February 4 Explained

Events

Pre–1600

• 211  - Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrelling sons, Caracalla and Geta, whom he had instructed to make peace.^[1]
• 960  - Zhao Kuangyin declares himself Emperor Taizu of Song, ending the Later Zhou and beginning the Song dynasty.^[2]
• 1169  - A strong earthquake strikes the Ionian coast of Sicily, causing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, especially in Catania.^[3]
• 1454  - Thirteen Years' War: The Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, sparking the Thirteen Years' War.^[4]
• 1555  - John Rogers is burned at the stake, becoming the first English Protestant martyr under Mary I of England.^[5]

1601–1900

• 1703  - In Edo (now Tokyo), all but one of the Forty-seven Ronin commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as recompense for avenging their master's death.^[6]
• 1758  - The city of Macapá in Brazil is founded by Sebastião Veiga Cabral.
• 1789  - George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.^[7]
• 1794  - The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French First Republic.^[8] It would be reestablished in the French West Indies in 1802.
• 1797  - The Riobamba earthquake strikes Ecuador, causing up to 40,000 casualties.^[9]
• 1801  - John Marshall is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
• 1810  - Napoleonic Wars: Britain seizes Guadeloupe.
• 1820  - The Chilean Navy under the command of Lord Cochrane completes the two-day long Capture of Valdivia with just 300 men and two ships.
• 1825  - The Ohio Legislature authorizes the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Miami and Erie Canal.^[10]
• 1846  - The first Mormon pioneers make their exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, westward towards Salt Lake Valley.
• 1859  - The Codex Sinaiticus is discovered in Egypt.^[11]
• 1861  - American Civil War: In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from six breakaway U.S. states meet and initiate the process that would form the Confederate States of America on February 8.
• 1899  - The Philippine–American War begins when four Filipino soldiers enter the "American Zone" in Manila, igniting the Battle of Manila.^[12]

1901–present

• 1932  - Second Sino-Japanese War: Harbin, Manchuria, falls to Japan.
• 1938  - Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Armed Forces High Command.
• 1941  - The United Service Organization (USO) is created to entertain American troops.
• 1945  - World War II: Santo Tomas Internment Camp is liberated from Japanese authority.
• 1945  - World War II: The Yalta Conference between the "Big Three" (Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) opens at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea.
• 1945  - World War II: The British Indian Army and Imperial Japanese Army begin a series of battles known as the Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations.
• 1948  - Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka) becomes independent within the British Commonwealth.
• 1961  - The Angolan War of Independence and the greater Portuguese Colonial War begin.
• 1966  - All Nippon Airways Flight 60 plunges into Tokyo Bay, killing 133.
• 1967  - Lunar Orbiter program: Lunar Orbiter 3 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 13 on its mission to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft.
• 1974  - The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkeley, California.
• 1974  - M62 coach bombing: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) explodes a bomb on a bus carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel in Yorkshire, England. Nine soldiers and three civilians are killed.
• 1975  - Haicheng earthquake (magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale) occurs in Haicheng, Liaoning, China.
• 1976  - In Guatemala and Honduras an earthquake kills more than 22,000.
• 1977  - A Chicago Transit Authority elevated train rear-ends another and derails, killing 11 and injuring 180, the worst accident in the agency's history.
• 1992  - A coup d'état is led by Hugo Chávez against Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez.
• 1997  - En route to Lebanon, two Israeli Sikorsky CH-53 troop-transport helicopters collide in mid-air over northern Galilee, Israel, killing 73.
• 1997  - The Bojnurd earthquake measuring 6.5 strikes Iran. With a Mercalli intensity of VIII, it kills at least 88 and damages 173 villages.^[13]
• 1998  - The 5.9 Afghanistan earthquake shakes the Takhar Province with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). With 2,323 killed, and 818 injured, damage is considered extreme.
• 1999  - Unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo is shot 41 times by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city.
• 2000  - The World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium, Charter of Paris is signed by the President of France, Jacques Chirac and the Director General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, initiating World Cancer Day which is held on February 4 every year.^{[14] [15] [16]}
• 2003  - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia adopts a new constitution, becoming a loose confederacy between Montenegro and Serbia.
• 2004  - Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.^[17]
• 2008  - Civic mobilizations in Colombia against FARC, under the name A million voices against the FARC.^[18]
• 2015  - TransAsia Airways Flight 235, with 58 people on board, en route from the Taiwanese capital Taipei to Kinmen, crashes into the Keelung River just after takeoff, killing 43 people.
• 2020  - The COVID-19 pandemic causes all casinos in Macau to be closed down for 15 days.^{[19] [20]}

