Historical Events
- Feb 1 "New Faces of '62" opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 28 performances
- Feb 1 "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the debut novel by Ken Kesey is published by Viking Press
- Feb 1 MLB's National League releases its first 162-game schedule due to expansion (18 games between opponents)
Trade Banned with Cuba
Feb 3 US President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba except for food & drugs
- Feb 4 "Gay Life" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 113 performances
- Feb 4 Russian newspaper Izvestia reports baseball is an old Russian game
- Feb 4 US female Figure Skating championship won by Barbara Roles
- Feb 4 US male Figure Skating championship won by Monty Hoyt
- Feb 5 Black and White parents stage an overnight sit-in after school board denies transfer requests of nine Black families for their children to be transferred to newer school facility in Englewood, New Jersey
Event of Interest
Feb 5 French President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria's independence
- Feb 5 Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all within 16 degrees
- Feb 6 Schoolman Athletic Field in the Bronx named
- Feb 7 Gas explosion in Luisanthal coal mine Voelklingen Germany kills 298
- Feb 7 US President JFK begins blockade of Cuba by banning all Cuban imports and exports.
- Feb 8 In Paris, 8 people killed at a protest against independence for the French colony Algeria
- Feb 8 KACB TV channel 3 in San Angelo, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Feb 8 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Feb 9 Jamaica signs agreement to become independent
- Feb 9 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Feb 10 Jim Beatty sets American indoor mile record (3:58.9) in LA
- Feb 10 USSR swaps spy Francis Gary Power to US for Rudolph Abel
- Feb 12 Bus boycott starts in Macon, Georgia
Film and TV History
Feb 14 US 1st lady Jacqueline Kennedy conducts White House tour on TV
- Feb 15 Lawsuit is filed on behalf of nine families whose requests for children to be transferred to newer school facility in Englewood, New Jersey; parents charge denial was "racial segregation"
- Feb 15 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Feb 16 "La Jetée", French film directed by Chris Marker, starring Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich and Jacques Ledoux, is released
Music Premiere
Feb 16 Darius Milhaud's 12th Symphony premieres
John Glenn Orbits Earth
Feb 20 John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7
- Feb 21 Minister De Pous confirms natural gas reserves in Groningen, Netherlands
NBA Record
Feb 22 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record with 34 free-throw attempts (converts 19) in Warriors 139-121 win over St. Louis Hawks at Philadelphia Civic Center
- Feb 23 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Feb 24 "New Faces of '62" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 28 performances
- Feb 24 "Sail Away" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 167 performances
- Feb 24 General mobilization in Indonesia over New Guinea
- Feb 24 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Feb 25 India Congress Party wins elections
- Feb 25 Mike O'Hara completes record 97th marathon
- Feb 25 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 67 points against NY Knicks at Philadelphia Civic Center for the second successive year; Warriors lose 149-135
Event of Interest
Feb 25 Robert F. Kennedy visits Netherlands
Oh Dad, Poor Dad
Feb 26 Arthur Kopit's play "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad" premieres in NYC
- Feb 26 US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation
Assassination Attempt
Feb 27 South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm's palace bombed by dissident air pilots in a failed assassination attempt
- Feb 28 WMGM-AM in New York City changes call letters to WHN
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian soccer defender (21 caps; Vélez Sársfield, Boca Juniors, Nîmes Olympique), born in Córdoba, Argentina (d. 2004)
- Feb 1 Manuel Amoros, French soccer defender (82 caps; Monaco, Marseille), born in Nîmes, France
- Feb 1 Takashi Murakami, Japanese artist (Superflat), born in Tokyo, Japan
- Feb 1 Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese rock guitarist and songwriter, born in Takasaki, Japan
