Events on Feb 23
- 0303Emperor Diocletian orders general persecution of Christians
- 1455Johannes Gutenberg prints 1st book, Bible (estimated date)
- 1574France begins 5th holy war against Huguenots
- 1660Charles XI becomes King of Sweden
- 1668Fire in Wiener Hofburg in Vienna, Emperor Leopold I rescued
- 1672Joan Blaeus publishers destroyed by fire in Amsterdam
- 1689Dutch Prince William III proclaimed King of England
- 1778Baron von Steuben joins Continental Army at Valley Forge
- 1792Humane Society of Massachusetts incorporated (erected life-saving stations for distressed mariners)
- 1804Conspirators against Napoleon, for restoration of Louis XVIII
- 18131st US raw cotton-to-cloth mill founded in Waltham, Massachusetts
- 1820Cato Street conspiracy uncovered
- 1821College of Apothecaries organized in Phil; 1st US pharmacy college
- 1822Boston is incorporated as a city
- 1836Alamo besieged by Santa Anna; entire garrison eventually killed
- 1846Polish revolutionaries march on Cracow, but are defeated
- 1854Great-Britain and Orange Free state sign Convention of Bloemfontein
- 1861By popular referendum, Texas becomes 7th state to secede from US
- 1861Dutch Premier Floris A van Hall resigns
- 1861Pres-elect Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington DC to take office
- 1869Louisiana Governor signs public accommodations law
- 1870Mississippi is readmitted to US
- 1874Major Walter Winfield patents game called "sphairistike" (lawn tennis)
- 1883Alabama becomes 1st US state to enact an antitrust law
- 1883American Anti-Vivisection Society organized (Philadelphia)
- 1886Aluminum manufacturing process developed
- 1887Congress grants Seal Rocks to San Francisco
- 1887French / Italian Riviera struck by Earthquake; 2,000 die
- 18921st college student government forms at Bryn Mawr Penn
- 1895Jaap Eden skates world record 10km (17:56)
Born on Feb 23
- 1417Paul II [Pietro Barbo]: Italy -- Pope (1464-71)
- 1614Jacob Colijns: Dutch coat of arms painter
- 1615Cornelis Galle II: Flemish engraver / illustrator, baptised
- 1633Samuel Pepys: London, England -- Navy expert / composer (Diary, Memoirs)
- 1649John Blow: Composer of 1st English opera (Venus & Adonis)
- 1700Wilhelmus Schortinghuis: Dutch theologist (Profound Christianity)
- 1730Christian Joseph Lidarti: Composer
- 1734Mayer Amschel Rothschild: Frankfurt, Germany -- Founder (House of Rothschild)
- 1776John Walter II: London, England -- Chief proprietor (The Times, 1812-47)
- 1787Emma Willard: United States -- Opens school for young ladies (Hall of Fame)
- 1792Istvan Ferenczi: Hungarian sculptor
- 1811George Washington Hewitt: Composer
- 1817George Watts: London, England -- Painter
- 1818Jeremy F Gilmer: Major General / Chief Engineer Confederate War Department
- 1824Lewis Cass Hunt: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1886
- 1831Hendrik W Mesdag: Dutch painter (Panorama Mesdag)
- 1834Gustav Hermann Nachtigal: German Physician / colonizer / consul in Tunis
- 1838Gilbert Moxley Sorrel: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901
- 1840Carl Menger: Austrian economist
- 1848Thomas Paine Westendorf: Composer
- 1863Franz von Stuck: German painter (Der Krieg)
- 1865Barney Dreyfuss: Baseball owner (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- 1868William E B Du Bois: Massachusetts, United States -- Civil rights writer (Souls of Black Folk)
- 1869Nadezhda Konstantinova Krupskaya: Russian revolutionary (Soc-Dem)
- 1873Dmitri Arakishvili: Composer
- 1875Jozef E Stokvis: Journalist / Dutch MP (SDAP)
- 1876Agnes M Royden: Writer
- 1879Agnes Arber: English biologist / philosopher (Mind & the Eye)
- 1879Norman Lindsay: Creswick, Victoria -- Artist / Novelist
- 1880Edgar Istel: Composer
Died on Feb 23
- 0155Polycarp: Disciple of Apostle John, arrested and burned at stake
- 1447Eugene IV [Gabriele Condulmer]: Italian Pope (1431-47)
- 1468John Gutenberg: German inventor (boekdrukkunst)
- 1607Herman Herbertsz: Vicar, dies at about 60
- 1669Lieuwe van Aitzema: Frisian historian, dies at 68
- 1682Abraham de Wicquefort: Dutch diplomat / historian, dies at 75
- 1704Georg Muffat: French / German Organist / composer, dies at 50
