1991
Birmingham Six Freed
Great Britain
1989
Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of British author Salman Rushdie, whose novel The Satanic Verses was condemned as blasphemous against Muslims
Iran, Islamic Republic of
1989
The first of 24 satellites that make up the Global Positioning System (GPS) was launched by the US Department of Defence
United States
1983
Death of Lina Radke, German athlete, a pioneer of women’s athletics and the first women’s 800m Olympic champion.
Germany
1959
Death of Baby Dodds, American jazz drummer and percussionist
United States
1949
Israels Knesset (the legislative branch of government) met for the first time in Jerusalem
Israel
1929
The St Valentines Day Massacre took place in Chicago
United States
1929
Screen debut of Mickey Mouse – same day as St Valentine's Day massacre!
United States
1919
The Polish-Soviet War began. (Note: at the time it was only considered a border conflict, and wasnt recognised as a full-scale war until April 1920)
1909
The Grand Vizier of Turkey, Kamil Pasha, was forced to resign after a vote of no confidence
Turkey
1876
Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray each file a patent for the telephone – Bell awarded the rights
United States
1808
Death of John Dickinson, American lawyer, Governor of Delaware and Pennsylvania.
United States
1797
Battle of St Vincent
Great Britain
1779
Captain Cook Killed
Great Britain