Date·Lore

On This Day · The 59th day of the year

February 28

Few dates reach as far back as February 28: its recorded history runs unusually deep, stretching to 202 BC. Its center of gravity is the 21st century, and conflict is a recurring thread.

♓ZodiacPisces ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Pisces is the sign for February 28 — read more on the Pisces page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed September 6, 2026

What happened on February 28?

February 28 is the 59th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between -202 and 2026. Famous people born on February 28 include Benjamin Raich, Jelena Janković and Alfred von Schlieffen.

Released on February 28

Movies, games, albums & shows

2025

  • Game Monster Hunter Wilds
  • Game PGA Tour 2K25

2024

  • Game Spiritfall

2023

  • Game Scars Above
  • Game Phantom Brigade

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. -202

    Emperor Gaozu of Han

  2. 1525

    Aztecs

  3. 1638

    National Covenant

  4. 1974

    February 1974 United Kingdom general election

  5. 1986

    Olof Palme

  6. 1990

    Space Shuttle Atlantis

  7. 2002

    2002 Gujarat violence

  8. 2013

    Pope Benedict XVI

  9. 2024

    Prime minister

  10. 2026

    United States

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 28

Benjamin Raich

b. 1978

Jelena Janković

b. 1985

Alfred von Schlieffen

b. 1833

Antonio Candreva

b. 1987

Michel de Montaigne

b. 1533

Sepp Maier

b. 1944

Linus Pauling

b. 1901

Sebastian Rudy

b. 1990

Deaths

  • 2026Ali Khamenei
  • 2013Donald Glaser
  • 2011Annie Girardot
  • 1966Charles Bassett
  • 1929Clemens von Pirquet
  • 1648Christian IV of Denmark

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Kalevala Day, also known as the Finnish Culture Day (Finland)
  • —National Science Day (India)
  • —Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan)
  • —Andalusia Day (Spain)

The factual record above — event titles, dates, names, and observances — is drawn from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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