1835 - Concepción, Chile is destroyed by an earthquake.
1872 - Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
1935 - Caroline Mikkelsen becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
1962 - Project Mercury: Friendship 7 John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the earth, making three orbits in 4 hours, 55 minutes.
2013 - The smallest Extrasolar planet, Kepler-37b is discovered.

1473 – Was born Nicola Copernicus, Polish astronomer.
1556 - The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America
1884 - Enigma tornado outbreak: More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
1986 - The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for 10 of those years.
2002 - NASA Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.

1930 - While studying photographs taken in January Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto (now considered a Dwarf Planet).
1960 – Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Chile made an agreement to form Latin American Free Trade Association.
1965 – Gambia was admitted as independent country as a part of Britain Comonvelt.
1979 - Snow falls in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the only time in recorded history.
1994 – Macedonia Government made decision to establish diplomatic relations between Macedonia and USA.

1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori in Rome, charged with heresy.
1753 - In Sweden, February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.
1867 - 1st ship passes through Suez Canal1957 - Suez Canal reopens
1965 - US Ranger 8 launched, will transmit 7,137 lunar pictures
1966 - French satellite Diapason D-1A launch into Earth orbit
1967 - Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit

1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori in Rome, charged with heresy.
1753 - In Sweden, February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.
1867 - 1st ship passes through Suez Canal1957 - Suez Canal reopens
1965 - US Ranger 8 launched, will transmit 7,137 lunar pictures
1966 - French satellite Diapason D-1A launch into Earth orbit
1967 - Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit