Holidays Calendar for February 15, 2016
Afghanistan annually celebrates Liberation Day on February 15. This holiday commemorates the end of the withdrawal of Soviet combatant forces from Afghanistan.
February 15 is National Day in Serbia. This public holiday commemorates the First Serbian Uprising in 1804 and adoption of the first Serbian Constitution in 1835.
Public Holidays →
USA,
American Samoa,
Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands,
American Virgin Islands
Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day)
Washington’s Birthday is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February. Colloquially, it is also widely referred to as Presidents’ Day and is often an occasion to honor all presidents of the United States, including the incumbent one.
The third Monday of February is a statutory holiday in several Canadian provinces. In most of them, it is called Family Day (Jour de la famille). Other names include Islander Day, Heritage Day, and Louis Riel Day.
Since Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, it celebrates all official U.S. holidays. However, some of these holidays have different names here: for example, Presidents’ Day (the third Monday of February) is known as Día de los Próceres Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Heroes Day or the Day of Illustrious Puerto Ricans).
Candlemas, or the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, is one of the Twelve Great Feasts, celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. It's celebrated annually on February 15 according to the Gregorian calendar.
Parinirvana Day, also referred to as Nirvana Day, is a Buddhist holiday celebrated in East Asia on February 8 or February 15. Most Mahāyāna Buddhists celebrate it on February 15.
The followers of cargo cult celebrate John Frum Day in Vanuatu annually on February 15. Celebration, as well as the cult, has a long history.
International Childhood Cancer Day is observed annually on February 15. This observance was established in 2003 and about 40 countries participate the events organized under the auspices of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP).
The European Perioperative Nursing Day, sometimes also referred to as International Perioperative Nursing Day, is celebrated annually on February 15. It was established by the European Operating Room Nurses Association to celebrate all the nurses that work with surgical patients.
International Angelman Day is observed every February 15 to raise awareness of a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system and raise funds for its research.
World Hippo Day is observed annually on February 15. It was created to celebrate one of the most extraordinary animals on our planet and raise awareness of its vulnerable status.
International Fanworks Day is observed annually on February 15 to celebrate and promote fanworks of all kinds including fan fiction, fan art, fan videos, podfic, cosplay, fandom analytics, and other types and formats of transformative works.
ENIAC Day, also known as the World’s First Computer Day, is observed annually on February 15. It celebrates one of the world’s earliest electronic general-purpose computers. ENIAC was Turing-complete, digital, and able to solve a wide range of problems through reprogramming.
Anniversaries and Memorial Days →
Ukraine,
Belarus,
Russia
Memorial Day of Warriors-Internationalists
February 15 is annual observance of Memorial Day of Warriors-Internationalists. This day honors warriors, who performed their duty outside their motherland.
February 15 is National Flag of Canada Day. Although this holiday doesn't have a status of a statuary holiday, the day that commemorates the flag of Canada has been celebrated for decades.
Total Defense Day in Singapore is observed annually on February 15, the anniversary of the surrender of the British to the Japanese in 1942. This holiday is very important for the Singaporeans, as they remember, what they might lose, if they are not able to defend themselves.
Susan B. Anthony Day is observed annually on February 15 in the USA. This day commemorates the birth of Susan Brownell Anthony, an American social reformer who played a leading role in women's suffrage movement.
Lui Ngai Ni is an annual spring festival celebrated by the Naga people in the Indian state of Manipur on February 14 and 15. In 1988, the government of Manipur even declared it a state public holiday.
Singles Awareness Day, also known as Singles Appreciation Day, is a humorous holiday that serves as an alternative to Valentine's Day for people who are not involved in a romantic relationship. It is celebrated on February 14 or 15.
February 15 is National Gumdrops Day. These chewy candies have fallen out of fashion in favor of gummy worms and bears, but they are still popular with bakers.
National I Want Butterscotch Day is an unofficial food day observed annually on February 15. It celebrates one of the most delicious confections. On this day, indulge yourself with anything butterscotch-flavored, be it sweets, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, or something else you like.
Festivals on February 15, 2016
- Takeuchi Festival in Rokugo, Japan
- Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York, USA
- Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, USA
- Carnival of Basel in Basel, Switzerland
- TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada
- Menton Lemon Festival in Menton, France
- Florida Renaissance Festival in Deerfield Beach, USA
- Salon du Chocolat in Milan in Milan, Italy
- Chicago Auto Show in Chicago, USA
- Adelaide Fringe in Adelaide, Australia
- Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Canada
- New Zealand Fringe Festival in Wellington, New Zealand
- Perth Festival in Perth, Australia
- Nice Carnival in Nice, France
- Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in Berlin, Germany
This Day in History
- 2014 French pole vault jumper Renaud Lavillenie broke Serhiy Bubka's world record in pole vault with a mark of 6.16 m.
