Historical Events
- Feb 1 Blizzard in upstate New York and Southern Ontario claims 23 lives
- Feb 2 Soviet Salyut 4 Space Station re-enters Earth's atmosphere
- Feb 2 Toronto Maple Leafs Ian Turnbull scores 5 goals, NHL record for a defenseman
- Feb 3 Martin Dihigo and John "Pop" Lloyd are elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
"Rumours"
Feb 4 "Rumours" 11th studio album by Fleetwood Mac is released (Grammy Album of the Year)
- Feb 4 Elevated train jumps track, crashes onto Chicago st (11 die, 200 hurt)
- Feb 4 Wings release their single "Maybe I'm Amazed"
- Feb 5 "CB Savage" by Rod Hart peaks at #67
- Feb 5 "Dis-Gorilla (part 1)" by Rick Dees peaks at #56
"In The Mood"
Feb 5 "In The Mood" by Henhouse 5 Plus Too (Ray Stevens) peaks at #40
- Feb 5 "Turn Loose On My Leg" by Jim Stafford peaks at #98
- Feb 5 Comedy album "Up Your Nose" by Gabriel Kaplan peaks at #91
Sugar Ray Leonard's Debut
Feb 5 Future 5-division world boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard makes his professional debut with a 6-round unanimous decision over Luis Vega at Baltimore’s Civic Center
- Feb 5 General Mills Adventure Theater premieres on CBS radio
- Feb 5 US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne
- Feb 5 US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner
- Feb 6 4th time New York Rangers shut-out New York Islanders, 4-0
- Feb 6 Alain Prieur jumps his motorcycle 65 m over 16 buses, near Paris
- Feb 6 Harley Race beats Terry Funk in Toronto, Ontario to become NWA wrestling champ
- Feb 7 Soyuz 24 launches with 2 cosmonauts
- Feb 8 Earthquake in San Francisco, at 5.0, strongest since 1966
Larry Flynt Sentenced
Feb 8 Hustler publisher Larry Flynt sentenced on obscenity charges
- Feb 10 Bomb explosion in Moscow metro
- Feb 10 Jonathan Netanyahu Lane in the Bronx, New York, named in honor of the Bronx-born Israeli soldier who died freeing hostages in Entebbe Raid in Uganda in 1976
A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Feb 10 Revival of musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" opens at Morosco Theatre, later transferring to the Little Theatre, NYC; runs for 92 performances
- Feb 11 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean)
- Feb 12 Festac '77, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, finishes in Lagos, Nigeria
- Feb 12 Toronto Maple Leafs shutout Washington Capitals 10-0
- Feb 13 "Ipi Tombi" closes at Harkness Theater NYC after 39 performances
- Feb 13 "Robber Bridegroom" closes at Biltmore Theater NYC after 145 performances
NBA All-Star Game
Feb 13 27th NBA All-Star Game, MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wi: West beats East, 125-124; MVP: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers, F
Sports History
Feb 13 Eric Heiden is 1st American to win world speed skating championship
Guys & Dolls
Feb 13 Revival of Frank Loesser's musical "Guys & Dolls" closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 239 performances
- Feb 18 American rock band KISS play their first concert in their hometown venue of Madison Square Garden in New York City
True Love
Feb 18 George Harrison releases music single "True Love", from his "33-1/3" album
- Feb 18 Space Shuttle Enterprise takes its maiden flight affixed atop a Boeing 747 Shuttle Aircraft Carrier
- Feb 18 West Indies cricket fast bowlers Joel Garner (4/130) and (Colin Croft 3/85) debut in drawn 1st Test v Pakistan at Bridgetown, Barbados
- Feb 19 19th Grammy Awards: "This Masquerade"and Starland Vocal Band win
- Feb 19 A's sell pitcher Paul Lindblad to the Rangers for $400,000
- Feb 19 Doug Walters scores 250 v NZ, 217 stand for 7th wicket with Gilmour
- Feb 19 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
#1 in the Charts
Feb 19 Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of Bruce Springsteen's song "Blinded By The Light" goes to #1
