^B{^#!16!4 February^N! National Day of Sri Lanka. Feast day of St Theophilus the Penitent, St Nicholas Studites, St Andrew Corsini, bishop, St Joan of Valois, St Isidore of Pelusium, St John de Britto, St Modan, St Phileas, St Joseph of Leonessa, and St Rembert.
^B{1861^B} Seven secessionist southern states formed the Confederate States of America, in Montgomery, Alabama. ^B{1904^B} The Russo-Japanese War began after Japan laid siege to Port Arthur. ^B{1928^B} Black US entertainer Josephine Baker's provocative performance in Munich drew protests from members of the Nazi party. ^B{1945^B} Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at Yalta, in the Crimea. ^B{1968^B} The world's largest hovercraft was launched at Cowes, Isle of Wight. ^B{1987^B} The US Stars and Stripes won the America's Cup back from Australia. ^B{1993^B} Russian scientists unfurled a giant mirror in orbit and flashed a beam of sunlight across Europe during the night; observers saw it only as an instantaneous flash.
^B{^I{^#!14!Born ^N}Fernand LΘger, French painter, ^B{1881^B}; Jacques PrΘvert, French poet and novelist, ^B{1900^B}; Charles Lindbergh, US aviator, ^B{1902^B}; Ida Lupino, English actress, ^B{1918^B}; Norman Wisdom, English comedian, ^B{1920^B}; Alice Cooper, US pop singer, ^B{1948^B}.
^B{^I{^#!14!Died ^N}Lucius Septimius Severus, Roman emperor, ^B{211^B}; Giambattista della Porta, Italian natural philosopher, ^B{1615^B}; Robert Koldewey, German archeologist, ^B{1925^B}; Oliver Heaviside, English physicist, ^B{1925^B}; Karen Carpenter, US singer, ^B{1983^B}; Liberace, US entertainer, ^B{1987^B}.
