Osun Defender History Corner: February 25 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

February 25, 1570

Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England.

February 25, 1793

The first U.S. cabinet meeting is held in New York City.

February 25, 1836

Samuel Colt receives a U.S. patent for the Colt revolver, the first firearm with a revolving cylinder.

February 25, 1870

Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn in as the first African American U.S. Senator.

February 25, 1901

J.P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.

February 25, 1919

Oregon becomes the first state to tax gasoline (1 cent per gallon).

February 25, 1921

Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, falls to the Bolshevik Russian Red Army.

February 25, 1948

The Communist Party takes control of Czechoslovakia.

February 25, 1956

Nikita Khrushchev denounces Joseph Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

February 25, 1986

The Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front sign a peace agreement.

February 25, 1991

Gulf War: Iraqi troops retreat from Kuwait, allowing Kuwaiti and Allied forces to enter.

February 25, 2007

The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.

February 25, 2011

Hundreds of thousands of protesters gather in cities across Libya, calling for the end of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

February 25, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI resigns, becoming the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

February 25, 2016

North Korea launches a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.

February 25, 2018

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is arrested during nationwide protests against Vladimir Putin.

February 25, 2019

At least 24 people are killed and dozens injured in a fire at a market in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

February 25, 2020

Harvey Weinstein is found guilty of two counts of rape and sexual assault in New York City.

February 25, 2021

NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully lands on Mars.

February 25, 2022

The United Nations announces that more than half of Ukraine’s children have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on February 25. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.