February 25 facts for kids

February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 309 days remain until the end of the year (310 in leap years).

February 25th is a day filled with many important events throughout history. From ancient times to today, people have made discoveries, led nations, and changed the world on this date. Let's explore some of the key moments that happened on February 25th.

Historical Events

Ancient Times and Early History

• In AD 138, the Roman Emperor Hadrian chose Antoninus Pius to be his adopted son. This meant Antoninus Pius would become the next emperor of the Roman Empire.
• In 628, Khosrow II, who was the last powerful Shah (king) of the Sasanian Empire in Iran, was removed from power by his own son, Kavadh II.

Events from the 17th to 19th Centuries

• In 1705, the famous composer George Frideric Handel's opera called Nero was performed for the very first time in Hamburg, Germany.
• In 1836, Samuel Colt received a special paper called a patent from the United States. This patent was for his invention, the revolver firearm.
• In 1843, a British naval officer named Lord George Paulet took control of the Kingdom of Hawaii for Great Britain. This event is known as the Paulet affair.
• In 1870, Hiram Rhodes Revels, a politician from Mississippi, made history. He was sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American person to serve in the U.S. Congress.
• In 1875, the Guangxu Emperor began his rule over Qing dynasty China. He was very young, so his aunt, Empress Dowager Cixi, helped him govern.

Important Events from the 20th Century to Today

• In 1912, Marie-Adélaïde became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. She was the eldest of six daughters of the previous Grand Duke.
• In 1916, during World War I, German soldiers captured Fort Douaumont in France. This fort was a very important part of the French defenses, and it was taken without a fight during the Battle of Verdun.
• In 1918, also during World War I, German forces took control of Tallinn. This completed their occupation of Estonia.
• In 1921, the capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi, was taken over by Russian forces after a lot of fighting. The Russians then declared the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
• In 1932, Adolf Hitler became a German citizen. He had been without a country for seven years. This allowed him to run for Reichspräsident in the 1932 election.
• In 1933, the USS Ranger was launched in Virginia. It was the first aircraft carrier built specifically for the U.S. Navy.
• In 1939, as part of British air raid preparations, the first Anderson shelter was built in a garden in London. These shelters helped protect people during air raids.
• In 1941, the Communist Party of the Netherlands, which was not allowed at the time, organized a general strike in German-occupied Amsterdam. This strike was a protest against the Nazi government's unfair treatment of Dutch Jews.
• In 1947, the Allied Control Council officially announced the end of Prussia. Prussia had been a powerful state in Germany for a long time.
• In 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took control of the government in Prague. This event, known as the coup d'état, ended the Third Czechoslovak Republic.
• In 1951, the first ever Pan American Games officially began in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The games were opened by Argentine President Juan Perón.
• In 1956, Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, gave a famous speech. In his speech, On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, he criticized the leadership style of the former leader, Joseph Stalin.
• In 1980, the government of Suriname was overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
• In 1986, the People Power Revolution in the Philippines led to a big change. President Ferdinand Marcos left the country after 20 years of ruling. Corazon Aquino then became the first female president of the Philippines.
• In 1991, the Warsaw Pact was officially ended at a meeting in Budapest. This was a military alliance of communist countries in Eastern Europe.
• In 2009, soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles had a mutiny at their headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This resulted in 74 deaths, including many army officials.
• In 2009, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashed while landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Nine people died, including all three pilots, mainly because of a faulty altimeter.
• In 2015, terrible avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan killed at least 310 people.

Notable Births

Many famous people were born on February 25th. Here are some of them:

Born Before 1900

• 1475 – Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, the last male member of the House of York, an important English family.
• 1591 – Friedrich Spee, a German poet and writer.
• 1670 – Maria Margaretha Kirch, a German astronomer and mathematician.
• 1707 – Carlo Goldoni, an Italian playwright and composer.
• 1778 – José de San Martín, an Argentinian general and politician, who became the first President of Peru.
• 1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a famous French painter and sculptor.
• 1842 – Karl May, a German author known for his adventure novels.
• 1873 – Enrico Caruso, an Italian-American tenor. He was one of the most popular opera singers of the early 20th century.
• 1885 – Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
• 1888 – John Foster Dulles, an American soldier, lawyer, and politician who served as the 52nd United States Secretary of State.