Births

Pre–1600

• 1447  - Lodovico Lazzarelli, Italian poet (d. 1500)^[21]
• 1495  - Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1535)^[22]
• 1495  - Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller (d. 1568)
• 1505  - Mikołaj Rej, Polish poet and author (d. 1580)^[23]
• 1575  - Pierre de Bérulle, French cardinal and theologian, founded the French school of spirituality (d. 1629)

1601–1900

• 1646  - Hans Erasmus Aßmann, German poet and politician (d. 1699)^[24]
• 1677  - Johann Ludwig Bach, German violinist and composer (d. 1731)
• 1688  - Pierre de Marivaux, French author and playwright (d. 1763)
• 1725  - Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (d. 1804)^[25]
• 1740  - Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer (d. 1795)^[26]
• 1778  - Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, Swiss botanist, mycologist, and academic (d. 1841)
• 1799  - Almeida Garrett, Portuguese journalist and author (d. 1854)
• 1818  - Emperor Norton, San Francisco eccentric and visionary (d. 1880)^[27]
• 1831  - Oliver Ames, American financier and politician, 35th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1895)
• 1848  - Jean Aicard, French poet, author, and playwright (d. 1921)
• 1849  - Jean Richepin, French poet, author, and playwright (d. 1926)
• 1862  - Édouard Estaunié, French novelist (d. 1942)
• 1865  - Abe Isoo, Japanese minister and politician (d. 1949)
• 1868  - Constance Markievicz, Irish revolutionary and first woman elected to the UK House of Commons (d. 1927)
• 1869  - Bill Haywood, American labor organizer (d. 1928)^[28]
• 1871  - Friedrich Ebert, German lawyer and politician, first President of Germany (d. 1925)
• 1872  - Gotse Delchev, Bulgarian and Macedonian revolutionary activist (d. 1903)
• 1873  - Étienne Desmarteau, Canadian shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1905)
• 1875  - Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist and engineer (d. 1953)
• 1877  - Eddie Cochems, American football player and coach (d. 1953)
• 1881  - Eulalio Gutiérrez, Mexican general and politician, President of Mexico (d. 1939)
• 1881  - Fernand Léger, French painter and sculptor (d. 1955)
• 1881  - Kliment Voroshilov, Soviet politician and Marshal of the Soviet Union, People's Commissar for Defence (d. 1969)^[29]
• 1883  - Reinhold Rudenberg, German-American inventor and a pioneer of electron microscopy (d. 1961)
• 1891  - M. A. Ayyangar, Indian lawyer and politician, second Speaker of the Lok Sabha (d. 1978)
• 1892  - E. J. Pratt, Canadian poet and academic (d. 1964)
• 1893  - Raymond Dart, Australian paleoanthropologist (d. 1988)^[30]
• 1895  - Nigel Bruce, English actor (d. 1953)
• 1896  - Friedrich Glauser, Austrian-Swiss author (d. 1938)
• 1896  - Friedrich Hund, German physicist and academic (d. 1997)
• 1897  - Ludwig Erhard, German soldier and politician, second Chancellor of West Germany (d. 1977)
• 1899  - Virginia M. Alexander, American physician and founder of the Aspiranto Health Home (d. 1949)
• 1900  - Jacques Prévert, French poet and screenwriter (d. 1977)^[31]