- 2013 A meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Over 1,500 people were injured as a shock wave blew out windows and rocked buildings.
- 2001 Scientific journal Nature published the first draft of the complete human genome.
- 1996 Died: McLean Stevenson, American actor, best known for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H.
- 1996 A Long March 3 rocket, carrying Intelsat 708, a telecommunications satellite, crashed into a Chinese rural village after liftoff.
- 1995 Born: Megan Thee Stallion (stage name of Megan Jovon Ruth Pete), American rapper whose accolades include four American Music Awards and three Grammy Awards (as of 2024).
- 1990 Born: Callum Turner, British actor known for his roles as Theseus in the Fantastic Beasts films, Shaun Emery in The Capture, and John Egan in Masters of the Air.
- 1988 Died: Richard Feynman, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate for his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics.
- 1986 Born: Amber Riley, American actress and singer. She rose to prominence playing Mercedes Jones on Glee and won an Olivier Award for her performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls.
- 1982 The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sank during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland. All 84 crew members on board were killed.
- 1981 Died: Karl Richter, German organist and conductor, remembered as an excellent organist whose performances of Bach's organ works were known for their imposing registrations and favorable pace.
- 1973 Died: Wally Cox, American actor and comedian, best known as the voice of the popular animated canine superhero Underdog.
- 1972 Born: Jaromír Jágr, Czech professional ice hockey right winger and owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga. He played for nine NHL teams and served as captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.
- 1971 Born: Alex Borstein, American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for voicing Lois Griffin in Family Guy and playing Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- 1971 Born: Renee O'Connor, American actress, director, and producer, best known for her role as Gabrielle on the successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess.
- 1965 Died: Nat King Cole, American singer and leading jazz pianist, noted for his soft baritone voice. Cole was the first African American to host a television variety show.
- 1965 A new red-and-white maple leaf design of Canadian flag was adopted. This flag replaced the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
- 1961 Sabena Flight 548 crashed in Belgium en route to Brussels from New York. All 72 people aboard and 1 person on the ground were killed, including the entire U.S. figure skating team heading to the World Championships in Prague.
- 1959 Died: Owen Willans Richardson, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate for his work on thermionic emission that led to the discovery of Richardson's Law.
- 1957 Born: Gul Mohammed, Indian dwarf, the shortest adult human being of his time whose existence and height have been independently verified.
- 1954 Born: Matt Groening, American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator best known as the creator of the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, and Disenchantment.
- 1951 Born: Jane Seymour, English actress who is probably best known for starring as Dr. Michaela Quinn in the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, a medical drama set in the Wild West.
- 1946 The first Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering.
- 1934 Born: Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist, creator of several programing languages, including Pascal.
- 1933 Died: Pat Sullivan, Australian animator and producer, best known for producing the first silent cartoons Felix the Cat.
- 1933 Giuseppe Zangara tried to assassinate Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami, Florida. Instead of the president, he shot Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who died of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
- 1909 250 people burned in a fire that started in Flores Theater in Acapulco, Mexico.
- 1898 The battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana harbor in Cuba. 274 people were killed.
- 1883 Born: Sax Rohmer, English author, best known for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu. This character is extensively featured in cinema, television, radio, comic strips, and books.
- 1873 Born: Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-Swiss chemist, Nobel Prize laureate for investigations on the fermentation of sugar and enzymes.
- 1835 Died: Henry Hunt, influential English politician of his time, a pioneer of working-class radicalism. He advocated for a parliamentary reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws.
- 1812 Born: Charles Lewis Tiffany, American jeweler, founder of Tiffany & Co, known for his jewelry expertise and creation of country's first retail catalog. He introduced the English standard of sterling silver.
- 1781 Died: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German author and philosopher, one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era, widely regarded as the first dramaturg.
- 1739 Born: Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, prominent French architect of his time, the designer of Paris Bourse, the historical Paris stock exchange.
- 1710 Born: Louis XV of France, also known as Louis the Beloved, King of France from September 1, 1715 till his death in 1774. During his reign the power of France was damaged, the treasury weakened, and the absolute monarchy discredited.
- 1637 Died: Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary, whose rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.
- 1612 Born: Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, French military officer, the founder and first governor of Montreal, Canada (then New France).
- 1564 Born: Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. He is regarded as the father of observational astronomy and modern science.