- Feb 2 Andy Fordham, English darts player (BDO World Champion 2004), born in Bristol, England (d. 2021)
- Feb 2 Michael T. Weiss, American actor (Jarod-Pretender, Days of our Lives), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 4 Alfred Twardecki, Polish historian of antiquity, born in Warsaw, Poland
Clint Black (62 years old)
Feb 4 American country vocalist ("Killin' Time"; "Nothin' But the Taillights"), born in Long Branch, New Jersey
- Feb 4 Dan Plesac, American MLB pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Gary, Indiana
- Feb 4 Michael Riley, Canadian actor (Power Play; Cube Zero; Supervolcano), born in London, Ontario
- Feb 5 Jennifer Jason Leigh [Morrow], American actress (Single White Female, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 5 Tommy Skeoch, American guitarist (Tesla, 1984-2006 - Psychotic Supper), born in Santa Monica, California
Axl Rose (62 years old)
Feb 6 American rock singer-songwriter (Guns & Roses - "Welcome to the Jungle"), born in Lafayette, Indiana
- Feb 7 Alan Sippy, cricketer (dashing Bombay lefty batsman of 1980's)
- Feb 7 David Bryan [Rashbaum], American rock keyboardist (Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name"), and theatrical composer (Memphis; The Toxic Avenger), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
- Feb 7 Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
Garth Brooks (62 years old)
Feb 7 American country singer (No Fences; "Friends In Low Places"), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Feb 9 Anik Bissonnette, Canadian ballet dancer (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens), born in Montreal, Quebec
- Feb 9 Diego Perez, Spanish tennis star
- Feb 9 Martin D Lascelles, grandson of English princess Mary
- Feb 10 Bobby Czyz, American boxer, born in Orange, New Jersey
- Feb 10 Cliff Burton, American bass guitarist (Metallica), born in Castro Valley, California (d. 1986)
- Feb 11 Eric Vanderaerden, Belgian cyclist, born in Herk-de-Stad, Belgium
- Feb 11 Scott Kolden, American actor (Scott-Me & the Champ), born in Torrance, California
Sheryl Crow (62 years old)
Feb 11 American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter ("All I Want to Do"; "If It Makes You Happy"), born in Kennett, Missouri
- Feb 11 Tammy Baldwin, American politician (Senator-D-Wisconsin 2013-), born in Madison, Wisconsin
- Feb 12 Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish-born field hockey player, born in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Feb 13 Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Puerto Rican politician and lawyer, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Feb 13 Hugh Dennis, English comedian and actor (Not Going out), born in Kettering, England
- Feb 13 Jackie Silva, Brazilian volleyballer (Olympic gold 1996), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Feb 14 Kevyn Aucoin, American cosmetologist, born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2002)
- Feb 14 Michael Higgs, English actor, born in Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Feb 14 Sakina Jaffrey, American actress, born in New York City
- Feb 15 Renee Props, American actress (Elly Snyder-As the World Turns), born in Oklahoma
- Feb 16 Alexa Kenin, American actress (Mousie-Coed Fever), born in New York City
- Feb 16 John Balance [Geoffrey Rushton], British poet and industrial rock musician (Coil; Psychic TV), born in Mansfield, England (d. 2004)
- Feb 16 Tony Kiley, British rock drummer (Blow Monkeys - "Wicked Ways"), born in England
- Feb 17 Alison Hargreaves, British mountaineer and 1st woman to climb Mount Everest alone without bottled oxygen (1995), born in Derbyshire, England (d. 1995)
- Feb 17 David McComb, Australian singer-songwriter, and guitarist (The Triffids, 1976-89; The Blackeyed Susans, 1989–93), born in Perth, Australia (d. 1999)
- Feb 17 Lou Diamond Phillips, Filipino American actor (La Bamba, Stand & Deliver), born at Subic Bay Naval Station, Philippines
- Feb 17 Samuel Bayer, American music video director, born in Syracuse, New York
- Feb 17 Tony Blain, New Zealand cricket wicket-keeper (11 Tests, 21 dismissals, 2 x 50s; Central Districts CA, Canterbury CA), born in Nelson, New Zealand
- Feb 18 Gary Reasons, American NFL linebacker (NY Giants), born in Crowley, Texas
