February 19: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
A Mexican president served just 45 minutes on February 19, 1913 — the shortest presidential term in recorded history — but that's only one marvel in a day that ranges from Copernicus to the Marines landing at Iwo Jima.
About February 19
February 19 is a day of pivotal beginnings and endings. Mexico's Army Day, Romania's Brâncuși Day, and Bulgaria's Vasil Levski commemoration all fall on this date, and the reasons trace back to seismic moments: a 45-minute presidency in 1913, the birth of modern sculpture's pioneer Constantin Brâncuși in 1876, and the execution of Bulgaria's national liberation hero in 1873. It's a date when empires shifted — from the Roman bloodbath at Lugdunum in 197 AD to the 1674 Treaty of Westminster that handed New Amsterdam (soon renamed New York) to England.
It's a day of scientific firsts, too. Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, and in 1878 Thomas Edison patented the phonograph — two revolutions in understanding, one of the cosmos and one of recorded sound. The modern feminist movement roared back to life on this date in 1963 with Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, and in 1985 William J. Schroeder became the first artificial-heart recipient to walk out of a hospital.
But February 19 carries solemn weight as well. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, enabling the internment of Japanese Americans — an order Gerald Ford rescinded on this same date 34 years later. Also on February 19, 1942, Japanese warplanes bombed Darwin, Australia, killing 243. Three years later, 30,000 U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima, beginning one of the Pacific War's defining battles.
Holidays & Observances on February 19
- Army Day (Mexico)
- Brâncuși Day (Romania)
- Commemoration of Vasil Levski (Bulgaria)
- Shivaji Jayanti (Maharashtra, India)
Fun & National Days on February 19
- International Tug-of-War Day — Grab a rope, pick sides, and dig your heels in for the purest test of teamwork and raw strength.
- National Chocolate Mint Day — Celebrate the perfect pairing of cool mint and rich cocoa in brownies, cookies, or a steaming cup of cocoa.
- National Boston Terrier Day — Spoil your tuxedo-clad little gentleman with extra treats and a long, snorting, snuggly walk.
- Prevent Plagiarism Day — A timely nudge to give credit where it's due — always cite your sources and keep it original.
- National Lash Day — Flutter those lashes with pride, whether you rock mascara, extensions, or your own natural fringe.
- Iwo Jima Day
- National Arabian Horse Day
- National Vet Girls RISE Day
- The Great American Spit Out
On This Day in History
- 197 — Septimius Severus crushed the usurper Clodius Albinus at the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest clash ever fought between Roman armies.
- 1600 — Peru's Huaynaputina stratovolcano erupted in the most violent volcanic explosion recorded in South American history.
- 1649 — The Second Battle of Guararapes effectively ended Dutch colonial ambitions in Brazil, securing Portuguese control of the northeast.
- 1674 — England and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War and transferring New Amsterdam to English hands.
- 1807 — Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was arrested in Alabama for treason and confined at Fort Stoddert.
- 1846 — The new Texas state government was formally installed in Austin as the Republic of Texas transferred power following U.S. annexation.
- 1878 — Thomas Edison secured a patent for the phonograph, a device that would fundamentally transform how humanity recorded and consumed sound.
- 1913 — Pedro Lascuráin served as Mexico's president for roughly 45 minutes — the briefest presidential term in world history — before resigning.
- 1942 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the military to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps.
- 1945 — Roughly 30,000 U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima, launching one of the Second World War's fiercest and most iconic Pacific campaigns.
- 1959 — The United Kingdom granted Cyprus independence, a milestone formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
- 1976 — President Gerald Ford rescinded Executive Order 9066 via Proclamation 4417, formally ending the legal basis for Japanese American internment.
Famous Birthdays on February 19
- 1473 — Nicolaus Copernicus, Prussian astronomer and mathematician (born 1473) who revolutionized science by proposing a heliocentric model of the solar system.
- 1630 — Shivaji, Indian warrior-king (born 1630) who founded the Maratha Empire and is celebrated annually on Shivaji Jayanti across Maharashtra.
- 1717 — David Garrick, English actor, playwright, and producer (born 1717) who redefined 18th-century stagecraft and shaped modern theatrical performance.
- 1743 — Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (born 1743) whose elegant chamber music earned him lasting fame across Enlightenment-era Europe.
- 1859 — Svante Arrhenius, Swedish physicist and chemist (born 1859) who pioneered ideas on electrolytic dissociation and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- 1876 — Constantin Brâncuși, Romanian-French sculptor (born 1876) widely regarded as the patriarch of modern sculpture, honored each February 19 in Romania.
- 1896 — André Breton, French poet and author (born 1896) who founded the Surrealist movement and wrote its foundational manifestos.
- 1940 — Smokey Robinson, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1940) whose silky voice and songwriting defined the Motown sound for generations.
- 1952 — Amy Tan, American novelist (born 1952) whose bestselling works explore Chinese-American identity, family, and memory.
- 1967 — Benicio del Toro, Puerto Rican actor, director, and producer (born 1967) known for intense, critically acclaimed performances in film.