Historical Events
- Feb 1 "General Electric Theater" premieres on CBS TV; Ronald Reagan later hosts
"You Are There"
Feb 1 "You Are There" with Walter Cronkite premieres on CBS television
- Feb 1 Dr A de Waal appointed as Netherlands' first female assistant secretary of state
- Feb 1 Flooding in Netherlands kills 1,835
- Feb 1 WEEK TV channel 25 in Peoria, IL (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Feb 3 J Fred Muggs, a chimpanzee, becomes a regular on NBC's Today Show
- Feb 5 "Peter Pan", animated film by Walt Disney opens at Roxy Theater, NYC
5th Emmy Awards
Feb 5 5th Emmy Awards: I Love Lucy, Thomas Mitchell and Helen Hayes win
CIA Director Dulles
Feb 9 General Walter Bedell Smith ends term as 4th Director of Central Intelligence Agency; Allen Dulles becomes Acting Director
- Feb 9 WNEP TV channel 16 in Scranton Wilkes-Barre, PA (ABC) 1st broadcast
- Feb 10 Ice Dance Championship at Davos won by Westwood & Demmy GRB
- Feb 10 Ice Pairs Championship at Davos won by Jennifer & John Nicks of GRB
Albright World Champion
Feb 10 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Tenley Albright USA
- Feb 10 Men's Figure Skating Champion in Davos won by Hayes Alan Jenkins USA
- Feb 11 J. Styne and Bob Hilliard's musical "Hazel Flagg" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 190 performances
Event of Interest
Feb 11 President Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Rosenberg couple
- Feb 11 USSR breaks diplomatic relations with Israel
- Feb 12 USSR breaks relations with Israel
- Feb 13 Philadelphia A's change name of Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium
- Feb 14 "Trionfo di Afrodite (Triumph of Aphrodite)", the final work of Carl Orff's Trionfi trilogy premieres at La Scala in Milan, Italy
Sports History
Feb 16 Ted Williams safely crash-lands his damaged Panther jet, later awarded the Air medal
- Feb 17 DSB soccer team forms in Eindhoven (now PSV Eindhoven), Netherlands
- Feb 18 "Maggie" opens at National Theater NYC for 5 performances
- Feb 18 KOLN TV channel 10 in Lincoln, NB (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Feb 19 Georgia approves US 1st literature censorship board
- Feb 19 William Inge's "Picnic" premieres in NYC
- Feb 20 August A. Busch buys St. Louis Cardinals MLB club from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million; pledges not to move the team from St. Louis, Missouri
- Feb 20 US Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport & not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling
- Feb 21 "Maggie" closes at National Theater NYC after 5 performances
- Feb 21 Longest collegiate basketball game (6 OTs) Niagara beats Siena 88-81
Wonderful Town
Feb 25 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musical "Wonderful Town", starring Rosalind Russell, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 559 performances, wins 5 Tony Awards
Golden Globes
Feb 26 10th Golden Globes: "The Greatest Show on Earth", Gary Cooper, & Shirley Booth win
- Feb 26 Allen Dulles officially promoted from deputy director to become the 5th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Discovery of the DNA Double Helix
Feb 28 Francis Crick and James Watson discover the chemical structure of DNA-molecule (double-helix polymer) using studies of x-ray diffraction developed by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Andy Mill, American alpine skier (non-placed Olympics, World C'ships; ex-husband of tennis player Chris Evert), born in Fort Collins, Colorado
- Feb 2 Duane Chapman, American bounty hunter (Dog the Bounty Hunter), born in Denver, Colorado
- Feb 2 James Mndaweni, South African worker's union leader/president (NACTU)
- Feb 2 Penny Pulz, Australian golfer (Dinah Shore runner-up 1978; 2 x LPGA Tour titles), born in Melbourne, Australia
- Feb 3 Savvas Tsitouridis, Greek politician
- Feb 4 Jerome Powell, American Chair of the US Federal Reserve (2018-), born in Washington, D.C.
