The city’s new Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) tradition, begins on February 27, 1827, when a group of students, donned masks and costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festivities. Over time, Mardi Gras grew into a more formal event, one now deeply embedded in New Orleans culture.
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What Happened in February?
Emperor ascensions, legendary battles, and assassinations. Discover what happened this month in history. Explore pivotal events from February that helped shape the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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George Washington's birthday is declared a federal holiday in the United States, later becoming Presidents' Day.
The Battle of the Alamo begins on February 23, 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, between Texan rebels and Mexican forces during the Texas Revolution.
Congress officially banns dueling in Washington, D.C., on February 20, 1839, aiming to stop the deadly practice among politicians. The law made accepting, or carrying a challenge to a duel in the District, a felony punishable by up to 10 years of hard labor.
The impetus for the legislation came from the fatal 1838 duel between Representatives Jonathan Cilley of Maine and William Graves of Kentucky. This act aimed to stop the deadly practice among politicians. The new law reduced the number of duels in the District but many continue to take place beyond the district borders.
New Zealand's national day, Waitangi Day is celebrated on February 6th, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which established a formal agreement between the indigenous Māori and the British Crown.
The day is observed with various events, including ceremonies, cultural festivals, and debates surrounding the Treaty's ongoing significance.
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Former U.S. President, John Quincy Adams begins his oral arguments for the defense, at the Supreme Court on February 24, 1841 in the case of the 53 Africans captured in the Spanish ship Amistad. ("La Amistad") speaking for four hours and a half.
Adams came back on March 1 and spoke for another four hours. Read Notes from Adams Diary.The court’s opinion was delivered on March 9, ruling that the Africans were free and could return home. Read about The Amistad
The Dominican Republic declares independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844,. The War of Independence ended twelve years later on January 24, 1856.
Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years. when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, was unified with the Republic of Haiti in 1822. The criollo class within the country overthrew the Spanish crown in 1821 before unifying with Haiti a year later. More
The Latter-day Saint exodus to Utah begins on February 4, 1846, with Brigham Young leading the first group of church members across the frigid Mississippi River from Nauvoo Illinois. Pioneers started arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, which was then part of Mexico, on July 24, 1847 when Brigham Young notably declared "This is the place"
Driven by intense persecution, thousands migrated to the Great Basin to establish a new, isolated community; traveling across the Great Plains and through the Rocky Mountains, often walking and pulling handcarts or using wagons. Over 100,000 people migrating to the Great Basin by 1877. Now, July 24 is celebrated as "Pioneer Day" in Utah. Utah became part of the United States in 1848 following the Mexican-American War.
The Battle of Sobraon, the decisive battle of the First Anglo-Sikh War was fought on February 10, 1846, between the forces of the East India Company and the Sikh Empire of the Punjab, where the Sikhs were completely defeated.
The Battle of Buena Vista, known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, takes place during the Mexican-American War (February 22–23, 1847) with U.S. General Zachary Taylor's outnumbered forces, securing a crucial victory over Mexican General Santa Ana's troops. The victory brought Zachary Taylor to national fame, aiding his successful 1848 presidential bid.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought an official end to the Mexican-American War (1846-48), is signed at Guadalupe Hidalgo, a city to which the Mexican government had fled with the advance of U.S. forces.
By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. Mexico also relinquished all claims to Texas, and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish "The Communist Manifesto' in London " on February 21, 1848. More
The first British flushing public toilets for women are opened in Bedford Street, London on February 11, 1856. These early toilets failed to gain popularity among Victorian women and closed within a year.
The Pennsylvania State University is founded as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania on February 22, 1855 with the mission of applying scientific principles to agriculture. Located in Centre County, it held its first classes in 1859.
Fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous (Later St. Bernadette) claims to have seen the Virgin Mary on February 11, 1858 in a small town located near Lourdes in the foothills of the Pyrenee mountains. in southern France. This was the first of 18 reported encounters, the last one took place on July 16, 1858.
The "Lady" identified herself as the "Immaculate Conception" and directed Bernadette to a, now-famous, miraculous spring, known as the Massabielle Grotto. The Catholic Church officially recognized these apparitions ,as "worthy of belief" in 1862. leading to the creation of the major pilgrimage site, Our Lady of Lourdes. Bernadette was canonized as a saint in 1933. The Massabielle grotto is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. More
Oregon is admitted to the United States Union as the 33rd State on February 14, 1859, following a Congressional bill signed by President James Buchanan. It was admitted as a free state, a pivotal addition just before the Civil War.
Seven seceding states — South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas meet in Montgomery, Alabama, and create the Confederate Constitution, a document similar to the United States Constitution, but with greater stress on the autonomy of each state.
Jefferson Davis was named provisional president of the Confederacy until elections could be held. Four more States followed the secession path — Virginia (April 17, 1861), Arkansas (May 6, 1861), North Carolina (May 20, 1861), and Tennessee (June 8, 1861). These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. More
On his inaugural train journey to Washington D.C., President elect Abraham Lincoln stops in Westfield on February 16, 1861, to meet 11-year-old Grace Bedell, who had written to Lincoln the prior year, suggesting he grow a beard to improve his appearance and win more votes. Lincoln, reportedly saying, "Gracie, look at my whiskers. I have been growing them for you". Read the letters.
The U.S. Congress Passed the "Legal Tender Act" on February 25, 1862, authorizing $150 million in federal paper money to help fund the Civil War without relying solely on gold/silver reserves. It mandated that the notes were deemed lawful money for all debts, public and private, except for customs duties and interest on public debt.
The act was initially challenged, the Supreme Court later ruled the act a legitimate exercise of congressional power during wartime. The Act was the first of three, which all together increased the total authorized circulation to $450 million. The Legal Tender Act, intended as an emergency measure, dramatically extended federal power and changed the nation’s monetary standard. The U.S. notes, which were printed with green ink on one side. were nicknamed by the public as "Greenbacks". Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's Treasury Secretary's likeness was used on the first one dollar bill printed in 1862.
Abraham Lincoln signs the Joint Resolution endorsing the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery which Congress had passed on January 31, 1865. The 13th Amendment was then sent to the states for ratification, which was completed by December 6, 1865, making it the law of the land and officially abolishing slavery in the United States.