radar
- Feb 26 Rie Van Veen swims world record 200m free style (2:24.6)
- Feb 26 US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer
- Feb 26 US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Heinz Steinmann, German soccer defender (3 caps West Germany; Schwarz-Weiß Essen, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Werder Bremen), born in Essen, Germany (d. 2023)
- Feb 1 Jacky Cupit, American golfer (US Open runner-up 1963; PGA Tour Rookie of Year 1961; 4 x PGA titles), born in Longview Texas
- Feb 1 Jimmy Carl Black [Inkanish], American rock drummer (Mothers Of Invention, 1965-69; Muffin Men, 1993-2008), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 2008)
- Feb 1 Manuel Ycaza, Panamanian jockey (Belmont Stakes 1964; Racing Hall of Fame), born in Panama (d. 2018)
- Feb 1 Sherman Hemsley, American actor (All in the Family; The Jeffersons; Amen), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
- Feb 2 Bo Hopkins, American actor (Dynasty, Midnight Express), born in Greenville, South Carolina
- Feb 2 Nur Hassan Hussein [Nur Adde], Somalian politician, Prime Minister of Somalia (2007-09), born in Mogadishu, Somalia (d. 2020)
Emile Griffith (1938-2013)
Feb 3 American boxer, (world welterweight, middleweight & junior middleweight champion), born in Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands
- Feb 3 Randolfe "Randy" Wicker [Charles Gervin Hayden Jr.], American author, LGBT and pro-cloning activist and blogger, born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Feb 3 Victor Buono, American actor (Man from Atlantis: The, Untouchables; Batman - "King Tut"), born in San Diego, California (d. 1982)
- Feb 3 Vladimir Grigoryevich Fartushny, Russian cosmonaut
- Feb 4 Donald Riegle, American politician (Senator-D-Michigan 1976-95), born in Flint, Michigan
- Feb 4 Joe Beard, American blues guitarist (No More Cherry Rose), born in Ashland, Mississippi
- Feb 5 Dick van Niehoff, Dutch pop vocalist (Fouryo), born in the Netherlands (d. 2000)
- Feb 6 Ellsworth Milburn, American composer and educator (Menil Antiphons), born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania (d. 2007)
- Feb 7 Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rican baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1963, 64 Chicago White Sox; World Series 1957 Milwaukee Braves), born in Santurce, Puerto Rico (d. 2021)
- Feb 7 Robert Frank Baksa, American contemporary classical composer, born in New York City
- Feb 7 S. Ramachandran Pillai, Indian communist leader
- Feb 8 Ray Sharpe, American rockabilly singer-songwriter ("Linda Lu"), born in Forth Worth, Texas
- Feb 9 Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, American classical pianist, composer and pedagogue, born in Waltham, Massachusetts
- Feb 9 Park Jong-hwan, South Korean soccer manager (South Korea 1983-84, 86-88, 90, 95-96; Seoul FC), born in Ongjin, North Korea (d. 2023)
- Feb 11 Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricket all-rounder and captain (61 Tests; 3448 runs @ 32.22, 7 x 100; 59 wickets), born in Motueka, New Zealand (d. 2018)
- Feb 11 Bobby "Boris" Pickett, American singer-songwriter ("Monster Mash"), born in Somerville, Massachusetts (d. 2007)
- Feb 11 Boris Majorov, USSR, ice hockey (Olympic gold 1964)
- Feb 11 Simone de Oliveira, Portuguese actress
- Feb 11 Willy Corrêa de Oliveira, Brazilian modernist composer, and music promoter (Festival Música Nova), born in Recife, Brazil
- Feb 11 Yevgeniy Majorov, USSR, ice hockey (Olympic gold 1964)
- Feb 12 Judy Blume, American author (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Feb 13 Oliver Reed, English actor (Big Sleep), born in London (d. 1999)
- Feb 14 Lee Chamberlin, American actor (Once Upon a Family, Rupture Fatale), born in New York City
- Feb 15 Jack Tinker, British drama critic (d. 1996)
- Feb 15 Lord Justice Ward, British judge
- Feb 16 Anthony Costello, American actor (Will Penny, The Outer Limits), born in Andover, Massachusetts (d. 1983)
- Feb 16 Barry Primus, American actor (Sgt McKenna-Cagney & Lacey, Boxcar Bertha), born in New York City
- Feb 16 John Corigliano, American composer (Fern Hill, Ghosts of Versailles), born in New York City