- Feb 4 Kitarō [Masanori Takahashi], Japanese New Age composer (Thinking of You), born in Toyohashi, Japan
- Feb 4 Svetlana Ulmasova, USSR, 3K (world title 1978)
- Feb 4 Tatsurō Yamashita, Japanese soft rock singer-songwriter ("Christmas Eve"; "Zutto Issho sa"), born in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan
- Feb 5 John Beilein, American basketball head coach (Cleveland Cavaliers 2019; University of Michigan 2007-19), born in Burt, New York
- Feb 5 Valerie Carter, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, and session vocalist, born in Winter Haven, Florida (d. 2017)
- Feb 6 Susie Hutchison, American equestrian show jumper (Olymp-96), born in Flintridge, California
- Feb 7 Bruce Gaitsch, American session guitarist, songwriter, and record producer (Chicago; Richard Marx; Peter Cetera; Madonna), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dan Quisenberry (1953-1998)
Feb 7 American MLB player (5-time AL saves leader), born in Santa Monica, California,
- Feb 7 Robert Brazile "Dr. Doom", NFL player (Houston Oilers), born in Mobile, Alabama
- Feb 8 Irvine Arditti, British violinist (Arditti Quartet), born in London, England
- Feb 8 Mary Steenburgen, American actress (Parenthood, Time After Time), born in Newport, Arkansas
- Feb 9 André Sevard, Canadian NHL player, born in Témiscaming, Quebec
- Feb 9 Ciarán Hinds, Irish actor (Persuasion, Belfast), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Feb 9 Gabriel Rotello, American television documentary producer
- Feb 9 Gary Franks, American politician (Rep-R-Connecticut 1991-97), born in Waterbury, Connecticut
- Feb 10 Carl Stone, American electronic composer, born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 10 John Shirley, American sci-fi author (Eclipse Penumbra, Eclipse Corona), born in Houston, Texas
- Feb 11 David Walt, American chemist and inventor of microwell arrays that revolutionized genetic analysis [1]
Jeb Bush (71 years old)
Feb 11 American politician (Governor of Florida (R) 1999-2007), born in Midland, Texas
- Feb 11 Neil Henderson, Scottish pop guitarist (Middle Of The Road - "Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep Cheep"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- Feb 11 Philip Anglim, American actor (Dane-Thorn Birds), born in San Francisco, California
- Feb 11 Stephen Thorne, American naval officer, born in Frankfurt, Germany
- Feb 11 Yitzhak "Vicky" Peretz, Israeli soccer striker (40 caps; Maccabi Tel Aviv, Strasbourg, Rennes), born in Kfar Saba, Israel (d. 2021)
- Feb 12 Joanna Kerns [de Varona], actress (Maggie-Growing Pains), born in San Francisco, California
- Feb 12 Nabil Shaban, Jordanian-British actor (Doctor Who), born in Amman, Jordan
- Feb 13 Rico J. Puno, Filipino pop singer, born in Manila, Philippines (d. 2018)
- Feb 13 Sharon Wyatt, American actress (Tiffany-General Hospital), born in Lebanon, Tennessee
- Feb 13 Suleiman Nyambui, Tanzanian runner (world record 5k indoor), born in Tanzania
- Feb 14 Carmine Rojas, American composer, musical director and bass guitarist (David Bowie, Joe Bonamassa), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 14 Wayne Siegel, American electro-acoustic contemporary classical composer, based in Denmark, born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 15 Derek Conway, British MP
- Feb 15 Tony Adams, Irish film producer (d. 2005)
- Feb 16 André St. Laurent, Canadian NHL hockey forward, 1973-90 (New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and 2 other teams), born in Rouyn, Quebec
- Feb 16 George Martin, NFL defensive end, 1975-88 (NY Giants), born in Greenville, South Carolina
- Feb 16 Janice Dickinson, American model (Vogue) and TV personality (America's Next Top Model), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 16 John "Brad" Bradbury, British ska drummer and record producer (The Specials), born in Coventry, England (d. 2015)
- Feb 16 Jonathan Brady, American jazz Hammond B3 organist and singer, born in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
