Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

Historical Events in February 1931

  • Feb 2 1st siyyum of Talmud celebrated by Daf Yomi students
  • Feb 2 1st use of a rocket to deliver mail (Austria)

"Apex of Moronia"

Feb 3 Arkansas legislature passes motion to pray for soul of journalist H. L. Mencken, after he calls the state the "apex of moronia"

Hawke's Bay Earthquake

Feb 3 New Zealand's worst natural disaster, the Hawke's Bay earthquake, kills 256 and injures thousands, devastating Napier and the Hawke's Bay region

  • Feb 4 National League adopts a deader baseball

Campbell's Blue Bird Record

Feb 5 Malcolm Campbell sets world land speed record speed of 246.08 mph driving his famous Blue Bird car at Daytona Beach, Florida

  • Feb 5 Maxine Dunlap becomes 1st US women to earn a glider pilot license
  • Feb 7 American opera "Peter Ibbetson" by Deems Taylor premieres at Metropolitan Opera, New York City
  • Feb 8 Gas explosion Fire in Fushun-coal mine, Manchuria kills 3,000
  • Feb 10 New Delhi becomes the capital of India

America's Sweetheart

Feb 10 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "America's Sweetheart" premieres on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC

  • Feb 12 Vatican Radio begins broadcasting with the callsign HVJ
  • Feb 14 Spanish government of General Damasco Berenguer falls

Dracula

Feb 14 The original "Dracula" film starring Bela Lugosi as the titular vampire, is released

  • Feb 15 Spring training site of NY Yankees in St Petersburg is renamed Miller Huggins Field in honor of the team's late manager
  • Feb 16 Extreme right wing politician Pehr Evind Svinhufvud becomes President of Finland
  • Feb 17 Hockey's Hershey Bears (now with AHL) 1st game
  • Feb 20 Congress allows California to build Oakland-Bay Bridge
  • Feb 21 Alka Seltzer introduced
  • Feb 21 Chicago White Sox & NY Giants play 1st exhibition night game

Event of Interest

Feb 28 British politician Oswald Mosley founds the New Party

  • Feb 28 Canadian Rugby Union adopts the forward pass