What Happened on February 22
Important Events
- 1632 Galileo's "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" is published
- 1774 British House of Lords rules authors do not have perpetual copyright
- 1797 The Last Invasion of Britain, launched by the French during the Revolutionary Wars, begins near Fishguard, Wales
- 1825 Russia & Britain establish Alaska-Canada boundary
- 1967 25,000 US and South Vietnamese troops launch Operation Junction City against the Viet Cong. Largest US airborne assault since WWII.
Feb 22 in Film & TV
- 1934 "It Happened One Night" directed by Frank Capra and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert opens at NY's Radio City Music Hall (Academy Awards Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay 1935)
Feb 22 in Music
Feb 22 in Sport
- 1888 “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends
Did You Know?
Neanderthals not humans were the first artists on Earth, producing red cave paintings 65,000 years ago in Spain, according to new research published in "Science"
On February 22, 2018
Famous Birthdays
George Washington
(1732 - 1799)Robert Baden-Powell
(1857 - 1941)Alfred J. Gross
(1918 - 2000)Jean-Bédel Bokassa
(1921 - 1996)Steve Irwin
(1962 - 2006)Drew Barrymore
45 Years Old
Famous Weddings
- 1767 US Defector General Benedict Arnold (26) weds the daughter of the sheriff of New Haven Margaret Mansfield
- 1941 Future CIA Director William J. Casey (27) weds Sophia Kurz
- 1949 Future Portuguese President Mário Soares (24) weds actress Maria de Jesus Barroso (24) at the 3rd Conservatory of the Civil Register of Lisbon
Famous Divorces
- 1996 Actress Halle Berry files for divorce from David Justice
- 2008 "Baywatch" actress Pamela Anderson (40) divorces Rick Salomon (39) due to irreconcilable differences only 2 months after getting married
Articles, Photos and Quiz
Last Invasion of Britain
French troops surrendering to British forces at Goodwick Sands near Fishguard in Wales. Drawing by James Baker.
February 22, 1797Wonder of Woolworths Begins its Meteoric Rise
It was a simple idea: opening a store where nothing cost more than five cents. The idea caught on so quickly that Woolworth’s became a retail phenomenon.
February 22, 1878Weekly Quiz for February 17 - 23
Who was the 1st US President to visit China? What was the name of the Russian royal house that ruled 1613-1917? Who printed the 1st Bible in 1455?
February in History
A Deadly Bite, Or King Tut's Revenge?
It was one of the most spectacular archaeological finds – but was the disturbed Tutankhamun a sleeping tiger?
February 16, 1923Buried at Sea: The Casket That Carried JFK
John F. Kennedy's aides struggling to load the casket containing the slain President aboard Air Force One is an enduring image. But what happened to the casket?
February 18, 1966Final Deadly Performance of a Twisted Actor
From a celebrated family of actors came a young man with a twisted mind whose last performance involved the death of a president.
February 20, 1817The Man Who Re-wrote 'Offensive' Shakespeare
Thomas Bowdler, the man who re-wrote Shakespeare to remove the "offensive" bits, died on this day and added a new word – bowdlerise – to the language.
February 24, 1825