- Feb 17 Alan Rees, Welsh rugby union fly-half (3 Tests; Maesteg RFC), rugby league five eighth (Leeds RLFC) and cricket all-rounder (Glamorgan CCC), born in Talbot, Wales (d. 2022)
- Feb 17 Charles "Buck" Trent, American country and bluegrass banjoist, dobro player, and singer (Hee Haw), born in Spartanburg, South Carolina (d. 2023)
- Feb 17 Mary Frances Berry, American lawyer and activist, head of US Commission on Civil Rights, born in Nashville, Tennessee
- Feb 18 Barry Knight, English cricket all-rounder (29 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 127, 70 wickets, BB 4/38; Essex CCC, Leicestershire CCC), born in Chesterfield, England
- Feb 18 Elke Erb, German writer, born in Scherbach
- Feb 18 István Szabó, Hungarian film director
- Feb 18 Manny Mota, Dominican baseball outfielder (LA Dodgers), born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Feb 20 Jack Bicknell, American football coach (Boston College, Barcelona Dragons), born in North Plainfield, New Jersey
- Feb 20 Mona Mitchell, Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Alexandra
- Feb 21 Beryl Anthony Jr., American politician (Rep-D-CA, 1979-93), born in El Dorado, Arkansas
- Feb 22 Bobby Hendricks, American R&B singer (Itchy Twitchy Feeling), born in Columbus, Ohio
- Feb 22 Ishmael Reed, American author (Last Days of Louisiana Red), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Feb 22 Pierre Vallières, French Canadian politician, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1995)
- Feb 23 Diane Varsi, San Mateo California, actress (Peyton Place)
- Feb 23 Jiří Menzel, Czech film director (Closely Watched Trains), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2020)
- Feb 23 Sylvia Chase, newscaster (ABC Weekend News, 20/20), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Feb 24 James Farentino, American actor (The Final Countdown; Dynasty; Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2012)
- Feb 24 Kathleen Richardson (née Fountain), British clergywoman (President of Methodist Conference of Great Britain, 1992-93), born in Chesterfield, England
- Feb 24 Louie Ramirez, American salsa and Latin jazz vibraphonist, bandleader, composer, and record producer, born in New York City (d. 1993)
- Feb 24 Phil Knight, American sportswear manufacturer (Nike), born in Portland, Oregon
- Feb 25 Diane Baker, American actress (Diary of Anne Frank; Marnie), born in Hollywood, California
- Feb 25 Ed Cobb, American pop vocalist (The Four Preps, 1956-66 - "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)"), songwriter ("Tainted Love"), sound engineer and producer, born in Honolulu, Hawaii (d. 1999)
- Feb 25 Farokh Engineer, Indian cricket wicket-keeper (1961-75)
- Feb 25 Herb Elliott, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 1,500m [WR 3:35.6] 1960; WR mile 3:54.5 1958), born in Perth, Australia
- Feb 25 Viktor Kosichkin, Russian speed skater (Olympic gold 5,000m, silver 10,000m 1960), born in Rybnoye (d. 2012)
- Feb 26 Evagoras Pallikarides, Cypriot freedom fighter, born in Tsada, Cyprus (d. 1957)
- Feb 26 Jack Knight, American actor (Mr Shamley-James at 15), born in Somerville, Mississippi
- Feb 27 Pascale Petit, French actress (Code Name: Jaguar, End of Desire), born in Paris, France
- Feb 28 Foge Fazio, American college football coach (University of Pittsburgh), born in Dawmont, West Virginia (d. 2009)
- Feb 28 Martin Olav Sabo, American politician (Rep-D-MN, 1979-2007), born in Crosby, North Dakota (d. 2016)
Famous Deaths
Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938)
Feb 7 American manufacturer and founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, dies at 69
- Feb 9 Truby King, New Zealand physician, pioneer in infant welfare (Karitāne hospitals, Plunket Society), dies at 79 [1]
- Feb 11 James A. Ten Eyck, American champion rower and coach (Ten Eyck Trophy namesake), dies at 86
- Feb 16 Otto zur Linde, German author (Lieder of the Leids), dies at 64
- Feb 18 Alida Tartaud-Klein, Dutch actress and performance artist (Rotterdam Stage), dies at 64
- Feb 18 David King Udall, American politician and Mormon leader, dies at 86
- Feb 18 Edward Anseele, Belgian socialist politician, dies at 81
George Dayton (1857-1938)
Feb 18 American businessman (founder of Target Corporation), dies of cancer at 80