1901–present

• 1902  - Charles Lindbergh, American pilot and explorer (d. 1974)^[32]
• 1902  - Hartley Shawcross, Baron Shawcross, German-English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 2003)
• 1903  - Alexander Imich, Polish-American chemist, parapsychologist, and academic (d. 2014)
• 1904  - MacKinlay Kantor, American author and screenwriter (d. 1977)^[33]
• 1904  - Deng Yingchao, Chinese politician, Chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (d. 1968)^[34]
• 1905  - Hylda Baker, English comedian, actress and music hall performer (d. 1986)
• 1906  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor and theologian (d. 1945)^[35]
• 1906  - Letitia Dunbar-Harrison, Irish librarian (d. 1994)^[36]
• 1906  - Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer and academic, discovered Pluto (d. 1997)
• 1908  - Julian Bell, English poet and academic (d. 1937)
• 1912  - Ola Skjåk Bræk, Norwegian banker and politician, Norwegian Minister of Industry (d. 1999)
• 1912  - Erich Leinsdorf, Austrian-American conductor (d. 1993)
• 1912  - Byron Nelson, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2006)^[37]
• 1913  - Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist (d. 2005)^[38]
• 1914  - Alfred Andersch, German-Swiss author and publisher (d. 1980)
• 1915  - William Talman, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1968)
• 1915  - Norman Wisdom, English comedian, actor and singer-songwriter (d. 2010)^[39]
• 1917  - Yahya Khan, Pakistan general and politician, third President of Pakistan (d. 1980)
• 1918  - Ida Lupino, English-American actress and director (d. 1995)^[37]
• 1918  - Luigi Pareyson, Italian philosopher and author (d. 1991)
• 1920  - Janet Waldo, American actress and voice artist (d. 2016)
• 1921  - Betty Friedan, American author and feminist (d. 2006)^[40]
• 1921  - Lotfi Zadeh, Iranian-American mathematician and computer scientist and founder of fuzzy logic (d. 2017)
• 1922  - Bhimsen Joshi, Indian vocalist of the Hindustani classical music tradition (d. 2011)^[41]
• 1923  - Conrad Bain, Canadian-American actor (d. 2013)
• 1925  - Russell Hoban, American author and illustrator (d. 2011)^[42]
• 1925  - Stanley Karnow, American journalist and historian (d. 2013)
• 1925  - Christopher Zeeman, English mathematician and academic (d. 2016)
• 1926  - Gyula Grosics, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
• 1927  - Rolf Landauer, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1999)
• 1928  - Oscar Cabalén, Argentinian racing driver (d. 1967)
• 1928  - Osmo Antero Wiio, Finnish journalist, academic, and politician (d. 2013)
• 1929  - Jerry Adler, American actor, director, and producer
• 1929  - Paul Burlison, American musician (d. 2003)
• 1929  - Neil Johnston, American basketball player (d. 1978)^[43]
• 1930  - Tibor Antalpéter, Hungarian volleyball player and diplomat, Hungarian Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2012)
• 1930  - Arthur E. Chase, American businessman and politician (d. 2015)
• 1930  - Jim Loscutoff, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1931  - Isabel Perón, Argentinian dancer and politician, 41st President of Argentina^[37]
• 1932  - Robert Coover, American novelist (d. 2024)^[44]
• 1935  - Wallis Mathias, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1994)
• 1935  - Martti Talvela, Finnish opera singer (d. 1989)
• 1935  - Collin Wilcox, American actress (d. 2009)
• 1936  - David Brenner, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2014)^[37]
• 1936  - Gary Conway, American actor
• 1936  - Claude Nobs, Swiss businessman, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival (d. 2013)
• 1937  - Birju Maharaj, Indian dancer, composer, singer and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance (d. 2022)^[45]
• 1937  - David Newman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
• 1938  - Frank J. Dodd, American businessman and politician, president of the New Jersey Senate (d. 2010)
• 1939  - Stan Lundine, American lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of New York^[46]
• 1940  - George A. Romero, American director and producer (d. 2017)^[37]
• 1940  - John Schuck, American actor^[37]
• 1941  - Russell Cooper, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of Queensland
• 1941  - Ron Rangi, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1988)
• 1941  - Jiří Raška, Czech skier and coach (d. 2012)
• 1941  - John Steel, English musician and songwriter
• 1943  - Alberto João Jardim, Portuguese journalist and politician, second President of the Regional Government of Madeira
• 1943  - Wanda Rutkiewicz, Lithuanian-Polish mountaineer (d. 1992)
• 1943  - Ken Thompson, American computer scientist and programmer, co-developed the B programming language
• 1944  - Florence LaRue, American singer and actress
• 1944  - Alan Shields, American artist and ship captain (d. 2005)^[47]
• 1947  - Dennis C. Blair, American admiral and politician, third Director of National Intelligence
• 1947  - Dan Quayle, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 44th Vice President of the United States^[37]
• 1948  - Alice Cooper, American singer-songwriter^[48]
• 1948  - Mienoumi Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler
• 1949  - Michael Beck, American actor^[48]
• 1949  - Rasim Delić, Bosnian general (d. 2010)
• 1951  - Patrick Bergin, Irish actor
• 1952  - Lisa Eichhorn, American actress, writer, and producer^[48]
• 1952  - Jenny Shipley, New Zealand politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand^[49]
• 1952  - Thomas Silverstein, American criminal and prisoner (d. 2019)
• 1955  - Mikuláš Dzurinda, Slovak politician, Prime Minister of Slovakia
• 1957  - Matthew Cobb, British zoologist and author
• 1958  - Tomasz Pacyński, Polish journalist and author (d. 2005)
• 1959  - Christian Schreier, German footballer and manager
• 1959  - Lawrence Taylor, American football player^[50]
• 1960  - Siobhan Dowd, English author and activist (d. 2007)^[51]
• 1960  - Jonathan Larson, American lyricist, composer, and playwright (d. 1996)^[52]
• 1961  - Denis Savard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1962  - Clint Black, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer^[48]
• 1962  - Vern Fleming, American basketball player^[53]
• 1963  - Noodles, American musician and songwriter^[48]
• 1963  - Pirmin Zurbriggen, Swiss skier
• 1964  - Elke Philipp, German Paralympic equestrian^[54]
• 1965  - Jerome Brown, American football player (d. 1992)
• 1966  - Viatcheslav Ekimov, Russian cyclist
• 1967  - Sergei Grinkov, Russian figure skater (d. 1995)
• 1970  - Gabrielle Anwar, English-American actress^[48]
• 1970  - Hunter Biden, American attorney and lobbyist^[55]
• 1971  - Rob Corddry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter^[48]
• 1971  - Michael A. Goorjian, American actor, director, and writer^[48]
• 1972  - Giovanni, Brazilian footballer and manager
• 1972  - Dara Ó Briain, Irish comedian and television host
• 1973  - Oscar De La Hoya, American boxer^[48]
• 1975  - Natalie Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and actress^[48]
• 1976  - Cam'ron, American rapper and actor^[56]
• 1977  - Gavin DeGraw, American singer-songwriter^[48]
• 1979  - Giorgio Pantano, Italian racing driver
• 1980  - Raimonds Vaikulis, Latvian basketball player
• 1981  - Jason Kapono, American basketball player
• 1981  - Johan Vansummeren, Belgian cyclist
• 1982  - Ivars Timermanis, Latvian basketball player
• 1983  - Hannibal Buress, American comedian and actor^[37]
• 1983  - Rebecca White, Australian politician^[57]
• 1984  - Doug Fister, American baseball player^[58]
• 1984  - Mauricio Pinilla, Chilean footballer
• 1986  - Maximilian Götz, German racing driver
• 1986  - Mahmudullah Riyad, Bangladeshi cricketer
• 1987  - Darren O'Dea, Irish footballer
• 1987  - Lucie Šafářová, Czech tennis player
• 1988  - Charlie Barnett, American actor^[48]
• 1988  - Carly Patterson, American gymnast and singer^[59]
• 1989  - Lavoy Allen, American basketball player^[60]
• 1996  - Mohamed Sherif, Egyptian footballer^[61]
• 1998  - Malik Monk, American basketball player^[62]
• 1998  - Maximilian Wöber, Austrian footballer
• 2003  - Kyla Kenedy, American actress^[48]
• 2003  - Rasmus Højlund, Danish footballer^[63]

