24 February

Events

• 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire.
• 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
• 1711 - The London premiere of Rinaldo by George Friderich Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.
• 1803 - The Supreme Court of the United States, in Marbury v. Madison, establishes the principle of judicial review.
• 1836 - Samuel Colt receives a patent for the Colt revolver.
• 1839 - William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel.
• 1848 - King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
• 1863 - Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
• 1868 - The first parade to have floats occurs at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• 1868 - After Andrew Johnson tried to dismiss United States Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, he becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. Johnson would later be acquitted by the United States Senate.
• 1909 - The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded.
• 1917 - World War I: United States ambassador to the United Kingdom Walter H. Page is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany offers to give the American Southwest back to Mexico if Mexico will declare war on the United States.
• 1924 - Johnny Weissmuller finishes the 100-meter swimming event in 57 2/5 seconds breaking the world record.
• 1925 - A thermite (magnesium bomb) is used for the first time by breaking-up a 250,000-ton ice jam clogging the St. Lawrence River near Waddington, New York.
• 1938 - A nylon bristle toothbrush becomes the first commercial product (DuPont) to be made with nylon yarn.
• 1942 - Propaganda: The Voice of America begins broadcasting.
• 1945 - Egyptian Premier Ahmed Maher Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.
• 1946 - Juan Peron is elected president of Argentina.
• 1948 - Cold War: The Communist Party seizes control of Czechoslovakia.
• 1968 - Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted - South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
• 1970 - National Public Radio is founded.
• 1981 - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.
• 1981 - Jean Harris is convicted of murdering Dr. Herman Tarnower, the author of the bestselling The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet.
• 1983 - A special commission of the United States Congress releases a report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World War II.
• 1988 - The Supreme Court of the United States sides with Larry Flynt's Hustler magazine by overturning a lower court decision to award Jerry Falwell $200,000 for defamation.
• 1989 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a three-million-US dollar bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
• 1989 - A United Airlines Boeing 747 bound to New Zealand from Honolulu, Hawaii rips open during flight, sucking 9 passenger and crew out of the first class section. Luckily most passengers and crew were still belted to their seats at the time.
• 1996 - The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European Union and for the Roman Catholic Church.
• 1999 - LaGrand Case: The State of Arizona executes Karl LaGrand, a German national involved in an armed robbery that led to a death. Karl's brother Walter is executed a week later, in spite of Germany's legal action in the International Court of Justice to attempt to save him.
• 1999 - A China Southern Airlines Tupolev TU-154 airliner crashes on approach to Wenzhou airport in eastern China killing 61
• 2002 - February 8 through February 24 - 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah

Births

• 1500 - Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, (d. 1558)
• 1709 - Jacques de Vaucanson, inventer, (d. 1782)
• 1774 - Prince Adolphus of the United Kingdom, 1st Duke of Cambridge, (d. 1850)
• 1786 - Wilhelm Grimm, philologist, folklorist, (d. 1859)
• 1836 - Winslow Homer, artist, (d. 1910)
• 1848 - Andrew Inglis Clark, Tasmanian Politician, (d. 1907)
• 1874 - Honus Wagner, Baseball great, (d. 1955)
• 1885 - Chester Nimitz, United States admiral, (d. 1966)
• 1890 - Marjorie Main, actress, (d. 1975)
• 1903 - Franz Burda, German publisher, (d. 1986)
• 1909 - August Derleth, writer, (d. 1971)
• 1914 - Zachary Scott, actor, (d. 1965)
• 1921 - Abe Vigoda, actor
• 1922 - Richard Hamilton, pop-art painter
• 1922 - Steven Hill, actor
• 1932 - Michel Legrand, composer
• 1934 - Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy, (d. 2000)
• 1938 - Phil Knight, founder of Nike, Inc.
• 1942 - John Neumeier, choreographer
• 1942 - Joseph Lieberman, politician, candidate for Vice President of the United States
• 1943 - George Harrison, member of The Beatles, (d. 2001)
• 1946 - Barry Bostwick, actor
• 1947 - Edward James Olmos, actor
• 1955 - Alain Prost, Formula One driver
• 1955 - Steve Jobs, computer pioneer
• 1956 - Paula Zahn, journalist
• 1958 - Sammy Kershaw, musician
• 1962 - Michelle Shocked, musician
• 1966 - Billy Zane, actor
• 1970 - Jeff Garcia, quarterback

Deaths

• 1815 - Robert Fulton, inventor, (b. 1765)
• 1975 - Nikolai Bulganin, Premier of the Soviet Union
• 1990 - Malcolm Forbes, publisher, (b. 1917)
• 1991 - George Gobel, comedian, (b. 1919)
• 1991 - John Daly, journalist, game show host
• 1993 - Bobby Moore, English footballer, (b. 1941)
• 1994 - Dinah Shore, actress, singer, (b. 1916)
• 1998 - Henny Youngman, comedian, (b. 1906)
• 1999 - Andre Dubus, writer
• 2002 - Leo Ornstein, composer and pianist, (b. 1912)
• 2003 - Christopher Hill, historian, (b. 1912)
• 2003 - Bernard Loiseau, chef

Holidays and observances

February 23 - February 25 - January 24 - March 24 -- listing of all days

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Referenced By