Historical Events
- American defending champion Dick Button becomes 1st figure-skater to land a triple jump in competition; performs triple loop in Olympic free skate in Oslo; wins gold medal ahead of Austria’s Helmut Seibt
- First Indochina War: French offensive at Hanoi
Famous Birthdays
- Amy Tan, American novelist (The Joy Luck Club), born in Oakland, California
- Gaëtan Dugas, French Canadian flight attendant and HIV patient erroneously vilifed as "Patient Zero", born in Quebec City, Quebec (d. 1984) [1]
- Rudolfo Neri-Vida, Mexican electrical engineer, PHD, and astronaut (STS 23) born in Chilpancingo, Mexico
Famous Deaths
- (Percy) Lawrence Grant, British silent and sound screen character actor (Bulldog Drummond; Shanghai Express), dies at 81
- Knut Hamsun, Norwegian writer (Nobel Prize for Literature, 1920), dies at 92
About February 19, 1952
Day of the Week: Tuesday
How Long Ago? 71 years, 7 months and 11 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Sign: Pisces
