- Feb 4 1st radioactive substance produced synthetically (radium E)
"Modern Times"
Feb 5 "Modern Times", silent film directed by, written by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released
Ferguson's Patents Tractor Hydraulics
Feb 5 Harry Ferguson patents the suction side hydraulic control system, allowing control of three-point mounted agricultural implements attached to tractors [1]
- Feb 5 National Wildlife Federation forms
- Feb 6 IV Winter Olympic Games open in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
"Clear Brook" Criticized
Feb 6 Pravda criticizes Dmitri Shostakovich's ballet "Clear Brook"
- Feb 7 Felix the Cat, animated film released by Van Beuren Studios licensed from Otto Messmer
- Feb 7 Flag of the US Vice President authorized
- Feb 8 1st ski jumping tournament at Red Wing, Minnesota
- Feb 8 First-ever NFL Draft: Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago is first pick by Philadelphia Eagles
- Feb 8 German alpine skier Christi Cranz wins the inaugural Olympic women’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Käthe Grasegger
Event of Interest
Feb 8 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru succeeds Mahatma Gandhi as chairman of India Congress Party
- Feb 9 German skier Franz Pfnür wins the inaugural Olympic men’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Gustav Lantschner
- Feb 11 Pumping begins to build Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay
- Feb 13 Ivar Ballangrud of Norway narrowly misses winning all 4 speed skating events at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics; finishes 2nd in 1,500m just 1.0s behind teammate Charles Mathiesen
- Feb 14 Karl Schäfer of Austria wins his 2nd consecutive men’s figure skating Olympic gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games in Germany
- Feb 14 National Negro Congress organizes in Chicago
- Feb 14 Norwegian speed skater Ivar Ballangrud sets Olympic record 17:24.3 to win the 10,000m at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; his 3rd gold medal from 4 events and 4th career Olympic gold
Sports History
Feb 14 US female Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
- Feb 14 US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
- Feb 15 -60°F (-51°C), Parshall, North Dakota (state record)
Volkswagen Beetle
Feb 15 Adolf Hitler announces construction of the Volkswagen Beetle (the People's Car, aka the Käfer/Beetle)
- Feb 15 Great Britain’s 0-0 tie with the US is enough to clinch their first ever Olympic ice hockey gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; breaks Canada’s 4 straight Games golden streak
Olympic Gold
Feb 15 Sonja Henie of Norway becomes the most successful Olympic figure skater ever by winning her 3rd consecutive gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; beats Cecilia College of Great Britain by 6.4 points
- Feb 16 IV Winter Olympic Games close in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Feb 16 Spanish Frente Popular (People's Front) wins elections
- Feb 17 -58°F (-50°C), McIntosh, South Dakota (state record)
- Feb 17 S. N. Behrman's play "End of Summer" premieres in NYC
- Feb 17 The world's first superhero, The Phantom, a cartoon strip by Lee Falk, makes his first appearance in comics
- Feb 18 NHL record 32 points scored, NY Americans (28) & Mont Maroons (24)
Election of Interest
Feb 19 Manuel Azaña becomes Prime Minister of Spain for the second time
- Feb 22 Construction on Ypenburg Netherlands airport begins
- Feb 22 Sonja Henie of Norway follows up her Winter Olympics victory with an incredible 10th consecutive women’s World Championship figure skating gold medal in Paris, France
- Feb 23 1st rocket air mail flight, Greenwood Lake, NY
Event of Interest
Feb 26 Adolf Hitler introduces Ferdinand Porsche's "Volkswagen"
- Feb 26 Military coup in Japan
- Feb 27 Dutch swimmer Willy den Ouden sets new women's world 100m freestyle record (1:04.6) in Amsterdam; lasts 22 years until broken in 1956 by Dawn Fraser of Australia
- Feb 28 Karl Schäfer of Austria follows up his Winter Olympics victory with his 7th consecutive men’s figure skating World Championship title in Paris, France
- Feb 28 Olympic champions Ernst Baier and Maxi Herber of Germany win their 4th consecutive pairs figure skating gold medal at the World Championships in Paris, France
US Neutrality Act
Feb 29 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs 2nd Neutrality Act
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists