Holidays Calendar for February 1, 2023
Abolition Day is one of the public holidays in the Republic of Mauritius. It celebrates an important event in the country's history that occurred on February 1, 1835.
Federal Territory Day (Hari Wilayah Persekutuan) is a state holiday celebrated on February 1 in the federal territories of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan).
National Heroes' Day is one of Rwanda's public holidays. It is observed annually on February 1. On this day, people who gave their lives for their country are remembered.
Saint Brigid of Kildare is one of the three patron saints of Ireland, along with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba. Her feast day falls on February 1 and is strongly associated with the Gaelic pagan festival of Imbolc.
World Hijab Day is an annual awareness campaign held to foster religious tolerance and understanding. It was launched in 2013 by Nazma Khan, a New York resident.
Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that primarily affects the lungs and causes more than half a million deaths every year. World Aspergillosis Day is observed every February 1 to raise awareness of the disease and support aspergillosis patients around the globe.
International Furmint Day, sometimes referred to as World Furmint Day or simply Furmint Day, is celebrated annually on February 1. It was created to raise international awareness of a Hungarian wine grape variety used in the production of the world-famous Tokaji wines.
World Read Aloud Day is observed on the first Wednesday of February every year. It is a global literacy campaign that was launched to bring the tradition of oral storytelling back and strengthen communities through the power of stories.
Global School Play Day is an annual campaign that aims to highlight the importance of unstructured play for children of all ages. It is observed on the first Wednesday in February.
February 1 is the annual observance of National Freedom Day in the USA. This day honors the signing of resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Memorial Day of the Republic is an official remembrance day in Hungary observed on February 1. However, it does not have the status of the public holiday therefore it is a working day.
Conservatorship and Guardianship Abuse Awareness Day was created to advocate for better protection of conservatees and wards from abuse. It is observed annually on February 1 to commemorate the day in 2008 when Britney Spears was involuntarily placed under conservatorship.
February 1 is National Baked Alaska Day. Today is the perfect day to enjoy this divine dessert that used to be served only in high-end restaurants and hotels.
National Cake Pop Day is one of the many food holidays celebrated in the United States. It is observed on February 1 in honor of a cute dessert that became a real hit in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
There are many kinds of chocolate, and each of them deserves to be celebrated. If you prefer dark chocolate, don’t forget to celebrate National Dark Chocolate Day on February 1 and encourage others to do the same.
Imbolc (Imbolg) is an ancient Gaelic festival that marks the beginning of spring. It is typically held on February 1 and is often associated with the feast of Saint Brigit of Kildare.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day is observed in the United States during the first week of February, typically falling on the first Wednesday of the month. It was created to celebrate female athletes and to emphasize the importance of gender equality in sports.
Festivals on February 1, 2023
- La Folle Journée in Nantes, France
- Panagbenga Festival in Baguio, Philippines
- Carnival in the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Ice Music Festival in Geilo, Norway
- Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran, Iran
- Taipei International Book Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan
- International Kolkata Book Fair in Kolkata, India
- BRAFA Art Fair in Brussels, Belgium
- Carnival of Ovar in Ovar, Portugal
- Göteborg Film Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Mozart Week in Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria
- International Film Festival Rotterdam in Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Cairo International Book Fair in Cairo, Egypt
- Fringe World in Perth, Australia
- Celtic Connections in Glasgow, United Kingdom
This Day in History
- 2021 Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counselor of Myanmar, was arrested following a coup d'état that returned the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) to power and sparked protests across the country.
- 2013 The tallest building in the European Union, the Shard, was opened to the public. The Shard is a 87-story skyscraper in London that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development.
- 2012 Died: Robert B. Cohen, American businessman, founder of Hudson News, the world's largest retail chain of newsstands in airports and train stations.
- 2004 251 people were trampled to death and 244 injured in a stampede during the stoning ritual at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
- 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-107 disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere of Earth. All 7 astronauts aboard were killed.
- 2002 Died: Daniel Pearl, American journalist. He was decapitated by his captor during his investigations into the alleged links between the terrorist Richard Reid and Al-Qaeda.
- 1994 Born: Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor who rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. His film credits include Dunkirk, Don't Worry Darling, and My Policeman.
- 1991 A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport resulted in the deaths of 34 people and injures of 30 others.
- 1988 Died: Heather O'Rourke, American child actress. She was discovered at the age of 5 by Steven Spielberg, who later cast her as Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist.
- 1987 Born: Heather Morris, American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her role as Brittany S. Pierce on the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee.
- 1986 Died: Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Noble Peace Prize laureate for her vocal support of disarmament.
- 1978 Roman Polanski fled the United States to France after pleading guilty to charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
- 1976 Died: George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate for his discoveries concerning liver therapy in cases of anemia.
- 1976 Died: Werner Heisenberg, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics.
- 1974 189 people were killed and 293 injured in a fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- 1971 Born: Michael C. Hall, American actress and singer best known for his roles as Dexter Morgan, the titular character in the series Dexter, and David Fisher in the series Six Feet Under.
- 1969 Born: Brian Krause, American actor known for his roles as Leo Wyatt on the television series Charmed and as Charles Brady in the horror film Sleepwalkers.
- 1969 Born: Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer, one of the best strikers of the 20th century.
- 1968 Born: Lisa Marie Presley, American singer and songwriter. She was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate.
- 1967 Born: Meg Cabot, American novelist best known for her young adult series The Princess Diaries, which was later adapted by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films.
- 1965 Born: Sherilyn Fenn, American actress. She played Audrey Horne on the television series Twin Peaks for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award.
- 1965 Born: Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist, son of martial arts and film star Bruce Lee.
- 1964 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles became their first number one hit in the United States.
- 1959 Died: Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress, the first African-American actor to sign a film contract and be a featured performer.
- 1958 Died: Clinton Davisson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate for his discovery of electron diffraction in the Davisson-Germer experiment.
- 1944 Died: Piet Mondrian, Dutch painter. Her is best known for evolving a non-representational form that he called neoplasticism.
- 1942 Voice of America began broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
- 1924 Born: Richard Hooker, American author and surgeon, best known for his novel MASH, based on his experience during the Korean War. The novel was later used as the basis for a movie and television series.
- 1923 Born: Ben Weider, Canadian businessman who co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness, the international governing body for the amateur sports of bodybuilding and fitness.
- 1922 Born: Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano, who was immensely popular in the post-war period. Her voice is considered one of the most uniquely beautiful voices of the 20th century.
- 1905 Born: Emilio G. Segrè, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate for his discovery of antiproton, a sub-atomic antiparticle, and new elements technetium and astatine.
- 1901 Born: Clark Gable, American actor, who is often regarded as The King of Hollywood. He is best known for roles in Gone with the Wind, Mutiny on the Bounty, It Happened One Night, Saragota, and Red Dust.
- 1894 Born: James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer, a pioneer of the stride style of jazz piano. He was one of the most important pianists in the evolution of ragtime piano into jazz.
- 1893 Thomas A. Edison finished the construction of the Black Maria, the first motion picture studio, in West Orange, New Jersey.
- 1851 Died: Mary Shelley, English author, best known for her novel Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus.
- 1841 Born: William Davenport, American magician, one of the two Davenport brothers. The brothers presented illusions that they and others claimed to be supernatural.
- 1814 Mayon Volcano erupted in the Philippines, causing the deaths of about 1,200 people. It was the most devastating eruption of the said volcano.