February 28
February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 307 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 28 the Sun's declination is approximately -8.7°. 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 28.
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.
- 1854 — The Republican Party of the United States was organised at a meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin. ↗(172 years ago)
more
The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), is a conservative and right-wing political party in the United States. It emerged as the main rival of the Democratic Party in the 1850s, and the two parties have dominated American politics since then.
1935 — DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invented nylon. ↗(91 years ago)more
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterized by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups.
1986 — Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in Stockholm. ↗(40 years ago)more
On 28 February 1986, at 23:21 CET, Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, was fatally wounded by a single gunshot while walking home from a cinema with his wife Lisbeth Palme on the central Stockholm street Sveavägen. Lisbeth Palme was slightly wounded by a second shot. The couple did not have bodyguards with them.
1991 — The Gulf War ended; coalition forces ceased fire in Kuwait. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of K...
2013 — Pope Benedict XVI resigned, the first pope to do so in nearly 600 years. ↗(13 years ago)more
The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI took effect on 28 February 2013 at 20:00 Roman-Vatican Time, following Benedict XVI's announcement of the same on 11 February. It made him the first pope to relinquish the office since Gregory XII quit the papacy in 1415 to help end the Western Schism.
Notable births
1533 — Michel de Montaigne, French essayist. ↗(493 years ago)more
Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne, commonly known as just Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as a literary genre. His work is noted for its merging of casual anecdotes and autobiography with intellectual insight.
1948 — Bernadette Peters, American actress and singer. ↗(78 years ago)more
Bernadette Peters is an American actress and singer. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released recordings.
Notable deaths
1986 — Olof Palme. ↗(40 years ago)more
Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and 1982 to 1986. Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until his assassination in 1986.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (59) | 59 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (307) | 307 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 28022026 · next palindrome year: 2082 |
| Sun declination | -8.67° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 70 days |