Historical Events Feb 15 Russian troops occupy Polotsk Lithuania Feb 18 Huguenot Jean Poltrot de Mere shoots gen Francois De Guise Feb 27 William Byrd is appointed organist at Lincoln Cathedral Famous Deaths Feb 1 Menas, Emperor of Ethiopia, dies of fever Feb 2 Hans Neusiedler, Hungarian/German luitist/author, dies at approx 54 Feb 24 Francois Guise, French general/duke, assassinated at 44 1562 History by Year 1564