Holidays Calendar for February 22, 2023
February 22 is celebrated as Independence Day in Saint Lucia, a small island country in the Caribbean Sea. On this day in 1979, Saint Lucia became a fully independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations.
Founding Day is a public holiday in Saudi Arabia that was established in 2022. It is celebrated on February 22 to commemorate the founding of the Great Emirate of Diriyah, also known as the First Saudi State, by Muhammad bin Saud.
Religious Holidays →
Brazil,
Cape Verde,
Cayman Islands,
French Guiana,
Guadeloupe,
Martinique,
Panama,
Jamaica,
Saint Martin,
Saint Barthelemy
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. It’s observed 46 days (40 weekdays and six Sundays) before Easter by Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and some Baptists.
European Day for Victims of Crime is celebrated annually on February 22. It was established in 1990 by Victim Support Europe, Europe’s leading umbrella organization advocating on behalf of victims of crime.
World Encephalitis Day is observed annually on February 22. It was created to increase global awareness of inflammation of the brain that has directly or indirectly affected millions of people around the world.
February 22 is a great day to thank employees at your local supermarket for everything they do because it is Supermarket Employee Day, sometimes referred to as National Supermarket Employee Day. It was created by the Food Industry Association in 2021.
National Wildlife Day in the United States is celebrated twice a year, on February 22 and on September 4. Its main task is to raise public awareness about the plight of endangered species, both in the United States and across the world.
Crime Victims Day (Dzień Ofiar Przestępstw) is a statutory holiday in Poland celebrated on February 22. It coincides with European Day for Victims of Crime that has been celebrated annually since the late 1980s.
Takeshima Day is observed in the Japanese prefecture of Shimane on February 22. On this day in 1905, Japan claimed its sovereignty the Liancourt Rocks, also known as the islands of Takeshima. Interestingly, they have been controlled by South Korean since the 1950s.
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed in Canada on February 22 every year. It was created to raise awareness of the magnitude of modern slavery, both in Canada and abroad, and to encourage Canadians to contribute to the combat against human trafficking.
Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in the United States. If you're a fan, don't forget to celebrate National Margarita Day that falls on February 22.
On February 22, the Japanese celebrate Cat Day, an informal holiday dedicated to one of the most popular domestic animals.
National Cook a Sweet Potato Day is a fun culinary holiday celebrated annually on February 22. It is a great occasion to experiment with new sweet potato recipes and cook a delicious dinner for yourself and your loved ones.
On February 22, members of the Scout movement celebrate Founders' Day, also known as B-P Day. It is dedicated to Robert Baden-Powell who founded the Scout Movement in the early 20th century.
World Thinking Day is celebrated by all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. It is held annually on February 22, the birthday of Scouting and Guiding founder Robert Baden-Powell and his wife Olave.
National No Smoking Day in Ireland coincides with Ash Wednesday. This annual observance was established to encourage people to quit smoking.
National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, also known as simply Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day or Valve Disease Day, is observed annually on February 22. It was created to raise awareness of a potentially disabling and deadly disease that affects more than 11.5 million Americans.
Thanks to David Shepherd and Travis Price, two Canadian high school students who wanted to protect another student from bullying, pink shirts have become a symbol of anti-bullying awareness campaigns. One of such campaigns is Pink Shirt Day, observed in Canada on the last Wednesday of February.
Festivals on February 22, 2023
- NordicFuzzCon in Malmö, Sweden
- Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia
- Haitian Carnival in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- Cajamarca Carnival in Cajamarca, Peru
- Carnival of Tarazona de la Mancha in Tarazona de la Mancha, Spain
- Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City, USA
- Las Tablas Carnival in Las Tablas, Panama
- Panama Carnival in Panama City, Panama
- Carnival of La Bañeza in La Bañeza, Spain
- Adelaide Fringe in Adelaide, Australia
- Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Canada
- Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Hong Kong Arts Festival in Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg, Canada
- Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This Day in History
- 2014 Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was impeached by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, fulfilling a major goal of the Euromaidan rebellion.
