February 22 in History

• 896

  February 22, 896:

  Pope Formosus declares Arnulf as Holy Roman Emperor after deposing the previous emperor, Lambert.

• 1680

  February 22, 1680:

  Catherine Deshayes, the French sorcerer, fortune teller and poisoner of Louis XIV’s reign, is executed for being the mastermind of the murder scandal known as the Affair of the Poisons.

• 1934

  February 22, 1934:

  The Frank Capra-directed film, “It Happened One Night” is released in New York City.

• 1942

  February 22, 1942:

  Three members of the anti-Nazi group, White Rose are beheaded in Munich, Germany.

• 1959

  February 22, 1959:

  Lee Petty emerges as the winner of the first Daytona 500 race organized by NASCAR.

• 1980

  February 22, 1980:

  The ice hockey team of the United States beats that of the Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics.

• 1997

  February 22, 1997:

  The birth of the first clone of an adult mammal, named Dolly the Sheep is announced by British scientists at the Roslin Institute.

• 2011

  February 22, 2011:

  Christchurch, New Zealand is hit by a massive earthquake following over five months of tremors.

• 2014

  February 22, 2014:

  Protests by citizens lead to the impeachment of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.

• 2017

  February 22, 2017:

  Jay-Z becomes a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame as the first rapper to be inducted.