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February 24 Gregorian calendar . There are 310 days remaining until the end of the year (311 in leap years ).
By Roman custom February 24 leap year in the Julian calendar . The Mensis Intercalaris began on this day or the following day in intercalary years in the pre-Julian calendar .
Events
303 - Galerius , Roman Emperor , publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire .1387 - King Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at Buda .1538 - Treaty of Nagyvarad between Ferdinand I and John Zápolya .1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar .1607 - L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi , one of the first works recognized as an opera, premieres.1711 - The London premiere of Rinaldo George Frideric Handel , the first Italian opera written for the London stage.1739 - Battle of Karnal : The army of Iranian ruler Nadir Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India , Muhammad Shah .1803 - The Supreme Court of the United States , in Marbury v. Madison judicial review .1804 - London 's Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute.1826 - The signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo marks the end of the First Burmese War .1831 - The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek , the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act , is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West .1839 - William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel .1848 - King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.1863 - Arizona is organized as a United States territory .1868 - The first parade to have floats is staged at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana .1868 - Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives . He is later acquitted in the Senate .
1875 - The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast with the loss of approximately 102 lives.1881 - China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.1893 - The American University is chartered by an act of the Congress of the United States of America.1895 - Revolution breaks out in Baire , a town near Santiago de Cuba , beginning the second war for Cuban independence , which ended with the Spanish-American War in 1898.1899 - Western Washington University is established.1909 - The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded.1917 - World War I : The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram , in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico , Texas , and Arizona to Mexico if that country declares war on the United States .1918 - Estonian Declaration of Independence .1920 - The Nazi Party is founded.1925 - A thermite (magnesium ) bomb is used for the first time to break up a 250,000-ton ice jam clogging the St. Lawrence River near Waddington, New York .1938 - A nylon -bristle toothbrush becomes the first commercial product (DuPont ) to1942 - The "Battle of Los Angeles " takes place, lasting until the next day.1945 - Egyptian Premier Ahmed Maher Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.1968 - Vietnam War : The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué .1970 - National Public Radio is founded in the United States.1971 - The All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, was killed 3 days earlier. P.K. Mookiah Thevar appointed as the new chairman.1976 - Cuba : national Constitution proclaimed.1981 - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer .1981 - An earthquake registering 6.7 on the Richter scale hits Athens , killing 16 people and destroying buildings in several towns west of the city.
1983 - A special commission of the U.S. Congress releases a report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World War II .1989 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie .1989 - United Airlines Flight 811 , bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, Hawaii , rips open during flight, sucking 9 passengers out of the business-class section.
1995 - The Corona reconnaissance satellite program, in existence from 1959 to 1972 , is declassified.1996 - The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European Union and for the Roman Catholic Church .1999 - The State of Arizona executes Karl LaGrand , a German national involved in an armed robbery, in spite of Germany 's legal action to attempt to save him.1999 - A China Southern Airlines Tupolev TU-154 airliner crashes on approach to Wenzhou airport in eastern the People's Republic of China , killing 61.
2006 - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declares Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.2008 - Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba after nearly fifty years.
Births
