February 19 in History

Historical Events on February 19

1594 Having already been elected to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, having succeeded his father John III of Sweden in 1592.

1819 British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands and claims them in the name of King George III.

1846 In Austin, Texas the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States.

1915 World War I: The first naval attack on the Dardanelles begins when a strong Anglo-French task force bombards Ottoman artillery along the coast of Gallipoli.

1942 World War II: Nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin, killing 243 people.

1942 World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps.

1949 Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University.

1959 The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.

2002 NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.

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Famous Birthdays on February 19

1473 Nicolaus Copernicus

1630 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

1953 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

1960 Prince Andrew, Duke of York

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Famous Deaths on February 19

1936 Billy Mitchell

1997 Deng Xiaoping

2016 Umberto Eco

2016 Harper Lee

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