- Feb 3 Hector Berlioz' "Carnaval Romain" premieres in Paris
- Feb 4 World's oldest known Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is discovered or stolen in Egypt by Constantin von Tischendorf
Historic Expedition
Feb 14 John C. Frémont and his party become the first Europeans to discover Lake Tahoe during his second expedition through the American West
Kit Carson
- Feb 27 Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti (National Day)
- Feb 28 12-inch gun aboard USS Princeton explodes, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer, and other high-ranking U.S. federal officials
- Feb 28 6th Grand National: John Crickmere wins aboard 5/1 co-favourite Discount