202 – BC Coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place, initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty’s rule over China
1710 – In the Battle of Helsingborg, 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock
1827 – The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became the first steam-operated railway in the United States to be chartered as a common carrier of freight and passengers.
1854 –Republican Party formally organized in Ripon, Wisconsin
1915 – WWI: After the French try to drive the Germans forces back into the Champagne region, they gain a few hundred yards – at the cost of 50,000 casualties
1922 – Egypt was declared an independent country.
1942 – During World War II, Japanese troops landed on the island of Java, which they occupied until 1945.
1947 – February 28 Massacre: Anti-government uprising in Taiwan is violently put down by Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang-led Republic of China government with the loss of 18,000-28,000 lives. Marks the beginning of the White Terror.
1953 – Francis Crick and James Watson discover the chemical structure of DNA-molecule (double-helix polymer)
1986 – Olof Palme, the internationally prominent prime minister of Sweden (1969–76, 1982–86) whose strong pacifist beliefs included opposition to the Vietnam War, was assassinated.
1991 – Gulf War ends after Iraq accepts a ceasefire following their retreat from Kuwait
2001 – The US Environmental Protection Agency announces that it intends to proceed with implementation of tighter restrictions on sulfur content in diesel fuel; the rule is opposed by many in the refining industry
2005 – A suicide bombing at a police recruiting centre in Al Hillah, Iraq kills 127.
2013 – Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.
2018 – 700 illegal churches closed in Rwanda for being too noisy and lacking building permits
2019 – Summit between North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapses without agreement
2019 – YouTube announces it will stops all comments on videos featuring children because of paedophiles leaving inappropriate comments
Births & Deaths:
1901 – American chemist Linus Pauling, who received two Nobel Prizes, one for Chemistry in 1954 and another for Peace in 1962 (for efforts to control the spread of nuclear weaponry), was born.
Sport:
1971 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National East: Jack Nicklaus leads wire-to-wire for his 2nd career grand slam; wins by 2 from Billy Casper
2020 – Court of Arbitration for Sport bans Chinese triple Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang from swimming for 8 years for breaking anti-doping rules
Music:
1984 – 26th Grammy Awards: Michael Jackson wins 8 Grammys
TV & Film:
1983 – Final TV episode of “M*A*S*H” airs (CBS); record 125 million watch in the US
Via Britannica / On This Day