Deaths

Pre–1600

• 211  - Septimius Severus, Roman emperor (b. 145)^[64]
• 708  - Pope Sisinnius (b. 650)
• 856  - Rabanus Maurus, Frankish archbishop and theologian (b. 780)
• 870  - Ceolnoth, archbishop of Canterbury
• 1169  - John of Ajello, Bishop of Catania
• 1498  - Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Italian artist (b. 1429/1433)
• 1505  - Jeanne de Valois, daughter of Louis XI of France (b. 1464)
• 1508  - Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (b. 1459)
• 1555  - John Rogers, English clergyman and translator (b. 1505)
• 1590  - Gioseffo Zarlino, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1517)

1601–1900

• 1615  - Giambattista della Porta, Italian playwright and scholar (b. 1535)
• 1617  - Lodewijk Elzevir, Dutch publisher, co-founded the House of Elzevir (b. 1546)
• 1713  - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English philosopher and politician (b. 1671)
• 1774  - Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (b. 1701)
• 1781  - Josef Mysliveček, Czech composer (b. 1737)^[65]
• 1799  - Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect and educator (b. 1728)
• 1843  - Theodoros Kolokotronis, Greek general (b. 1770)
• 1891  - Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos, Roman Catholic archbishop and Mexican politician who served as regent during the Second Mexican Empire (b. 1816)^[66]

