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On This Day in History — February 25
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Highlights of February 25
- 2020 — Hong Kong–based writer and publisher Gui Minhai, known for writing about Chinese Communist Party politicians, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for intelligence violations. Read more
- 2009 — At their headquarters in Pilkhana, members of the Bangladesh Rifles began a mutiny that resulted in 82 deaths. Read more
- 1994 — Israeli physician Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Palestinian Muslims praying at the mosque in Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs, killing 29 people and wounding 125 others. Read more
- 1986 — Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were ousted from power by the non-violent People Power Revolution, with Corazon Aquino succeeding as president. Read more
- 1980 — The first prime minister of independent Suriname, Henck Arron (pictured), was deposed in a military coup led by Dési Bouterse. Read more
- 1956 — In a speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced the personality cult and dictatorship of his predecessor Joseph Stalin. Read more
- 1951 — After being postponed due to World War II, the inaugural edition of the Pan American Games opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Read more
- 1948 — Fearful of civil war and Soviet intervention in recent unrest, President Edvard Beneš (pictured) ceded control of the government to the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Read more
- 1933 — USS Ranger (pictured), the United States Navy's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, was launched. Read more
- 1870 — Mississippi senator Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to be seated in the U.S. Congress. Read more
- 1866 — Miners in Calaveras County, California, discovered a human skull that was taken to show that humans had existed during the Pliocene, a thesis that was later disproved. Read more
- 1843 — Royal Navy captain Lord George Paulet began a five-month occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. Read more
- 1705 — George Frideric Handel's opera Nero premiered in Hamburg. Read more
- 628 — Khosrow II, the last great king of the Sasanian Empire, was overthrown by his son Kavad II. Read more
- 138 — Roman emperor Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius as his son and successor following the death of Hadrian's first adopted son Lucius Aelius. Read more
Events
- 2026 — Four people are killed and several more are injured when Cuban Border Guard Troops confront and open fire on a US-registered speedboat violating Cuban waters. Read more
- 2016 — Three people are killed and fourteen others injured in a series of shootings in the small Kansas cities of Newton and Hesston. Read more
- 2015 — At least 310 people are killed in avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan. Read more
- 2009 — Soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 74 deaths, including 57 army officials. Read more
- 2009 — Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashes during landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, primarily due to a faulty radio altimeter, resulting in the death of nine passengers and crew including all three pilots. Read more
- 1999 — Alitalia Flight 1553 crashes at Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport in Genoa, Italy, killing four. Read more
- 1994 — American-Israeli extremist Baruch Goldstein commits a mass shooting at the Cave of the Patriarchs mausoleum, leaving 29 dead and over 100 injured before he is disarmed and beaten to death by survivors. Read more
- 1991 — Disbandment of the Warsaw Pact at a meeting of its members in Budapest. Read more
- 1986 — People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines' first female president. Read more
- 1980 — The government of Suriname is overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse. Read more
- 1956 — In his speech On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, denounces Stalin. Read more
- 1951 — The first Pan American Games are officially opened in Buenos Aires by Argentine President Juan Perón. Read more
- 1948 — In a coup d'état led by Klement Gottwald, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia takes control of government in Prague to end the Third Czechoslovak Republic. Read more
- 1947 — The formal abolition of Prussia is proclaimed by the Allied Control Council, the Prussian government having already been abolished by the Preußenschlag of 1932. Read more
- 1947 — Soviet NKVD forces in Hungary abduct Béla Kovács—secretary-general of the majority Independent Smallholders' Party—and deport him to the USSR in defiance of Parliament. His arrest is an important turning point in the Communist takeover of Hungary. Read more
- 1941 — The outlawed Communist Party of the Netherlands organises a general strike in German-occupied Amsterdam to protest against Nazi persecution of Dutch Jews. Read more
- 1939 — As part of British air raid precautions, the first of 2.5 million Anderson shelters is constructed in a garden in Islington, north London. Read more
- 1933 — Launch of the USS Ranger at Newport News, Virginia. It is the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned by the US Navy. Read more
- 1932 — Adolf Hitler, having been stateless for seven years, obtains German citizenship when he is appointed a Brunswick state official by Dietrich Klagges, a fellow Nazi. As a result, Hitler is able to run for Reichspräsident in the 1932 election. Read more
- 1921 — Georgian capital Tbilisi falls to the invading Russian forces after heavy fighting and the Russians declare the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Read more
- 1918 — World War I: German forces capture Tallinn to virtually complete the occupation of Estonia. Read more
- 1916 — World War I: In the Battle of Verdun, a German unit captures Fort Douaumont, keystone of the French defences, without a fight. Read more
- 1912 — Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Read more
- 1875 — Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty China begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi's regency. Read more
- 1870 — Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress. Read more
- 1843 — Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet affair. Read more
- 1836 — Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for his revolver firearm. Read more
- 1705 — George Frideric Handel's opera Nero premieres in Hamburg. Read more
- 628 — Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. Read more
- 138 — Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. Read more
Born on February 25
- 2005 — Noah Jupe, English actor Read more
- 2004 — Tyler Sanders, American actor (died 2022) Read more
- 2003 — Brandin Podziemski, American basketball player Read more
