1451 – Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire issues a decree granting religious freedom to Christians within Constantinople, a policy that would shape the city after its conquest.
1690 – The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in the Americas to fund military operations.
1809 – The Illinois Territory is created, paving the way for Illinois to become a U.S. state in 1818.
1870 – The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
1913 – The Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, authorizing Congress to levy a federal income tax.
1917 – The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany after repeated submarine attacks during World War I.
1945 – The Allies conclude the Yalta Conference, shaping post-World War II Europe and the formation of the United Nations.
1959 – Rock musician Buddy Holly performs his final concert hours before his fatal plane crash.
1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 9, the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.
1972 – The first Winter Olympics held outside Europe open in Sapporo, Japan.
1995 – Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot a U.S. space shuttle mission.
Famous Birthdays
Felix Mendelssohn – German composer and pianist (1809–1847)
Norman Rockwell – American illustrator and painter (1894–1978)
Morgan Fairchild – American actress (1950)
Nathan Lane – American actor and comedian (1956)
Sean Kingston – Jamaican-American singer (1990)
Isla Fisher – Australian actress and author (1976)
Warwick Davis – British actor (1970)
Blythe Danner – American actress (1943)
Elizabeth Blackwell – British-American physician, first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S. (1821–1910)
Notable Deaths
Johannes Gutenberg – German inventor of the printing press (1468, born c. 1400)
Woody Guthrie – American folk singer and songwriter (1967, born 1912)
Alvar Aalto – Finnish architect and designer (1976, born 1898)
Dave Davies – British musician, member of The Kinks (2024, born 1947)
Ida Lupino – British-American actress and filmmaker (1995, born 1918)
Frank Bellamy – British comic artist (1976, born 1917)
John Landis Mason – American political figure (1903, born 1846)
Carl David Anderson – American physicist, Nobel Prize winner (1991, born 1905)
Marie McDonald – American actress and singer (1965, born 1923)
Holidays
Setsubun – Japan (traditional seasonal festival marking the beginning of spring)
National Golden Retriever Day – United States
Feast of Saint Blaise – Observed in various Christian traditions
Fun Facts
February 3 is associated with seasonal change in Japan, symbolizing the transition from winter to spring.
The income tax amendment ratified on this day still shapes modern government finance systems.
The Yalta Conference agreements continue to influence geopolitical discussions today.
Luna 9 transmitted the first images from the Moon’s surface back to Earth.
Buddy Holly’s final performance became one of the most famous moments in music history.
Norman Rockwell created over 300 magazine covers during his career.