- 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
- Feb 14 Lt. John C. Frémont becomes first European to discover Lake Tahoe in the US
- 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: Mr John Crickmere aboard Discount wins