February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar . There are 333 days remaining until the end of the year (334 in leap years ).
Events
481 – Vandal king Huneric organises a conference between Catholic and Arian bishops at Carthage .
1327 – Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer .
1329 – King John of Bohemia captures Medvėgalis , an important fortress of the pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania , and baptizes 6,000 of its defenders
1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn , Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).
1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege .
1713 – The Kalabalik or Tumult in Bendery results from the Ottoman sultan 's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden , be seized.
1793 – French Revolutionary Wars : France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York .
1814 – Mayon Volcano in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, the most devastating eruption of the volcano.
1835 – Slavery is abolished in Mauritius .
1861 – American Civil War : Texas secedes from the United States.
1865 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution .
1876 – A murder conviction effectively forces the violent Pennsylvanian Irish anti-owner coal miners, the "Molly Maguires ", to disband.
1884 – The first volume (A to Ant ) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio , the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey .
1895 – Fountains Valley, Pretoria , the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger .
1897 – Shinhan Bank , the oldest bank in South Korea , opens in Seoul .
1908 – King Carlos I of Portugal and his son, Prince Luis Filipe , are killed in Terreiro do Paço , Lisbon .
1918 – Russia adopts the Gregorian calendar .
1924 – The United Kingdom recognizes the USSR .
1942 – World War II : Josef Terboven , Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway , appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government .
1942 – World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids , the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater .
1942 – Voice of America , the official external radio and television service of the United States government , begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers .
1946 – Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General .
1946 – The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic .
1953 – North Sea flood of 1953 (Dutch, Watersnoodramp, literally "flood disaster") was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday, 31 January 1953 and morning of Sunday, 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
1957 – Felix Wankel 's first working prototype (DKM 54) of the Wankel engine runs at the NSU research and development department Versuchsabteilung TX in Germany
1960 – Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina .
1964 – The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand ."
1965 – The Hamilton River in Labrador , Canada is renamed the Churchill River in honour of Winston Churchill .
1968 – Vietnam War : The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is videotaped and photographed by Eddie Adams . This image helped build opposition to the Vietnam War .
1968 – Canada's three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy , the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force , are unified into the Canadian Forces .
1968 – The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation .
1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia .
1974 – A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo , Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
1974 – Kuala Lumpur is declared a Federal Territory .
1978 – Director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees the United States to France after pleading guilty to charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
1979 – The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran , Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
1981 – The Underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred when Trevor Chappell bowls underarm on the final delivery of a game between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
1982 – Senegal and the Gambia form a loose confederation known as Senegambia .
1989 – The Western Australian towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder amalgamate to form the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder .
1990 – Humanitas publishing house is founded in Bucharest , shortly after the Romanian Revolution , by the philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu .
1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
1992 – The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson , ex-CEO of Union Carbide , a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
1993 – Gary Bettman becomes the NHL's first commissioner
1994 – Punk rock band Green Day releases their album Dookie , which would eventually sell over 20 million copies worldwide.
1996 – The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress .
1998 – Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
2001 – Putrajaya , the Malaysian administrative city, is declared a Federal Territory .
2002 – Daniel Pearl , American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal , kidnapped January 23, 2002, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-107 disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
2004 – Two hundred fifty-one people are trampled to death and 244 injured in a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia .
2004 – Janet Jackson 's breast is exposed during the half-time show of Super Bowl XXXVIII , resulting in US broadcasters adopting a stronger adherence to Federal Communications Commission censorship guidelines.
2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
2008 – Suicide bombings in Baghdad occur.
2009 – The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland , making her the country's first female prime minister and the world's first openly LGBT head of government.
2010 – Suicide bombing in Baghdad occurs.
2012 – At least 72 people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al-Masry and Al-Ahly in the city of Port Said .
2013 – The Shard , the tallest building in the European Union , is opened to the public.
