on this day in February

February 1	1971 Wireless licenses were abolished in the UK
February 2	1986 Liechtenstein women voted for the first time in a general election 1976 The Queen opened the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham 1852 The first public flushing lavatory for men was opened in London's Fleet Street
February 3	2002 In the shipping forecast Finistere became FitzRoy, after Sir Admiral FitzRoy founder of the Meteorological Office 1966 Russia's Luna IX made the first controlled landing on the moon 1962 Fidel Castro was excommunicated 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in an air crash 1919 The League of Nations first met
February 4	1953 Sweet rationing ended in the UK 1920 The comic actor Norman Wisdom was born
February 5	1922 The Reader's Digest was first published
February 6	1957 Bill Haley and the Comets played their first London gig
February 7	1984 Captain Bruce McCandless became the first astronaut to fly free in space without a life-lin 1965 George Harrison had his tonsils removed
February 8	1990 George de Mestral, the man who invented Velcro, died 1969 The Boeing 747 airliner made its maiden flight
February 9	2002 Princess Margaret died 1933 The Oxford Union Society debated the motion "That this house will in no way fight for King and country" 1824 At the age of twelve Charles Dickens started work in a blacking factory
February 10	1942 The first golden disc was presented - to Glenn Miller for Chattanooga Choo Choo
February 11	1891 The first Cruft's Dog Show opened at the Agricultural Hall, Islington 1852 The first flushing toilet for women in London was opened
February 12	1941 The first person was successfully treated with penicillin
February 13	1978 Anna Ford became ITN's first female newsreader 1692 The Campbells massacred the MacDonalds at Glencoe
February 14	1918 The first Tarzan film 'Tarzan of the Apes' was released 1852 The first patient was admitted to the Children's Hospital in Great Ormond Street, London
February 15	1971 The UK adopted decimal currency
February 16	1937 Nylon patented
February 17	2002 Short track skater Steven Bradbury won Australia's first Winter Olympics gold medal when the four skaters in front of him fell over on the last corner 1909 Geronimo, the last Apache chief to surrender, died in custody
February 18	1984 After 400 years the naval dockyard at Chatham closed 1930 The American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto 1901 Sir Winston Churchill made his maiden speech in parliament 1678 The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan was published
February 19	2001 The French singer Charles Trenet died 1975 Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with the UK over a fishing dispute 1878 Edison patented the phonograph
February 20	1985 The Irish parliament legalised the sale of contraceptives 1971 Idi Amin declared himself president of Uganda
February 21	1741 Jethro Tull, inventor of the seed drill, died
February 22	1907 The first purpose built cinema in Britain, the Central Hall in Colne, Lancashire, opened 1879 Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first shop in Utica, New York
February 23	2000 Legendary footballer Sir Stanley Mathews died
February 24	1923 The Flying Scotsman went into service
February 25	1570 Elizabeth I was excommunicated
February 26	1935 RADAR was first demonstrated
February 27	2002 Truly original comic giant Spike Milligan died 1939 Borley Rectory, reputedly the most haunted house in England, burnt down
February 28	2000 After a 100 years the UK's quarantine laws were relaxed at midnight
February 29	1956 Muffin the Mule made his tv debut

January • March • email us • advertise