1901–present

• 1905  - Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor and academic (b. 1841)
• 1912  - Franz Reichelt, French tailor and inventor (b. 1878)^[67]
• 1926  - İskilipli Âtıf Hodja, Turkish author and scholar (b. 1875)
• 1928  - Hendrik Lorentz, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1853)
• 1933  - Archibald Sayce, English linguist and educator (b. 1846)
• 1936  - Wilhelm Gustloff, German-Swiss soldier, founded Swiss NSDAP/AO (b. 1895)^[68]
• 1940  - Nikolai Yezhov, Russian police officer and politician (b. 1895)
• 1943  - Frank Calder, English-Canadian ice hockey player and journalist (b. 1877)
• 1944  - Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author and translator (b. 1872)
• 1956  - Savielly Tartakower, Russian-French chess player, journalist, and author (b. 1887)
• 1958  - Henry Kuttner, American author and screenwriter (b. 1915)
• 1959  - Una O'Connor, Irish-American actress (b. 1880)
• 1968  - Neal Cassady, American novelist and poet (b. 1926)
• 1970  - Louise Bogan, American poet and critic (b. 1897)
• 1974  - Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist, mathematician, and academic (b. 1894)
• 1975  - Louis Jordan, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (b. 1908)
• 1982  - Alex Harvey, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1935)
• 1982  - Georg Konrad Morgen, German lawyer and judge (b. 1909)
• 1983  - Karen Carpenter, American singer (b. 1950)
• 1987  - Liberace, American singer-songwriter and pianist, (b. 1919)
• 1987  - Meena Keshwar Kamal, Afghan activist, founded the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (b. 1956)^[69]
• 1987  - Carl Rogers, American psychologist and academic (b. 1902)
• 1990  - Whipper Billy Watson, Canadian-American wrestler and trainer (b. 1915)
• 1992  - John Dehner, American actor (b. 1915)
• 1995  - Patricia Highsmith, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1921)
• 2000  - Carl Albert, American lawyer and politician, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1908)
• 2002  - Count Sigvard Bernadotte of Wisborg (b. 1907)
• 2003  - Benyoucef Benkhedda, Algerian pharmacist and politician (b. 1920)
• 2004  - Hilda Hilst, Brazilian poet, novelist, and playwright (b. 1930)^[70]
• 2005  - Ossie Davis, American actor, director, and playwright (b. 1917)
• 2006  - Betty Friedan, American author and activist (b. 1921)
• 2007  - José Carlos Bauer, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1925)
• 2007  - Ilya Kormiltsev, Russian-English poet and translator (b. 1959)
• 2007  - Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (b. 1934)
• 2007  - Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter and sculptor (b. 1922)
• 2007  - Alfred Worm, Austrian journalist, author, and academic (b. 1945)^[71]
• 2008  - Augusta Dabney, American actress (b. 1918)
• 2008  - Stefan Meller, Polish academic and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland (b. 1942)
• 2010  - Kostas Axelos, Greek-French philosopher and author (b. 1924)
• 2010  - Helen Tobias-Duesberg, Estonian-American composer (b. 1919)
• 2011  - Martial Célestin, Haitian lawyer and politician, first Prime Minister of Haiti (b. 1913)
• 2012  - István Csurka, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1934)
• 2012  - Florence Green, English soldier (b. 1901)
• 2012  - Robert Daniel, American farmer, soldier, and politician (b. 1936)
• 2012  - Mike deGruy, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1951)
• 2012  - Susanne Suba, Hungarian-born watercolorist and illustrator, active in the United States (b. 1913)^[72]
• 2013  - Donald Byrd, American trumpet player (b. 1932)
• 2013  - Reg Presley, English singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
• 2014  - Keith Allen, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1923)
• 2014  - Eugenio Corti, Italian soldier, author, and playwright (b. 1921)
• 2014  - Dennis Lota, Zambian footballer (b. 1973)
• 2015  - Fitzhugh L. Fulton, American colonel and pilot (b. 1925)
• 2016  - Edgar Mitchell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
• 2017  - Steve Lang, Canadian bass player (b. 1949)
• 2017  - Bano Qudsia, Pakistani writer (b. 1928)
• 2018  - John Mahoney, English-American actor, voice artist, and comedian (b. 1940)^[73]
• 2019  - Matti Nykänen, Finnish Olympic-winning ski jumper and singer (b. 1963)^[74]
• 2020  - Daniel arap Moi, Former President of Kenya (b. 1924)^[75]
• 2021 – Millie Hughes-Fulford, American astronaut, molecular biologist and NASA payload specialist (b. 1945)^[76]
• 2022 – Kim In-hyeok, South Korean volleyball player (b. 1995)^[77]
• 2023  - Vani Jairam, Indian playback singer (b. 1945)^[78]
• 2023  - Sherif Ismail, 53rd Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1955)^[79]
• 2024  - Barry John, Welsh rugby player (b. 1945) ^[80]

