Look back in time and examine the amazing events that happened on this day in history and which helped shape the world as we know it.
This Day in History: February
Look back in time and examine the amazing events that happened on this day in history and which helped shape the world as we know it.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Thanuja from
Bite-size videos!
I do enjoy this monthly bite-size short videos. They are not a much, but good enough knowledge drops. February videos are great!
Date published: 2023-02-09
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Dwara from
From the perspective of the winners..
Dresden had no strategic significance: thousands of German civilians who fled from the ethic cleansing by the Red Army had hunkered down in the city. Yes, read Vonnegut.
Date published: 2021-02-13
Overview
01: February 6, 1895: Babe Ruth Is Born
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. is one of the most famous names in baseball. Discover why his athletic achievements helped him obtain this notoriety and how he helped create the game as we know it today.
8 min
02: February 11, 1990: Nelson Mandela Freed from Prison
February 11, 1990, may have felt like an ordinary day for many of us, but it marks an extraordinary and often overlooked event in world history. On this date, South African revolutionary Nelson Mandela was freed from prison after 27 years of captivity. Join Professor Douglas Linder, the Elmer Powell Peer Professor of Law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, as he walks you through the astounding—and not too distant—story of blatant racism and apartheid, persistence and courage, and how this day in history marked the emergence of a real-life hero who changed our world for the better.
10 min
03: February 23, 1945: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Join a four-star general to dig into the details and historical context around of the one of the most iconic images in American military history: “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” (Feb. 23, 1945).
8 min
04: February 24, 1868: Andrew Johnson Impeached
Look at this day in history to reveal the details, the speeches, the high and low points, and the impactful aftermath of the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
10 min
05: February 7, 1964: Beatlemania Comes to America
Join historian and author Michael Sheldon to relive the before, the aftermath, and the exciting moment that Beatlemania hit the USA.
7 min
06: February 13, 1945: The Dresden Bombing Begins
Join historian and biographer Michael Shelden to look at what events led to the Dresden bombings and how Churchill’s pivotal and controversial military decision changed the direction of World War II.
3 min
07: February 28, 1953: Watson and Crick Discover the Shape of DNA
The double-helix shape has long been associated with the shape of the DNA molecule, but as Professor Sam Kean notes, its discovery is less than 70 years old. Follow the secret research of biologists James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 as they raced to solve the secret of life.
6 min
08: February 1, 1884: "The Oxford English Dictionary" Is Published
The first Oxford English Dictionary, published February 1, 1884, took over 40 years to complete, needed three chief editors, and received more than 5 million submissions. All this work culminated in 400,000 headwords and 1.8 million quotations, spanning 10 volumes—and all of it was done in an era before computers. Join Professor Anne Curzan to look back at how this “dictionary to surpass all dictionaries” was conceived, developed, and published.
9 min
09: February 18, 1930: Pluto Is Discovered
Join Sabine Stanley to discover the history of Pluto and see how this planet—which may not be a planet—has forced the scientific community to reconsider what classifies an object as a planet.
8 min
10: February 1, 1960: The Greensboro Sit-ins Began
Join Dr. Richard Kurin to discover how four African American students who sat down at a segregated lunch counter at the Woolworth’s Department Store launched a movement that led to the end of segregated lunch counters and how this sit-in became an iconic chapter of the Civil Rights movement.
9 min
11: February 16, 1923: Tutankhamun’s Burial Chamber Opened
Trace the events that led Egyptologist Howard Carter to the dramatic discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922. Witness the unfolding excavation of the site, and uncover the spectacular treasures of the tomb. Consider why the tomb of a young and short-lived king might have contained such a vast display of wealth.
6 min
