Historical Events Feb 8 French and Native American troops set Schenectady settlement New York on fire Feb 8 Lord Halifax resigns as Lord Privy Seal Famous Birthdays Feb 1 Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian opera composer, born in Florence, Italy (d. 1768) Feb 3 Richard Rawlinson, English minister (d. 1755) Feb 21 Christoph Stoltzenberg, composer Feb 28 Aleksei P Romanov, Russian son of Tsar Peter the Great Famous Deaths Feb 7 William Morice, English royalist statesman Feb 22 Charles Le Brun, French classical painter who helped establish the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, dies at 70 1689 History by Year 1691