A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on February 1st. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On February 1, 1796, the British government changed the capital of Upper Canada from Newark to York.
On February 1, 1901, Clark Gable was born in Cadiz, Ohio, and would go on to movie greatness earning the nickname, “The King of Hollywood.”
On February 1, 1941, the inaugural horse racing meet at Golden Gate Fields was held in Berkeley, California, United States.
On February 1, 1960, 4 African-American college freshman from North Carolina Agricultural and Mining University, who later became known as the “Greensboro Four,” made some minor purchases at a Greensboro, NC, Woolworth store and then sat at the “whites only” segregated lunch counter where the white proprietor refused them service and ordered them to vacate the premises.
On February 1, 1964, the British sensational band, The Beatles, hit the top of the American charts for the first time with their smash hit, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
In February 1969, black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in Ohio first proposed Black History Month.
On February 1, 1998, Lillian E. Fishburne became the first African American woman promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral (2 stars) in the United States Navy.
On February 1, 2003, the United States suffered the second loss of a space shuttle, this time the Columbia.
On February 1, 2004 at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas, history was made when a “wardrobe malfunction” caused Janet Jackson to briefly expose her breast on live national television!
On February 1, 2009, a milestone in LGBT rights occurred when the Icelandic Althing (their version of a Parliament) elected Johanna Siguroardottir Prime Minister, age 66, an openly lesbian woman, the first head of government in the world to be openly LGBT.
On February 1, 2016, candidate for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, won the Iowa caucus.
February 1st, 2023 is the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andrews, John and Matt Baker. Timeline of World History. Thunder Bay Press, 2020.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