- 2001 — Vernon Carey Jr., American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — Bo Nix, American football player Read more
- 1999 — Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italian footballer Read more
- 1999 — Matvey Safonov, Russian footballer Read more
- 1999 — Rocky, South Korean singer, dancer and songwriter Read more
- 1997 — Isabelle Fuhrman, American actress Read more
- 1997 — Thon Maker, South Sudanese-Australian basketball player Read more
- 1997 — Brock Boeser, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1995 — Mario Hezonja, Croatian basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Viktoriya Tomova, Bulgarian tennis player Read more
- 1994 — Fred VanVleet, American basketball player Read more
- 1993 — Erick Fedde, American baseball player Read more
- 1993 — Lukáš Sedlák, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Joakim Nordström, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Jorge Soler, Cuban baseball player Read more
- 1990 — Félix Peña, Dominican baseball player Read more
- 1989 — Jimmer Fredette, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Kana Hanazawa, Japanese voice actress and singer Read more
- 1989 — E'Twaun Moore, American basketball player Read more
- 1988 — Tom Marshall, English photo colouriser and artist Read more
- 1988 — Gerald McCoy, American football player Read more
- 1987 — Justin Abdelkader, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1986 — Justin Berfield, American actor, writer, and producer Read more
- 1986 — Jameela Jamil, English actress and presenter Read more
- 1986 — James Phelps, English actor Read more
- 1986 — Oliver Phelps, English actor Read more
- 1985 — Joakim Noah, French-American basketball player Read more
- 1982 — Maria Kanellis, American professional wrestler, actress, and model Read more
- 1982 — Flavia Pennetta, Italian tennis player Read more
- 1982 — Anton Volchenkov, Russian ice hockey player Read more
- 1981 — Park Ji-sung, South Korean footballer Read more
- 1980 — Kash Patel, American lawyer, former federal prosecutor and official Read more
- 1979 — Napoleon Harris, American football player and politician Read more
- 1976 — Rashida Jones, American actress and writer Read more
- 1976 — Samaki Walker, American basketball player Read more
- 1975 — Chelsea Handler, American comedian, actress, author, and television host Read more
- 1974 — Dominic Raab, English politician; First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Read more
Died on February 25
- 2025 — Henry Kelly, Irish radio and television broadcaster, actor and journalist (born 1947) Read more
- 2025 — Roberto Orci, Mexican-American screenwriter and producer (born 1973) Read more
- 2025 — Jane Reed, UK Magazine editor and media executive (born 1940) Read more
- 2023 — Gordon Pinsent, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter (born 1930) Read more
- 2022 — Farrah Forke, American actress (born 1968) Read more
- 2022 — Shirley Hughes, English author and illustrator (born 1927) Read more
- 2020 — Dmitry Yazov, last Marshal of the Soviet Union (born 1924) Read more
- 2017 — Bill Paxton, American actor and filmmaker (born 1955) Read more
- 2015 — Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (born 1930) Read more
- 2015 — Ariel Camacho, Mexican musician and singer-songwriter; (born 1992) Read more
- 2015 — Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic; noted ichthyologist (born 1922) Read more
- 2012 — Louisiana Red, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1932) Read more
- 2010 — Ihsan Dogramaci, Turkish pediatrician and academic (born 1915) Read more
- 2008 — Hans Raj Khanna, Indian judge and advocate; upholder of civil liberties (born 1912) Read more
- 2005 — Peter Benenson, English lawyer, founded Amnesty International (born 1921) Read more
- 2001 — A. R. Ammons, American poet and critic (born 1926) Read more
- 2001 — Don Bradman, Australian international cricketer; holder of world record batting average (born 1908) Read more
- 1999 — Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1912) Read more
- 1998 — W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (born 1914) Read more
- 1997 — Andrei Sinyavsky, Russian journalist and publisher (born 1925) Read more
- 1996 — Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (born 1940) Read more
- 1983 — Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (born 1911) Read more
- 1980 — Robert Hayden, American poet and academic (born 1913) Read more
- 1978 — Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (born 1920) Read more
- 1975 — Elijah Muhammad, American religious leader (born 1897) Read more
- 1972 — Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (born 1889) Read more
- 1971 — Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1884) Read more
- 1970 — Mark Rothko, Latvian-American painter and academic (born 1903) Read more
- 1964 — Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian sculptor and illustrator (born 1887) Read more
- 1964 — Grace Metalious, American author (born 1924) Read more
- 1963 — Melville J. Herskovits, American anthropologist and academic (born 1895) Read more
- 1957 — Mark Aldanov, Russian author and critic (born 1888) Read more
- 1957 — Bugs Moran, American mob boss (born 1893) Read more
- 1954 — Joseph Beech, American Methodist missionary and educator (born 1867) Read more
- 1953 — Sergei Winogradsky, Ukrainian-Russian microbiologist and ecologist (born 1856) Read more
- 1950 — George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1885) Read more
- 1945 — Mário de Andrade, Brazilian author, poet, and photographer (born 1893) Read more
- 1934 — Elizabeth Gertrude Britton, American botanist and academic (born 1857) Read more
- 1934 — John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (born 1873) Read more
- 1928 — William O'Brien, Irish journalist and politician (born 1852) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast days:
Æthelberht of Kent; Christian feast days:
Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás; Christian feast days:
Gerland of Agrigento; Christian feast days:
John Roberts, writer and missionary (Anglican Communion); Christian feast days:
Hamburg Matthiae-mahl, feast of Hanseatic League cities on the mediaeval first day of spring; Christian feast days:
Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani; Christian feast days:
Blessed Robert of Arbrissel, founder of Fontevraud Abbey; Christian feast days:
Saint Walpurga (she was canonised on 1 May c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 30 April); Christian feast days:
February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Kitano Baika-sai or "Plum Blossom Festival" (Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan); Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary); National Day (Kuwait); People Power Day (Philippines); Revolution Day in Suriname; Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “February 25”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.