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February 3
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Fifty-four United States astronauts have graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA). The Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. USNA graduates who enter aviation and space-related fields have the opportunity to be selected for astronaut training by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The first alumnus to fly as an astronaut was Alan Shepard, of the class of 1945. As of 2023, the most recent alumnus to be selected as an astronaut was Kayla Barron (pictured), of the class of 2010. Two alumni were part of Project Mercury, three were part of Project Gemini, seven were part of the Apollo program, three walked on the Moon, one was part of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, and forty-two were part of the Space Shuttle program. (Full list...)
February 6
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre. The award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, which recognizes R&B albums with more contemporary musical stylings, was first presented to Ashanti at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003 for her self-titled debut album. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award was reserved for albums "containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded contemporary R&B vocal tracks" which may also "incorporate production elements found in rap music". Beyoncé (pictured) holds the record for the most wins, with three (all of her first three solo albums earned her the award). Usher is the only other artist to receive the award more than once. From 2012, this category was discontinued as part of a major overhaul of the Grammy Award categories. Recordings in this category were shifted to the Best R&B Album category. (Full list...)
February 10
Thirty-seven species of birds have been recorded in Tuvalu, an island country in Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Thirteen of these species, nine of which are seabirds, breed in the country. The Pacific reef heron (example pictured), the Pacific imperial pigeon, and the buff-banded rail, along with the introduced red junglefowl, are the other breeding species. Nine species of wader, eight species of seabird, the mallard, and the long-railed koel are migratory visitors to Tuvalu. Four species of birds found in Tuvalu are globally threatened; the bristle-thighed curlew, the bar-tailed godwit and the grey-tailed tattler are near-threatened, while the Phoenix petrel is endangered. Before the arrival of humans, the birds of Tuvalu may have also included kingfishers, Acrocephalus warblers, Aplonis starlings, Prosobonia sandpipers and fruit doves. However, higher sea levels at that time might have eliminated fresh water sources on most of the atolls, making them unsuitable for pigeons or starlings. (Full list...)
February 13
The National Football League (NFL) rushing title is won by the player who has recorded the most rushing yards for a season. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but other players, such as the quarterback, can run with the ball. Since the adoption of the 14-game season in 1961, all but one rushing champion have recorded over 1,000 yards rushing. Eight rushing champions have recorded over 2,000 rushing yards, a feat first accomplished by O. J. Simpson in 1973 and most recently achieved by Derrick Henry in 2020. The player with the most rushing titles is Jim Brown (pictured), who was the rushing champion eight times over his career. Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, O. J. Simpson, Steve Van Buren, and Barry Sanders are tied for the second-most rushing titles, each having won four times. (Full list...)
February 17
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Eighteen properties in Greece are inscribed on the World Heritage List, of which sixteen are cultural sites, and two (Meteora and Mount Athos) are mixed sites, listed for both their natural and cultural significance. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage, after nomination by countries that are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention established in 1972. The first Greek site added to the list was the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (pictured), in 1986. The next two sites listed were the Archeological Site of Delphi and the Acropolis of Athens in the following year. Five sites were added in 1988, two in 1989 and 1990 each, one in 1992, one in 1996, two in 1999, and one in 2007. The most recent site added was the Archaeological Site of Philippi, in 2016. (Full list...)
February 20
The 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup squads consisted of 120 players from 8 national women's cricket teams. Organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup, held in India, was the tenth edition of the competition. Australia won the tournament for the sixth time, defeating the West Indies by 114 runs in the final (player of the match Jess Duffin, then known as Cameron, pictured). Each team selected a squad of 15 players which was finalised by 24 January 2013, and any changes to that squad due to illness or injury had to be requested in writing, and approved by the ICC's Event Technical Committee. England's captain, Charlotte Edwards, appeared in the tournament for the fifth successive time, the most of any player at the 2013 competition, while India's captain, Mithali Raj, made her fourth successive appearance. (Full list...)
February 24
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The 2013 Pacific hurricane season was an above-average year in which twenty named storms developed. The 2013 hurricane season officially began on May 15 in the East Pacific, coinciding with the formation of Tropical Storm Alvin, and on June 1 in the Central Pacific; it ended on November 30 in both basins. The season produced twenty-one tropical depressions. All but one further intensified into tropical storms and nine further intensified to become hurricanes. Despite this level of activity, only one hurricane – Raymond – strengthened into a major hurricane. The most significant storm, in terms of loss of life and damage, was Hurricane Manuel (pictured). Forming in mid-September, Manuel attained its peak as a minimal Category 1 hurricane before moving ashore on the coastline of Mexico. In total, the storm contributed to 123 confirmed fatalities and $4.2 billion (2013 USD) in damage. (Full list...)
February 27
In 1946, twelve albums by eleven artists topped Billboard's weekly chart of the best-selling albums in the United States. At the time, the chart was titled Best-Selling Popular Record Albums, and it collected sales data from United States-based record dealers, numbering at least 200 in January and increasing to over 4,000 by the end of the year. The first chart-topper was Merry Christmas, a Christmas compilation album by Bing Crosby. It reached the top in December 1945 and peaked for two more weeks in January 1946, for a total of six consecutive weeks at number one. It again reached the top in late November for an additional six weeks, making it the longest-reigning album of the year. The second-longest-reigning album of the previous year, Glenn Miller, recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (pictured), again reached the top for an additional five weeks. The album was crowned as the best-selling album of the year and certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1968. (Full list...)