- Feb 18 Julie Strain, American actress (Witchcraft IV), born in Concord, California
- Feb 18 Simon Fletcher, American NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos), born in Bay City, Texas
- Feb 19 Alvaro Espinoza, Venezuelan baseball shortstop (NY Yanks, NY Mets)
Hana Mandlikova (62 years old)
Feb 19 Czech tennis player (4 Grand Slam titles), born in Prague, Czech Republic
- Feb 19 John Laroche, American orchid poacher
- Feb 20 Adam Schreiber, NFL center/guard (Atlanta Falcons, NY Giants)
- Feb 20 Joel Ellis, American glam-metal singer (Cats In Boots; Heavy Bones), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Feb 20 Kenn Nesbitt, American children's author
- Feb 20 Ria Coyne, American comedienne (Betsy-Batman Forever), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Feb 21 Chuck Palahniuk, American writer (Fight Club), born in Pasco, Washington
- Feb 21 David Foster Wallace, American writer (Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System), born in Ithaca, New York (d. 2008)
- Feb 21 Mark Arm [McLaughlin], American grunge rock singer-songwriter, (Green River; Mudhoney), born at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
- Feb 21 Vanessa Feltz, British television presenter (The Big Breakfast), born in London, England
- Feb 22 Lenda Murray, American body builder (4X Ms Olympia), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Feb 22 Les Wallace, Scottish darts player (BDO World Champion 1997), born in Forres, Scotland
Steve Irwin (1962-2006)
Feb 22 Australian naturalist and TV personality (The Crocodile Hunter), born in Melbourne, Victoria
- Feb 23 Michael Wilton, American heavy metal guitarist (Queensrÿche), born in San Francisco, California
- Feb 24 Kelly Craft, American diplomat, US ambassador to the UN (2019-), born in Lexington, Kentucky
- Feb 24 Michelle Shocked [Johnston], American Grammy Award-winning contemporary folk singer-songwriter ("Anchorage"; 33 RPM Soul"), born in Dallas, Texas
- Feb 24 Outi Mäenpää, Finnish actress
- Feb 25 Birgit Fischer, German kayaker (Olympic 4 x gold GDR 1988; 5 x gold FRG 1992, 96, 2000, 04; World C'ship gold x 17 GDR, 10 x FRG), born in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
- Feb 25 Foster Sylvers, American singer (Sylvers), born in Pasadena, California
- Feb 25 LaVerne Butler, American jazz singer, born in Shreveport, Louisiana
- Feb 26 Dave Palone, American harness racing trainer & driver (US Pacing Triple Crown 1996, 2005), born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
- Feb 26 Sheila Cornell, American softball infielder (Olympic gold 1996), born in Los Angeles, California
- Feb 27 Adam Baldwin, American actor (Full Metal Jacket, My Bodyguard), born in Winnetka, Illinois
- Feb 27 Grant Show, American actor (Jack Hanson-Melrose Place), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Feb 27 Kory Tarpenning, American pole vaulter, born in Portland, Oregon
- Feb 28 Rae Dawn Chong, actress (Quest for Fire), born in Edmonton, Alberta
Famous Deaths
- Feb 3 Werner Bock, German writer, dies at 68
- Feb 5 Jacques Ibert, French composer (Escales), dies at 71
- Feb 7 Clara Nordström, German writer and translator (b. 1886)
- Feb 9 Harriet Ware (Krumbhaar), American concert pianist, composer (Women's Triumphal March; The Rose Is Red; The Varying Shore), and music educator, dies at 84
- Feb 10 Willem Paerels, Dutch-Belgian painter and graphic artist, dies at 83
- Feb 15 Vladimir Sokoloff, Russian actor (Road to Morocco, Cloak & Dagger), dies at 72
- Feb 17 Bruno Walter, German-French opera and symphony conductor (Vienna Philharmonic; NY Philharmonic), dies at 85
- Feb 17 Joseph Kearns, American actor (George-Dennis the Menace), des at 55
- Feb 19 Albert Elkus, American composer, dies at 77
Georgios Papanicolaou (1883-1962)
Feb 19 Greek-American doctor, cytopathologist, and inventor of the Pap smear, dies at 78
- Feb 19 James Barton, American actor (Tobacco Road, Iceman Cometh), dies at 71
- Feb 20 Halliwell Hobbes, British actor (Gaslight, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde), dies at 84
- Feb 25 Wilhelm Pessler, German sociologist and historian, dies at 81
- Feb 26 Carl Ehrenberg, German composer, kapellmeister, and pedagogue, dies at 83
- Feb 27 Willie Best, actor (Charlie-My Little Margie), dies at 45
- Feb 28 Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson, American comedian (Olsen & Johnson), dies at 70