February 1, 2003 – Sixteen minutes before it was scheduled to land, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart in flight over Texas, killing all seven crew members. Click here to read more.
February 3, 1870 – The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
February 3, 1913 – The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes.
February 3, 1959 – The Day The Music Died. Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and Jiles Perry “J. P.” Richardson, Jr. died in a plane crash. Click here for more.
February 8, 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce in Washington, D.C.
February 14th – Celebrated as (Saint) Valentine’s Day around the world, now one of the most widely observed unofficial holidays in which greeting cards and gifts are exchanged.
February 17, 1909 – Apache Chief Geronimo (1829-1909) died while in captivity at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
February 19, 1942 – Internment of Japanese Americans began after President Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order requiring those living on the Pacific coast to report for relocation. Over 110,000 persons shut down their businesses, sold off their property, quit school and moved inland to the relocation centers.
February 23, 1942 – During World War II, the first attack on the U.S. mainland occurred as a Japanese submarine shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California. http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-attacks-on-u-s-soil-during-world-war-ii
February 27, 1950 – The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the president to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office.
