February 1919

[February 1], 1919 (Saturday)

• Estonian War of Independence - Estonian forces liberated Valga and Võru, expelling the Red Army from the entire territory of Estonia.
• Khotyn Uprising - The Romanian Army regained control of Khotyn, Bessarabia from rebel forces. It was estimated Romanian forces inflicted 15,000 casualties on the ethnic Ukrainians over 12 days of fighting and forced 4,000 rebel soldiers and 50,000 refugees to cross the Dniester River into neighboring Ukraine.
• U.S. Navy troopship ran aground in the English Channel, with over 3,500 people evacuated from the ship. She was refloated on 17 February.
• Car manufacturer Samuel Pandolfo and all members of his executive with the Pan Motor Company were convicted of fraud by trial jury in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Despite an attempt to appeal the decision, mounting costs and poor public reactions lead to the company closing by 1923 after which Pandolfo surrendered to authorities and served two years in prison.
• Cecil McKenzie Hill, chief instructor for the Canterbury Aviation Company, was killed in an air accident while flying over Riccarton, New Zealand in what was the country's first aircraft fatality.
• The German National Library of Economics was founded as department for the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Kiel, Germany.
• Clark County, Idaho was established with its seat in Dubois.
• Several rail stations were reopened in Great Britain after being closed down during World War I, including stations Kingsknowe in Edinburgh, Rhosneigr in Wales, and Glasson in England.

  [February 2], 1919 (Sunday)

• Born:
• * Lisa Della Casa, Swiss opera singer, best known for her collaborations with Bavarian State Opera and Metropolitan Opera; in Burgdorf, Switzerland
• * Anne Fogarty, American fashion designer, developed the sportswear look for women, author of Wife Dressing; as Anne Whitney, in Pittsburgh, United States
• * Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, German air force officer, commander of the Jagdgeschwader 77, Jagdgeschwader 27, and Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 for the Luftwaffe during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Lindenthal, Cologne, Weimar Republic

  [February 3], 1919 (Monday)

• Battle of Kiev - The Red Army began a siege on Kiev.
• Battle of Rawicz - Polish rebel forces attempted to capture the town of Rawicz in Greater Poland from occupying German forces.
• An estimated 12,000 British troops and six tanks were deployed to key points around Glasgow and the surrounding area to keep the peace following riots stemming from the largest general strike in Scotland.
• Éamon de Valera, the leader of Sinn Féin, escaped from Lincoln Prison in England along with two other comrades in a breakout arranged by fellow Sinn Féin members Michael Collins and Harry Boland.
• Auto engine manufacturer Cummins was established in Columbus, Indiana.
• The London Underground opened Debden Station on the Central line.
• Born: Bill Alley, Australian cricketer, batsmen for the New South Wales cricket team from 1946 to 1947 and Somerset County Cricket Club from 1958 to 1968; in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia
• Died: Mary Moore, Irish actress, sister of Matt, Owen and Tom Moore, known for film roles including ''A Million a Minute''

  [February 4], 1919 (Tuesday)

• Women were granted the right to vote and stand in elections in Belarus.
• A new capital of Slovakia was established at Bratislava, formerly Pressburg.
• The New Zealand Rifle Brigade was disbanded.
• The first prototype of the Bristol Badger aircraft crashed on its test flight due to fuel supply problems. It was not until May that engineering issues were resolved and it could make a second flight.
• The United States Congress established three medals specific for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps:
• * The Navy Distinguished Service Medal, which was to be awarded those that served in either the navy or marines, with the first presentation posthumously given to Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, for being the first marine officer to command a United States Army division in World War I.
• * The Navy Cross, which was to be awarded to those that displayed exceptional or heroic service in the United States Navy.
• * The Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor, which was to be awarded to those that displayed heroic service outside of combat.
• Born:
• * Peter Butterworth, English actor, best known for his comedic roles in the Carry On series, and The Monk in Doctor Who; in Bramhall, England
• * Janet Waldo, American actress, best known for the voices of Judy Jetson in The Jetsons and Josie in Josie and the Pussycats; in Yakima, Washington, United States
• Died: William Gilbert, 89, Australian politician, member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1881 to 1906

