February 22
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Birthday of Scouting and Guiding founderRobert Baden-PowellandOlave Baden-Powell, and its related observance:
Founder's Day or "B.-P. day"(World Organization of the Scout Movement), World Thinking Day(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
Founder's Day celebrates the birthdays of Robert and Olave Baden-Powell, founders of the global Scout and Guide movements.
Christianfeast day:
Baradates, Eric Liddell(Episcopal Church (USA)), Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter(RomanCatholic Church), Margaret of Cortona, February 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A Christian feast day honoring saints and ecclesiastical events across various denominations on February 22.
Crime Victims Day(Europe)
Crime Victims Day in Europe honors and supports individuals affected by crime, raising awareness of their rights and needs.
Independence Day, celebrates the independence ofSaint Luciafrom the United Kingdom in 1979.
Independence Day in Saint Lucia celebrates the nation’s liberation from British rule on February 22, 1979.
Founding Day (Saudi Arabia)
Founding Day in Saudi Arabia honors the establishment of the first Saudi state in 1727.
Washington's Birthday, federal holiday in the United States. A holiday on February 22 as well as the third Monday in February.
Washington’s Birthday is a U.S. federal holiday honoring George Washington, the nation’s first president, celebrated on February 22 and observed on the third Monday of February.
National Cat Day(Japan)
National Cat Day in Japan celebrates cats and promotes their welfare and adoption each year on February 22.
Founder's Day or "B.-P. day"(World Organization of the Scout Movement)
Founder's Day celebrates the legacy of Lord Robert Baden-Powell and the spirit of Scouting worldwide.
World Thinking Day(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
World Thinking Day encourages Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to consider global issues and fundraise for their community and international projects.
Events
Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
In 1076, Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Emperor Henry IV, sparking a pivotal clash between papal and imperial authority.
The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand of Majorca and the forces of Matilda of Hainaut, ends in victory for Ferdinand.
At the Battle of Picotin in 1316, Ferdinand of Majorca defeats Matilda of Hainaut's forces, consolidating his claim in the Morea region.
Robert II becomes King of Scotland, beginning the Stuart dynasty.
Robert II ascends the Scottish throne in 1371, founding the long-lasting Stuart dynasty.
King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne.
French King Charles VIII marches into Naples in 1495 to press his dynastic claim to the throne.
Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the dedicatee, receives the first printed copy of Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.
Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici receives Galileo’s Dialogue, marking a milestone in the Scientific Revolution.
St. Peter's Flood: A storm surge floods the Frisian coast, drowning 15,000 people.
A devastating storm surge known as St. Peter’s Flood inundates the Frisian coast in 1651, killing 15,000 people.
War of the Austrian Succession: The Battle of Toulon causes several Royal Navy captains to be court-martialed, and the Articles of War to be amended.
Following the Battle of Toulon in 1744, several Royal Navy captains face court-martial and the Articles of War are revised.
British customs officer Ebenezer Richardson fires blindly into a crowd during a protest in North End, Boston, fatally wounding 11-year-old Christopher Seider; the first American fatality of the American Revolution.
In 1770, a British customs officer fires into a Boston crowd, killing 11-year-old Christopher Seider—the Revolution’s first fatality.
The last Invasion of Britain begins near Fishguard, Wales.
The last attempted invasion of Britain lands near Fishguard, Wales, in 1797, marking a brief French incursion.
Births
Rashi
Medieval French rabbi and author whose seminal commentaries on the Bible and Talmud shaped Jewish scholarship.
King of France from 1422 to 1461, remembered for restoring royal authority and supporting Joan of Arc.
Ladislaus the Posthumous
King of Hungary and Bohemia whose life was marked by regency struggles and an untimely death.
Rodolfo Pio da Carpi
Italian cardinal and diplomat influential in the Catholic Church and European politics.
Tahmasp I
Second shah of the Safavid Empire who stabilized Persia and championed the arts.
Moses Isserles
Polish rabbi and Talmudic scholar known for harmonizing Ashkenazi customs with Jewish law.
Charles de Ligne
2nd Prince of Arenberg, influential nobleman and diplomat at European royal courts.
Nicholas Ferrar
English scholar and devotional leader who founded the Little Gidding religious community.
Peder Syv
Danish historian, philologist, and folklorist known for preserving Danish language and legends.
Deaths
Maximianus
6th-century Bishop of Ravenna who played a key role in the city's ecclesiastical and artistic heritage.
Sabinian
Early 7th-century Pope who led the Catholic Church and managed its resources during a turbulent era.
Sicga
Anglo-Saxon nobleman known for his involvement in a notorious royal assassination that shook Northumbria.
Wang
Empress Dowager of the Tang dynasty who wielded significant influence at the imperial court.
Guo Wei
Founder of the Later Zhou dynasty who led reforms to restore stability in 10th-century China.
Otto
10th-century Duke who oversaw the County of Burgundy during a formative period of feudal Europe.
García I
10th-century King of Pamplona who strengthened his kingdom and defended its borders.
Lambert
French nobleman who governed the County of Chalon amid the feudal fragmentation of Burgundy.
Arnulf III
11th-century Count of Flanders whose brief rule ended at the Battle of Cassel.