Events

Pre-1600

• 202 BC Liu Bang is enthroned as the Emperor of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty.

• 870 The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes.

• 1525 Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on the order of conquistador Hernán Cortés.

1601–1900

• 1638 The Scottish National Covenant is signed in Edinburgh.

• 1835 Elias Lönnrot signs and dates the foreword to the first version of the Kalevala, the so-called Old Kalevala.

• 1844 A gun explodes on board the steam warship USS Princeton during a pleasure cruise down the Potomac River, killing six, including Secretary of State Abel Upshur. President John Tyler, who is also on board, is not injured from the blast.

1901–present

• 1922 The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

• 1925 The Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake strikes northeastern North America.

• 1947 February 28 incident: In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down with the death of an estimated 18,000 - 28,000 civilians.

• 1948 The 1948 Accra riots erupt following a march by ex-servicemen of the Gold Coast Regiment towards the seat of the colonial government at Christiansborg Castle, where they were fired upon by Superintendent Colin Imray, leading to the killing of Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey and the arrest of the Big Six in the Gold Coast.

• 1958 A school bus in Floyd County, Kentucky hits a wrecker truck and plunges down an embankment into the rain-swollen Levisa Fork river. The driver and 26 children die in one of the worst school bus accidents in U.S. history.

• 1959 Discoverer 1, an American spy satellite that is the first object intended to achieve a polar orbit, is launched but fails to achieve orbit.

• 1966 A NASA T-38 Talon crashes into the McDonnell Aircraft factory while attempting a poor-visibility landing at Lambert Field, St. Louis, killing astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett.

• 1969 The 1969 Portugal earthquake hits Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

• 1973 Aeroflot Flight X-167 crashes during takeoff from Semey Airport, killing 32 people.

• 1974 The British election ends in a hung parliament after the Jeremy Thorpe-led Liberal Party achieved their biggest vote share since 1929.

• 1975 In London, an underground train fails to stop at Moorgate terminus station and crashes into the end of the tunnel, killing 43 people.

• 1983 The final episode of M*A*S*H airs, with almost 110 million viewers.

• 1985 The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station at Newry, killing nine officers.

• 1986 Olof Palme, 26th Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.

• 1990 Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-36.

• 1993 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group's leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff.

• 1997 An earthquake in northern Iran is responsible for about 1,100 deaths.

• 1997 A Turkish military memorandum results in the collapse of the coalition government in Turkey.

• 2001 The 2001 Nisqually earthquake, having a moment magnitude of 6.8, with epicenter in southern Puget Sound, damages the Seattle metropolitan area.

• 2002 During the religious violence in Gujarat, 97 people are killed in the Naroda Patiya massacre and 69 in the Gulbarg Society massacre.

• 2013 Pope Benedict XVI resigns as the pope of the Catholic Church, becoming the first pope to do so voluntarily since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

• 2023 Two trains collide south of the Vale of Tempe in Greece, leading to the deaths of at least 57 people and leaving 58 missing and 85 injured.

• 2024 Prime Minister Modi of India inaugurates the 2nd Space Port of India - Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport.

• 2026 The United States and Israel launch attacks across Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Retaliatory strikes are launched by Iran against US military bases in the Gulf, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1261 Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway (died 1283)

• 1518 Francis III, Duke of Brittany, Duke of Brittany (died 1536)

• 1533 Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher and author (died 1592)

• 1535 Cornelius Gemma, Dutch astronomer and astrologer (died 1578)

• 1552 Jost Bürgi, Swiss mathematician and clockmaker (died 1632)

1601–1900

• 1675 Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (died 1726)

• 1683 René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, French entomologist and academic (died 1757)

• 1690 – Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, eldest son of Peter the Great (died 1718)

• 1704 Louis Godin, French astronomer and academic (died 1760)

• 1833 Alfred von Schlieffen, German military strategist (died 1913)

• 1848 Arthur Giry, French historian and academic (died 1899)

• 1858 Tore Svennberg, Swedish actor and director (died 1941)

• 1866 Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian poet and playwright (died 1949)

• 1878 Pierre Fatou, French mathematician and astronomer (died 1929)

• 1884 Ants Piip, Estonian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (died 1942)

• 1887 William Zorach, Lithuanian-American sculptor and painter (died 1966)

• 1894 Ben Hecht, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1964)

• 1896 Philip Showalter Hench, American physician and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1965)

• 1898 Zeki Rıza Sporel, Turkish footballer (died 1969)

1901–present

• 1901 Linus Pauling, American chemist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)

• 1906 Bugsy Siegel, American gangster (died 1947)

• 1907 Milton Caniff, American cartoonist (died 1988)

• 1908 Billie Bird, American actress (died 2002)

• 1909 Stephen Spender, English author and poet (died 1995)

• 1915 Ketti Frings, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1981)

• 1915 Peter Medawar, Brazilian-English biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1987)

• 1919 Alfred Marshall, American businessman, founded Marshalls (died 2013)

• 1920 Jadwiga Piłsudska, Polish soldier, pilot, and architect (died 2014)

• 1921 Marah Halim Harahap, Indonesian military officer, Governor of North Sumatra (died 2015)

