February 28
February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 307 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 28 the Sun's declination is approximately -8.7°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 28.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1854 — The Republican Party of the United States was organised at a meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin. ↗(172 years ago)
- 1935 — DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invented nylon. ↗(91 years ago)
- 1986 — Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in Stockholm. ↗(40 years ago)
- 1991 — The Gulf War ended; coalition forces ceased fire in Kuwait. ↗(35 years ago)
- 2013 — Pope Benedict XVI resigned, the first pope to do so in nearly 600 years. ↗(13 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1986 — Olof Palme. ↗(40 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (59) | 59 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (307) | 307 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 28022026 · next palindrome year: 2082 |
| Sun declination | -8.67° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 70 days |