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Andrew Corsini
  • Eduardo Francisco Pironio^[81]
  • Gilbert of Sempringham
  • John de Brito
  • Goldrofe of Arganil^[82]
  • Blessed Rabanus Maurus
  • Rimbert
  • February 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Day of the Armed Struggle (Angola)^[83]
• Earliest day on which Ash Wednesday can fall, while March 10 is the latest; celebrated on the first day of Lent (Western Christianity)
• Independence Day (Sri Lanka)^[84]
• Rosa Parks Day (California and Missouri, United States)
• World Cancer Day
• International Day of Human Fraternity

External links

• BBC: On This Day
  • Historical Events on February 4

Notes and References

1. Book: Birley, Anthony R. Anthony Birley. Septimius Severus: The African Emperor. 1 June 2002. Routledge. 978-1-134-70745-4. 238.
2. Book: Lorge, Peter. The Reunification of China: Peace through War under the Song Dynasty. 3 February 2018. 31 December 2015. Cambridge University Press. 9781316432273. 4–5.
3. Book: Falcando, Ugo. The History of the Tyrants of Sicily by "Hugo Falcandus," 1154–69. 1998. Manchester University Press. 978-0-7190-5435-8. 216.
4. Book: Prtuz, Hans. Wright. John Henry. The Age of Renaissance. Vol. X: A History of All Nations. New York. Lea Brothers & Company. 1905. 234. none.

   Book: Sedlar, Jean W.. A History of East Central Europe. Vol. 3: East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000–1500. Seattle. University of Washington Press. 2014. 9780295972916. 294.

