Historical Events
- Feb 1 1st black pilot (PH Young) on a US scheduled passenger airline
- Feb 1 Felix Wankel's first working prototype DKM 54 of the rotary Wankel engine was running at the NSU research and development department Versuchsabteilung TX in Germany
- Feb 1 Gijsbert of Hall appointed mayor of Amsterdam
- Feb 1 MLB club owners accept new 5-year pension plan proposed by the players, but reject request to increase minimum salary from $6,000 to $7,500
- Feb 2 "Candide" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 73 performances
- Feb 2 UN adopts a resolution calling for Israeli troops to leave Egypt
- Feb 4 1st electric portable typewriter placed on sale (Syracuse NY)
Shostakovich 2nd Piano Concert
Feb 5 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 2nd Piano Concert
- Feb 11 KUMV TV channel 8 in Williston, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting
Election of Interest
Feb 11 NHL Players Association forms (NYC), Red Wings' Ted Lindsay elected president
Conference of Interest
Feb 14 Southern Christian Leadership Conference organizes in New Orleans with Martin Luther King Jr. as its President
- Feb 15 Andrei A Gromyko succeeds Dmitri Shepilov as Soviet foreign minister
The Seventh Seal
Feb 16 Swedish film classic "The Seventh Seal" directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Max von Sydow and Bengt Ekerot is released
- Feb 16 The "Toddlers' Truce", a controversial television close down between 6 and 7 pm, abolished in the United Kingdom
- Feb 17 A fire at a home for the elderly in Warrenton, Missouri kills 72 people.
- Feb 18 Kenyan freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi executed by hanging by the British colonial government
- Feb 20 Hughie Tayfield takes 9-113 v England, 13 wkts for match
- Feb 21 Dodgers (Fort Worth) & Cubs (LA) "trade" minor league franchises
- Feb 22 Jockey Ted Atkinson, 3,500th win
- Feb 22 Walter O'Malley says Dodgers may play 10 exhibitions in California in 1958
Music History
Feb 23 Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, and George David Weiss's musical "Mr Wonderful", with Sammy Davis Jr. and his father Sammy Davis Sr., closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 383 performances
- Feb 23 The founding congress of the Senegalese Popular Bloc is opened in Dakar
Cricket Record
Feb 25 Buddy Holly and the Crickets record their smash hit "That'll Be the Day" in Clovis, New Mexico
- Feb 25 US Supreme Court decides 6-3, baseball is only antitrust exempt pro sport
Conference of Interest
Feb 27 Mao Zedong's famous speech to the Supreme State Conference "On Correct Handling of Contradictions Among People" expounding Maoist ideals
- Feb 27 Premiere of only prime-time network TV show beginning with an "X": "Xavier Cugat Show" on NBC (until X-Files)
Golden Globes
Feb 28 14th Golden Globes: The King and I, Kirk Douglas, & Ingrid Bergman win
Sports History
Feb 28 Jockey Johnny Longden's 5,000th career victory
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Dennis Brown, Jamaican reggae singer ("Money In My Pocket"), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 1999)
- Feb 1 Donna Adamek, American tenpin bowler (BWAA Woman of Year 1978-81), born in Duarte, California
- Feb 2 Laurie Mann, current DPS curator/geek
- Feb 3 Luc Van Hove, Belgian contemporary classical composer (Stradella), born in Wilrijk, Belgium
- Feb 3 Michele Greene, American actress (Abby Perkins-LA Law), born in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Feb 4 Don Davis, American trombonist, arranger, and composer, mostly for film (The Matrix), and television (Beauty & The Beast), born in Anaheim, California
- Feb 4 Evan Wolfson, American attorney and activist
- Feb 4 Philippe Saisse, French smooth jazz and session keyboardist, composer, and record producer, born in Marseille, France
- Feb 5 Craig Wilson, American water polo goalkeeper (Olympic silver 1984, 88), born in Beeville, Texas
- Feb 5 Nick Laird-Clowes, English singer-songwriter (The Dream Academy - "Life in a Northern Town"), record producer, and film score composer, born in London, England