• 1922 Radu Câmpeanu, Romanian politician (died 2016)

• 1924 Robert A. Roe, American soldier and politician (died 2014)

• 1925 Harry H. Corbett, Burmese-English actor (died 1982)

• 1928 Tom Aldredge, American actor (died 2011)

• 1928 Stanley Baker, Welsh actor and producer (died 1976)

• 1929 Hayden Fry, American football player and coach (died 2019)

• 1929 Frank Gehry, Canadian-American architect and designer (died 2025)

• 1929 John Montague, American-Irish poet and academic (died 2016)

• 1930 Leon Cooper, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2024)

• 1931 Peter Alliss, English golfer and sportscaster (died 2020)

• 1931 Gavin MacLeod, American actor, Christian activist, and author (died 2021)

• 1931 Len Newcombe, Welsh footballer and scout (died 1996)

• 1932 Don Francks, Canadian actor, singer, and jazz musician (died 2016)

• 1932 Ernst Hinterseer, Austria retired alpine skier

• 1933 Rein Taagepera, Estonian political scientist and politician

• 1937 Jeff Farrell, American swimmer

• 1939 Daniel C. Tsui, Chinese-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

• 1939 Tommy Tune, American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer

• 1940 Mario Andretti, Italian-American racing driver

• 1941 Alice Brock, American artist, author and restaurateur (died 2024)

• 1941 Arthur Ngirakelsong, 2nd Chief Justice of Palau (died 2022)

• 1942 Frank Bonner, American actor and television director (died 2021)

• 1942 Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (died 1969)

• 1942 Oliviero Toscani, Italian photographer (died 2025)

• 1942 Dino Zoff, Italian footballer

• 1943 Barbara Acklin, American singer-songwriter (died 1998)

• 1944 Kelly Bishop, American actress

• 1944 Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (died 2014)

• 1944 Sepp Maier, German footballer and manager

• 1944 Storm Thorgerson, English graphic designer (died 2013)

• 1945 Bubba Smith, American football player and actor (died 2011)

• 1946 Robin Cook, Scottish educator and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (died 2005)

• 1946 Syreeta Wright, American singer-songwriter (died 2004)

• 1947 Salvador Flamenco, Salvadoran footballer

• 1948 Steven Chu, American physicist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Energy, Nobel Prize laureate

• 1948 Bernadette Peters, American actress, singer, and author

• 1948 Mercedes Ruehl, American actress

• 1949 Zoia Ceaușescu, Romanian mathematician, daughter of Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena Ceaușescu (died 2006)

• 1952 William Finn, American composer and lyricist (died 2025)

• 1953 Luther Burden, American basketball player (died 2015)

• 1953 Paul Krugman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

• 1953 Ricky Steamboat, American professional wrestler

• 1954 Brian Billick, American football player, coach, and sportscaster

• 1955 Adrian Dantley, American basketball player and coach

• 1955 Gilbert Gottfried, American comedian, actor, and singer (died 2022)

• 1956 Francis Hughes, Irish Republican, died on hunger strike (died 1981)

• 1956 Terry Leahy, English businessman

• 1957 Ian Smith, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster

• 1957 John Turturro, American actor and director

• 1957 Cindy Wilson, American singer-songwriter

• 1958 Manuel Torres Félix, Mexican criminal and narcotics trafficker (died 2012)

• 1958 Mark Pavelich, American ice hockey player (died 2021)

• 1958 David R. Ross, Scottish historian and author (died 2010)

• 1961 Barry McGuigan, Irish-British boxer

• 1963 Claudio Chiappucci, Italian cyclist

• 1965 Mikko Mäkelä, Finnish ice hockey player and coach

• 1966 Paulo Futre, Portuguese footballer

• 1966 Archbishop Jovan VI of Ohrid

• 1967 Colin Cooper, English footballer and manager

• 1969 Sean Farrel, English footballer

• 1969 Butch Leitzinger, American race car driver

• 1969 Robert Sean Leonard, American actor

• 1970 Daniel Brochu, Canadian actor

• 1970 Noureddine Morceli, Algerian runner

• 1971 Junya Nakano, Japanese pianist and composer

• 1972 Ville Haapasalo, Finnish actor and screenwriter

• 1973 Eric Lindros, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1973 Nicolas Minassian, French race car driver

• 1973 Masato Tanaka, Japanese wrestler

• 1974 Lee Carsley, English-Irish footballer and manager

• 1974 Alexander Zickler, German footballer and manager

• 1974 Gianluca Cherubini, Italian footballer (died 2026)