5. Book: Loach, Jennifer. Parliament and the Crown in the Reign of Mary Tudor. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1986. 9780198229360. 128.
6. Book: Coffey, Thomas M.. Imperial Tragedy: Japan in World War II, the First Days and the Last. New York. World Publishing Co.. 1971. 713931898. 214–215.
7. Book: Merrill. Jensen. Merrill Jensen. Lucy Trumbull. Brown. Robert A.. Becker. The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788–1790. 1976. Univ of Wisconsin Press. 978-0-299-10650-8. 15.
8. Book: Batselé, Filip. Liberty, Slavery and the Law in Early Modern Western Europe. Springer Nature. 978-3-030-36855-5. 53. 2020.
9. Book: The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal: Exhibiting a View of the Progressive Discoveries and Improvements in the Sciences and the Arts. 1837. 293.
10. Book: Huntington. C.C.. McClelland. C.P.. History of the Ohio Canals: Their Construction, Cost, Use and Partial Abandonment. Columbus, Ohio. Press of F.J. Heer. 1905. 7004707. 18.
11. Book: Stowe, Calvin Ellis. Calvin Ellis Stowe. Origin and History of the Books of the Bible. 1868. Denison. 72.
12. Book: Nickeson, Dawn Ottevaere. Philippine Islands, U.S. Acquisition of. The Encyclopedia of the Spanish–American and Philippine–American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. Tucker. Spencer. Santa Barbara, Calif.. ABC-CLIO. 2009. 9781851099511. 491.
13. [National Geophysical Data Center]
14. Web site: World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium: Charter of Paris, 4 February 2000 . 24 January 2022.
15. Web site: You can join the global fight against cancer!. 28 June 2019.
16. Web site: World Cancer Day: Why the Fourth of February?. 19 March 2012. Khayat. David. David Khayat. ASCO Connection. 28 June 2019.
17. The Battle For Facebook. Hoffman. Claire. Claire Hoffman. 2010-09-15. Rolling Stone. en-US. 2020-02-05.
18. Web site: Marcha contra las Farc, mayor movilización en la historia del país . March 22, 2023 . February 4, 2008 . El Tiempo . Casa Editorial El Tiempo . Bogotá . Spanish .
19. News: Stevenson. Alexandra. Coronavirus Shuts Macau, the World's Gambling Capital. 4 February 2020. The New York Times. 4 February 2020. 0362-4331.
20. News: Joyu. Wang. Jing. Yang. Coronavirus: Bad Luck Hits Macau Casinos With 15-Day Shutdown. 4 February 2020. The Wall Street Journal. 4 February 2020. 0099-9660.
21. Book: Ludovico Lazzarelli. Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500): The Hermetic Writings and Related Documents. 1 January 2005. Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. 978-0-86698-324-2. 309.
22. Book: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady. Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522–1590. 1913. J. Murray. 72.
23. Book: Columbia University. Klub Polski. The Wayside Willow: Prose and Verse. 1945. White Eagle Publishing Company. 41.
24. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie - online version at Wikisource
25. von Hayek, C.M.F.. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 2004. Drury, Dru (1725–1804). 10.1093/ref:odnb/8093.
26. Web site: Carl Michael Bellmans liv och verk. En minibiografi (The Life and Works of Carl Michael Bellman. A Short Biography) . sv . The Bellman Society . 25 April 2015.
27. Web site: Encyclopedia of San Francisco: Emperor Norton . San Francisco Museum and Historical Society . Peter . Moylan . April 17, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070223023720/http://www.sfhistoryencyclopedia.com/articles/n/nortonJoshua.html . February 23, 2007 .
28. Book: Haywood, William D. . The Autobiography of Big Bill Haywood . Bill Haywood . New York . International Publishers . 8 . 1974 . 9780717800117 . original publication 1929 . I was born on the fourth of February, 1869, before a railroad spanned the continent..
29. Web site: Ворошилов Климент Ефремович . 2023-08-04 . www.warheroes.ru.
30. News: Raymond Dart Obiturary. New York Times. 23 November 1988 . 2024-02-07 . Wilford . John Noble .
31. Book: Jacques Prévert. Jacques Prevert. 1989. Ardent Media. 17.
32. Book: Kathi R. Jones. Memorializations and Dedications of Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. 1999. Office of History, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly Air Force Base. 47.
33. Book: Kidd. Robin L.. Philip A.. Greasley. Dictionary of Midwestern Literature. One: The Authors . June 27, 2010. 2001 . Indiana University Press. Bloomington, IN. 978-0-253-33609-5 . 251. MacKinlay Kantor. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnuYKJSoHCMC&pg=PA292 .
34. News: 1992-07-12 . Deng Yingchao, a Party Leader And Widow of Zhou, Dies at 88 (Published 1992) . The New York Times . en . 2023-08-04.
35. Book: Gruchy . John W. de . The Cambridge Companion to Dietrich Bonhoeffer . 13 May 1999 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-58781-5 . 24 . en.
36. Book: Walsh, Pat. The curious case of the Mayo librarian. 2009. Mercier Press. 9781856356152. Cork. 78. en. 301894338.
37. Web site: Famous birthdays for Feb. 4: Alice Cooper, Hannibal Buress . . 3 February 2024 . 4 February 2023.
38. Book: Jan Onofrio. Alabama Biographical Dictionary. 1 January 1998. Somerset Publishers, Inc.. 978-0-403-09811-8. 254.
39. Wisdom, Sir Norman Joseph (1915–2010), comedian and actor. 16 February 2022. 2014 . 10.1093/ref:odnb/103354. 978-0-19-861412-8 . Double . Oliver .
40. News: Betty Friedan, who ignited cause in 'Feminine Mystique,' dies at 85 . Margalit . Fox . February 5, 2006 . . February 2, 2010.
41. News: Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi. Outlook India. 5 November 2008.
42. News: . Russell Hoban . December 14, 2011 . December 14, 2011 . London.
43. Web site: Neil Johnston. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Athletics. 8 February 2020.