Births
1261 – Walter de Stapledon , English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1326)
1402 – Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (d. 1445)
1459 – Conrad Celtes , German poet and scholar (d. 1508)
1462 – Johannes Trithemius , German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (d. 1516)
1501 – Queen Munjeong of Korea (d. 1565)
1552 – Edward Coke , English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1634)
1635 – Marquard Gude , German archaeologist and scholar (d. 1689)
1648 – Elkanah Settle , English poet and playwright (d. 1724)
1659 – Jacob Roggeveen , Dutch explorer (d. 1729)
1663 – Ignacia del Espíritu Santo , Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (d. 1748)
1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock , German violinist and composer (d. 1733)
1690 – Francesco Maria Veracini , Italian violinist and composer (d. 1768)
1701 – Johan Agrell , Swedish-German pianist and composer (d. 1765)
1710 – Konrad Ernst Ackermann , German actor (d. 1771)
1761 – Christiaan Hendrik Persoon , South African-French mycologist and academic (d. 1836)
1763 – Thomas Campbell , Irish minister and theologian (d. 1854)
1764 – George Duff , Scottish captain (d. 1805)
1796 – Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich , Swiss minister, poet, and educator (d. 1865)
1801 – Émile Littré , French lexicographer and philosopher (d. 1881)
1820 – George Hendric Houghton , American clergyman and theologian (d. 1897)
1836 – Emil Hartmann , Danish organist and composer (d. 1898)
1841 – William Davenport , American magician (d. 1877)
1844 – G. Stanley Hall , American psychologist and academic (d. 1924)
1851 – Durham Stevens , American lawyer and diplomat (d. 1908)
1858 – Ignacio Bonillas , Mexican diplomat chosen by Venustiano Carranza to succeed him (d. 1942)
1859 – Victor Herbert , Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
1871 – Hellmer Hermandsen , Norwegian target shooter (d. 1958)
1872 – Jerome F. Donovan , American lawyer and politician (d. 1949)
1872 – Andrew Kehoe , American mass murderer (d. 1927)
1873 – Joseph Allard , Canadian fiddler and composer (d. 1947)
1873 – John Barry , Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1901)
1874 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal , Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1929)
1878 – Alfréd Hajós , Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (d. 1955)
1878 – Milan Hodža , Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (d. 1944)
1881 – Tip Snooke , South African cricketer (d. 1966)
1882 – Louis St. Laurent , Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
1884 – Bradbury Robinson , American football player and physician (d. 1949)
1884 – Yevgeny Zamyatin , Russian journalist and author (d. 1937)
1887 – Charles Nordhoff , English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (d. 1947)
1888 – Charles January , American soccer player (d. 1970)
1890 – Nikolai Reek , Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1942)
1894 – John Ford , American director and producer (d. 1973)
1894 – James P. Johnson , American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
1895 – Conn Smythe , Canadian businessman (d. 1980)
1897 – Denise Robins , English journalist and author (d. 1985)
1898 – Leila Denmark , American pediatrician and author (d. 2012)
1901 – Frank Buckles , American soldier (d. 2011)
1901 – Clark Gable , American actor (d. 1960)
1902 – Therese Brandl , German concentration camp guard (d. 1947)
1902 – Langston Hughes , American poet, novelist, playwright (d. 1967)
1904 – S.J. Perelman , American humorist and screenwriter (d. 1979)
1905 – Joan Morgan , English actress (d. 2004)
1905 – Emilio G. Segrè , Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
1906 – Hildegarde , American singer (d. 2005)
1906 – Adetokunbo Ademola , Nigerian jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (d. 1993)
1907 – Günter Eich , German author and songwriter (d. 1972)
1907 – Camargo Guarnieri , Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 1993)
1908 – George Pal , Hungarian-American animator and producer (d. 1980)
1908 – Louis Rasminsky , Canadian economist and banker (d. 1998)
1909 – George Beverly Shea , Canadian-American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
1910 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme , Chinese general and politician (d. 2009)
1915 – Stanley Matthews , English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
1915 – Alicia Rhett , American actress and painter (d. 2014)
1917 – A. K. Hangal , Indian actor (d. 2012)
1917 – José Luis Sampedro , Spanish economist and author (d. 2013)
1917 – Eiji Sawamura , Japanese baseball player and soldier (d. 1944)
1918 – Muriel Spark , Scottish novelist, poet, and critc (d. 2006)
1918 – Ignacy Tokarczuk , Polish archbishop (d. 2012)
1920 – Mike Scarry , American football player and coach (d. 2012)
1921 – Patricia Robins , English author
1921 – Peter Sallis , English entertainer
1922 – Renata Tebaldi , Italian soprano (d. 2004)
1923 – Ben Weider , Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (d. 2008)
