What are the important events that happened on February 19? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
February 19: Facts & Myths About This Day
February 19 is the 50th day of the year 2020 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 316 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 6, 2020 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 439,464 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 ‘pentacontagon’ day.
Hey! How’s your lovelife today? Get a free love reading
with the most frank answers. Start to seize love opportunities in your life! Did I mention it’s F-R-E-E?
(Sponsored link; 18+ only)
Aquarius 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 359 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 2,616 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
Do people and celebrities interest you? Discover all the February 19 famous birthdays who share your special day. Learn some fun facts about your birthday! (Sponsored link)
February 19 Historical Events
- 197 –Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
- 1847 –The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.
- 1884 –More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
- 1901 –New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Metal Ox in Chinese astrology.
- 1921 –Rezā Shāh takes control of Tehran during a successful coup
- 1937 –Yekatit 12: During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Eritrean nationalists attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades. Italian authorities exact vicious reprisals on the population.
- 1949 –Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University.
- 1978 –Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat.
- 1985 –Artificial heart recipient William J. Schroeder becomes the first such patient to leave hospital.
- 2006 –A methane explosion in coal mine near Nueva Rosita, Mexico, kills 65 miners.
Who were born on February 19?
- 1552 –Melchior Klesl, Austrian cardinal and statesman (d. 1630)
- 1859 –Svante Arrhenius, Swedish chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1927)
- 1869 –Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenian poet and writer (d. 1923)
- 1924 –David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player (d. 2006)
- 1929 –Jacques Deray, French film director (d. 2003)
- 1932 –Joseph P. Kerwin, NASA astronaut
- 1941 –David Gross, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1952 –Amy Tan, American novelist
- 1981 –Nicky Shorey, English footballer
- 1983 –Kotoōshū Katsunori, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
Who died on February 19?
- 197 –Clodius Albinus, Roman governor of Britain
- 1589 –Saint Philothei, Orthodox martyr and Patron of Athens (b. 1522)
- 1605 –Orazio Vecchi, Italian composer (b. 1550)
- 1799 –Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, political scientist, and sailor (b. 1733)
- 1936 –Charles Harding Firth, British historian (b. 1857)
- 1942 –Frank Abbandando, American gangster (executed) (b. 1910)
- 1952 –Knut Hamsun, Norwegian author, Nobel laureate (b. 1859)
- 1972 –John Grierson, Scottish documentary filmmaker (b. 1898)
- 2001 –Charles Trenet, French singer (b. 1913)
- 2011 –Ollie Matson, American Football Running Back (b. 1930)
What no one tells you about your first name’s personality. Are there hidden powers in your moniker? Check out Mildred’s personality and get smart about names today. (Sponsored links)