1103 - Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156 )1304 - Ibn Battuta , Arabian explorer (d. 1368 ) ?1463 - Giovanni Pico della Mirandola , Italian humanist (d. 1494 )1500 - Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1558 )1545 - Don John of Austria , Spanish military leader (d. 1578 )1557 - Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1619 )1597 - Vincent Voiture , French poet (d. 1648 )1619 - Charles Le Brun , French artist (d. 1690 )1622 - Johannes Clauberg , German theologian and philosopher (d. 1665 )1684 - Matthias Braun , Czech sculptor (d. 1738 )1693 - James Quin , English actor (d. 1766 )1709 - Jacques de Vaucanson , French inventor (d. 1782 )1723 - John Burgoyne , British general (d. 1792 )1774 - Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge (d. 1850 )1786 - Martin W. Bates . U.S. Senator from Delaware (d. 1869 )1786 - Wilhelm Grimm , German philologist and folklorist (d. 1859 )1831 - Leo von Caprivi , Chancellor of Germany (d. 1899 )1836 - Winslow Homer , American artist (d. 1910 )1842 - Arrigo Boito , Italian composer (d. 1918 )1846 - Luigi Denza , Italian composer (d. 1922 )1848 - Andrew Inglis Clark , Tasmanian politician (d. 1907 )1852 - George Moore , Irish writer (d. 1933 )1866 - Pyotr Nikolaevich Lebedev , Russian physicist (d. 1912 )1874 - Honus Wagner , American baseball player (d. 1955 )1877 - Ettie Rout , New Zealand activist (d. 1936 )1885 - Chester Nimitz , U.S. admiral (d. 1966 )1885 - Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz , Polish writer and painter (d. 1939 )
1890 - Marjorie Main , American actress (d. 1975 )1898 - Kurt Tank , German aeronautical engineer and test pilot (d. 1983 )1909 - August Derleth , American writer (d. 1971 )1914 - Zachary Scott , American actor (d. 1965 )1914 - Ralph Erskine , British architect (Byker Wall ) (d. 2005 )
1919 - Árpád Bogsch , Hungarian turned American international civil servant (d. 2004 )1919 - Betty Marsden , English comedy actress (d. 1998 )
1921 - Abe Vigoda , American actor1921 - Douglass Watson , American actor (d. 1989 )
1922 - Richard Hamilton , English painter1922 - Steven Hill , American actor
1923 - David Soyer , American cellist1926 - Jean Alexander , English actress1926 - John Gunther Dean , American diplomat
1927 - Emmanuelle Riva , French actress1928 - Barbara Lawrence , American actress1931 - Dominic Chianese , American actor1932 - Michel Legrand , French composer1932 - John Vernon , Canadian actor (d. 2005 )
1933 - Judah Folkman , American cancer researcher1934 - Bettino Craxi , Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2000 )1934 - Renata Scotto , Italian soprano
1934 - Linda Cristal , Argentina-born actress
1938 - James Farentino , American actor1938 - Phil Knight , American sportswear manufacturer
1938 - Kathleen Margaret Richardson, Baroness Richardson of Calow , British Baroness and Methodist reverend
1940 - Pete Duel , American actor (d. 1971 )1940 - Denis Law , Scottish footballer
1941 - Joanie Sommers , American singer and actress1942 - Joe Lieberman , American politician1942 - Paul Jones , English singer (Manfred Mann )
1942 - Colin Bond , Australian racing driver
1943 - Hristo Prodanov , Bulgarian mountaineer1943 - Terry Semel , American business executive
1943 - Pablo Milanés , Cuban musician
1944 - Nicky Hopkins , British musician (d. 1994 )1945 - Barry Bostwick , American actor1946 - Grigory Margulis , Russian mathematician1946 - John Stapleton , English television presenter
1947 - Rupert Holmes , English musician1947 - Edward James Olmos , American actor
1948 - J. Jayalalithaa , Indian politician1948 - Walter Smith , Scottish football manager
1948 - Tim Staffell , English singer
1948 - Dennis Waterman , British actor
1950 - George Thorogood , American Singer and Guitarist1951 - Tony Holiday , German singer (d. 1990 )1951 - Debra Jo Rupp , American actress
1951 - Helen Shaver , Canadian actress
1955 - Steve Jobs , American computer pioneer1955 - Alain Prost , French race car driver and four-time F1 world champion
1956 - Paula Zahn , American journalist1956 - Judith Butler , American philosopher
1956 - Eddie Murray , American baseball player
1958 - Sammy Kershaw , American musician1958 - Plastic Bertrand , Belgian singer
1959 - Beth Broderick , American actress1962 - Michelle Shocked , American musician1962 - Teri Weigel , American pornography actress
1962 - Outi Mäenpää , Finnish actress
1963 - Mike Vernon , Canadian ice hockey player1964 - Andy Crane , British children's television presenter1964 - Todd Field , American actor and film director
1964 - Bill Bailey , British comedian
1964 - Russell Ingall , Australian racing driver
1965 - Lloyd McGrath , former English footballer1965 - Jane Swift , former acting Governor of Massachusetts
1966 - Billy Zane , American actor1966 - René Arocha , Cuban baseball player
1968 - Mitch Hedberg , American comedian (d. 2005 )1970 - Jeff Garcia , American football player1970 - Jonathan Ward , American television and movie actor
1970 - Kienast quintuplets , American quintuplets
1971 - Pedro de la Rosa , Spanish Formula One driver1971 - Brian Savage , Canadian ice hockey player
1972 - Manon Rhéaume , Canadian female ice hockey player1973 - Chris Fehn , American percussionist (Slipknot )1973 - Jordan Jovtchev , Bulgarian gymnast
1973 - Alexei Kovalev , Russian ice hockey player
1973 - Richard Clapp , Canadian baseball player
1974 - Chad Hugo , American musician and producer (The Neptunes )1974 - Karim Bagheri , Iranian footballer
1974 - Mike Lowell , Puerto Rican baseball player
1974 - Bonnie Somerville , American actress and singer
1975 - Ashley MacIsaac , Canadian fiddler1975 - Maurizio Giuliano , writer and traveller
