Historical Events
- Feb 1 Heiss sisters go 1-2 in US women's Figure Skating C'ships; defending champion Carol wins from Nancy; David Jenkins wins his third straight men's title
- Feb 1 Outfielder Zack Wheat, a Brooklyn Robins favourite of the 1910s and 1920s, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame; Wheat hit .317 over 19-year career, and batted .300 or better 14 times
Goggin Wins
Feb 1 Senior PGA Championship, PGA National GC: Willie Goggin, using a borrowed set of woods, wins by 1 stroke ahead of Leland Gibson, Paul Runyan and Denny Shute
- Feb 1 Swiss men vote against voting rights for women
- Feb 1 Texas Instruments requests patent of IC (Integrated Circuit)
- Feb 1 WVUE TV channel 8 in New Orleans, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting
Holly's Last Performance
Feb 2 Buddy Holly's last performance at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa [1]
Lombardi to the Packers
Feb 2 Vince Lombardi signs a 5 year contract to coach NFL Green Bay Packers
- Feb 3 "The Day the Music Died" plane crash kills musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper), and the pilot. near Clear Lake, Iowa
- Feb 3 American Airlines Electra crashes in NY's East River, killing 65
- Feb 4 Israel begins exporting copper ore
- Feb 5 Albert Hague and Dorothy Fields' musical "Redhead", starring Gwen Verdon and Richard Kiley, opens at the 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs for 455 performances and wins 6 Tony Awards
- Feb 5 Australia regain the Ashes with a 10 wicket victory at Adelaide
- Feb 6 1st successful test-fire of Titan ICBM
Morrow Interviews Castro
Feb 6 Edward R. Morrow interviews Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro on his "Person to Person" program
- Feb 7 American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook break recently set airplane flight endurance record, exceeding 1550 hours (64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes), landing "The Hacienda", their modified Cessna 172 where they started, in Las Vegas, Nevada [1]
- Feb 7 Fidel Castro proclaims new Cuban constitution
- Feb 7 Mark Charlap and Norman Gimbel's musical "Whoop-Up", starring Julienne Marie and Sylvia Syms, closes at Shubert Theater, NYC, after 56 performances
- Feb 10 Dutch Princess Wilhelmina publishes "Lonely, but not alone"
- Feb 10 Tornado in St Louis kills 19 & injures 265
- Feb 11 Vinoo Mankad ends his final Test Cricket (v WI at Delhi)
- Feb 12 The Lincoln Memorial design on the U.S. penny goes into circulation. It replaces the "sheaves of wheat" design
- Feb 13 Miro Cardon, premier of Cuba, resigns
- Feb 14 $3.6 million heroin seizure in NYC
Italian History
Feb 15 Antonio Segni forms Italian government
- Feb 16 Fidel Castro becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista
- Feb 16 Leonard Spigelgass' "Majority of One" premieres in NYC
- Feb 17 1st weather satellite launched, Vanguard 2, 9.8 kg
- Feb 19 Britain, Turkey & Greece sign agreement granting Cyprus independence
- Feb 19 Gabon adopts its constitution
- Feb 19 USAF rocket-powered rail sled attains Mach 4.1 (4970 kph), at Holloman AFB, New Mexico
Avro Arrow is Cancelled
Feb 20 Canada's program to design and manufacture the supersonic jet fighter the Avro Arrow is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate [1]
Hendrix Plays First Gig
Feb 20 Jimi Hendrix (16), rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig in the Temple De Hirsch synagogue basement, Seattle; fired from the band after the 1st set due to "wild" playing
- Feb 28 "Goldilocks" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances
The Ollie Matson Trade
Feb 28 Chicago Cardinals trade running back Ollie Matson to the LA Rams for an unprecedented 9 players
- Feb 28 Ice Dance Championship at Colorado Springs USA won by Denny & Jones of Great Britain
- Feb 28 Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul of Canada, their 3rd title
- Feb 28 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by Carol Heiss USA
- Feb 28 Launch of Discoverer 1 (WTR)-1st polar orbit
- Feb 28 Men's World Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by David Jenkins USA
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Mike Horan, American NFL punter (Pro Bowl 1988; All-Pro 1988, Denver Broncos; Super Bowl 1999, St. Louis Rams), born in Orange, California