1924 – Richard Hooker , American novelist (d. 1997)
1924 – Emmanuel Scheffer , German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2012)
1925 – Giovanni Riggi , American mob boss (d. 2015)
1927 – Galway Kinnell , American poet and academic (d. 2014)
1928 – Sam Edwards , Welsh physicist and academic (d. 2015)
1928 – Tom Lantos , Hungarian-American politician (d. 2008)
1928 – Stuart Whitman , American actor
1930 – Shahabuddin Ahmed , Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh
1930 – Mario Beaulieu , Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1998)
1930 – Hussain Muhammad Ershad , Indian-Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh
1930 – Peter Tapsell , English soldier and politician
1931 – Boris Yeltsin , Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (d. 2007)
1934 – Nicolae Breban , Romanian author, poet, and playwright
1936 – Tuncel Kurtiz , Turkish actor, playwright, and director (d. 2013)
1936 – Azie Taylor Morton , American educator and politician, 36th Treasurer of the United States (d. 2003)
1937 – Don Everly , American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1937 – Garrett Morris , American comedian and actor
1938 – Sherman Hemsley , American actor and singer (d. 2012)
1939 – Fritjof Capra , Austrian physicist, author, and academic
1939 – Claude François , Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (d. 1978)
1939 – Paul Gillmor , American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
1939 – Ekaterina Maximova , Soviet and Russian ballerina (d. 2009)
1939 – Yuri Rost , Russian photographer, journalist, and traveler
1939 – Joe Sample , American musician and composer (d. 2014)
1941 – Jerry Spinelli , American author
1942 – Bibi Besch , Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
1942 – Terry Jones , Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter
1942 – Masa Saito , Japanese wrestler and manager
1942 – David Sincock , Australian cricketer
1943 – Rosemarie Frankland , Welsh actress, model and 1961 Miss World (d. 2000)
1944 – Mike Enzi , American soldier, accountant, and politician
1944 – Petru Popescu , Romanian-American director, producer, and author
1944 – Dick Snyder , American basketball player
1944 – Burkhard Ziese , German footballer and manager (d. 2010)
1945 – Serge Joyal , Canadian lawyer and politician
1946 – Chris Clark , American singer
1946 – Elisabeth Sladen , English actress (d. 2011)
1947 – Mike Brant , Israeli singer (d. 1975)
1947 – Adam Ingram , Scottish politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
1947 – Normie Rowe , Australian singer
1947 – Jessica Savitch , American journalist (d. 1983)
1948 – Rick James , American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
1948 – Ferruccio Mazzola , Italian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
1950 – Mike Campbell , American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch )
1950 – Ali Haydar Konca , Turkish politician
1951 – Sonny Landreth , American guitarist and songwriter
1951 – Andrew Smith , English politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
1952 – Owoye Andrew Azazi , Nigerian general (d. 2012)
1952 – Jenő Jandó , Hungarian pianist and educator
1952 – Engin Ardıç , Turkish writer and journalist
1957 – Mohammed Jamal Khalifa , Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2007)
1957 – Gilbert Hernandez , American cartoonist
1958 – Luther Blissett , Jamaican-English footballer and manager
1958 – Ryō Horikawa , Japanese voice actor
1958 – Eleanor Laing , Scottish lawyer and politician
1958 – Jackie Shroff , Indian actor, singer, and producer
1961 – Volker Fried , German field hockey player and coach
1961 – Daniel M. Tani , American engineer and astronaut
1962 – José Luis Cuciuffo , Argentinian footballer (d. 2004)
1962 – Tomoyasu Hotei , Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (Boøwy and Complex )
1962 – Takashi Murakami , Japanese painter and sculptor
1964 – Kiriko Isono , Japanese comedian, entertainer, and actress
1964 – Jani Lane , American singer-songwriter (Warrant ) (d. 2011)
1964 – Mario Pelchat , Canadian singer-songwriter
1964 – Bugge Wesseltoft , Norwegian pianist and record producer (Jazzland Recordings )
1964 – Linus Roache , English actor
1965 – Sherilyn Fenn , American actress
1965 – Brandon Lee , American actor and martial artist (d. 1993)
1965 – Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
1966 – Michelle Akers , American soccer player
1967 – Meg Cabot , American author and screenwriter
1968 – Cheb Hasni , Algerian musician
1968 – Lisa Marie Presley , American singer-songwriter
1968 – Mark Recchi , Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1968 – Pauly Shore , American comedian, actor, director, and producer
1969 – Gabriel Batistuta , Argentinian footballer
1969 – Andrew Breitbart , American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 2012)
1969 – Brian Krause , American actor and screenwriter
1969 – Franklyn Rose , Jamaican cricketer
1970 – Yasuyuki Kazama , Japanese race car driver
1970 – Malik Sealy , American basketball player and actor (d. 2000)
