February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the
Gregorian Calendar. There are 306 days remaining, 307 in
leap years.
- 1700 - February 28 is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish Calendar
- 1784 - John Wesley charters the Methodist Church
- 1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
- 1849 - Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California[?] in San Francisco Bay. The California left New York Harbor[?] on October 6, 1848, rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America, and arrived at San Francisco, California after the 4 month 21 day journey.
- 1850 - The University of Utah opens in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1854 - The Republican Party of the United States is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin[?].
- 1861 - Colorado is organized as a United Sates territory[?].
- 1883 - The first vaudeville theater is opened, in Boston, Massachusetts
- 1935 - Nylon is discovered by Wallace Carothers
- 1940 - Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University[?] vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
- 1948 - Bud Gartiser[?] sets a new world record after clearing the 50-yard low hurdles in 6.8 seconds.
- 1953 - James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA
- 1974 - After seven years, the United States and Egypt re-establish diplomatic relations.
- 1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history.
- 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.
- 1993 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest cult leader David Koresh[?] on federal firearms violations. Four agents and six Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins.
- 1998 - Serbian police begin to wipe out so-called "terrorist gangs" in Kosovo.
- 2001 - An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter Scale hits the Northwest area of the United States. There were no reports of any deaths.
- 2002 - Ethnic conflict in India: At least 55 are killed in Ahmadabad[?], India when Hindus burn Muslim homes.
- 1553 - Michel de Montaigne, writer and philosopher (+ 1592)
- 1683 - René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur[?], scientist (+ 1757)
- 1820 - John Tenniel, illustrator
- 1833 - Alfred von Schlieffen[?], German field marshal (+ 1913)
- 1894 - Ben Hecht, playwright, film writer (+ 1964)
- 1900 - Wolfram Hirth[?], pilot and designer of aircrafts (+ 1959)
- 1901 - Linus Pauling, the only winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1954 and Peace 1962 (+ 1994)
- 1903 - Vincente Minnelli[?], director (+ 1986)
- 1906 - Bugsy Siegel, gangster (+ 1947)
- 1915 - Zero Mostel[?], actor (+ 1977)
- 1938 - Klaus Staeck[?], graphic artist
- 1939 - Erika Pluhar[?], actress and singer
- 1939 - Tommy Tune[?], dancer, choreographer, actor
- 1940 - Mario Andretti[?], automobile driver
- 1942 - Brian Jones, musician ("The Rolling Stones") (+ 1969)
- 1942 - Joe South[?], musician
- 1945 - Bubba Smith[?], Football Hall of Famer
- 1948 - Bernadette Peters, actress, singer
- 1948 - Mike Figgis[?], director, writer, composer
- 1948 - Mercedes Ruehl[?], actress
- 1973 - Eric Lindros[?], ice hockey star
- 1976 - Ja Rule, rap music singer
- 1916 - Henry James, writer
- 1941 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain
- 1959 - Maxwell Anderson[?], playwright, film writer
- 1979 - "The famous Mr. Ed[?]", the talking horse, dies.
- 1977 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, actor
- 1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden
- 1993 - Ruby Keeler, actress, singer, dancer
- Bahá'í Faith - Day 3 of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.
See Also:
February 27 - February 29 - March 1 - January 28 - March 28 - more historical anniversaries
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December