- Feb 1 Ottmar Liebert, German guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Nouveau Flamenco), born in Cologne, Germany
- Feb 1 Wade Wilson, American NFL quarterback, 1981-1998 (Dallas Cowboys - Super Bowl 1995, Minnesota Vikings - Pro Bowl 1988, and 3 other teams), born in Greenville, Texas (d. 2019)
- Feb 3 (Laurence) "Lol" Tolhurst, British rock keyboardist and drummer/drum machine player (The Cure, 1978-89 - "Boys Don't Cry" "The Lovecats"), born in Horley, England
- Feb 3 Thomas Calabro, American actor (Michael Mancini-Melrose Place), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 3 Yasuharu Konishi, Japanese Shibuya-kei J-pop musician, composer, and record producer (Pizzicato Five), born in Sapporo, Japan
Lawrence Taylor (65 years old)
Feb 4 American NFL player considered the greatest linebacker in history (NY Giants), born in Williamsburg, Virginia
- Feb 4 Tsitsi Dangarembga, Zimbabwean writer (Nervous Conditions) and playwright, born in Mutoko, Southern Rhodesia
- Feb 4 Zenani Mandela, daughter of Nelson & Winnie Mandela
- Feb 5 Glenn Dubis, American sport shooter (Olympics 1984, 88, 96), born in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Feb 5 Jennifer Granholm, Canadian-American politician, born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 6 Ken Nelson, English record producer, born in Liverpool, England
- Feb 7 Brian Travers, British rock saxophonist (UB40 - "Red, Red Wine"), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2021)
- Feb 7 Sammy Lee, English footballer (Liverpool), born in Liverpool, England
- Feb 8 Heinz Gunthardt, Swiss tennis star
- Feb 8 Irina Kalinina, Soviet, springboard diver (Olympic gold 1980)
- Feb 8 Mauricio Macri, Argentine politician and President of Argentina (2015-2019), born in Tandil, Buenos Aires
- Feb 9 Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon (2009-), born in Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa
- Feb 10 Fernando Chalana, Portuguese soccer winger (27 caps; Benfica, Bordeaux), born in Barreiro, Portugal (d. 2022)
- Feb 10 Lisa McPherson, former Scientologist (d. 1995)
- Feb 10 Tonga Fifita [Tonga 'Uli'uli Fifita], Tongan wrestler (WCW/WAR/WWF, Ming, Haku, Islanders), born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
- Feb 12 Filipe Nyusi, Mozambican politician (President of Mozambique 2015-), born in Mueda, Portuguese Mozambique
- Feb 12 Omar Hakim, American jazz-fusion and session drummer (Weather Report, 1982-86; Dire Straits - "Brothers In Arms"), arranger, and composer, born in New York City
- Feb 12 Sigrid Thornton, Australian actress (Amelia Lawson-Guns of Paradise), born in Canberra, Australia
- Feb 13 Gaston Gingras, Canadian ice hockey defenceman
- Feb 13 Gord Hampson, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 14 Anny Schilder, Dutch pop singer (BZN, 1976-84 - "Mon Amour"), born in Volendam, Netherlands
- Feb 14 Renée Fleming, American opera singer and soprano, born in Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Feb 15 Alistar "Ali" Campbell, British reggae vocalist and guitarist (UB40, 1978-2008 - "Red Red Wine"), born in Birmingham, England
- Feb 15 Guy De Alwis, cricket wicket-keeper (Sri Lankan mid 80s)
- Feb 15 Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian sports commentator and wrestler, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Feb 15 Joe Hesketh, MLB player (Boston Red Sox), born in Lackawanna, New York
- Feb 16 (Peter) Kelly Tripucka, American NBA forward, 1981-91, 2X All-Star (Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Cahrlotte Hornets), born in Glenn Ridge New Jersey
John McEnroe (65 years old)
Feb 16 American tennis player (US Open 1979, 80, 81, 84; Wimbledon 1981, 83, 84; 10 x Grand Slam doubles titles; Tour Finals 1978, 83, 84; Davis Cup x 5), born in Wiesbaden, Germany
- Feb 17 Aryeh Deri, Israeli rabbi and politician
- Feb 17 Rowdy Gaines, American swimmer (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay, 4x100m medley 1984; 5 x World C'ship gold 1978, 82) and broadcaster (NBC), born in Winter Haven, Florida
Roger Goodell (65 years old)
Feb 19 American NFL Commissioner, born in Jamestown, New York
- Feb 20 Bill Gullickson, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1979-94 (Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, and 2 other teams), born in Marshall, Minnesota
- Feb 20 Scott Brayton, American auto racer (4 x top 10 finishes Indianapolis 500; 2 x pole), born in Coldwater, Michigan (d. 1996)