• 1975 Mike Rucker, American football player

• 1976 Francisco Elson, Dutch basketball player

• 1976 Ali Larter, American actress and model

• 1977 Jason Aldean, American singer-songwriter

• 1977 Lance Hoyt, American football player and wrestler

• 1978 Benjamin Raich, Austrian skier

• 1978 Jamaal Tinsley, American basketball player

• 1978 Mariano Zabaleta, Argentinian tennis player

• 1979 Sébastien Bourdais, French race car driver

• 1979 Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player

• 1980 Pascal Bosschaart, Dutch footballer

• 1980 Christian Poulsen, Danish footballer

• 1980 Tayshaun Prince, American basketball player

• 1981 Brian Bannister, American baseball player and scout

• 1982 Isabel Mendes Lopes, Portuguese politician

• 1982 Natalia Vodianova, Russian-French model and actress

• 1984 Karolína Kurková, Czech model and actress

• 1984 Ali Marhyar, French actor, film director and screenwriter

• 1985 Tim Bresnan, English cricketer

• 1985 Diego, Brazilian footballer

• 1985 Jelena Janković, Serbian tennis player

• 1987 Akito, Japanese professional wrestler

• 1987 Antonio Candreva, Italian footballer

• 1987 Josh McRoberts, American basketball player

• 1988 Aroldis Chapman, Cuban baseball player

• 1989 Carlos Dunlap, American football player

• 1989 Charles Jenkins, American basketball player

• 1990 Takayasu Akira, Japanese sumo wrestler

• 1990 Ryan Allen, American football player

• 1990 Sebastian Rudy, German footballer

• 1991 Ronalds Ķēniņš, Latvian ice hockey player

• 1992 Annie Bovaird, Canadian actress

• 1993 Marquis Teague, American basketball player

• 1993 Éder Álvarez Balanta, Colombian footballer

• 1994 Alex Caruso, American basketball player

• 1994 Arkadiusz Milik, Polish footballer

• 1995 Randy Arozarena, Cuban-Mexican baseball player

• 1996 Jakub Vrána, Czech ice hockey player

• 1996 Lucas Boyé, Argentinian footballer

• 1996 Axel Werner, Argentinian footballer

• 1997 Chris Lindstrom, American football player

• 1998 Teun Koopmeiners, Dutch footballer

• 1999 Luka Dončić, Slovenian basketball player

• 2000 Moise Kean, Italian footballer

• 2000 Josip Šutalo, Croatian footballer

• 2005 Vitor Roque, Brazilian footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 628 Khosrow II, Shah of Iran, Sasanian Empire (born )

1601–1900

• 1621 Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 1590)

• 1648 Christian IV, King of Denmark (born 1577)

• 1729 Lovro Šitović, Croatian Franciscan and grammarian (born )

• 1740 Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal and patron of the arts (born 1667)

• 1857 André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (born 1809)

• 1882 Adolf Zytogorski, Polish-British chess master and translator (born )

1901–present

• 1929 Clemens von Pirquet, Austrian physician and immunologist (born 1874)

• 1932 Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer and academic (born 1851)

• 1936 Charles Nicolle, French biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1866)

• 1955 Isak Penttala, Finnish politician (born 1883)

• 1966 Charles Bassett, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (born 1931)

• 1966 Elliot See, American commander, engineer, and astronaut (born 1927)

• 1975 Neville Cardus, English cricket and music writer (born 1888)

• 1977 Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, American actor and comedian (born 1905)

• 1978 Zara Cully, American actress (born 1892)

• 1993 Ruby Keeler, Canadian-American actress and dancer (born 1909)

• 1998 Arkady Shevchenko, Ukrainian diplomat (born 1930)

• 2002 Mary Stuart, American actress and singer (born 1926)

• 2002 Helmut Zacharias, German violinist and composer (born 1920)

• 2003 Chris Brasher, Guyanese-English runner and journalist, co-founded the London Marathon (born 1928)

• 2004 Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian and librarian (born 1914)

• 2005 Chris Curtis, English singer and drummer (born 1941)

• 2006 Owen Chamberlain, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920)

• 2007 Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. American historian and critic (born 1917)

• 2009 Paul Harvey, American radio host (born 1918)

• 2011 Annie Girardot, French actress (born 1931)

• 2013 Donald A. Glaser, American physicist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1926)

• 2014 Hugo Brandt Corstius, Dutch linguist and author (born 1935)

• 2015 Yaşar Kemal, Turkish journalist and author (born 1923)

• 2016 George Kennedy, American actor (born 1925)

• 2019 André Previn, German-American pianist, conductor, and composer. (born 1929)

• 2020 Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's (born 1930)

• 2020 Freeman Dyson, British-born American physicist and mathematician (born 1923)

• 2020 Sir Lenox Hewitt, Australian public servant (born 1917)

• 2024 Ahmed Salim, Bangladeshi convicted murderer (born 1989)

• 2024 Héctor Ortiz, Puerto Rican baseball player and coach (born 1969)

• 2024 Cat Janice, American singer-songwriter (born 1993)

• 2025 David Johansen, American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1950)

• 2025 Miguel Piñera, Chilean celebrity, night club owner and amateur musician (born 1954)

• 2025 Joseph Wambaugh, American writer (born 1937)

• 2026 Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran (born 1939)

• 2026 Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran (born 1964)

• 2026 Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran (born 1961)

Holidays and observances

Christian feast day:

• February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Kalevala Day, also known as the Finnish Culture Day (Finland)

• National Science Day (India)

• Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan)

• Andalusia Day (Spain)

References

External links

• BBC: On This Day

• Historical Events on February 28