February 28 facts for kids

February 28 is a special day each year, filled with many important events from history and the present. From ancient empires to modern space missions, this date has seen many interesting moments. It's also a day when famous people were born and others passed away, leaving their mark on the world.

Historical Events

Ancient Times and Early History

• 202 BC – Liu Bang became the first Emperor of China, starting the powerful Han dynasty. This dynasty ruled China for about 400 years!
• 1525 – Cuauhtémoc, the last king of the Aztecs, was killed by order of the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés. This was a sad end to the Aztec Empire.

1600s to 1900s

• 1835 – Elias Lönnrot finished the first version of the Kalevala. This is a very important epic poem from Finland, like a long story about heroes and myths.
• 1844 – A gun exploded on the USS Princeton, a steam warship, during a fun trip on the Potomac River. Six people died in this accident, including a government official. The President, John Tyler, was also on board but was safe.
• 1922 – The United Kingdom officially ended its control over Egypt. This meant Egypt became an independent country again.
• 1925 – A big earthquake shook parts of northeastern North America. Earthquakes are powerful natural events!
• 1947 – In Taiwan, a major event happened where many people were affected during a period of unrest. This day is now remembered as Peace Memorial Day.
• 1958 – A terrible school bus accident happened in Floyd County, Kentucky. The bus fell into a river, and many children and the driver lost their lives. It was one of the worst school bus accidents in U.S. history.
• 1959 – The United States launched Discoverer 1. This was an early spy satellite and the first object meant to fly over the Earth's poles. However, it didn't quite make it into orbit.
• 1966 – A NASA T-38 Talon plane crashed near Lambert Field. Astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett died in this accident.
• 1969 – A strong earthquake hit Portugal, Spain, and Morocco.
• 1983 – The very last episode of the popular TV show M*A*S*H aired. Almost 110 million people watched it, making it one of the most-watched TV episodes ever!
• 1986 – Olof Palme, who was the Prime Minister of Sweden, was sadly killed in Stockholm.
• 1997 – A big earthquake in northern Iran caused about 1,100 deaths.
• 2001 – The 2001 Nisqually earthquake with a strength of 6.8 hit the Seattle metropolitan area. It caused damage around the Puget Sound area.
• 2013 – Pope Benedict XVI resigned as the leader of the Catholic Church. He was the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years!
• 2023 – Two trains crashed in Greece, causing many deaths and injuries. It was a very sad event.
• 2024 – Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, opened India's second Spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport. This is a place where rockets are launched into space!

Famous Birthdays

Many interesting people were born on February 28 throughout history.

Born Before 1900

• 1533 – Michel de Montaigne, a famous French philosopher and writer.
• 1894 – Ben Hecht, an American director and screenwriter who wrote many classic movies.
• 1896 – Philip Showalter Hench, an American doctor who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in medicine.

Born After 1900

• 1901 – Linus Pauling, an American chemist and activist. He won two Nobel Prizes, one for chemistry and one for peace!
• 1926 – Svetlana Alliluyeva, a Russian-American writer and the daughter of Joseph Stalin.
• 1929 – Frank Gehry, a famous Canadian-American architect known for his unique building designs.
• 1940 – Mario Andretti, an Italian-American racing driver who is one of the most famous drivers in motorsports history.
• 1942 – Brian Jones, an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the band The Rolling Stones.
• 1948 – Steven Chu, an American physicist and politician who won the Nobel Prize in physics. He also served as the U.S. Secretary of Energy.
• 1948 – Bernadette Peters, a talented American actress, singer, and author.
• 1953 – Paul Krugman, an American economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics.
• 1955 – Gilbert Gottfried, a well-known American comedian and actor.
• 1957 – John Turturro, a popular American actor and director.
• 1961 – Rae Dawn Chong, a Canadian-American actress.
• 1969 – Robert Sean Leonard, an American actor famous for his roles in movies and TV shows.
• 1976 – Ali Larter, an American actress and model.
• 1977 – Jason Aldean, a very popular American country music singer.
• 1982 – Natalia Vodianova, a famous Russian-French model and actress.
• 1984 – Karolína Kurková, a well-known Czech model and actress.
• 1985 – Jelena Janković, a Serbian tennis player who was once ranked number one in the world.
• 1999 – Luka Dončić, a Slovenian basketball player who is a big star in the NBA.
• 2000 – Moise Kean, an Italian footballer who plays for top clubs.

Notable Deaths

February 28 is also a day when many important people passed away.

Died Before 1900

• 628 – Khosrow II, a powerful Shah (king) of the Sasanian Empire in Iran.

Died After 1900

• 1936 – Charles Nicolle, a French biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on diseases.
• 1966 – Charles Bassett and Elliot See, American astronauts who died in a plane crash.
• 1977 – Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, an American actor and comedian known for his roles in classic films and radio.
• 2006 – Owen Chamberlain, an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in physics.
• 2009 – Paul Harvey, a famous American radio host known for his news and commentary.
• 2013 – Donald A. Glaser, an American physicist and biologist who won the Nobel Prize in physics.
• 2015 – Yaşar Kemal, a very important Turkish journalist and author.
• 2016 – George Kennedy, a well-known American actor.
• 2019 – André Previn, a German-American pianist, conductor, and composer who was very talented in classical music and jazz.
• 2020 – Freeman Dyson, a British-born American physicist and mathematician who made big contributions to science.

Holidays and Observances

• Kalevala Day, also known as the Finnish Culture Day (Finland). This day celebrates Finnish culture and the Kalevala epic poem.
• National Science Day (India). This day celebrates scientific discoveries and encourages interest in science.
• Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan). This day remembers the events of February 28, 1947, and promotes peace.

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot