February 19
February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 316 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 19 the Sun's declination is approximately -11.9°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 19.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1473 — Nicolaus Copernicus, who would propose heliocentrism, was born in Royal Prussia. ↗(553 years ago)more
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. The publication of Copernicus's model in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, just before his death in 1543, was a major event in the history of science, triggering the Copernican Revolution and making a pione...
1807 — Aaron Burr, former U.S. Vice-President, was arrested for treason in Alabama. ↗(219 years ago)more
The Burr conspiracy of 1805–1807, was a treasonous plot alleged to have been planned by American politician and former military officer Aaron Burr (1756–1836), in the years during and after his single term as the third vice president of the United States (1801–1805), during the presidential administration and first term of the third president Thomas Jeffe...
1942 — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorising the internment of Japanese Americans. ↗(84 years ago)more
Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. "This order authorized the forced removal of all persons deemed a threat to national security from the West Coast to 'relocation centers' further inland—resulting in the incarcer...
1945 — World War II: U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima. ↗(81 years ago)more
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II.
1986 — The Soviet Union launched the Mir space station. ↗(40 years ago)more
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russian Federation. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft.
Notable births
- 1473 — Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer. ↗(553 years ago)
more
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. The publication of Copernicus's model in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, just before his death in 1543, was a major event in the history of science, triggering the Copernican Revolution and making a pione...
1924 — Lee Marvin, American actor. ↗(102 years ago)more
Lamont Warren Marvin Jr., known as Lee Marvin, was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. He received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two BAFTA Awards.
1955 — Jeff Daniels, American actor. ↗(71 years ago)more
Jeffrey Warren Daniels is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for five Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Tony Awards.
Notable deaths
1951 — André Gide, French author and Nobel laureate. ↗(75 years ago)more
André Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author whose writing spanned a wide variety of styles and topics. He was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature. Gide's career ranged from his beginnings in the symbolist movement to criticising imperialism between the two World Wars.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (50) | 2 × 5^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (316) | 2^2 × 79 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 19022026 · next palindrome year: 2091 |
| Sun declination | -11.92° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 61 days |