February 1 in History

Historical Events on February 1

1861 American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.

1865 President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

1924 The United Kingdom recognizes the USSR.

1942 World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.

1942 Mao Zedong makes a speech on "Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature", which puts into motion the Yan'an Rectification Movement.

1964 The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

1968 Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is videotaped and photographed by Eddie Adams.

1972 Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

1979 Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on February 1

1894 John Ford

1931 Boris Yeltsin

1987 Ronda Rousey

1994 Harry Styles

All Births

Famous Deaths on February 1

1851 Mary Shelley

1966 Buster Keaton

1976 Werner Heisenberg

2013 Ed Koch

All Deaths

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