- Feb 6 Jerry Marotta, American session and touring drummer (Orleans; Peter Gabriel; Indigo Girls; Tony Levin), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Feb 6 Kathy Najimy, American actress and activist (Sister Act, Veronica's Closet), born in San Diego, California
- Feb 6 Robert Townsend, American comedian and actor (Hollywood Shuffle, Ratboy), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 6 Simon Phillips, English drummer & record producer (Toto), born in London
- Feb 7 Carney Lansford, American baseball third baseman (MLB All-Star 1988, World Series 1989 Oakland Athletics; Silver Slugger Award & AL batting champion 1981 Boston RS), born in San Jose, California
- Feb 7 Dámaso García, Dominican baseball second baseman (MLB All-Star 1984, 85; Silver Slugger Award 1982; Toronto Blue Jays), born in Moca, Dominican Republic (d. 2020)
- Feb 7 Richard Cook, British jazz writer (The Penguin Guide To Jazz Recordings), born in Kew, Surrey, England (d. 2007)
- Feb 9 Gordon Strachan, Scottish soccer player, 1974-97 (Manchester, Leeds, and 3 other teams), and manager, 1996-2017, born in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Feb 9 Mohammed Valli Moosa, South African leader (UDF)
- Feb 10 Pranab Roy, cricketer (son of Pankaj, Indian batsman 1982)
- Feb 13 Denise Austin, US fitness instructor and author, born in San Pedro, California
- Feb 13 Doris King, American country vocalist (Girls Next Door - "Slow Boat To China"), born in Nashville, Tennessee
- Feb 13 Thelston Payne, West Indian cricket wicketkeeper (1 Test, 5 dismissals; 7 ODIs, HS 60; Barbados), born in Foul Bay, Barbados (d. 2023)
- Feb 13 Tony Butler, British session and touring rock bassist (Big Country, 1982-2012 - "In A Big Country"; "Wonderland"), born in Shepherd's Bush, London
- Feb 14 Alan Hunter, one of the original MTV VJs, born in Birmingham, Alabama
- Feb 14 Soile Isokoski, Finnish soprano, born in Posio, Finland
- Feb 15 Bienvenida Buck, Spanish lover of Peter Harding, born in Valencia, Spain
- Feb 15 Jake E Lee, American rock guitarist (Badlands, 1988-93; Ozzy Osborne, 1982-89), born in Norfolk, Virginia
- Feb 15 Jimmy Spencer, American race car driver
- Feb 15 Steve Farhood, American boxing historian and analyst
- Feb 16 LeVar Burton, American actor, (Roots - "Kunta Kinte"; Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge"), born in Landstuhl, Germany
- Feb 17 Loreena McKennitt, Canadian world and Celtic harpist, accordion, and piano player, singer, and composer ("The Mummer's Dance"), born in Morden, Manitoba
- Feb 18 Bruce Rauner, American politician (Governor of Illinois, 2015–19), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 18 Marita Koch, German 400m sprinter (Olympic gold 1980), born in Wismar, Germany
- Feb 18 Vanna Marie White, American television host (Wheel of Fortune), born in Conway, South Carolina
- Feb 19 Dave "Smoke" Stewart, American pitcher (Oakland Athletic), born in Oakland, California
- Feb 19 Falco [Johann "Hans" Hölzel], Austrian rock vocalist ("Rock Me Amadeus"), born in Vienna, Austria
- Feb 19 Ray Winstone, British actor (Scum), born in Homerton, London
- Feb 20 Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey coach (Washington Capitals 2003-08; Belarus 2005-06) and goalie (Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings), born in Brandon, Manitoba
- Feb 24 Phil McConkey, NFL wide receiver (NY Giants)
- Feb 25 Dennis Diken, American drummer (The Smithereens -"Only A Memory"), born in Belleville, New Jersey
- Feb 25 Jane Ackroyd, British sculptor
- Feb 25 Stuart "Woody" Wood, Scottish pop guitarist (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Feb 26 Connie Carpenter-Phinney, American cyclist (Olympic gold individual road race 1984; World C'ship gold Individual pursuit 1983), born in Madison, Wisconsin
- Feb 26 David Muldrow Beasley, American politician, born in Darlington, South Carolina
- Feb 26 Joe Mullen, American Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (Stanley Cup 1989, Calgary Flames; Pittsburgh Penguins 1991, 92; NHL All Star 1988, 89), born in New York City
- Feb 26 Keena Rothhammer, American 800m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1972), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Feb 27 Adrian Smith, English heavy metal guitarist (Iron Maiden - "Aces High"), born in London Borough of Hackney, London, England