- 2012 A train crashed at Once Station, Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 51 people and injuring more than 700. The train wreck was caused by the brake failure.
- 2011 A magnitude 6.3 earthquake severely damaged the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 185 people. It is New Zealand's second deadliest earthquake.
- 1997 The existence of Dolly, the sheep who was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer, was announced to the public.
- 1995 Died: Ed Flanders (Edward Paul Flanders), American actor who is best known for his role as Dr. Donald Westphall in the television series St. Elsewhere.
- 1987 Died: Andy Warhol, American artist, film director and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His art encompassed many forms of media.
- 1984 Died: David Vetter, a prominent sufferer of severe combined immunodeficiency who was referred to as "David, the bubble boy" by the media.
- 1980 The United States hockey team defeated the Soviet Union hockey team during the 1980 Winter Olympics. This game is referred to as the Miracle on Ice.
- 1980 Died: Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian artist, playwright, and poet who is best known for his intense expressionistic landscapes and portraits.
- 1976 Died: Florence Ballard, American vocalist who is best known as one of the founding members of the popular vocal group the Supremes.
- 1975 Born: Drew Barrymore, American actress, model, filmmaker, screenwriter, and author. She is known for her roles in the films Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, Donnie Darko, and many others.
- 1974 Samuel Byck attempted to hijack a plane, intending to crash into the White House in the hope of killing President Richard Nixon. The attempt was unsuccessful, and Byck committed suicide.
- 1974 Born: James Blunt, English singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide fame in 2004 thanks to his singles "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover".
- 1971 Born: Lea Salonga, Filipino actress and singer best known for her role as Kim in the musical Miss Saigon for which she won a number of awards including a Tony Award and an Olivier Award.
- 1968 Born: Jeri Ryan, American actress best known for playing Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager and reprising the role in Star Trek: Picard.
- 1962 Born: Steve Irwin, known as "The Crocodile Hunter", Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist.
- 1959 Born: Kyle MacLachlan, American actor best known for his work with David Lynch such as playing Paul Atreides in Lynch's adaptation of Dune and Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks.
- 1958 Syria and Egypt joined to form the United Arab Republic. The union was short-lived and ended in 1961, when Syria decided to secede.
- 1949 Born: Niki Lauda (Andreas Nikolaus Lauda), Austrian Formula One driver who was the three-time F1 World Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984.
- 1944 Died: Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi. Like her husband, she was a political activist fighting for civil rights and Indian independence.
- 1942 Died: Stefan Zweig, Austrian novelist, playwright, biographer, and journalist who was one of the most popular writers in the world in the 1920s and 1930s.
- 1914 Born: Renato Dulbecco, Italian and American virologist who was awarded the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on oncoviruses.
- 1913 Died: Ferdinand de Saussure, Swiss linguist and semiotician who made a considerable contribution to these branches. His most influential work is Course in General Linguistics.
- 1908 Born: Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948 and from 1959 to 1964. He is referred to as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy".
- 1899 The Second Battle of Caloocan, also referred to as the Second Battle of Manila, began during the Philippine–American War. It resulted in the American victory two days later.
- 1857 Born: Heinrich Hertz, German physicist who is best known for having conclusively proved the existence of electromagnetic waves. The scientific unit of frequency was named in his honor.
- 1855 The Pennsylvania State University was founded as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. It was elevated to university status in 1953.
- 1848 The French Revolution of 1848, sometimes referred to as the February Revolution, began. It eventually led to the creation of the French Second Republic.
- 1810 Born: Frédéric Chopin, Polish composer and pianist of the Romantic era who is considered one of the leading musicians of his era. He wrote primarily for the solo piano.
- 1788 Born: Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher whose best known work is The World as Will and Representation (Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung).
- 1732 Born: George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and the first President of the United States.
- 1674 Died: Jean Chapelain, French poet and critic who is best known for having been one of the founding members of the Académie française (French Academy).
- 1512 Died: Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer, cartographer, navigator, and financier who first demonstrated that Brazil and the West Indies were not in Asia.