This day in history: 22 february

Europa

• 1848 – Start of the French Revolution of 1848: On this day, large-scale demonstrations erupted in Paris after the French government banned political banquets. Workers and students defied the ban, leading to mass protests, the construction of barricades, and the beginning of a revolution that would ultimately end the monarchy and establish the Second Republic.
• 1371 – Robert II becomes King of Scotland: This marked the beginning of the Stuart dynasty, which would play a major role in Scottish and later British history.
• 1495 – Charles VIII of France enters Naples: King Charles VIII claimed the throne of Naples, an event that was part of the larger Italian Wars involving much of Europe.
• 1651 – St. Peter’s Flood: A devastating storm surge flooded the Frisian coast (in present-day Netherlands and Germany), drowning around 15,000 people.
• 1680 – Execution of Madame Monvoisin in Paris: Known for her involvement in the Affair of the Poisons, she was executed on this day, a major scandal in the court of Louis XIV.
• 1942 – White Rose resistance in Nazi Germany: Three members of the White Rose, a nonviolent anti-Nazi student group, were executed in Munich for their resistance activities.
• 1997 – Announcement of Dolly the Sheep: British scientists at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh revealed the successful cloning of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, marking a major breakthrough in genetics and biotechnology.
• 2014 – Political upheaval in Ukraine: Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was impeached following widespread protests, a pivotal moment in the country’s modern history and its relationship with Europe.

America

• 1732 – Birth of George Washington: The first President of the United States was born on this day in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington’s birthday is a federal holiday in the United States and is widely celebrated as a symbol of American leadership and independence.
• 1819 – Adams–Onís Treaty: Spain agreed to sell Florida to the United States for five million dollars, significantly expanding U.S. territory and influence in North America.
• 1836 – Siege of the Alamo Begins: During the Texas War for Independence, Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna began the siege of the Alamo, a pivotal event in Texas and American history.
• 1847 – Battle of Buena Vista: In the Mexican–American War, U.S. forces under General Zachary Taylor defeated a much larger Mexican army led by Santa Anna, solidifying Taylor’s reputation and influencing future American politics.
• 1856 – First Republican National Convention: The United States Republican Party held its first national convention in Pittsburgh, shaping the future of American political dynamics.
• 1861/1862 – Jefferson Davis Inaugurated as Confederate President: On Washington’s birthday, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the permanent president of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War.
• 1879 – First Woolworth Store Opens: Frank Woolworth opened the first “five-and-dime” Woolworth store in Utica, New York, marking a new era in American retail.
• 1932 – Revival of the Purple Heart: The U.S. military decoration for bravery, originally instituted by George Washington, was revived to honor those wounded or killed in action.
• 1980 – “Miracle on Ice” at the Winter Olympics: The U.S. ice hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet team in a major Cold War sports upset at the Lake Placid Olympics.
• 1924 – First Presidential Radio Broadcast: President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first radio broadcast from the White House, marking a milestone in presidential communication.

Asia

• 1854: Cowasji Nanabhai Davar established “The Bombay Spinning Mills,” marking the start of India’s industrialization and the modern textile industry.
• 1944: Kasturba Gandhi, wife of Mahatma Gandhi and a key figure in India’s independence movement, died in Pune.
• 1958: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first Education Minister and a prominent freedom fighter, passed away.
• 705: Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman to rule China in her own right, abdicated the throne, restoring the Tang dynasty.
• 1973: Following U.S. President Nixon’s historic visit, China and the United States agreed to establish liaison offices, a key step in normalizing relations during the Cold War.
• 1875: Public viewing of civil trials was allowed for the first time.
• 1942: During World War II, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines as Japanese forces advanced.
• 1989: Discovery of Japan’s largest Yayoi period fortified settlement at Yoshinogari in Saga Prefecture.
• 1948: Ben Yehuda Street bombings in Jerusalem: Palestinian Arabs detonated two truckloads of explosives in the Jewish sector, resulting in about 54 deaths and 200 injuries.
• 2022: Syria voiced support for Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic during the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, reflecting ongoing geopolitical alignments in the region.
• 1986: The People Power Revolution began in the Philippines, a nonviolent campaign that led to the fall of President Ferdinand Marcos and the restoration of democracy.

Africa

• 1911 – SS Waratah Report: A report was released in London regarding the mysterious disappearance of the SS Waratah between Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, with 211 people lost. The report attributed the tragedy to a storm.
• 1914 – Death of Valliamma Mudaliar: Sixteen-year-old Valliamma Mudaliar, a Tamil activist and participant in Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha campaigns in South Africa, died in Johannesburg from illness contracted during her imprisonment. Her sacrifice became a symbol of youthful courage in the struggle against colonial oppression.
• 1921 – Birth of Jean-Bédel Bokassa: Bokassa, who would later become president (and self-declared emperor) of the Central African Republic, was born on this day.
• 1941 – French Defeat Abdelkader’s Algerian Resistance: French forces defeated the resistance led by Abdelkader in Algeria, marking a significant moment in the history of anti-colonial struggle in North Africa.
• 1958 – United Arab Republic: Egypt entered into political union with Syria, forming the United Arab Republic, a major event in Arab and North African history.