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February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 310 days remaining until the end of the year (311 in leap years). This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Monday or Tuesday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Thursday or Saturday (56).
By Roman custom, February 24 is doubled in a leap year in the Julian calendar. The Mensis Intercalaris began on this day or the following day in intercalary years in the pre-Julian calendar. This custom still has some effect around the world; for example, with respect to name days in Hungary.
303 – Galerius publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Roman Empire.
484 – King Huneric removes the Christian bishops from their offices and banished some to Corsica. A few are martyred, including former proconsul Victorian along with Frumentius and other merchants. They are killed at Hadrumetum after refusing to become Arians.
1303 – Battle of Roslin, of the First War of Scottish Independence.
1386 – King Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at Buda.
1525 – A Spanish-Austrian army defeats a French army at the Battle of Pavia.
1538 – Treaty of Nagyvárad between Ferdinand I and John Zápolya.
1582 – With the papal bull Inter gravissimas, Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
1607 – L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance.
1711 – The London première of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.
1739 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah.
1803 – In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the principle of judicial review.
1809 – London's Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute.
1821 – Final stage of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain with Plan of Iguala.
1822 – The first Swaminarayan temple in the world, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, is inaugurated.
1826 – The signing of the Treaty of Yandabo marks the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War.
1831 – The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
1848 – King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
1868 – Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. He is later acquitted in the Senate.
1875 – The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high-profile civil servants and dignitaries.
1881 – China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.
1895 – Revolution breaks out in Baire, a town near Santiago de Cuba, beginning the Cuban War of Independence, that ends with the Spanish–American War in 1898.
1916 – The Governor-General of Korea establishes a clinic called Jahyewon in Sorokdo to segregate Hansen's disease patients.
1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
1918 – Estonian Declaration of Independence.
1920 – The Nazi Party is founded.
1920 – Nancy Astor became the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.
1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles: A false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.
1942 – An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations of the War Measures Act gives the Canadian federal government the power to intern all "persons of Japanese racial origin".
1944 – Merrill's Marauders: The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese occupied Burma.
1945 – Egyptian Premier Ahmad Mahir Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.
1946 – Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, is elected to his first term as President of Argentina.
1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
1971 – The All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, is killed three days earlier. P.K. Mookiah Thevar is appointed as the new chairman.
1976 – The current constitution of Cuba is formally proclaimed.
1980 – The United States Olympic hockey team completes its Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4–2 to win the gold medal.
1981 – The 6.7 Ms Gulf of Corinth earthquake affects Central Greece with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The shock killed 22 people and destroyed buildings in several towns west of Athens.
1983 – A special commission of the United States Congress condemns the Japanese American internment during World War II.
1984 – Tyrone Mitchell perpetrates the 49th Street Elementary School shooting in Los Angeles, killing two children and injuring 12 more.
1989 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa and offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
1996 – Two civilian airplanes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue are shot down in international waters by the Cuban Air Force.
2004 – The 6.3 Mw Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern Morocco with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
2006 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.
2007 – Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.
2008 – Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another three years.
2015 – A Metrolink train derails in Oxnard, California following a collision with a truck, leaving more than 30 injured.
2016 – Tara Air Flight 193, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed, with 23 fatalities, in Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone, while en route from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.
