This DayI n History

On February 17, 1863, Abraham Lincoln established the National Academy of Sciences. This day also marks the burning of Giordano Bruno (1600), the recognition of the Orange Free State (1854), the repeal of Prohibition in Oregon (1933), and Kosovo’s independence declaration (2008).

On February 16, 1918, Lithuania’s Council (Taryba) signed the Act of Independence in Vilnius, restoring sovereignty from Russian and German rule. This historic milestone marked Lithuania’s rebirth after over a century under foreign control.

On February 15, 2013, a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, after entering Earth’s atmosphere at 18 km/s. Detonating at 30–50 km altitude, its energy was 400–500 kilotons of TNT—20–30 times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb—one of the century’s most spectacular astronomical events.