Born After 1900

• 1901 – Zeppo Marx, an American comedian and theatrical agent, part of the Marx Brothers.
• 1913 – Jim Backus, an American actor and screenwriter, known for his voice work.
• 1917 – Anthony Burgess, an English author, playwright, and critic.
• 1925 – Shehu Shagari, a Nigerian politician who became the 6th President of Nigeria.
• 1927 – Ralph Stanley, an American singer and banjo player, famous in country music.
• 1928 – Paul Elvstrøm, a Danish yachtsman who won many Olympic medals.
• 1937 – Tom Courtenay, an English actor.
• 1938 – Herb Elliott, an Australian athlete known for his middle-distance running.
• 1943 – George Harrison, an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, famous as a member of The Beatles.
• 1949 – Ric Flair, a well-known American professional wrestler.
• 1950 – Néstor Kirchner, an Argentine politician who became the 51st President of Argentina.
• 1953 – José María Aznar, a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain.
• 1957 – Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a Singaporean economist and politician, who became the 9th President of Singapore.
• 1965 – Carrot Top, an American comedian.
• 1966 – Téa Leoni, an American actress.
• 1971 – Sean Astin, an American actor, director, and producer, known for roles in The Lord of the Rings and The Goonies.
• 1975 – Chelsea Handler, an American comedian, actress, and television host.
• 1976 – Rashida Jones, an American actress and writer.
• 1981 – Park Ji-sung, a famous South Korean footballer.
• 1986 – Jameela Jamil, an English actress and presenter.
• 1986 – James and Oliver Phelps, English actors who played the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter films.
• 1999 – Gianluigi Donnarumma, an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
• 2005 – Noah Jupe, an English actor.

Notable Deaths

February 25th is also the day some important people passed away:

Died Before 1900

• 1522 – William Lily, an English scholar and educator.
• 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, an English general and politician.
• 1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, an Austrian general and politician.
• 1723 – Christopher Wren, a famous English architect who designed St Paul's Cathedral in London.
• 1850 – Daoguang Emperor of China.
• 1899 – Paul Reuter, a German-English journalist and businessman who started the news agency Reuters.

Died After 1900

• 1912 – William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the father of Marie-Adélaïde.
• 1914 – John Tenniel, an English illustrator known for his work on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
• 1945 – Mário de Andrade, a Brazilian author, poet, and photographer.
• 1950 – George Minot, an American physician and academic who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1970 – Mark Rothko, a Latvian-American painter known for his large, colorful abstract paintings.
• 1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, an American chemist and academic who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2001 – Don Bradman, an Australian international cricketer who holds the world record for the highest batting average.
• 2005 – Peter Benenson, an English lawyer who founded Amnesty International, an organization that works for human rights.
• 2017 – Bill Paxton, an American actor and filmmaker.
• 2023 – Gordon Pinsent, a Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter.

Holidays and Observances

February 25th is also a day for various celebrations and observances around the world:

• In Hungary, it is Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships.
• Kuwait celebrates its National Day.
• The Philippines celebrates People Power Day, remembering the revolution that changed their government.
• Suriname observes Revolution Day.
• Georgia marks Soviet Occupation Day.
• In Kyoto, Japan, the Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine holds the Kitano Baika-sai or "Plum Blossom Festival."

Images for kids

• Hiram Rhodes Revels - Brady-Handy.jpg

  Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American in the U.S. Senate.

• USS Ranger (CV-4) underway in 1934.jpg

  The USS Ranger, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy.

• Anderson shelter at the Imperial War Museum.jpg

  An Anderson shelter like those built in Britain during World War II.

• Khrushchev-Stalin.jpg

  Nikita Khrushchev (left) and Joseph Stalin (right). Khrushchev later criticized Stalin's leadership.

• Corazon Aquino.jpg

  Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines.

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  George Harrison, a member of The Beatles, born on this day.

• Enrico Caruso.jpg

  Enrico Caruso, a famous opera singer.

• Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Portrait of Claude Renoir - Google Art Project.jpg

  A painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a French artist born on February 25th.

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  Bill Paxton, an American actor.

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  Don Bradman, a legendary Australian cricketer.