- Feb 21 José María Cano, Spanish pop musician (Mecano, 1982-98 - "Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar"), composer (Luna), and visual artist, born in Madrid, Spain
- Feb 22 Jiří Čunek, Czech politician, born in Zlín, Czechia
- Feb 22 Kyle MacLachlan, American actor (Blue Velvet, Dune, Twin Peaks), born in Yakima, Washington
- Feb 22 Susan Benjamin, American actress (Tracy-Accidental Family), born in San Marino, California
- Feb 23 Linda Nolan, Irish-British pop singer (The Nolans - "I'm In the Mood for Dancing"), and stage actress, born in Dublin, Ireland
- Feb 24 Beth Broderick, Falmouth KY, actress (Aunt Zelda-Sabrina)
- Feb 24 Michael Whitney, Australian cricket fast bowler (12 Tests, 39 wickets, BB 7/27; 38 ODIs, 46 wickets; NSWCA, Gloucestershire CCC), born in Sydney, Australia
- Feb 25 Carl Marotte, Canadian actor
- Feb 25 Mike Peters, Welsh rock singer (Alarm - "Rain In the Summertime"; Big Country,2010-13), born in Prestatyn, Wales
- Feb 26 Rolando Blackman, American basketball player, born in Panama City, Panama
- Feb 28 Sydney P Mufamadi, South African leader (SACP)
Famous Deaths
- Feb 1 Madame Sul-Te-Wan [Nellie Crawford], American actress (The Birth of a Nation, Uncle Tom's Cabin), dies of a stroke at 85
- Feb 1 William Hoppe, American carom billiards player (51 world titles 1906-52), dies at 71
- Feb 2 Frank DeCaires, West Indian cricket batsman (3 Tests, 2 x 50; British Guiana), dies at 49
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
Feb 3 American rock and roll musician and songwriter ("Peggy Sue"; "That'll Be the Day"; "Words Of Love"), dies in a plane crash at 22 [1]
- Feb 3 Ritchie Valens [Valenzuela], American rock singer ("Donna"; "La Bamba"), dies in plane crash at 17
- Feb 3 The Big Bopper [Jiles Perry Richardson], American radio disc jockey, singer and songwriter (Chantilly Lace; White Lightning), dies in plane crash at 28
- Feb 4 Una O'Connor, Irish-American actress (Banjo; David Copperfield; The Invisible Man), dies at 78
- Feb 5 Curt Sachs, German musicologist, dies at 77
- Feb 5 Gwili Andre, Danish actress (No Other Woman, Roar of the Dragon), dies in a fire at 52
- Feb 7 Daniel François Malan, Prime Minister of South Africa (1948-54) who began the implementation of apartheid, dies at 84
- Feb 7 Guitar Slim [Eddie Jones], American blues guitarist (The Things That I Used to Do), dies at 32
- Feb 7 Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, American Baseball HOF second baseman (Triple Crown 1901; AL batting champion 1901–04, 10; Philadelphia A's, Cleveland Naps), dies at 84
- Feb 8 William J "Wild Bill" Donovan, American head of Office Strategic Services and founding father of the CIA, dies at 76
- Feb 11 Marshall Teague, American auto racer (Daytona Road Course Strictly Stock Car winner 1951, 52; AAA National Stock Car champion 1952, 54), dies in speed record attempt at 37
- Feb 12 George Antheil, American pianist, avant garde composer (Airplane Sonata; Ballet Mécanique), and inventor, dies at 58
- Feb 13 William Axt, American film scores composer (The Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 70
- Feb 14 Warren "Baby" Dodds, American jazz drummer, dies at 60
- Feb 15 Owen Willans Richardson, British physicist (Nobel 1928), dies at 69
- Feb 17 Kathryn Adams, American silent film actress, dies at 65
- Feb 17 Tim Mara, American founder and administrator (NFL NY Giants), dies at 59
- Feb 18 Alfred Alessandrescu, Romanian composer, dies at 65
- Feb 18 Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, Portuguese cartographer and aviator (1st flight across the south Atlantic), dies at 90
- Feb 18 Eric Zeisl, Austrian-American composer (Requiem Ebraico), dies of a heart attack at 53
- Feb 18 Jaroslav Kvapil, Czech composer, dies at 66
- Feb 20 Laurence Housman, English author and playwright (Victoria Regina), dies at 93
- Feb 20 Ray McDonald, American stage and screen tap dancer, dies choking on food at 38
- Feb 22 Helen Parrish, American actress (Hour Glass, Three Smart Girls Grow Up), dies of cancer at 35
- Feb 26 Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, granddaughter of King Edward VII and great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, dies at 67
Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959)
Feb 28 American dramatist (Key Largo, Bath Seed), dies of a stroke at 70