1103 – Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156)
1304 – Ibn Battuta, Moroccan jurist
1413 – Louis, Duke of Savoy (d. 1465)
1463 – Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher (d. 1494)
1500 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1558)
1545 – John of Austria (d. 1578)
1557 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1619)
1593 – Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and courtier (d. 1625)
1595 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (d. 1640)
1619 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (d. 1690)
1622 – Johannes Clauberg, German theologian and philosopher (d. 1665)
1709 – Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (d. 1782)
1721 – John McKinly, Irish-American physician and politician, 1st Governor of Delaware (d. 1796)
1723 – John Burgoyne, English general and politician (d. 1792)
1736 – Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1806)
1743 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and explorer (d. 1820)
1762 – Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer and educator (d. 1830)
1767 – Rama II of Siam (d. 1824)
1774 – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (d. 1850)
1786 – Martin W. Bates, American lawyer and politician (d. 1869)
1786 – Wilhelm Grimm, German anthropologist, author, and academic (d. 1859)
1788 – Johan Christian Dahl, Norwegian-German painter (d. 1857)
1827 – Lydia Becker, English-French activist (d. 1890)
1831 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1899)
1835 – Julius Vogel, English-New Zealand journalist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1899)
1836 – Winslow Homer, American painter and illustrator (d. 1910)
1837 – Rosalía de Castro, Spanish poet (d. 1885)
1842 – Arrigo Boito, Italian journalist, author, and composer (d. 1918)
1848 – Andrew Inglis Clark, Australian engineer, lawyer, and politician (d. 1907)
1852 – George Moore, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
1868 – Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (d. 1949)
1874 – Honus Wagner, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1955)
1877 – Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1972)
1877 – Ettie Rout, Australian-New Zealand educator and activist (d. 1936)
1885 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (d. 1966)
1885 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish author, poet, and painter (d. 1939)
1890 – Marjorie Main, American actress (d. 1975)
1896 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
1898 – Kurt Tank, German pilot and engineer (d. 1983)
1903 – Vladimir Bartol, Italian-Slovene author and playwright (d. 1967)
1908 – Telford Taylor, American general, lawyer, and historian (d. 1998)
1909 – August Derleth, American anthologist and author (d. 1971)
1914 – Ralph Erskine, English-Swedish architect, designed The Ark and Byker Wall (d. 2005)
1914 – Weldon Kees, American author, poet, painter, and pianist (d. 1955)
1915 – Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (d. 1986)
1921 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (d. 2016)
1922 – Richard Hamilton, English painter and academic (d. 2011)
1922 – Steven Hill, American actor (d. 2016)
1924 – Hal Herring, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
1924 – Erik Nielsen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2008)
1925 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2013)
1927 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (d. 2017)
1929 – Kintaro Ohki, South Korean wrestler (d. 2006)
1930 – Barbara Lawrence, American model and actress (d. 2013)
1931 – Dominic Chianese, American actor and singer
1931 – Brian Close, English cricketer and coach (d. 2015)
1932 – Michel Legrand, French pianist, composer, and conductor
1932 – Zell Miller, American sergeant and politician, 79th Governor of Georgia
1932 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (d. 2005)
1933 – Judah Folkman, American physician and biologist (d. 2008)
1933 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (d. 2014)
1933 – David "Fathead" Newman, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2009)
1934 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2000)
1934 – Renata Scotto, Italian soprano
1935 – Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet, essayist, and translator (d. 2014)
1936 – Guillermo O'Donnell, Argentine political scientist (d. 2011)
1938 – James Farentino, American actor (d. 2012)
1938 – Phil Knight, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Nike, Inc.
