Month In History

Discover the global events and personal stories of February

February 9, 1865

Booth Plans Ahead

Rare and suspicious John Wilkes Booth letter, written just two months before Lincoln’s assassination.

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February 12, 1809

The Jewish Friends of Abraham Lincoln

From deep within the stress and tension of the violent Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sought an unusual military appointment: “I believe we have not yet appointed a Hebrew,” Lincoln wrote, and requested that the son of a well-known Orthodox rabbi from New York receive a position. In an era rife with both casual and state-sanctioned anti-Semitism, Lincoln’s notice and support of Jewish citizens was bold and noteworthy.

February 19, 1905

The Road to the Inauguration: 1905

Theodore Roosevelt has a suit made, and re-made, for his 1905 inauguration.

February 22, 1732

George Washington’s Birthday

The very man who defined the American presidency was probably the only man to occupy the office who did not want the job.



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