- Feb 27 Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, born in Toronto, Ontario
- Feb 27 Timothy Spall, English actor (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Life is Sweet), born in London, England
- Feb 27 Viktor Markin, Russian athlete, born in Ust-Tarksky District, Russia
- Feb 28 Ainsley Harriott, British celebrity chef
- Feb 28 Cindy Wilson, American rock vocalist (B-52's - "Love Shack"), born in Athens, Georgia
- Feb 28 Ian Smith, New Zealand cricket wicket-keeper (63 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 173, 176 dismissals; Central Districts, Auckland) and broadcaster (Sky Sports, SEN), born in Nelson, New Zealand
- Feb 28 Ian Stanley, British rock keyboardist and songwriter (Tears For Fears, 1981-87 - "Shout"; "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"), born in Bath, England
- Feb 28 John Turturro, American actor (Brain Donor, Color of Money, Jungle Fever), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 28 Paul Delph, American rock session and touring keyboardist and producer, born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1996)
- Feb 28 Phil Gould, British rock drummer and percussionist (Level 42 - "Something About You"), born in Hong Kong
Famous Weddings
Elizabeth Taylor
Feb 2 English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor (24) marries for the 3rd time to American film producer Mike Todd (47), until his death in 1958
Richard Harris
Feb 9 Actor-singer Richard Harris (26) weds socialite Elizabeth Rees (20); divorce in 1969
Famous Deaths
Friedrich Paulus (1890-1957)
Feb 1 German field marshal who commanded the 6th Army at Stalingrad and highest-ranking German officer to surrender, dies at 66
- Feb 2 Grigory Landsberg, Russian physicist (b. 1890)
- Feb 2 Julia Morgan, American architect (Hearst Castle, and other Hearst properties), first female degreed by Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and first licensed in California, dies at 85 [1]
- Feb 4 Miguel Covarrubias, Mexican illustrator and ethnologist (co-discoverer of the Olmec civilization) dies of sepsis at 52
- Feb 5 Joseph Ben Hardaway, American storyboard artist, director, and creator of Bugs Bunny, dies of a heart attack at 66
- Feb 5 Sami Ibrahim Haddad, Lebanese surgeon (b. 1890)
- Feb 7 Rudolph Reti, Serbian composer, dies at 71
- Feb 8 John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and astronomer (Bocher Award 1938), dies at 53
- Feb 8 Walter Bothe, German subatomic particle physicist (Nobel Prize for Physics 1954), dies at 66
- Feb 9 Miklós Horthy, Hungarian navy admiral, military leader, and statesman (Regent of Kingdom of Hungary, 1920-44), dies at 88
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)
Feb 10 American author (Little House on the Prairie), dies at 90
- Feb 12 Eric Alfred Knudsen, American folklorist (b. 1872)
- Feb 12 Johannes Anker Larsen, Danish writer (Martha og Maria), dies at 82
- Feb 16 Józef Hofmann, Polish-American pianist, composer, educator (Curtis Institute, 1924-38), and inventor, (pneumatic shock absorbers), dies of pneumonia at 81
- Feb 16 Leslie Hore-Belisha, British politician (Minister of Transport, 1934-37; War Secretary, 1937–40), dies at 63
- Feb 18 Dedan Kimathi [wa Waciuri], Kenyan freedom fighter (Mau Mau Uprising), dies by execution at 36
- Feb 18 Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer (Hertzsprung-Russell diagram), dies at 79
Joseph Gilbert Hamilton (1907-1957)
Feb 18 American Physician who was a pioneer of using radioactive isotopes in disease treatment and diagnosis, dies of radiation induced leukemia at 49
- Feb 19 Maurice Garin, Italian-born French road bicycle racer (winner of Tour de France in 1903), dies at 85
- Feb 22 Harry Sothern, British actor (Blind Wives, Buck Rogers), dies at 72
- Feb 23 John Friend Mahoney, American physician who pioneered the treatment of syphilis with penicillin, dies at 67
- Feb 23 Marika Ninou, Greek singer (b. 1918)
Bugs Moran (1891-1957)
Feb 25 American gangster of the Prohibition-era, dies of lung cancer in prison at 65
- Feb 25 Kurt von Wolfurt, German composer, dies at 76
- Feb 25 Mark Aldanov, Russian-French writer and critic (Novy Zhurnal), dies at 70