  [February 5], 1919 (Wednesday)

• Battle of Kiev - The Red Army captured Kiev.
• The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic established the Donets Governorate. It would eventually be abolished in 1925.
• Battle of Rawicz - Polish rebel forces launched a second attempt to capture Rawicz in Greater Poland after German defenders repelled the first assault.
• The 9th Battalion of the Royal Queensland Regiment was disbanded after the last members of the unit returned to Australia.
• Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith launched United Artists.
• German air carrier Deutsche Luft-Reederei began offering regular flights between Berlin and Weimar, using AEG and DFW aircraft.
• Born:
• * Red Buttons, American actor, known for his comedic and dramatic roles in Hatari!, The Poseidon Adventure and Pete's Dragon, recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sayonara; as Aaron Chwatt, in New York City, United States
• * Cornelia Fort, American air force officer, member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II; in Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• * Tim Holt, American actor, best known for his film roles in The Magnificent Ambersons and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; as Charles John Holt III, in Beverly Hills, California, United States
• * Andreas Papandreou, Greek state leader, 3rd and 8th Prime Minister of Greece during the Third Hellenic Republic; in Chios, Kingdom of Greece
• Died: William Michael Rossetti, 89, English writer, member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

  [February 6], 1919 (Thursday)

• Over 65,000 workers went on strike in Seattle, inciting the First Red Scare in the United States.
• Battle of Rawicz - German forces repelled a second Polish assault to take Rawicz in Greater Poland.
• The 167th and 169th Infantry Brigades of the British Army were disbanded.
• Convicted war criminal Mehmed Reshid, who was governor of Diyarbekir vilayet in the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian genocide, was cornered by authorities after escaping from prison a few days earlier in Constantinople. He shot himself rather than be retaken into custody.
• Sports club Spikkestad was established in the Røyken, Norway. It merged with Røyken in 1963 to become Spikkestad & Røyken. The club now offers football, handball, cycling, tennis, gymnastics, volleyball and skiing.
• Born: Josef Stalder, Swiss gymnast, gold and silver medalist in the 1948 Summer Olympics, silver and bronze medalist in the 1952 Summer Olympics
• Died: Angel De Cora, 47, American indigenous artist, known for promoting Ho-Chunk art, instructor at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School; died of influenza

  [February 7], 1919 (Friday)

• The city of Seattle added 600 men to the Seattle Police Force and hired another 2,400 deputies to counter the Seattle General Strike. Federal troops were summoned by the state attorney general of Washington to keep order in the city, along with 950 U.S. Navy sailors and marines. Seattle Mayor Ole Hanson also threatened to use 1,500 police and 1,500 troops to replace striking workers, but did not carry the threat out.
• British paddle steamer HMS Erin's Isle struck a naval mine left over from World War I off Nore, England, killed 23 passengers and crew on-board while another 28 survivors were rescued.
• The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Henry Ford had to run the Ford Motor Company for the interest of the shareholders, the first major legal citation of the shareholder primacy in corporate America.
• Swedish airline Svensk Lufttrafik was established in Stockholm. While its operation was very short, it had briefly employed former German ace and future Nazi leader Hermann Göring.
• Garfield County, Montana was established with its seat in Jordan.
• Jerome County, Idaho was established with its seat in Jerome.
• Born:
• * Desmond Doss, American army medical officer, recipient of the Medal of Honor and two Bronze Star Medals while being a conscientious objector during the Battle of Okinawa, subject of the documentary The Conscientious Objector and the war film Hacksaw Ridge; in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
• * Jock Mahoney, American actor and stuntman, best known for his lead in the television westerns The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer; as Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney, in Chicago, United States
• * Robert F. Yonash, American aviation engineer, member of the start-up team for Temco Aircraft, co-founder of the Intercontinental Manufacturing Company; in Wadena, Minnesota, United States