February 28
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
An observance in the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorating a selection of saints and historical events according to the liturgical calendar.
Kalevala Day, also known as theFinnish Culture Day(Finland)
Finland’s national celebration of Kalevala Day honors the country’s national epic and its author, Elias Lönnrot, with cultural events and festivities.
National Science Day(India)
An annual observance celebrating the contributions of Indian scientists and promoting scientific temper across India.
Peace Memorial Day(Taiwan)
A Taiwanese public holiday commemorating the victims of the February 28 Incident and promoting peace and reconciliation.
Andalusia Day(Spain)
Andalusia Day celebrates the 1980 referendum that secured Andalusia's autonomy, featuring cultural events and regional pride across southern Spain.
February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
An observance in the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorating a selection of saints and historical events according to the liturgical calendar.
Events
Liu Bang is enthroned as the Emperor of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty.
Liu Bang declares himself Emperor in 202 BC, founding the Han dynasty that would rule China for four centuries.
The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes.
The Fourth Council of Constantinople, an ecumenical synod of the Christian church, concluded in 870.
Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on the order of conquistador Hernán Cortés.
Aztec ruler Cuauhtémoc was executed on Hernán Cortés' orders, ending the last indigenous resistance to Spanish conquest in 1525.
The Scottish National Covenant is signed in Edinburgh.
The Scottish National Covenant was signed in Edinburgh, uniting Scots in opposition to King Charles I's religious reforms.
Elias Lönnrot signed and dated the first version of the Kalevala, the so-called foreword to the Old Kalevala.
Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot signed the first version of the Kalevala's foreword, marking the birth of Finland's national epic.
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 was also on board, was not injured from the blast.
A cannon exploded aboard the USS Princeton wooden steam warship, killing six dignitaries during a Potomac River cruise.
The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
The United Kingdom unilaterally ended its protectorate over Egypt, granting nominal independence on February 28, 1922.
The Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake strikes northeastern North America.
A powerful earthquake shook northeastern North America near Charlevoix and Kamouraska, causing widespread panic and damage.
February 28 incident: In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down with the death of an estimated 18,000 - 28,000 civilians.
The February 28 Incident in Taiwan ended in a violent crackdown, with estimated 18,000 to 28,000 civilians killed.
Births
Margaret of Scotland
Scottish princess who became Queen consort of Norway in the 13th century. She married King Eric II and played a key role in medieval alliances.
Francis III
French royal born Duke of Brittany from birth. He held the duchy under regency until his untimely death from plague at 18.
Michel de Montaigne
French Renaissance philosopher and essayist who pioneered the modern essay and explored human nature through introspective writing.
Cornelius Gemma
Dutch physician, astronomer, and astrologer known for his observations of comets and his influential 16th-century publications.
Jost Bürgi
Swiss mathematician and precision clockmaker who independently developed logarithms and advanced mechanical timekeeping in the early 17th century.
Guillaume Delisle
French cartographer celebrated for producing some of the most accurate and detailed maps of the early 18th century using rigorous geographic data.
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
French entomologist and academic who established a comprehensive classification of insects and created the Réaumur temperature scale.
Louis Godin
French astronomer known for his geodesic expedition to Peru to measure the shape of the Earth and his contributions to precision astronomy.
Arthur Giry
French medieval historian and paleographer renowned for his critical editions of historical charters and contributions to diplomatics.
Deaths
Khosrow II
Last powerful shah of the Sasanian Empire who led major campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and oversaw a cultural flourishing in Persia.
Cosimo II de' Medici
Grand Duke of Tuscany from the famous Medici lineage who championed science and the arts.
Pietro Ottoboni
Italian cardinal who became one of the Baroque era's greatest patrons of music and the visual arts.
André Dumont
Pioneering Belgian geologist whose work laid the foundations for geological mapping in Belgium.
Adolf Zytogorski
19th-century Polish-British chess master and translator noted in London’s intellectual circles.
Clemens von Pirquet
Austrian physician who pioneered immunology and introduced the concept of allergy.
Guillaume Bigourdan
French astronomer known for his precise cataloging of stars and deep-sky objects.
Charles Nicolle
French bacteriologist and Nobel laureate who discovered lice as the vector of typhus.
Isak Penttala
Finnish politician who served multiple terms in Parliament and championed social and rural initiatives.