February 1 in history — What Happened Today in History
February 1 in history is full of turning points. This page walks you through what happened on February 1 in history, who was born on February 1 and who passed away on February 1, so nothing about this day slips past you.
On this page, February 1 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about February 1 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on February 1 in History 40
- 2022
Five-year-old Moroccan boy Rayan Aourram falls into a 32-meter (105 feet) deep well in Ighran village in Tamorot commune, Chefchaouen Province, Morocco, but dies four days later, before rescue workers reached him.
- 2021
A coup d'état in Myanmar removes Aung San Suu Kyi from power and restores military rule.
- 2013
The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, opens its viewing gallery to the public.
- 2012
Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
- 2009
The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country's first female prime minister and the world's first openly gay head of government.
- 2007
The National Weather Service in the United States switches from the Fujita scale to the new Enhanced Fujita scale to measure the intensity and strength of tornadoes.
- 2005
King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
- 2004
Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
- 2004
Double suicide attack in Erbil on the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties by members of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
- 2003
Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
- 2002
Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal, kidnapped on January 23, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
- 1998
Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
All entries for February 1（+28）
- 1996
The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
- 1992
The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
- 1991
A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
- 1991
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes the Hindu Kush region, killing at least 848 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and present-day Tajikistan.
- 1982
The Intel 80286 is released, which introduced protected mode memory. The IBM PC/AT and its clones used this CPU.
- 1981
The Underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred when Trevor Chappell bowls underarm on the final delivery of a game between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
- 1979
Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
- 1974
A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
- 1972
Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- 1968
Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
- 1968
Canada's three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.
- 1968
The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.
- 1964
The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
- 1960
Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
- 1957
Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crashes on Rikers Island in New York City, killing 20 people and injuring 78 others.
- 1950
The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.
- 1946
Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
- 1946
The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
- 1942
World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
- 1942
World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
- 1942
Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
- 1942
Mao Zedong makes a speech on "Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature", which puts into motion the Yan'an Rectification Movement.
- 1924
Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.
- 1908
Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.
- 1900
Great Britain, defeated by Boers in key battles, names Lord Roberts commander of British forces in South Africa.
- 1897
Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.
- 1896
La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.
- 1895
Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
Famous Birthdays on February 1 in History 25
- 2002
Brian Brobbey, Dutch footballer
- 2002
Seth Jarvis, Canadian ice hockey player
- 2001
Egor Chinakhov, Russian ice hockey player
- 2000
Talanoa Hufanga, American football player
- 1999
Mohamed Abdelmonem, Egyptian footballer
- 1998
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bahamian baseball player
- 1997
Drew Eubanks, American basketball player
- 1997
Jihyo, South Korean singer
- 1996
Ahmad Abughaush, Jordanian taekwondo athlete
- 1996
Doyoung, South Korean singer
- 1996
Azurá Stevens, American basketball player
- 1994
Anna-Lena Friedsam, German tennis player
All entries for February 1（+13）
- 1994
Julia Garner, American actress
- 1994
Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor
- 1993
Diego Mella, Italian footballer
- 1992
Sean Manaea, American baseball player
- 1991
Blake Austin, Australian rugby league player
- 1991
Kyle Palmieri, American ice hockey player
- 1990
Tyler Myers, American-Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989
Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
- 1988
Brett Anderson, American baseball player
- 1987
Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer
- 1987
Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer
- 1987
Austin Jackson, American baseball player
- 1987
Heather Morris, American actress, singer, and dancer
Notable Deaths on February 1 in History 25
- 2025
Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany (born 1943)
- 2025
Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman, 8th Commissioner of Baseball (born 1938)
- 2022
Remi De Roo, Canadian bishop of the Catholic Church (born 1924)
- 2021
Dustin Diamond, American actor, director, stand-up comedian, and musician (born 1977)
- 2021
Temur Tsiklauri, Georgian pop singer and actor (born 1946)
- 2019
Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (born 1961)
- 2019
Clive Swift, English actor (born 1936)
- 2019
Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (born 1959)
- 2018
Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (born 1910)
- 2018
Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (born 1985)
- 2017
Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (born 1926)
- 2016
Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (born 1930)
All entries for February 1（+13）
- 2015
Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (born 1925)
- 2015
Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (born 1935)
- 2015
Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (born 1981)
- 2014
Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1938)
- 2014
Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (born 1917)
- 2014
Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (born 1946)
- 2014
Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1930)
- 2013
Helene Hale, American politician (born 1918)
- 2013
Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (born 1924)
- 2013
Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (born 1928)
- 2013
Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1947)
- 2012
Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (born 1936)
- 2012
Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1923)
That is the story of February 1 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on February 1 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on February 1 in history?
The biggest event on February 1 in history is: 2022 — Five-year-old Moroccan boy Rayan Aourram falls into a 32-meter (105 feet) deep well in Ighran village in Tamorot commune, Chefchaouen Province, Morocco, but dies four days later, before rescue workers reached him.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on February 1?
25 famous people were born on February 1 in history, the best known being 2002 — Brian Brobbey, Dutch footballer.
Who died on February 1?
25 notable people died on February 1 in history, including 2025 — Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany (born 1943).
Why should I read about February 1 in history?
Exploring February 1 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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