- 1766Stanislaw Leszcynski: Duke of Lutherans / King of Poland
- 1792Joshua Reynolds: English portrait Painter (Simplicity), dies at 68
- 1806John Alcock: Composer, dies at 90
- 1807Francois Guichard: Composer, dies at 61
- 1821John Keats: Romantic poet, dies of tuberculosis at 25 in Rome
- 1821Marie-Anne Collot: French sculptor
- 1848John Quincy Adams: 6th US President (1825-1829), dies of a stroke at 80
- 1855Carl Friedrich Gauss: Mathematician
- 1867George Thomas Smart: Composer, dies at 90
- 1884Tambo Tambo: Australian aboriginal / US circus attaction, dies at 23
- 1897Woldemar Bargiel: Composer, dies at 68
- 1900William Butterfield: Architect of the Gothic revival
- 1902Samuel R Gardiner: British Historian (Oliver Cromwell), dies at 72
- 1903Albert Cahen: Composer, dies at 57
- 1903Friedrich Grutzmacher: Composer, dies at 70
- 1906Johann Hoch: US murderer, executed
- 1915Robert Smalls: Reconstruction congressman, dies at 75 in South Carolina
- 1916George Clement Martin: Composer, dies at 71
- 1924Thomas Woodrow Wilson: 28th US President (1913-21)
- 1927Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson: Composer, dies at 79
- 1930Horst Wessel: German Nazi lyricist (Fahne Hoch), dies at 22
- 1930Mabel Normand: Actress / director (Extra Girl), dies at 35
- 1931Nellie Melba [Helen Mitchell]: Australian soprano
Historical events on February 24
- 03031st official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued
- 1208St. Francis of Assisi, 26, received his vocation in Portiuncula Italy
- 1296Pope Boniface VIII degree Clericis Iaicos
- 1510Pope Julius II excommunicates the Republic of Venice
- 1525Francois I caught taken / 8700 killed
- 1525Imperial forces defeat French in battle of Pavia
- 1527Ferdinand of Austria crowned as King of Bohemia
- 15301st imperial coronation by a Pope, Charles V crowned by Clement V
- 1552Privileges of Hanseatic League in England are abrogated
- 1582Pope Gregory XIII announces New Style (Gregorian) calendar
- 1597Flemish Painter Frederick of Valckenborch becomes porter of Frankfurt-on-Main
- 1613English Princess Elizabeth marries Earl Frederik of Palts
- 1708Prince Johan Willem Friso sworn in as Viceroy of Groningen
- 1779George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes (Ind) from British
- 1786Charles Cornwallis appointed Governor-General of India
- 1793French troops conquer Breda
- 1803Supreme Court 1st rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury vs. Madison)
- 180717 die and 15 wounded in a crush to witness execution of Holloway, Heggerty and Elizabeth Godfrey in England
- 1821Mexico gains independence from Spain
- 1835Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is 1st Indian language monthly magazine
- 18363,000 Mexicans attack 182 Texans at Alamo, lasts 13 days
- 1839Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia
- 1848King Louis-Philippe abdicates, 2nd French Republic declared
- 1855US Court of Claims forms for cases against government
- 18571st perforated US postage stamps delivered to government
- 1857LA Vineyard Society organized
- 1863Arizona Territory created
- 18681st US parade with floats (Mardi Gras-Mobile Alabama)
- 1868House of Reps vote 126 to 47, to impeach President Andrew Johnson
- 1888Louisville, Ky becomes 1st government in US to adopt Australian ballot
Born on February 24
- 1304Muhammad ibn Battutah: Arab travel writer (Travels in Asia and Africa)
- 1463Giovanni Pico della Mirandola: Italy -- Scholar / platonist
- 1500Carlos V: King of Spain (1516-56) / Holy Roman Emperor
- 1501Sixtus Birck [Xystus Betulius]: German writer (Suzanna)
- 1536Clement VIII [Ippolito Aldofireini]: Fano, Italy -- Pope (1592-1605)
- 1547Jan of Austria: Spanish military man / land guardian of the Netherland
- 1557Matthias: Vienna, Austria -- Holy Roman Emperor (1612-19)
- 1595Matthias C Sarbiewski [Sarbievius]: Polish Jesuit / poet
- 1697Bernard S Albinus [Weiss]: German surgeon / anatomist
- 1704Hubert Renotte: Composer
- 1717Bernhard Hupfeld: Composer
- 1766Samuel Wesley: Bristol, England -- Composer / Organist (Exultate Deo)
- 1771Johann Baptist Cramer: German / British pianist / composer / publisher
- 1797Samuel Lover: Composer