44. News: Williams . John . October 6, 2024 . Robert Coover, Inventive Novelist in Iconoclastic Era, Dies at 92 . October 7, 2024 . The New York Times.
45. Web site: 18 January 2022. How Pandit Birju Maharaj always stayed alive to sights, sounds, and sentiments of the present. 19 January 2022. Firstpost. en.
46. Book: The New York red book. 1993. Williams Press. 36.
47. Book: Brienza. Jill. Halbreich. Kathy. Ratcliff. Carter. Shields. Jason. Weselk. Victoria. Zuckerman. Heidi. 2016 . Alan Shields Protracted Simplicity. Aspen, CO. Aspen Art Press. 978-0-934324-74-8.
48. Web site: Rose . Mike . Today's famous birthdays list for February 4, 2023 includes celebrities Alice Cooper, Natalie Imbruglia . . . 3 February 2024 . 4 February 2023.
49. Web site: Jennifer Shipley . Britannica Presents 100 Women Trailblazers . 28 July 2021 . en . 27 February 2020.
50. Web site: Lawrence Taylor . . 26 January 2023.
51. News: Siobhan Dowd: Rising star of children's literature . Tucker, Nicholas . The Independent . 24 August 2007 . 16 December 2009 .
52. News: Jonathan Larson the Stars Broadway: The American Musical PBS .
53. Web site: Vern Fleming . . 3 February 2024.
54. Web site: Elke Philipp – Team Deutschland Paralympics . www.teamdeutschland-paralympics.de . 17 March 2020 . de.
55. Web site: Phelps . Jordyn . Saenz . Arlette . Hunter Biden Denies Ashley Madison Account Using His Email Address Belongs to Him . . 26 January 2023 . 25 August 2015.
56. Web site: Be Allah . Sha . Happy Birthday to the Dipset General Cam'ron! . . 26 January 2023 . 4 February 2022.
57. Web site: Rebecca White . Parliament of Tasmania . 9 February 2023.
58. Web site: Doug Fister . . 3 February 2024.
59. Web site: Fact Sheet: Carly Patterson. https://web.archive.org/web/20111120004942/http://usagym.org/pages/athletes/archivedbios/p/cpatterson.pdf . 2011-11-20 . live. USA Gymnastics. 2016-07-18.
60. Web site: Lavoy Allen . . 3 February 2024.
61. Web site: FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022: List of Players: Al Ahly SC . FIFA . 1 . 7 February 2023 . 18 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212205323/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce71/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf . 12 February 2023 . live .
62. Web site: Malik Monk . . 3 February 2024.
63. Web site: Rasmus Højlund. Premier League. 4 February 2024.
64. Web site: Septimius Severus Roman emperor . Encyclopedia Britannica . 13 February 2020 . en.
65. Book: Greene . David Mason . Green . Constance . Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers . 1985 . Reproducing Piano Roll Fnd. . 978-0-385-14278-6 . 357 . en.
66. Web site: Excmo. Sr. Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos (1855–1863). Arquidiocesis de Puebla. es. May 29, 2019. May 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190529225354/http://www.arquidiocesisdepuebla.mx/index.php/arquidiocesis/obispos-y-arzobispos/obispos/43-excmo-sr-don-pelagio-antonio-de-lavastida. dead.
67. Web site: Paoletti . Gabe . 2021-10-04 . The Sad Story Of The Inventor Who Died Testing His Parachute At The Eiffel Tower . 2024-02-04 . All That's Interesting . en-US.
68. Web site: I Kill a Nazi Gauleiter: Memoir of a Jewish Assassin. February 1950.
69. Book: Ellis, Deborah. Women of the Afghan War. Westport. Praeger. 2000. xvii. 978-0-27596-617-1.
70. Web site: 4 February 2004 . Morre a escritora Hilda Hilst . Writer Hilda Hilst dies . limited . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230522182546/https://www.estadao.com.br/cultura/morre-a-escritora-hilda-hilst/ . 22 May 2023 . 22 May 2023 . Estadão . pt-br.
71. Web site: NEWS Publisher Alfred Worm Is Dead . Adler . Alexander . 4 February 2007 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20131025231914/http://www.guj.de/en/press/press-releases/news-publisher-alfred-worm-is-dead/ . 25 October 2013 . live . 4 December 2021.
72. Web site: Suba, Susanne, 1913-2012 . SNAC Cooperative . January 30, 2023.
73. John Mahoney, Beloved Frasier Father, Dies at 77. Vanity Fair. February 5, 2018.
74. News: Troubled Finnish ski jumping legend Matti Nykänen dead at 55 . 2019-02-04 . Yle News . 2019-02-08 . en.
75. News: 2020-02-04. Obituary: Daniel arap Moi, former Kenyan president. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-01-02.
76. Web site: Millie Hughes-Fulford, first female payload specialist in space, dies . collectspace.com . 9 February 2023.
77. News: Park. Sang-eun. ko:남자프로배구 김인혁 사망…경찰 "범죄 혐의점 없어". https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0016737765. November 1, 2024. Kukmin Ilbo. February 5, 2022. ko.
78. News: Padma Bhushan awardee Vani Jairam dies at 77 in Chennai, D Imman says 'can't accept the hard-hitting reality' . 4 February 2023 . 5 February 2023 . Hindustan Times.
79. Web site: President Sisi Mourns Death of Former PM Sherif Ismail . See.news . 4 February 2023 . 9 February 2023.
80. Web site: Barry John: Legendary Wales and Lions fly-half dies aged 79 . See.news . 4 February 2024 . 4 February 2024.
81. Web site: Memoria Litúrgica del Cardenal Eduardo Pironio. episcopado.org. 2024-05-26.
82. Book: Cardoso, Jorge . 1666 . Agiologio lusitano dos sanctos, e varoens illustres em virtude do Reino de Portugal, e suas conquistas . Lusitanian hagiology, of the saints and men illustrious in their virtue from the Kingdom of Portugal . pt . Lisbon . Officina de António Craesbeeck de Mello . Volume 1 . 341 .
83. Book: James . W. Martin . Historical Dictionary of Angola . 2018 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1-5381-1123-9 . 255 . en.
84. Web site: National days . New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade . 17 November 2020 . en-NZ.