1939 – Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (d. 2013)
1940 – Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)
1940 – Jimmy Ellis, American boxer (d. 2014)
1940 – Denis Law, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
1941 – Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress
1942 – Colin Bond, Australian race car driver
1942 – Paul Jones, English singer, harmonica player, and actor
1942 – Joe Lieberman, American lawyer and politician
1942 – Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Indian philosopher, theorist, and academic
1943 – Kent Haruf, American novelist (d. 2014)
1943 – Pablo Milanés, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist
1943 – Terry Semel, American businessman
1944 – Nicky Hopkins, English keyboard player (d. 1994)
1944 – Ivica Račan, Croatian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (d. 2007)
1945 – Barry Bostwick, American actor and singer
1946 – Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician and academic
1947 – Mike Fratello, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
1947 – Rupert Holmes, English-American singer-songwriter and playwright
1947 – Edward James Olmos, American actor and director
1948 – Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (d.2016)
1948 – Walter Smith, Scottish footballer and manager
1948 – Tim Staffell, English singer and guitarist
1948 – Dennis Waterman, English actor
1950 – Steve McCurry, American photographer and journalist
1950 – George Thorogood, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1951 – David Ford, Northern Irish social worker and politician
1951 – Derek Randall, English cricketer
1951 – Debra Jo Rupp, American actress
1951 – Helen Shaver, Canadian actress and director
1951 – Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian economist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Latvia
1954 – Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer-songwriter and producer
1954 – Sid Meier, Canadian-American game designer and programmer, created the Civilization series
1954 – Mike Pickering, English DJ and saxophonist
1955 – Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founded Apple Inc. and Pixar (d. 2011)
1955 – Eddie Johnson, American basketball player
1955 – Alain Prost, French race car driver
1956 – Judith Butler, American philosopher, theorist, and author
1956 – Eddie Murray, American baseball player and coach
1956 – Paula Zahn, American journalist and producer
1958 – Sammy Kershaw, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1958 – Mark Moses, American actor
1959 – Beth Broderick, American actress and director
1959 – Mike Whitney, Australian cricketer and television host
1962 – Michelle Shocked, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1963 – Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
1963 – Mike Vernon, Canadian ice hockey player
1964 – Russell Ingall, British-Australian race car driver and sportscaster
1965 – Paul Gruber, American football player
1965 – Jane Swift, American businesswoman and politician, Governor of Massachusetts
1966 – Billy Zane, American actor and producer
1967 – Brian Schmidt, Australian astrophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1968 – Mitch Hedberg, American comedian and actor (d. 2005)
1969 – Kim Seung-woo, South Korean actor
1970 – Jeff Garcia, American football player and coach
1970 – Neil Sullivan, English-Scottish footballer and coach
1971 – Josh Bernstein, American anthropologist, explorer, and author
1971 – Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish race car driver
1971 – Brian Savage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1972 – Teodor Currentzis, Greek conductor and composer
1972 – Manon Rhéaume, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1973 – Stubby Clapp, Canadian baseball player and coach
1973 – Chris Fehn, American drummer
1973 – Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player and pilot
1974 – Chad Hugo, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
1974 – Mike Lowell, American baseball player and sportscaster
1974 – Bonnie Somerville, American actress
1975 – Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
1976 – Crista Flanagan, American actress and screenwriter
1976 – Zach Johnson, American golfer
1976 – Bradley McGee, Australian cyclist and coach
1976 – Matt Skiba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1977 – Jason Akermanis, Australian footballer and coach
1977 – Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player and singer
1977 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., American boxer
1978 – Gary, South Korean rapper and producer
1978 – Shinya, Japanese drummer and songwriter
1978 – John Nolan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1978 – DeWayne Wise, American baseball player
1978 – Leon Constantine, English footballer
1980 – Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
1981 – Felipe Baloy, Panamanian footballer
1981 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
1981 – Mauro Rosales, Argentinian footballer
1981 – Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricketer
1982 – Nick Blackburn, American baseball player
1982 – Emanuel Villa, Argentinian footballer
1982 – Klára Koukalová, Czech tennis player
1982 – Fala Chen, Chinese actress and singer
1984 – Corey Graves, American wrestler and sportscaster
1987 – Kim Kyu-jong, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor
1988 – Mathieu Baudry, French footballer
1988 – Levi Hanssen, New Zealand footballer
1989 – Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1989 – Kosta Koufos, American basketball player
1991 – Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
1991 – Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
1994 – Earl Sweatshirt, American hip-hop artist
616 – Æthelberht of Kent (b. 560)
1018 – Borrell, bishop of Vic
1114 – Thomas, archbishop of York
1386 – Charles III of Naples (b. 1345)
1496 – Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1445)
