February 25
February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 310 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 25 the Sun's declination is approximately -9.8°. 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 25.
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.
1570 — Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England. ↗(456 years ago)more
Regnans in Excelsis is a papal bull that Pope Pius V issued on 25 February 1570. It excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England, referring to her as "the pretended Queen of England and the servant of crime," declared her a heretic, and released her subjects from allegiance to her, even those who had "sworn oaths to her," and excommunicated any who obeyed...
1836 — Samuel Colt received a patent for the Colt revolver. ↗(190 years ago)more
Samuel Colt was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.
1986 — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos fled the country during the People Power Revolution. ↗(40 years ago)more
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud.
1991 — The Warsaw Pact was effectively dissolved at a meeting in Budapest. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republics in Central and Eastern Europe in May 1955, during the Cold War.
Notable births
1841 — Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French Impressionist painter. ↗(185 years ago)more
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. It has been said that, as a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to Watteau."
1943 — George Harrison, English musician (The Beatles). ↗(83 years ago)more
George Harrison was an English musician who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Known as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison played a significant role in shaping the band's musical direction and established a successful solo career, particularly through his interest in non-Western musical influences.
Notable deaths
1899 — Paul Reuter, German-British founder of the Reuters news agency. ↗(127 years ago)more
Paul Julius Reuter, later ennobled as Freiherr von Reuter, was a German-born British entrepreneur who was a pioneer of telegraphy and news reporting. He was a reporter, media owner, and the founder of the Reuters news agency, which became part of the Thomson Reuters conglomerate in 2008.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (56) | 2^3 × 7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (310) | 2 × 5 × 31 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 25022026 · next palindrome year: 2052 |
| Sun declination | -9.78° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 67 days |