Historical Events
Curly Lambeau Resigns
Feb 1 Green Bay Packers founder, player and coach Curly Lambeau resigns after 31 seasons and 6 NFL titles to his credit
- Feb 1 Urko Kekkonen elected Prime Minister of Finland
- Feb 2 1st broadcast of "What's My Line" on CBS-TV
"Arms and the Girl"
Feb 2 Morton Gould and Dorothy Field's colonial-era musical "Arms and the Girl", starring Nanette Fabray and Pearl Bailey, opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 134 performances
Fuchs Arrested for Spying
Feb 3 Nuclear physicist Klaus Fuchs arrested on spying charges
McCarthy's Red Scare
Feb 9 Senator Joseph McCarthy charges State Department infested with 205 communists
- Feb 11 "Rag Mop" by The Ames Brothers hits #1
- Feb 11 4th British Empire Games close in Auckland, New Zealand
- Feb 11 Englishman Jack Holden wins Empire Games marathon in Auckland, New Zealand in 2:32:57; runs last 9 miles barefoot after his shoes fell apart during the race
Event of Interest
Feb 12 Albert Einstein warns against the hydrogen bomb
Cinderella Premieres
Feb 15 Walt Disney's animated film "Cinderella" premieres in Boston. Massachusetts
Film & TV History
Feb 15 William Inge's stage drama "Come Back, Little Sheba", starring Shirley Booth and Sidney Blackmer, opens at the Booth Theatre, NYC; runs for 190 performances, and wins 2 Tony Awards
- Feb 15 WSYR (now WSTM) TV channel 3 in Syracuse, New York (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Feb 16 Longest-running prime-time game show, "What's My Line" begins on CBS
- Feb 16 Writers fail to elect anyone to Baseball's Hall of Fame
- Feb 17 Two Long Island Rail Road trains collide head-on, killing 32 near Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York
- Feb 18 "Dance Me a Song" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 35 performances
- Feb 19 Groundbreaking ceremony held for Mississippi Vocational College (later Mississippi Valley State University)
Event of Interest
Feb 20 Dylan Thomas arrives in NYC for his 1st US poetry reading tour
Golden Globes
Feb 23 7th Golden Globes: "All the King's Men", Broderick Crawford, and Olivia de Havilland win
- Feb 24 Labour wins UK parliamentary election by 5 seats
Your Show of Shows
Feb 25 "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca premieres on NBC. Writers include Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Woody Allen.
Music History
Feb 26 Jerome Robbin's ballet choreographed to Leonard Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" premieres at the New York City Center Theater
- Feb 28 "Alive & Kicking" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 46 performances
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Mike Campbell, American rock guitarist (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Breakdown"), and producer, born in Panama City, Florida
- Feb 1 Rich Williams, American guitarist (Kansas ' "Carry On Wayward Son"), born in Topeka, Kansas
- Feb 2 Barbara Sukowa, German actress (Zentropia, Sicilian, Voyager, Lola)
- Feb 2 Genichiro Tenryu [Shimada], Japanese professional wrestler, born in Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan
- Feb 2 Osamu Kido, Japanese wrestler (NJPW/UWF), born in Kawasaki, Japan (d. 2023)
- Feb 3 John Schlitt, American Christian rock singer (Petra), born in Lincoln, Illinois
- Feb 3 Michael Dickinson, British(?) reorganizer
- Feb 3 Morgan Fairchild [Patsy McClenny], actress (Falcon Crest), born in Dallas, Texas
- Feb 4 (Michael) "Woody" Woodmansey, British drummer (David Bowie, 1970-73; The Spiders from Mars), born in Driffield, England
- Feb 4 James Dunn, American soul singer (The Stylistics - "Betcha by Golly, Wow"; "You Make Me Feel Brand New"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Feb 4 Pamela Franklin, actress (Satan's School for Girls), born in Tokyo, Japan
- Feb 4 Phil Ehart, American rock drummer, and songwriter (Kansas - "Point of Know Return"), born in Coffeyville, Kansas
- Feb 4 Robert Jan Stips, Dutch rock keyboardist, songwriter, and producer (Golden Earring, 1974-80; The Nits, 1983-96 & 2003-present), born in The Hague, Netherlands
- Feb 5 Ann Sexton, American vocalist (You're Gone too Long), born in Greenville, South Carolina
- Feb 5 Terry Beasley, American College Football HOF wide receiver (Unanimous All-American 1971 Auburn University; NFL: San Francisco 49ers), born in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 2024)
- Feb 6 (Edwin) "Punky" Meadows, American glam-rock guitarist (Angel), born in Washington, D.C.
