On This Day

What Happened in February 1779

Historical Events

  • Feb 24 George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes (Ind) from British

Famous Birthdays

  • Feb 20 Augustus Callcott, landscape painter, Kensington
  • Feb 21 Friedrich C von Savigny, German lawyer
  • Feb 22 Joachim Nicolas Eggert, Swedish composer, born in Ginst, Rügen Island (d. 1813)
  • Feb 27 Thomas Hazlehurst, English soap and alkali manufacturer (d. 1842)

Famous Deaths

  • Feb 2 Georg Philipp Kress, German violinist and composer, dies at 59
  • Feb 7 William Boyce, English organist/composer (Cathedral Music), dies from gout at 69

Person of interestJames Cook

Feb 14 James Cook, British explorer, navigator and cartographer, discovered and explored Australia, Pacific Islands and New Zealand for Britain, killed in a fight with Hawaiians near Kealakekua at 50

Explorer James Cook
Explorer
James Cook
  • Feb 20 Johannes Burman, Dutch botanist, plant author and physician, dies at 71
  • Feb 24 Paul Daniel Longolius, German encylopedist (editor of Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon), dies at 74
  • Feb 27 Jan Nepveu, Dutch governor of Suriname (1769-79), dies at 59

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