- Feb 19 Right wing Rod Gilbert scores a goal and adds an assist in a 5-2 defeat at the NY Islanders to become first player in NY Rangers history (11th in NHL) to score 1,000 career points
- Feb 19 Space shuttle Enterprise makes 1st Test flight atop a 747 jetliner
Daytona 500
Feb 20 19th Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough wins his 2nd Great American Race; Janet Guthrie first female NASCAR Cup Series driver; finishes 12th
My Fair Lady
Feb 20 Revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical "My Fair Lady" closes at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NYC, after 377 performances
- Feb 21 74 Unification Church couples wed in NYC
Academy of Country Music Awards
Feb 24 12th Academy of Country Music Awards: Mickey Gilley and Crystal Gayle win
Event of Interest
Feb 24 US President Jimmy Carter announces US foreign aid will consider human rights
NBA Record
Feb 25 New Orleans' Pete Maravich sets NBA record for a guard with 68 points in a game
- Feb 25 Oil tanker explosion west of Honolulu spills 31 million gallons
- Feb 25 Soyuz 24 returns to Earth
- Feb 26 1st flight of Space Shuttle (atop a Boeing 747)
Music History
Feb 27 Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards gets suspended sentence for heroin possession in Canada
- Feb 28 1st killer whale born in captivity (Marineland, Los Angeles California)
- Feb 28 Dock strike in Rotterdam/Amsterdam ends
Famous Birthdays
- Feb 1 Kevin Kilbane, Irish soccer left back, winger (110 caps Republic of Ireland; WBA, Sunderland, Everton), born in Preston, England
- Feb 1 Phil Ivey, American poker player (10 World Series of Poker bracelets, 1 World Poker Tour title, 9 World Poker Tour final tables), born in Riverside, California
- Feb 2 Heather Martin (née Trotter), American gospel singer (Virtue), born in New Orleans. Louisiana
- Feb 2 Libor Sionko, Czech soccer midfielder (41 caps; Sparta Prague, Austria Wien, F.C. Copenhagen), born in Ostrava, Czech Republic
Shakira (47 years old)
Feb 2 Colombian pop singer ("Whenever Wherever"; "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"), born in Barranquilla, Colombia
Daddy Yankee (47 years old)
Feb 3 Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and rapper ("Despacito"; "Gasolina"), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Feb 3 Maitland Ward, American actress (Jessica-Bold & Beautiful), born in Torrance, California
- Feb 4 Gavin DeGraw, American rock singer-songwriter "Not Over You"), born in South Fallsburg, New York
- Feb 5 Adam Everett, American baseball player, born in Austell, Georgia
- Feb 5 Ahmad Merritt, American football player, born in Chicago, Illinois
Ben Ainslie (47 years old)
Feb 5 British sailor, 4-time Olympic champion and CEO and skipper of America's Cup team INEOS Britannia, born in Macclesfield, England
- Feb 6 Jason Euell, English footballer, born in Lambeth, London
- Feb 7 Mariusz Pudzianowski, Polish strongman competitor
- Feb 8 Barry Hall, Australian rules footballer considered one of the best forwards of the modern era, born in Victoria, Australia
- Feb 8 Dave Farrell, American rock bass player (Linkin Park - "In The End"; "What I've Done"), born in Plymouth, Massachusetts
- Feb 8 Yucef Merhi, Venezuelan artist, poet and computer programmer (Poetic Clock; Quetzalcoatl 2.0.1.2.), born in Caracas, Venezuela
- Feb 10 Salif Diao, Senegalese footballer, born in Kédougou, Senegal
- Feb 11 Mike Shinoda, American musician (Linkin Park, Fort Minor), born in Agoura Hills, California
- Feb 12 Jimmy Conrad, US soccer player, born in Arcadia, California
Randy Moss (47 years old)
Feb 13 American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver (6-time Pro Bowl), born in Rand, West Virginia
- Feb 14 Cadel Evans, Australian road cyclist (Tour de France 2011; UCI World Road Race C'ships 2009), born in Katherine, Australia
- Feb 14 Darren Bennett, English professional dancer, born in Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Feb 14 Darren Purse, English footballer, born in Stepney, London