Natalie Cole (1950-2015)
Feb 6 American Grammy Award-winning pop vocalist ('This Will Be"; "Pink Cadillac"; "Miss You Like Crazy"; "Unforgettable"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 6 Rich Glover, American NFL player, born in Bayonne, New Jersey
- Feb 7 Burt Hooton, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (MLB All-Star, World Series, NLCS MVP 1981; no-hitter 1972; Chicago Cubs, LA Dodgers), born in Greenville, Texas
- Feb 7 Marilyn Cochran, American skier (Olympics 1972), born in Burlington, Vermont
- Feb 7 Mauro Bellugi, Italian soccer defender (32 caps; Inter Milan, Bologna, Napoli), born in Buonconvento, Italy (d. 2021)
- Feb 8 Cristina Ferrare, American supermodel and actress, born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Feb 8 Jose Armando Lopez-Falcon, Cuban cosmonaut, born in Havana, Cuba
- Feb 8 Michael Goodroe, American rock bassist (Motels - "Only the Lonely"), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Feb 9 Andrew N Meltzoff, developmental psychologist
- Feb 9 Lloyd Keasor, American freestyle wrestler (World C'ship gold 68kg, Olympic silver 1976), born in Pumphrey, Maryland
- Feb 9 Richard F. Colburn, American politician, Senator (R) Maryland (1995-2015), born in Easton, Maryland
- Feb 9 Terry Hawkins, theatre administrator
- Feb 10 Gail Rebuck, CEO (Random House)
Mark Spitz (74 years old)
Feb 10 American swimmer (won then record 7 Olympic golds in 1972), born in Modesto, California
- Feb 11 Clarence Ellis, American football safety, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Feb 11 Ernest Istook, American politician (Rep-R-Oklahoma), born in Fort Worth, Texas
- Feb 12 Michael Ironside, Canadian actor (Starship Troopers), born in Toronto, Ontario
- Feb 12 Steve Hackett, British progressive rock guitarist, and composer (Genesis, 1971-77; GTR), born in Pimilco, London, England
- Feb 13 Ewa Aulin, Swedish actress (Candy, Fiorina La Vacca), born in Stockholm, Sweden
- Feb 13 Leonard Pascoe, Australian cricketer (dynamic Aussie quick 1977-82), born in Bridgetown, Australia
Peter Gabriel (74 years old)
Feb 13 English rock vocalist and composer (Genesis, 1967-75; "In Your Eyes"; "Biko"; "Shock The Monkey"), born in Surrey, England
- Feb 14 Raymond van het Groenewoud, Dutch-Belgian singer-songwriter, musician and composer ("Meisjes"; Brussels by Night), born in Schaerbeek, Belgium
- Feb 14 Roger Fisher, American rock guitarist (Heart, 1967-80 - "Barracuda"), born in Seattle, Washington
- Feb 15 Donna Hanover Giuliani (née Kofnovec;), American TV news anchor (WPIX), and second wife of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1994-2002), born in Oakland, California
- Feb 15 Nikolai Sergeivich Grekov, Russian cosmonaut
- Feb 16 Kazuki Tomokawa [Tenji Nozoki], Japanese acid-folk singer-songwriter, born in Hachiryu (now Mitane), Akita Prefecture, Japan
- Feb 16 Peter Hain, British politician (Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 2005-07), born in Kenya Colony
- Feb 17 Rickey Medlocke, American rock guitarist, vocalist, and drummer (Blackfoot, 1969-97 - "Highway Song"' "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme"; Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1971-72 and 1996-present), born in Jackson, Florida
- Feb 18 Bruce Kison, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1971, 79), born in Bradenton, Florida (d. 2018)
- Feb 18 Cybill Shepherd, American actress (Moonlighting, Last Picture Show), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Feb 18 John Hughes, American film director (Breakfast Club; Ferris Bueller's Day Off), born in Lansing, Michigan (d. 2009)
- Feb 18 Michel Gauthier, Canadian politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
- Feb 19 Andy Powell, British rock guitarist and songwriter (Wishbone Ash - Argus), born in London, England
- Feb 20 John Voldstad, Norwegian-American actor (Newhart- "other Daryl"), born in Oslo, Norway
- Feb 20 Ken Shimura, Japanese comedian and actor (Shimura Ken no Bakatono-sama), born in Higashimurayama, Japan (d. 2020)
Walter Becker (1950-2017)
Feb 20 American rock bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer (Steely Dan - "Deacon Blues"; "Peg"), born in New York City
- Feb 21 Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopian diplomat, President of Ethiopia (2018-), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Feb 22 Ellen Greene, American vocalist and actress (Little Shoppe of Horrors), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 22 Genesis P-Orridge [Neil Megson], British avant-garde rock singer-songwriter, and performance artist (Throbbing Gristle; Psychic TV), born in Manchester, England (d. 2020)