1525 – Jacques de La Palice, French nobleman and military officer (b. 1470)
1525 – Richard de la Pole, last Yorkist claimant to the English throne (b. 1480)
1563 – Francis, Duke of Guise (b. 1519)
1588 – Johann Weyer, Dutch physician and occultist (b. 1515)
1666 – Nicholas Lanier, English composer and painter (b. 1588)
1685 – Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland (b. 1629)
1704 – Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (b. 1643)
1714 – Edmund Andros, English courtier and politician, 4th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1637)
1721 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1648)
1732 – Francis Charteris, Scottish soldier (b. 1675)
1777 – Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714)
1785 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican lawyer and politician (b. 1746)
1799 – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German physicist and academic (b. 1742)
1810 – Henry Cavendish, French-English physicist and chemist (b. 1731)
1812 – Étienne-Louis Malus, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775)
1815 – Robert Fulton, American engineer (b. 1765)
1825 – Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (b. 1754)
1856 – Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1792)
1876 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian politician, 1st President of Liberia (b. 1809)
1879 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 11th Yokozuna (b. 1825)
1910 – Osman Hamdi Bey, Greek archaeologist and painter (b. 1842)
1914 – Joshua Chamberlain, American general and politician, 32nd Governor of Maine (b. 1828)
1925 – Hjalmar Branting, Swedish journalist and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Sweden, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
1927 – Edward Marshall Hall, English lawyer and politician (b. 1858)
1929 – André Messager, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1853)
1930 – Hermann von Ihering, German-Brazilian zoologist (b. 1850)
1953 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (b. 1895)
1953 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (b. 1875)
1970 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (b. 1897)
1974 – Margaret Leech, American historian and author (b. 1893)
1975 – Hans Bellmer, German artist (b. 1902)
1975 – Nikolai Bulganin, Russian marshal and politician, 6th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1895)
1978 – Alma Thomas, American painter and educator (b.1891)
1982 – Virginia Bruce, American actress (b. 1910)
1986 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1904)
1990 – Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (b. 1945)
1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American sergeant and publisher (b. 1917)
1990 – Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th President of Italy (b. 1896)
1990 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
1991 – John Daly, American journalist and game show host (b. 1914)
1991 – George Gobel, American actor (b. 1919)
1991 – Webb Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1921)
1993 – Danny Gallivan, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1917)
1993 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (b. 1941)
1994 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (b. 1906)
1994 – Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
1998 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban-American cartoonist (b. 1921)
1998 – Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and violinist (b. 1906)
1999 – Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist (b. 1936)
2001 – Theodore Marier, American composer and educator, founded the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (b. 1912)
2001 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician, cryptographer, and engineer (b. 1916)
2002 – Leo Ornstein, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1893)
2004 – John Randolph, American actor (b. 1915)
2005 – Coşkun Kırca, Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician (b. 1927)
2006 – Octavia E. Butler, American author and educator (b. 1947)
2006 – Don Knotts, American actor and comedian (b. 1924)
2006 – John Martin, Canadian broadcaster, co-founded MuchMusic (b. 1947)
2006 – Dennis Weaver, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
2007 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (b. 1906)
2007 – Damien Nash, American football player (b. 1982)
2008 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
2010 – Dawn Brancheau, senior animal trainer at SeaWorld (b. 1969)
2011 – Anant Pai, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
2012 – Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (b. 1930)
2012 – Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (b. 1925)
2013 – Virgil Johnson, American singer (b. 1935)
2013 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1923)
2014 – Franny Beecher, American guitarist (b. 1921)
2014 – Alexis Hunter, New Zealand-English painter and photographer (b. 1948)
2014 – Carlos Páez Vilaró, Uruguayan painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
2014 – Harold Ramis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
2015 – Mefodiy, Ukrainian metropolitan (b. 1949)
2015 – Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and diplomat (b. 1962)
2016 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (b. 1943)
2016 – Nabil Maleh, Syrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
2016 – George C. Nichopoulos, American soldier and physician (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances
Christian feast day:
Æthelberht of Kent
Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
Lindel Tsen and Paul Sasaki (Anglican Church of Canada)
Modest (bishop of Trier)
Sergius of Cappadocia
February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Dragobete (Romania)
Engineer's Day (Iran)
Flag Day in Mexico
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
National Artist Day (Thailand)
February 24 Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