- 1809Edwin H K Freiherr von Manteuffel: Governor / Viceroy (Elzas-Lutherian)
- 1811Daniel A Payne: Bishop / Reformer / educator of AME Church
- 1811Edward Dickinson Baker: Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1861
- 1824John Crawford Vaughn: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1875
- 1827Charles Davis Jameson: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1862
- 1831Georg Leo Earl von Caprivi: German chancellor / Premier of Prussia
- 1833Eduard Earl von Taaffe: Austrian Premier (1868..93)
- 1836Winslow Homer: United States -- Painter (Gulfstream)
- 1838Thomas Benton Smith: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1923
- 1842Arrigio Enrico Boito: Composer
- 1846Luigi Denza: Composer
- 1848C Grant B Allen: Canadian writer (Woman Who Did)
- 1848Johanna C P Barbiers: Actress (Voddenraper of Paris)
- 1852George A Moore: Ireland -- Painter / Novelist (Esther Waters)
- 1854Franz Courtens: Flemish painter (Golden Rain)
- 1858Arnold Dolmetsch: Le Mans, France -- Musician
Died on February 24
- 1563Francois Guise: French General / duke, assassinated at 44
- 1666Nicholas Lanier: Composer, dies at 77
- 1686Ferdinando Tacca: Italian Painter / Son of Pietro Tacca, dies at 66
- 1692Antimo Liberati: Composer, dies at 74
- 1704Marc-Antoine Charpentier: French Composer (church music)
- 1735Georg Friedrich Kauffman: Composer, dies at 56
- 1784Anton Laube: Composer, dies at 65
- 1785Carlo Bonaparte: Corsican attorney, dies at 39
- 1799Broerius Brorius: Theologist (Pensive Christian), dies at about 41
- 1799Georg C Lichtenberg: German physicist / writer, dies at 56
- 1806John Nieuwenhuijzen: Theologist (Society for General Use), dies at 81
- 1810Henry Cavendish: Physicist / chemist
- 1812Hugo Kollataj: Polish teacher / minister, dies at 61
- 1815Robert Fulton: Steamboat pioneer
- 1825Thomas Bowdler: Self-appointed Shakespearean censor
- 1829Auguste Chouteau: St. Louis co-founder
- 1862Bernard S Ingemann: Danish Author (Holger Danske), dies at 72
- 1874Anselmo Clave: Composer, dies at 49
- 1876Jan Pieter Heije: Dutch Physician / writer / poet, dies at 67
- 1895Ignaz Lachner: Composer, dies at 87
- 1907Otto Goldschmidt: Composer, dies at 77
- 1919Josephine McGill: Composer, dies at 41
- 1922Dmitri B Shostakovitch: Father of Russian Composer Dmitri D S
- 1924Edmond Picard: French / Belg writer (Ambidextre journalist), dies at 87
- 1926Eddie Plank: Pitcher (won 327 games in 17 years), dies at 51
- 1929Andre-Charles-Prosper Messager: Composer, dies at 75
- 1930Jacobus van Looy: Dutch writer / Painter (Night Cactus), dies at 74
- 1933Spottiswoode Aitken: Actor (Eagle, Home Sweet Home), dies at 64
- 1941Oskar Loerke: German director (Longest Day-1926), dies at 56
- 1944Leo H A Baekeland: Belgian / US chemist (bakeliet), dies at 80
Events on Feb 25
- 1095Council of Rockingham: Bishop Anselmus vs. King William II Rufus
- 1497Italians troops reconquer Taranto on France
- 1502Austrian Emperor Maximilian I reformats government machine
- 1570Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth, absolves her subjects from allegiance
- 1605Portuguese garrison on Ambon surrenders to Admiral Van der Haghen
- 1623Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria becomes Monarch of Palts
- 1634Irish captain Walter Devereaux kills Duke Wallenstein
- 1643Dutch US colonists kill Algonquin-indians
- 1746Cumberlands troops occupy Aberdeen
- 17511st performing monkey exhibited in America, NYC (admission 1 cent)
- 17911st Bank of US chartered
- 17991st federal forestry legislation authorizes purchase of timber land
- 1799Congress passes 1st federal quarantine legislation
- 18031,800 sovereign German states unite into 60 states
- 1804Jefferson nominated for President at Democratic-Republican caucus
- 1836Samuel Colt patents 1st revolving barrel multishot firearm
- 18371st US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport
- 1838London pedestrian walks 20 miles backward then forward in 8 hours
- 1839Seminoles and black allies shipped from Tampa Bay Florida, to West
- 1847State University of Iowa is approved
- 18591st use of "insanity plea" to prove innocence
- 1862Congress forms US Bureau of Engraving & Printing
