What are the important events that happened on February 28? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 28: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 28 is the 59^th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 307 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 15, 2024 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 474,744 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘pentacontaenneagon’ day.

Pisces is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 336 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,086 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 28 Historical Events

• 1700 –
  Today is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish calendar.
• 1849 –
  Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California in San Francisco Bay, 4 months 22 days after leaving New York Harbor.
• 1885 –
  The American Telephone and Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York State as the subsidiary of American Bell Telephone. (American Bell would later merge with its subsidiary.)
• 1922 –
  The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
• 1935 –
  DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invents nylon.
• 1940 –
  Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
• 1980 –
  Andalusia approves its statute of autonomy through a referendum.
• 1993 –
  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh. Four BATF agents and five Davidians die in the initial raid, starting a 51-day standoff.
• 1997 –
  An earthquake in northern Iran is responsible for about 3,000 deaths.
• 1997 –
  The North Hollywood shootout takes place, resulting in the injury of 19 people and the deaths of both perpetrators.

Who were born on February 28?

• 1812 –
  Berthold Auerbach, German poet and author (d. 1882)
• 1903 –
  Vincente Minnelli, American film director (d. 1986)
• 1929 –
  Frank Gehry, Canadian-American architect
• 1929 –
  Hayden Fry, American football coach
• 1930 –
  Leon Neil Cooper, American physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1956 –
  Adrian Dantley, American basketball player
• 1961 –
  Rae Dawn Chong, Canadian actress
• 1971 –
  Tristan Louis, American writer
• 1976 –
  Ali Larter, American actress and model
• 1979 –
  Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player

Who died on February 28?

• 1261 –
  Henry III, Duke of Brabant (b. c.1230s)
• 1786 –
  John Gwynn, English architect and engineer (b. 1713)
• 1836 –
  Friedrich August Grotefend, German philogist (b. 1798)
• 1932 –
  Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer (b. 1851)
• 1941 –
  King Alfonso XIII of Spain (b. 1886)
• 1942 –
  Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (b. 1889)
• 1956 –
  Emile Buisson, French murderer (executed) (b. 1902)
• 1979 –
  Paul Alverdes, German writer (b. 1897)
• 1986 –
  Laura Z. Hobson, American novelist (b. 1900)
• 2004 –
  Carmen Laforet, Spanish writer (b. 1921)