- Feb 22 Julie Walters, English actress (Educating Rita, Prick Up Your Ears), born in Birmingham, England
Julius Erving (74 years old)
Feb 22 American Basketball Hall of Fame forward (11-time NBA All Star) known as "Dr. J", born in East Meadow, New York
- Feb 22 Lenny Kuhr, Dutch singer, born in Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Feb 22 Miou-Miou [Sylvette Herry], French actress (Dog Day, My Other Husband), born in Paris, France
- Feb 24 G J M Gazdar, computational linguist
George Thorogood (74 years old)
Feb 24 American singer and guitarist (The Delaware Destroyers - "Bad to the Bone"), born in Wilmington, Delaware
- Feb 24 Howard Griffiths, British conductor (Zurich Chamber Orchestra, 1996-2006; Brandenburg State Orchestra, 2007-2019), born in Hastings, England
- Feb 25 Anthony Lloyd, British MP
- Feb 25 Emitt Rhodes, American rock singer-songwriter, musician (Merry-Go-Round), sound engineer, and record producer, born in Decatur, Illinois (d. 2020)
- Feb 25 Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish alpine skier (d. 2006)
- Feb 25 Kenny Gradney, American bassist and songwriter (Little Feat - "Time Loves A Hero"; Delaney & Bonnie & Friends; Robert Palmer), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Feb 25 Mick Miller [Lawton], British stand-up comedian and television personality, born in Liverpool, England
- Feb 25 Neil Jordan, Irish director (Crying Game) and novelist, born in Sligo
- Feb 25 Néstor Kirchner, Argentine politician, President of Argentina 2003-2007), born in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz (d. 2010)
- Feb 26 Billy Steinberg, American lyricist and songwriter, with Tom Kelly ("Like A Virgin"; "True Colors"; "I Touch Myself"), born in Palm Springs, California
Helen Clark (74 years old)
Feb 26 New Zealand Prime Minister (Labour: 1999-2008) and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2009-17), born in Hamilton, New Zealand
- Feb 26 Jonathan Cain, American rock guitarist & keyboardist (Journey; Babys), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 27 Franco Moschino, Italian fashion designer, born in Abbiategrasso, Italy
- Feb 27 Julia Neuberger, British rabbi, born in Hampstead, United Kingdom
- Feb 28 Ilene Graff, American actress (Marsha-Mr Belvedere), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 28 Stephen Chatman, American-Canadian composer (Choir Practice), and educator (University of British Columbia, 1976-present), born in Faribault, Minnesota
Famous Weddings
David Attenborough
Feb 17 Natural history broadcaster David Attenborough (24) weds Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel
Famous Deaths
- Feb 2 Constantin Carathéodory, Greek mathematician (b. 1873)
- Feb 2 George A. Birmingham, Irish clergyman and novelist, dies at 84
- Feb 3 Karl Seitz, President of Austria (1920), dies at 80
- Feb 6 Frank Speck, American anthropologist (Algonquin Tribes and Eastern Woodland Native Americans), dies at 68
- Feb 6 Georges Imbert, Alsatian chemist (b. 1884)
- Feb 10 Armen Tigran Tigranyan, Armenian music composer and conductor, dies at 70
- Feb 10 Marcel Mauss, French sociologist (b. 1872)
- Feb 11 Kiki Cuyler, American Baseball HOF right fielder (World Series 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates; 4 × NL stolen base leader; MLB All Star 1934 Chicago Cubs), dies at 51
- Feb 13 Rafael Sabatini, Italian-British writer (The Sea Hawk), dies at 74
- Feb 14 Eduard Hermann, German linguist (Homer), dies at 80
- Feb 14 Karl Jansky, American engineer (discovered cosmic radio emissions), dies of a heart condition at 44
- Feb 16 David Denton, English cricket batsman (11 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 104; Yorkshire CCC), dies at 75
- Feb 18 Voranc Prezikov [Lovro Kuhar], Slovenian author (Jamnica), dies at 56
- Feb 19 Edyth Walker, American opera singer, dies at 82
- Feb 20 Sarat Chandra Bose, Indian activist for independence, dies at 60
- Feb 25 George Minot, American physician (Nobel 1934 - introduction of a raw-liver diet in the treatment of pernicious anemia), dies at 64
- Feb 26 Harry Lauder, Scottish comedian and singer ("Roamin' in the Gloamin'"), dies at about 75
- Feb 27 Ivan Goll, French-German writer (the Landless John), dies at 58
