On This Day - What Happened Today In History | Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos A Britannica Newsletter Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! By clicking "Add To Your Inbox"tapping "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. TODAY IN HISTORY February 28 What Happened On Your Bday? Go to Today's Date Featured Event 1983 Series finale of M*A*S*H On this day in 1983, the U.S. tuned in to watch the finale of the long-running television series M*A*S*H. The show, set in South Korea, is told from the perspective of a surgeon who served in the Korean War. Though M*A*S*H started on a comedic note, it eventually grew more heavy and thoughtful, thus establishing the “dramedy” genre. The finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” remains the most-watched episode of scripted television in history, with 106 million people watching. Read today's edition of Today in History > > © Columbia Broadcasting System Featured Biography Frank O. Gehry Canadian American architect and designer bornFebruary 28, 1929Toronto, Canada(Born on this day)diedDecember 5, 2025 (aged 96)Santa Monica, California© PixAchi/Shutterstock.com 1953 Paul Krugman American economist 1929 Frank Gehry Canadian American architect and designer 1926 Svetlana Alliluyeva Russian writer 1906 Bugsy Siegel American gangster 1901 Linus Pauling American scientist See All Biographies On This Day More Events On This Day 2013 Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. His final public address was attended by more than 50,000 people. Test your knowledge of popes© Gasper Furman/Shutterstock.com 1991 The Persian Gulf War, an international conflict that was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, ended when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was forced to accept a ceasefire agreement.U.S. Department of Defense 1986 Olof Palme, the internationally prominent prime minister of Sweden (1969–76, 1982–86) whose strong pacifist beliefs included opposition to the Vietnam War, was assassinated.©Deanpictures/Dreamstime.com 1975 A train crashed at the Moorgate station in London, killing 43 people and injuring many more, making it the London Underground's deadliest peacetime disaster. Today, all dead-end stops on the London Underground are fitted with a Moorgate control, a device that automatically stops the train if a driver fails to do so.© PA Images/Getty Images 1947 A day after a vendor was assaulted by a government agent in Taipei, protests against the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) spread across Taiwan. Known as the 228 Incident, the uprising was violently suppressed, resulting in thousands dead and decades of martial law. Learn more about martial law© Pictures from History—Universal Images Group/Getty Images 1942 During World War II, Japanese troops landed on the island of Java, which they occupied until 1945. Sort fact from fiction in our World War II quiz© Rachmattt/stock.adobe.com 1922 Egypt declared its independence, ending the British protectorate, but Britain continued to have a say in certain governmental matters. Test your knowledge of EgyptEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1906 Gangster Bugsy Siegel was born in Brooklyn, New York. He played an important role in the development of Las Vegas gambling. Take our mobster names quizA.F. Archive/Alamy 1901 Linus Pauling—who received two Nobel Prizes, one for Chemistry in 1954 and another for Peace in 1962—was born in Portland, Oregon. How much do you know about the Nobel Prize?Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3b24095) 1827 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became the first steam-operated railway in the United States to be chartered as a common carrier of freight and passengers. Watch: How Chinese immigrants built the Transcontinental RailroadCourtesy of CSX Transportation Inc.