- Feb 1 The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
45th Miss USA
Feb 2 Ali Landry, 22, (Louisiana), crowned 45th Miss USA
NFL Pro Bowl
Feb 4 NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 20-13; MVP: Jerry Rice, SF 49ers, WR, HI
Tupac Shakur Sentenced
Feb 6 Rapper Tupac Shakur sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison for sexual assault conviction
Cleveland To Lose Browns Name
Feb 8 NFL & Cleveland allows Art Modell to move his NFL franchise to Baltimore but he had to leave the Browns' name behind
- Feb 8 The massive Internet collaboration "24 Hours in Cyberspace" takes place
- Feb 8 The U.S. Congress passes the Communications Decency Act.
- Feb 9 The Irish Republican Army declares the end of its 18 month ceasefire shortly followed by a large bomb in London's Canary Wharf.
- Feb 9 WYNY-FM in NYC changes calls to WKTU-FM
- Feb 10 A bomb explodes in Docklands area of London, ending the 17-month ceasefire; James McArdle is eventually found guilty and jailed for 25 years
Deep Blue Beats Kasparov
Feb 10 IBM chess-playing computer Deep Blue becomes the first computer to win a game of chess against a reigning (human) chess champion, Garry Kasparov
NBA All-Star Game
Feb 11 46th NBA All-Star Game, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX: East beats West, 129-118; MVP: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, F
ESPY Awards
Feb 12 4th ESPY Awards: Cal Ripken, Rebecca Lobo win
- Feb 13 "The Score" second studio album by Fugees is released (Billboard no. 1 year end Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1996)
- Feb 13 Death Row/Interscope Records releases rapper Tupac Shakur his 4th studio album "All Eyez on Me"; becomes his final release during his lifetime
- Feb 13 Howard Stern announces he will be making the film "Private Parts"
- Feb 13 Rock musical "Rent" by Jonathan Larson opens off-Broadway
Live by Request
Feb 14 "Live by Request" debuts on the A&E Network, based on singer Tony Bennett's idea, the set list was determined by viewer phone calls; Bennett starred in the first episode, wins an Emmy Award (Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program)
- Feb 15 46th Berlin International Film Festival: "Sense and Sensibility" wins the Golden Bear
Sports History
Feb 15 American boxer Tommy Morrison announces he has contracted HIV, a diagnosis he later claimed to be false
- Feb 15 Mortar attack on the US Embassy in Athens, Greece
NFL Record
Feb 15 NFL coaching maestro Bill Belichick is fired by Cleveland, finishing his Browns coaching career with a record of 36-44
- Feb 16 Gary Kirsten scores 188* for South Africa v UAE at Rawalpindi
- Feb 17 1st full ODI for the Netherlands, v NZ, cricket World Cup Nolan Clarke makes ODI debut for Netherlands at age 47
- Feb 17 Garry Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer Deep Blue 4-2
Daytona 500
Feb 18 38th Daytona 500: Dale Jarrett wins his 2nd Great American race ahead of Dale Earnhardt and Ken Schrader
Cricket World Cup
Feb 18 First ODI for Kenya national cricket team in Cricket World Cup v India: Sachin Tendulkar scores 127*
Film & TV History
Feb 22 Revival of William Inge's stage drama "Bus Stop", starring Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker, opens at the Circle in the Square Theater, NYC; runs for 29 performances
- Feb 22 STS 75 (Columbia 19), launches into orbit
Trainspotting
Feb 23 "Trainspotting" directed by Danny Boyle based on the book by Irvine Welsh, starring Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller opens in cinemas in the UK and Ireland
- Feb 23 Mark Waugh scores 130 in World Cup vs Kenya, 207 w/brother Steve
- Feb 23 Rajindra Dhanraj takes 9-97 for Trinidad against Leeward Islands
- Feb 24 Cuba downs 2 US planes
- Feb 24 The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European Union and for the Roman Catholic Church.
- Feb 25 "Father" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 52 performances
- Feb 25 Rajindra Dhanraj takes 16-167 in match Trinidad v Leeward Is
Film & TV History
Feb 27 American film production company "Happy Madison Productions" is founded by Adam Sandler
- Feb 27 First ever appearance of Pokémon in role-playing video game "Pocket Monsters Red and Green" for Game Boy in Japan
- Feb 27 Mark Waugh scores 126 in World Cup against India
Grammy Awards
Feb 28 38th Grammy Awards: "Jagged Little Pill" by Alanis Morissette wins
- Feb 29 Chasing Kenya's 166, the West Indies are dismissed for a dismal 93 in Cricket World Cup at Pune, India; spinner Maurice Odumbe takes 3/15 and fast bowler Rajab Ali 3/17 for Kenya
- Feb 29 Russian spacecraft Soyuz TM-23 returning from Mir space station
- Feb 29 Serb forces withdraw from Sarajevo, ending the siege after 1,425 days, the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists