Human Saga

On February 21

On February 21, 2 pivotal events are recorded in the Human Saga, including Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto (1848).

On this day

21 February 1848Marx and Engels publish The Communist ManifestoReligion & ideology

In late February 1848, around the 21st, a slim pamphlet titled the Manifesto of the Communist Party appeared in London, printed in German and commissioned by the Communist League.

21 February – 18 December 1916 (Verdun and the Somme)Verdun and the Somme: the war of attrition and total warMilitary & conflict

In 1916 the Western Front produced two of the deadliest battles in history, epitomising the industrialised attrition warfare of World War I.

Also this week in history (Feb 18 – Feb 24)

24 February 2022Russia's full-scale invasion of UkraineMilitary & conflict

On 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War, escalating a war that had begun with Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and intervention in the Donbas.

19 February 1600Eruption of HuaynaputinaEnvironment & climate

On 19 February 1600, the Huaynaputina volcano in the Moquegua region of southern Peru erupted explosively, producing the largest volcanic eruption recorded in South American history and one of the most powerful worldwide in the past two…

19 February 1963The Feminine Mystique and the rise of second-wave feminismCulture, arts & philosophy

Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, published on 19 February 1963, gave voice to the dissatisfaction of many American women confined to domestic roles in the post-war suburbs.

23 February 2025German federal election: CDU/CSU wins as AfD surges to secondPolitics & governance

In a snap federal election held on 23 February 2025, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc led by Friedrich Merz won with roughly 28.5 percent of the vote, positioning Merz to become chancellor at the head of a coalition.

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