- Feb 16 Roberta Williams, video game designer (Mystery House, Sierra Entertainment), born in La Verne, California
- Feb 18 (Robin) "Robbie" Bachman, Canadian drummer (Bachman-Turner Overdrive - "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"; "Takin' Care Of Business"), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2023)
- Feb 18 Derek Pellicci, English-born Australian rock drummer (Little River Band - "Help Is On The Way"), born in London
- Feb 19 Bill Kirchenbauer, American actor and comedian (Coach-Just the 10 of Us), born in Salzburg, Austria
- Feb 19 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina (2007-2015), born in La Plata, Buenos Aires
- Feb 20 "Uncle" Dave Taylor, Canadian bass player (Bryan Adams, 1982-98), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 20 Carol Cummins, 2nd of 5 siblings born on 2/20, born in Clintwood, Virginia
- Feb 20 Cindy McTee, American composer (The Twittering Machine; Einstein's Dream; Circle Music), and educator (University of North Texas, 1984-2010), born in Tacoma, Washington
- Feb 20 Poison Ivy [Kristy Wallace], American rock guitarist (The Cramps), born in San Bernadino, California
- Feb 20 Riccardo Chailly, Italian conductor (La Scala, 2017-present; Gewandhausorchester, 2005–16; Concertgebouw, 1988–2004), born in Milan, Italy
- Feb 21 Christine Ebersole, American actress (SNL, Valerie, Tootsie), born in Patk Forest, Illinois
- Feb 21 Manny Elias, British session and touring drummer (Tears for Fears, 1981-86; Peter Gabriel; Julian Lennon), born in Calcutta, India
- Feb 21 William Petersen, American actor (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), born in Evanston, Illinois
- Feb 22 Graham Lewis, English musician (Wire), born in Grantham, United Kingdom
- Feb 22 John Sparks, British rock bassist (Dr. Feelgood, 1971-82 - "She Does It Right"; "Milk And Alcohol"), born in Canvey, Essex, England
- Feb 22 Nigel Planer, British actor, born in Westminster, London
- Feb 23 Sallie L Baliunas, astrophysicist
- Feb 23 Satoru Nakajima, Japanese racing driver
- Feb 24 Derek St. Holmes, American musician rock guitarist and singer (Ted Nugent band, 1975-78; 2011-14), born in Riverview, Michigan
- Feb 25 Garrett Glaser, entertainment correspondent (Entertainment Tonight)
- Feb 25 José María Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain
- Feb 25 Kim Yeong-cheol, South Korean actor
- Feb 26 Bree Walker, American news anchor (WNBC TV, KNBC TV), born in Oakland, California
- Feb 26 Michael Bolton [Bolotin], American rock (Blackjack) and pop songwriter and singer ("How Am I Supposed to Live Without You"), born in New Haven, Connecticut
- Feb 27 Oleg Moliboga, Ukrainian volleyball player (Olympic gold USSR 1980, silver 1976; World C'ship gold 1978, 82), born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (d. 2022)
- Feb 28 Ingo Hoffmann, Brazilian race car driver, born in São Paulo, Brazil
- Feb 28 Osmo Vänskä, Finnish clarinetist, conductor (Lahti Symphony, 1988-2008; Minnesota Orchestra, 2003-2022), and composer, born in Sääminki, Finland
Paul Krugman (71 years old)
Feb 28 American economist and New York Times columnist (Nobel Prize in Economics 2008), born in Albany, New York
- Feb 28 Ricky "Dragon" Steamboat [Richard Blood], American professional wrestler (NWA/WWF/WCW/AWA)
Famous Weddings
Agnes Moorehead
Feb 14 Actress Agnes Moorehead (52) weds actor & film director Robert Gist (35)
Famous Deaths
- Feb 2 Gustav Strube, German-American composer and conductor (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), dies at 85
- Feb 4 Alexander Loudon, Dutch diplomat (League of Nations), dies at 60
- Feb 8 Cliff Clark, American actor (Kid Glove Killer, Golden Hoofs, Vigilante Hideout), dies from a heart attack at 63
- Feb 9 Charlie Spencer, English soccer defender and manager (2 caps; Newcastle United; mgr Grimsby Town 1937-51), dies at 53
- Feb 25 Jesus Garcia Leoz, Spanish orchestral and film composer (The Sun Comes Out Every Day), dies at 49
- Feb 26 Elisabeth Kuyper, Dutch pianist, conductor, composer, educator, and women's rights activist dies at 75