1976 - Matt Skiba , American musician (Alkaline Trio ,Heavens )1976 - Eric Griffin , American rock guitarist
1976 - Bradley McGee , Australian cyclist
1976 - Crista Flanagan , American television comedian
1976 - Zach Johnson , professional golfer
1976 - Marco Campos , Brazilian racing driver (d. 1995 )
1977 - Floyd Mayweather Jr , American boxer1977 - Jason Akermanis , Australian rules footballer
1977 - Bronson Arroyo , American baseball player
1978 - Shinya , Japanese musician (Dir en grey )1978 - John Nolan , American musician (Straylight Run )
1980 - Anton Gustafsson , Swedish rock music fan (d. 2003 )1980 - Shinsuke Nakamura , Japanese professional wrestler
1980 - Roman Sloudnov , Russian swimmer
1981 - Lleyton Hewitt , Australian tennis player1981 - Mohammad Sami , Pakistani cricketer
1982 - Nick Blackburn , American baseball player1982 - Emanuel Villa , Argentine footballer
1982 - Klára Zakopalová , Czech tennis player
1984 - Clivio Piccione , Monegasque racing driver1984 - Sterling James Keenan , American professional wrestler1986 - Wojtek Wolski , Polish Ice hockey player1987 - Daniel Reilly , British entrepreneur1987 - Mayuko Iwasa , Japanese entertainer and model
1987 - Chieko Kawabe , Japanese singer, model and actress
1989 - Kosta Koufos , American-Greek basketball player
Deaths
616 - King Ethelbert of Kent 1525 - Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet , French soldier1563 - Francis, Duke of Guise , French soldier and politician (b. 1519 )1588 - Johann Weyer , Dutch physician and occultist1666 - Nicholas Lanier , English composer (b. 1588 )1674 - Matthias Weckmann , German composer (b. 1616 )1685 - Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle , English politician and military leader (b. 1629 )1704 - Marc-Antoine Charpentier , French composer (b. 1643 )1714 - Edmund Andros , English governor in North America (b. 1637 )1721 - John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby , English statesman and poet (b. 1648 )1732 - Colonel Francis Charteris , known as "The Rape-Master General". (b. 1675 )1777 - King Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714 )1779 - Paul Daniel Longolius , German encylopedist (b. 1704 )1781 - Edward Capell , English critic (b. 1713 )1799 - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg , German physicist (b. 1742 )1810 - Henry Cavendish , English scientist (b. 1756 )1812 - Etienne-Louis Malus , French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775 )1815 - Robert Fulton , American inventor (b. 1765 )1825 - Thomas Bowdler , English physician and editor (b. 1754 )1856 - Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky , Russian mathematician (b. 1792 )1876 - Joseph Jenkins Roberts , first President of Liberia (b. 1809 )1914 - Joshua Chamberlain , Civil War hero for the Union on Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg 1925 - Hjalmar Branting , Prime Minister of Sweden , recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1860 )1929 - André Messager , French composer and conductor (b. 1853 )1953 - Gerd von Rundstedt , German field marshal (b. 1875 )1970 - Conrad Nagel , American actor (b. 1897 )1975 - Nikolai Bulganin , Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1895 )1982 - Virginia Bruce , America actress and singer (b. 1910 )1984 - Helmut Schelsky , German sociologist (b. 1912 )1986 - Tommy Douglas , Canadian politician (b. 1904 )1987 - Jim Connors , Legendary Radio personality (b. 1940 )1989 - Sparky Adams , American baseball player (b. 1894 )1990 - Tony Conigliaro , American baseball player (b. 1945 )1990 - Malcolm Forbes , American publisher (b. 1917 )
1990 - Sandro Pertini , Italian politician (b. 1896 )
1990 - Johnnie Ray , American singer (b. 1927 )
1991 - John Daly , South African game show host (b. 1914 )1991 - George Gobel , American comedian (b. 1919 )
1991 - Webb Pierce , American music singer (b. 1921 )
1993 - Danny Gallivan , Canadian radio and television sportscaster (b. 1917 )1993 - Bobby Moore , English footballer (b. 1941 )
1994 - Jean Sablon , French singer (b. 1906 )1994 - Dinah Shore , American actress and singer (b. 1916 )
1998 - Antonio Prohias , Cuban-born cartoonist (b. 1921 )1998 - Henny Youngman , English-born comedian (b. 1906 )
1999 - Andre Dubus , American writer (b. 1936 )2001 - Claude E. Shannon , American information theorist (b. 1916 )2002 - Arthur Lyman , American jazz vibraphone and marimba player (b. 1932 )2002 - Leo Ornstein , Russian-born composer and pianist (b. 1912 )
2003 - John Edward Christopher Hill , English historian (b. 1912 )2003 - Bernard Loiseau , French chef (b. 1951 )
2004 - John Randolph , American actor (b. 1915 )2006 - Octavia Butler , American author and MacArthur Foundation Fellow (b. 1947 )2006 - Don Knotts , American actor (b. 1924 )
2006 - John Martin , Canadian broadcaster (b. 1947 )
2006 - Denis Twitchett , Cambridge scholar, and Chinese historian (b. 1925 )
2006 - Dennis Weaver , American actor (b. 1924 )
2007 - Bruce Bennett , American actor (b. 1906 )2007 - Leroy Jenkins , American composer and violinist (b. 1932 )
2007 - Lamar Lundy , American football player (b. 1935 )
2007 - Damien Nash , American football player (b. 1982 )
2008 - Larry Norman , American musician, singer, songwriter and producer (b. 1947 )
Holidays and observances
External links
