Today In History

1974: First Female Aviator in the Navy Lt. j.g. Barbara Ann (Allen) Rainey became the first female aviator in the U.S. Navy on February 22, 1974. Her accomplishment broke gender…

1944: Bombing of Dutch Towns and Krivoi Rog Recapture On February 22, 1944, in a tragic case of mistaken targeting, American aircraft bombed the Dutch town of Nijmegen, leading to…

2008: Completion of Laykyun Sekkya The construction of Laykyun Sekkya, one of the tallest statues in the world, was completed on February 21, 2008. Located in Khatakan Taung, near Monywa,…

1972: Nixon's Historic Visit to China On February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon arrived in China, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country while in office. This groundbreaking…

1919: Assassination of Kurt Eisner Kurt Eisner, a German socialist and the first premier of the People's State of Bavaria, was assassinated on February 21, 1919. Eisner was a key…

1918: Last Carolina Parakeet Dies The last known Carolina parakeet, once widespread across the southeastern United States, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo on February 21, 1918. This marked…

1848: Publication of The Communist Manifesto On February 21, 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published "The Communist Manifesto," a political pamphlet that became a foundational document of communism. Advocating…

1988: Outbreak of the Nagorno-Karabakh War The Nagorno-Karabakh War was triggered on February 20, 1988, following the secession of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast from Azerbaijan. The region's ethnic Armenian majority…

1965: Ranger 8 Mission to the Moon Ranger 8 successfully completed its mission to photograph potential Apollo program landing sites before intentionally crashing into the Moon on February 20, 1965.…

1962: John Glenn Orbits the Earth On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft, completing three orbits in four…