- Feb 14 Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer, born in Ladysmith, South Africa (d. 2007)
- Feb 14 Nathan Osmond, American vocalist (Osmond Boys), born in Utah
- Feb 15 Brooks Wackerman, American drummer (Bad Religion; Avenged Sevenfold), born in Long Beach, California
- Feb 16 Ahman Green, American football player
- Feb 16 Alexei Morozov, NHL forward (Team Russia Olympic silver 1998, Pittsburgh)
- Feb 16 Ian Clarke, Irish computer programmer
- Feb 16 Trina Jackson, 4X200m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1996)
- Feb 17 Matthew Kaminski, jazz, and baseball organist (Atlanta Braves), polka accordionist, and educator, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Feb 18 Chrissie Wellington, British triathlete, born in Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
- Feb 18 Gordon Grdina, Canadian jazz guitarist and oud player (Nomad Trio), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 18 Kátia, Brazilian footballer, born in Goiânia, Brazil
- Feb 18 Sean Watkins, American guitarist, mandolin player, and songwriter (Nickel Creek), born in Vista, California
- Feb 19 Gianluca Zambrotta, Italian footballer
- Feb 19 Ola Salo [Svensson], Swedish glam-rock singer (The Ark - "It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane"), born in Avesta, Sweden
- Feb 20 Amal Hijazi, Lebanese pop singer (Zaman), born in Kfarfila, Lebanon
- Feb 20 Bartosz Kizierowski, Polish swimmer
- Feb 20 Sarah Ryan, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 4×100m freestyle 2004, silver 4×100m medley 1996, 2000; World C'ship gold 4×100m medley 2001), born in Adelaide, Australia
- Feb 20 Stephon Marbury, American NBA basketball guard, 1996-2009 (Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and 3 other teams), Chinese Basketball Association player, 2010-18, and coach, 2019-present, born in Coney Island, NYC
- Feb 20 T.J. Slaughter, American football player
- Feb 21 Chad Hutchinson, American baseball & football player, born in San Diego, California
- Feb 21 Kevin Rose, American television host & internet entrepreneur, born in Redding, California
- Feb 21 Rhiannon Giddens, American singer, fiddler, and banjo player (Carolina Chocolate Drops), and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer (Omar), born in Greensboro, North Carolina
- Feb 21 Steve Francis, American basketball player, born in Takoma Park, Maryland
- Feb 22 Hakan Yakin, Swiss footballer, born in Basel, Switzerland
- Feb 22 Timo Rose, German filmmaker, born in Rellingen, Germany
- Feb 23 Kristina Šmigun, Estonian cross-country skier, born in Tartu, Estonia
- Feb 24 Alexis Jose Grullon, American vocalist (Menudo-Cannonball), born in New York City
- Feb 24 Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47 years old)
Feb 24 American boxer (5 x weight division world champion; record 26 consecutive wins in world title fights (10 by KO; undefeated record 50-0), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Feb 24 Jason Akermanis, Australian rules footballer
- Feb 25 Josh Wolff, American footballer
- Feb 25 Sarah Jezebel Deva][Jane], British gothic-metal singer (Cradle of Filth, 1994-2008; Angtoria, 2001-2011), born in London, England
- Feb 26 Greg Rikaart, American actor, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 26 James Wan, Malaysian-Australian film director (Saw, The Conjuring), born in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
- Feb 26 Shane Williams MBE, Welsh rugby scrum half (87 caps Wales, 4 British & Irish Lions; Neath, Ospreys), born in Morriston, Swansea, Wales
- Feb 26 Tim Thomas, American NBA forward (Philadelphia 76ers), born in Paterson, New Jersey
- Feb 27 Ji Sung, South Korean actor, born in Seoul, South Korea
- Feb 28 Aki-Petteri Berg, NHL defenseman (Team Finland Olympic bronze 1998, Kings)
- Feb 28 Debbie Koegel, dance skater (with partner Oleg Fediukov), born in Norristown, Pennsylvania
Jason Aldean (47 years old)
