February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 days in leap years.
February symbols: Its birth flower is the violet (Viola) and the common primrose (Primula vulgaris). Its birthstone is the amethyst. It symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity. Its Zodiac signs are Aquarius (until February 18) and Pisces (February 19 onwards).
Day of Week 3rd » Deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper or J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, in a The Day the Music Died called plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
Day of Week 6th » Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
6th » At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
Day of Week 9th » The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, Soviet Union or USSR.
Day of Week 11th » The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, which will later become South Yemen, is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
Day of Week 16th » Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.
Day of Week 17th » Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2 The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution.
Day of Week 19th » The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is then formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
Day of Week 20th » The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic fighter aircraft or jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the John George Diefenbaker e.g Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
Day of Week 28th » 'Discoverer 1', an American spy satellite that is the first object intended to achieve a polar orbit, is launched. It failed to achieve orbit.
3rd » Yasuharu Konishi, Japanese DJ, producer, and songwriter (Pizzicato Five)
3rd » Ferzan Özpetek, Turkish-Italian director and screenwriter
3rd » Lol Tolhurst, English drummer (The Cure, Presence (band) named Presence, Easy Cure, and Levinhurst)
3rd » Óscar Iván Zuluaga, Colombian economist and politician, 67th Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (Colombia) called Colombian Minister of Finance