1970 – Asuman Dabak , Turkish actress
1971 – Harald Brattbakk , Norwegian footballer and pilot
1971 – Michael C. Hall , American actor
1971 – Tomomi Hayashi , Japanese-Estonian architect
1971 – Ajay Jadeja , Indian cricketer, sportscaster, and actor
1972 – Kami , Japanese drummer (Malice Mizer ) (d. 1999)
1973 – Andrew DeClercq , American basketball player and coach
1973 – Yuri Landman , Dutch instrument maker
1973 – Makiko Ohmoto , Japanese voice actress
1973 – Óscar Pérez Rojas , Mexican footballer
1974 – Walter McCarty , American basketball player and coach
1975 – Big Boi , American rapper and producer
1975 – Martijn Reuser , Dutch footballer
1976 – Phil Ivey , American poker player
1976 – Mat Rogers , Australian rugby player
1977 – Lari Ketner , American football player (d. 2014)
1977 – Kevin Kilbane , English-Irish footballer and sportscaster
1977 – Robert Traylor , American basketball player (d. 2011)
1978 – Tim Harding , Australian singer and actor (Hi-5 )
1979 – Valentín Elizalde , Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
1979 – Juan Silveira dos Santos , Brazilian footballer
1980 – Héctor Luna , Dominican baseball player
1980 – Moisés Muñoz , Mexican footballer
1980 – Otilino Tenorio , Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2005)
1981 – Rob Austin , English race car driver
1981 – Christian Giménez , Argentinian footballer
1981 – Graeme Smith , South African cricketer
1982 – Gavin Henson , Welsh rugby player
1982 – Shoaib Malik , Pakistani cricketer
1983 – Kevin Martin , American basketball player
1983 – Anna Suzuki , Japanese actress and model
1983 – Jurgen Van den Broeck , Belgian cyclist
1984 – Darren Fletcher , Scottish footballer
1984 – Abbi Jacobson , American comedian, writer, actress, and illustrator
1984 – Sandra Seifert , Filipino model and activist, Miss Earth-Air 2009
1984 – Lee Thompson Young , American actor (d. 2013)
1985 – Dean Shiels , Irish footballer
1986 – Jorrit Bergsma , Dutch speed skater
1986 – Lauren Conrad , American fashion designer and author
1987 – Sebastian Boenisch , Polish footballer
1987 – Moises Henriques , Portuguese-Australian cricketer
1987 – Wu Jingyu , Chinese martial artist
1987 – Heather Morris , American actress, singer, and dancer
1987 – Giuseppe Rossi , Italian footballer
1987 – Ronda Rousey , American mixed martial artist and actress
1988 – Brett Anderson , American baseball player
1988 – Masahiro Higashide , Japanese actor and model
1989 – Ricky Pinheiro , Portuguese footballer
1990 – Dan Gosling , English footballer
1991 – Luca Caldirola , Italian footballer
1992 – Mao Ichimichi , Japanese actress and model
1993 – Diego Mella , Italian footballer
1994 – Anna-Lena Friedsam , German tennis player
1994 – Harry Styles , English singer-songwriter (One Direction )
1994 – Ryo Yoshizawa , Japanese actor
1995 – Márton Lorentz , Hungarian footballer
1995 – Jay Lelliott , English freestyle swimmer
1995 – Amy Kwan , Malaysian rhythmic gymnast
Deaths
772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
1248 – Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
1328 – Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
1542 – Girolamo Aleandro , Italian cardinal (b. 1480)
1563 – Menas of Ethiopia (b. 1559)
1590 – Lawrence Humphrey , English theologian and academic (b. 1527)
1691 – Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
1718 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury , English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1660)
1733 – Augustus II the Strong , Polish king (b. 1670)
1734 – John Floyer , English physician and author (b. 1649)
1743 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni , Italian organist and composer (b. 1657)
1750 – Bakar of Georgia (b. 1699)
1761 – Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix , French priest and historian (b. 1682)
1768 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet , English field marshal and politician (b. 1685)
1793 – William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington , English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1717)
1832 – Archibald Murphey , American judge and politician (b. 1777)
1851 – Mary Shelley , English author and playwright (b. 1797)
1871 – Alexander Serov , Russian composer and music critic (b. 1820)
1893 – George Henry Sanderson , American politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
1897 – Constantin von Ettingshausen , Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)
1903 – Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet , Irish-English physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
1907 – Léon Serpollet , French industrialist and pioneer of steam automobiles (b. 1858)
1908 – Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
1916 – Yusuf Izzettin Efendi , son of Sultan Abdul Aziz (b. 1857)
1922 – William Desmond Taylor , American actor and director (b. 1872)
1924 – Maurice Prendergast , American painter (b. 1858)
1928 – Hughie Jennings , American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