- 1862Paper currency (greenbacks) introduced in US by President Abraham Lincoln
- 1863Congress creates national banking system, comptroller of currency
- 1870Hiram Revels, is sworn in as 1st black member of Congress (Sen-R-MS)
- 1875Kiowa Indians under Lone Wolf (Guipago) surrender at Ft Sill
- 1879Congress passed 1st Timberland Protection Act
- 1885US Congress condemns barbed wire around government grounds
- 1896Italian government decides to attack Governor Baratieri of Eritrea
- 1901US Steel Corp organized under J P Morgan
Born on Feb 25
- 1635Walraad [the Elder]: Dutch Field Marshal / Earl of Nassau-Usingen
- 1643Ahmed II: 21st Sultan of Turkey (1691-95)
- 1680Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz: Composer
- 1707Carlo Goldoni: Italy -- Lawyer / playwright (Belisario, Love of 3 Oranges)
- 1725Karl Wilhelm Ramler: German poet (Geistliche Kantaten)
- 1731Simon Stijl: Frisian Physician / writer
- 1732Robert Hudson: Composer
- 1735Ernst William Wolf: Composer
- 1788Mateo Ferrer: Composer
- 1794Gerrit Schimmelpenninck: Dutch Earl of Nijenhuis / Peckedam
- 1807George Alfred Trenholm: Secy Treas (Confederacy), died in 1876
- 1808James Bowen: Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1886
- 1809George Washington Cullom: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1892
- 1811Carl Schuberth: Composer
- 1815Robert Hall Chilton: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1879
- 1832Theodorus J I Arnold: Bibliographer (Bibliotheca Belgian)
- 1833Clement Anselm Evans: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1911
- 1833Julie Verstraete-Lacquet: Flemish actress
- 1840Alexis Hollander: Composer
- 1840Otto Liebmann: German philosopher (Climax of Theories)
- 1841Pierre Auguste Renoir: Limoges, France -- Impressionist painter / sculptor
- 1842Karl May: German writer (Old Shatterhand / Winnetou)
- 1847John Watson: Canada -- Philosopher (Objective Idealism)
- 1860Menso Kamerlingh Onnes: Painter / water colors painter
- 1860William James Ashley: English economic-historian
- 1866Benedetto Croce: Italy -- Humanist / historian / editor / philosopher
- 1868Anthony J Block: Dutch lawyer (strafproces)
- 1871Oliver Samuel Campbell: Tennis champ (US Open-1890)
- 1879Otakar Ostrcil: Composer
- 1881William Foster: Massachusetts, United States -- Communist Presidential Candidate (1924, 28, 32)
Died on Feb 25
- 0779Walburgis: Anglo-Saxon abbess / Saint (Walpurgis Night)
- 1247Hendrik IV: Duke of Limburg / Earl of Bergen (1226-47)
- 1495Djem Sultan: Son of Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, dies at 35
- 1602Everard van Reyd: Dutch historian, dies at about 51
- 1634Albrecht WE baron von Wallenstein: German duke, murdered at 50
- 1634Van Friedland / Mecklenburg: General-admiral, dies at 50
- 1682Alessandro Stradella: Italian violist / composer, murdered at 37
- 1713Frederik I: King of Prussia (1701-13), dies at 55
- 1719Giovanni Maria Casini: Composer, dies at 66
- 1723Christopher Wren: England, astronomer / architect, dies at 90
- 1826Piotr A von der Pahlen: Military Governor of St Petersburg, dies at 60
- 1851Ferdinand Simon Gassner: Composer, dies at 53
- 1852Thomas Moore: Writer (Utopia)
- 1865Otto Ludwig: German writer (Zwischen Himmel und Erde), dies at 47
- 1894James Morrison Steele Mackaye: US actor / Author / director, dies at 51
- 1899Paul Julius von Reuter: Founder of the news agency (Reuters)
- 1901Jose Rogel: Composer, dies at 71
- 1902Carl Ignaz Franz Umlauf: Composer, dies at 77
- 1906Anton Stepanovich Arensky: Russian Composer / conductor c t, dies at 44
- 1914John Tenniel: British illustrator (Alice in Wonderland), dies at 93
- 1915George Mimot: Physician (Nobel-1934)
- 1920Aloys: Liechtenstein nobleman / politician, dies at 73
- 1925Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia: Composer, dies at 81
- 1934Daniel Protheroe: Composer, dies at 67
- 1934John J McGraw: Manager (New York Giants), dies at 60
- 1942Leo Ascher: Composer, dies at 61
- 1947Friedrich Paschen: German physicist, dies at 82
- 1953Jesus Garcia Leoz: Composer, dies at 49
- 1955Marij Kogoj: Composer, dies at 59
- 1957Kurt von Wolfurt: Composer, dies at 76