19th February 1985: EastEnders, the BBC’s flagship soap opera, broadcast for the first time
EastEnders was first broadcast on 19 February 1985 as part of new BBC One controller Michael Grade’s ‘relaunch’ of the channel. The first episode secured an audience of 17 ...
19 Feb 0s
18th February 1930: Nellie Jay, better known as Elm Farm Ollie, becomes the first cow to fly and be milked in an aeroplane
Elm Farm Ollie gave a total of 24 quarts (23 litres) of milk which was then packed into paper cartons and dropped by parachute to the crowds at the St Louis International Air ...
18 Feb 0s
17th February 1913: The Armory Show, officially called the International Exhibition of Modern Art, opens in New York City
Public reaction to the exhibition was mixed and often hostile, but encouraged American artists to experiment with new forms and techniques and helped establish modern art as a legitimate field of arti...
17 Feb 0s
16th February 1923: Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings
Having secured permission from the Department of Antiquities of Egypt to open the sealed door, Carter came face-to-face with the enormous gilt shrine containing Tutankhamun ...
16 Feb 0s
15th February 1971: Decimal Day in the United Kingdom and Ireland as they abandon their old currency of pounds, shillings and pence
The early introduction of three of the six new coins, together with an extensive publicity campaign, contributed greatly to the smoothness of Decimal Day when it finally came about in ...
15 Feb 0s
14th February 1949: The first Knesset, the parliament of the State of Israel, convenes for the first time in Jerusalem
The Knesset, the parliament of the State of Israel, assumed responsibility for legislation, oversight of the government, and representation of the ...
14 Feb 0s
13th February 1689: William and Mary become the new co-regents of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland after agreeing to the Declaration of Right
The couple were declared King and Queen after agreeing to the Declaration of Right. Their coronation took place on 11 ...
13 Feb 0s
12th February 1429: Battle of the Herrings in the Hundred Years’ War fought between French and English forces near the French village of Rouvray
The English arranged carts containing barrels of herring into a defensive wagon fort, with sharpened stakes similar to those used at the Battle of Agincourt positioned around the ...
12 Feb 0s