Feb 28 American country singer ("Dirt Road Anthem"), born in Macon, Georgia
- Feb 28 Kehinde Wiley, American painter (portrait of Barack Obama), born in Los Angeles, California
Famous Weddings
Peter Sellers
Feb 18 British actor Peter Sellers (51) weds (his 4th time), British actress Lynne Frederick (22), in Paris, France
Arthur Ashe
Feb 20 American world No. 1 tennis player Arthur Ashe (33) weds Indo-Guadeloupean-African-American photographer Jeanne Moutoussamy at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City in ceremony officiated by US Ambassador to the UN Andrew Young
Famous Deaths
- Feb 1 Edmond Hamilton, American sci-fi author ("City at World's End"; "The Star Kings"), dies at 72
- Feb 3 Pauline Starke, American actress (Dante's Inferno; Dance Magic; Sun Up), dies at 76
- Feb 4 Brett Halliday, American writer (Dividend on Death), dies at 72
- Feb 5 Izaak Boleslavski, Russian chess player, dies at 67
- Feb 5 Oskar Klein, Swedish physicist (b. 1894)
- Feb 7 Herman Dooyeweerd, Dutch philosopher (suite of fifteen aspects), and legal scholar (Vrije Universiteit, 1926-65), dies at 82
- Feb 8 Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and ethnomusicologist, dies at 75
- Feb 9 (Woodrow Wilson) "Buddy" Johnson, American jump blues pianist, bandleader, and songwriter ("They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool"; "Since I Fell for You"), dies from a brain tumor and sickle cell anemia at 62
- Feb 9 Denys Amiel, French dramatist/playwright (Le mouton noir), dies at 92
- Feb 9 Gaus, an orangutan who lived to be 59
- Feb 9 Sergei Ilyushin, Russian airplane builder (designed Il-2 Shturmovik - world's most produced military aircraft), dies at 82
- Feb 10 Grace Williams, Welsh composer (1st British woman to score a feature film), dies at 70
- Feb 11 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian leader and 5th President of India (1974-77), dies of a heart attack at 72
- Feb 11 Louis Beel, Dutch premier (1946-48, 58-59), dies at 74
- Feb 13 Jack Gardner, American actor (The Secret Code; Three Russian Girls), dies at 74
- Feb 17 Janani Luwum, Ugandan Archbishop (b. 1922)
- Feb 17 Quincy Howe, American newscaster (CBS Weekend News), dies at 76
- Feb 18 Andy Devine, American character actor (Roy Roger's sidekick - "Cookie"; Stagecoach; Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, 1951-58), dies of leukemia at 71
- Feb 18 Maria Realino [Frederikus Janssen], teacher (Botany of Curacao), dies at 87
- Feb 18 Ralph Graves, American actor (Dirigible, Extra Girl, Flight, Dream Street), dies at 77
- Feb 19 Anthony Crosland, British politician (b. 1918)
- Feb 19 Mike González, Cuban baseball player, dies at 86
- Feb 21 Henry Jordan, American Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Super Bowl 1967, 68; 7 × All-Pro; 4 × Pro Bowl; Cleveland Browns, GB Packers), dies from a heart attack at 42
- Feb 22 Edith Barrett, actress (Molly & Me, Ghost Ship), dies at 64
- Feb 22 Jack O'Connor, English cricket all-rounder (4 Tests, 1 x 50; Derbyshire CCC), dies at 79
- Feb 25 Billy Coutu, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1924; Montreal Canadiens; only player banned from NHL for life, attacked referee 1927), dies at 84
- Feb 26 (Booker T. Washington) "Bukka" White, American country and Delta blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter ("Shake'Em On Down"; "Parchman Farm Blues"), dies of cancer at 70
- Feb 26 Maxime Jacob, French composer and organist, dies at 71
- Feb 26 Sherman Garnes, American rock vocalist (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers), dies of a heart attack at 36
- Feb 27 Allison Hayes, American model and actress (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), dies of leukemia or lead poisoning at 47
- Feb 27 John Dickson Carr, American mystery writer, dies of lung cancer at 70
- Feb 28 Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, American comedian and actor (The Jack Benny Program), dies at 71
