February 28th in History
This Day in History > February 28th
February 28th in History1066: Westminster Abbey opens
1759: Pope Clement XIII grants permission for the Bible to be translated into the languages of the Roman Catholic states
1827: First US railroad chartered to carry passengers and freight, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, is incorporated
1854: The Republican Party is formally organized
1912: First ever parachute jump from an airplane
1948: The last British troops leave India
1959: The first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer 1, launched
1971: Women refused the right to vote in Lichtenstein elections
1972: President Richard Nixon wraps up his historic trip to China
1974: The United States and Egypt re-establish diplomatic relations after a seven-year break
1986: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme is shot to death
1991: The Gulf War ends as Iraq orders its army to stop fighting
February 28th birthdays
1533: Michele de Montaigne, French philosopher
1893: Ben Hecht, American writer
1895: Marcel Pagnol, French writer
1909: Linus Pauling, American chemist and physicist
1909: Stephen Spender, English poet
1910: Vincente Minelli, Italian director
1915: Sir Peter Medawar, English immunologist
1917: John B Connally, Texas Governor who was shot with JFK
1923: Charles Durning, Actor
1929: Frank O. Gehry, American architect
1931: Dean Smith, Coach, UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heels (1976-1997)
1939: Tommy Tune, Tony Award-winning dancer and actor
1940: Mario Andretti, Race-car driver
1944: Bernadette Peters, Actress
1962: Rae Dawn Chong, Actress
1971: Tristan Louis, Internet entrepreneur (me)