Welcome to Thursday, February 19th, 2026! It is the 50th day of the year, with 315 days remaining.
Historical Events on This Day:
On February 19, 1878, Thomas Edison received a patent for the phonograph, a groundbreaking invention.
Other notable events on this date:
In 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus, the renowned astronomer, was born in Torun, Poland.
In 1847, rescuers reached the snowbound members of the Donner Party near the California-Nevada border after nearly four months.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, leading to the internment of 125,000 people of Japanese descent during World War II.
In 1945, Operation Detachment began with U.S. Marines landing at Iwo Jima in a successful battle against Japanese forces.
In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford formally terminated the internment order for people of Japanese ancestry, calling it a “sad day in American history.”
In 2003, an Iranian military plane crashed in southeastern Iran, resulting in the tragic loss of all 275 individuals onboard.
In 2008, Fidel Castro resigned as Cuban president after nearly 50 years in power, with his brother Raúl succeeding him. Castro passed away in 2016 at the age of 90.
In 2025, the iconic ocean liner SS United States departed Philadelphia for Mobile, Alabama, where it would be prepared to be sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast to create the world’s largest artificial reef.
Celebrity Birthdays Today:
- Smokey Robinson (86)
- Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath (78)
- Amy Tan, author (74)
- Jeff Daniels, actor (71)
- Ray Winstone, actor (69)
- Leslie David Baker, actor (68)
- Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner (67)
- Hana MandlÃková, Tennis Hall of Famer (64)
- Seal, singer (63)
- Benicio Del Toro, actor (59)
- Jeff Kinney, author-cartoonist (55)
- Nikola Jokić, NBA center (31)
- Chappell Roan, singer-songwriter (28)
- David Mazouz, actor (25)
- Millie Bobby Brown, actor (22)