1936 – Georgios Kondylis , Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
1940 – Philip Francis Nowlan , American author, created Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
1940 – Zacharias Papantoniou , Greek journalist and critic (b. 1877)
1944 – Piet Mondrian , Dutch-American painter (b. 1872)
1945 – Prince Kiril of Bulgaria (b. 1895)
1946 – Jenő Törzs , Hungarian actor (b. 1887)
1949 – Nicolae Dumitru Cocea , Romanian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1880)
1949 – Herbert Stothart , American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
1954 – Yvonne de Bray , French actress (b. 1889)
1957 – Friedrich Paulus , German general (b. 1890)
1958 – Clinton Davisson , American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
1959 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan , American actress (b. 1873)
1966 – Hedda Hopper , American actress and gossip columnist (b. 1885)
1966 – Buster Keaton , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
1968 – Jacob van der Hoeden , Dutch-Israeli scientist and academic (b. 1891)
1970 – Alfréd Rényi , Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
1976 – Werner Heisenberg , German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
1976 – George Whipple , American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1878)
1979 – Abdi İpekçi , Turkish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
1980 – Gastone Nencini , Italian cyclist and painter (b. 1930)
1981 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. , American businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (b. 1892)
1981 – Geirr Tveitt , Norwegian pianist and composer (b. 1908)
1986 – Alva Myrdal , Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
1987 – Alessandro Blasetti , Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
1988 – Heather O'Rourke , American child actress (b. 1975)
1989 – Elaine de Kooning , American painter and academic (b. 1918)
1991 – Jimmy MacDonald , Scottish-American sound effects artist, voice actor (b. 1906)
1992 – Jean Hamburger , French physician and surgeon (b. 1909)
1996 – Ray Crawford , American racing driver, fighter ace, test pilot, and businessman (b. 1915)
1997 – Herb Caen , American journalist and author (b. 1916)
1999 – Barış Manço , Turkish singer-songwriter and producer (Moğollar and Kurtalan Ekspres ) (b. 1943)
1999 – Paul Mellon , American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1907)
2001 – André D'Allemagne , Canadian political scientist and educator (b. 1929)
2002 – Aykut Barka , Turkish geologist and academic (b. 1951)
2002 – Hildegard Knef , German actress and singer (b. 1925)
2003 – crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia
– Michael P. Anderson , American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1959)
– David M. Brown , American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1956)
– Kalpana Chawla , Indian-American engineer and astronaut (b. 1961)
– Laurel Clark , American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (b. 1961)
– Rick Husband , American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1957)
– William C. McCool , American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1961)
– Ilan Ramon , Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1954)
2003 – Mongo Santamaría , Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (b. 1922)
2004 – Suha Arın , Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
2005 – John Vernon , Canadian-American actor (b. 1932)
2006 – Bryce Harland , New Zealand academic and diplomat (b. 1931)
2007 – Ahmad Abu Laban , Egyptian-Danish religious leader, founded The Islamic Society in Denmark (b. 1946)
2007 – Gian Carlo Menotti , Italian-American playwright and composer (b. 1911)
2007 – Seri Wangnaitham , Thai dancer and choreographer (b. 1937)
2008 – Beto Carrero , Brazilian actor and businessman (b. 1937)
2010 – Jack Brisco , American wrestler and manager (b. 1941)
2010 – Justin Mentell , American actor (b. 1982)
2012 – Gerlando Alberti , Italian mobster (b. 1927)
2012 – Don Cornelius , American television host and producer (b. 1936)
2012 – Wisława Szymborska , Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
2013 – Ed Koch , American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (b. 1924)
2013 – Cecil Womack , American singer-songwriter and producer (The Valentinos and Womack & Womack ) (b. 1947)
2014 – Luis Aragonés , Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
2014 – Vasily Petrov , Russian marshal (b. 1917)
2014 – Rene Ricard , American poet, painter, and critic (b. 1946)
2014 – Maximilian Schell , Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
2015 – Aldo Ciccolini , Italian-French pianist (b. 1925)
2015 – Monty Oum , American animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1981)
Holidays and observances
Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico )
Earliest day on which National Wear Red Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Friday in February. (United States)
External links
Months and days of the year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Related