February 22 in history — What Happened Today in History

The Corona reconnaissance satellite program, in existence from 1959 to 1972, is declassified.

Aldrich Ames and his wife are charged by the United States Department of Justice with spying for the Soviet Union.

Start of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.

The notorious Broadway flop Moose Murders opens and closes on the same night at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeats the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3.

Saint Lucia gains independence from the United Kingdom.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit begins in Lahore, Pakistan. Thirty-seven countries attend and twenty-two heads of state and government participate. It also recognizes Bangladesh.

Samuel Byck attempts to hijack an aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Airport with the intention of crashing it into the White House to assassinate Richard Nixon, but commits suicide after being wounded by police.

Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices.

The Official Irish Republican Army detonates a car bomb at Aldershot barracks, killing seven and injuring nineteen others.

Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.

Following a plebiscite in both countries the previous day, Egypt and Syria join to form the United Arab Republic.

Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam survives a communist shooting assassination attempt in Buôn Ma Thuột.

The "Long Telegram", proposing how the United States should deal with the Soviet Union, arrives from the US embassy in Moscow.

World War II: American aircraft mistakenly bomb the Dutch towns of Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede and Deventer, resulting in 800 dead in Nijmegen alone.

World War II: The Soviet Red Army recaptures Krivoi Rog.

World War II: Members of the White Rose resistance, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst are executed in Nazi Germany.

Yankee Clipper crashes while landing on the Tagus in Lisbon, killing 24.

World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as the Japanese victory becomes inevitable.

After Russian forces under Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg drive the Chinese out, the Bogd Khan is reinstalled as the emperor of Mongolia.[citation needed]

The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world.

The United Kingdom sells a meteorological station on the South Orkney Islands to Argentina; the islands are subsequently claimed by the United Kingdom in 1908.

Filipino forces led by General Antonio Luna launch counterattacks for the first time against the American forces during the Philippine–American War. The Filipinos fail to regain Manila from the Americans.

President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states.

Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old Ancient Egyptian obelisk is erected in Central Park, New York.

In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores.

The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.

American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is officially inaugurated for a six-year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously inaugurated as a provisional president on February 18, 1861.

Sergio Romero, Argentine footballer

Rajon Rondo, American basketball player

Hamer Bouazza, Algerian footballer

Georgios Printezis, Greek basketball player

Zach Roerig, American actor

Tommy Bowe, Irish rugby player

Branislav Ivanović, Serbian footballer

Brian Duensing, American baseball player

Clint McKay, Australian cricketer

Iliza Shlesinger, American stand-up comedian, actress and television host

Shaun Tait, Australian cricketer

Jeanette Biedermann, German singer-songwriter and actress

Brett Emerton, Australian footballer

Sukhbir, Indian author and poet (born 1925)

Frank Carson, Irish-English comedian and actor (born 1926)

Marie Colvin, American journalist (born 1956)

Rémi Ochlik, French photographer and journalist (born 1983)

George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, English politician, Leader of the House of Lords (born 1918)

Dennis Johnson, American basketball player and coach (born 1954)

S. Rajaratnam, Singaporean politician, 1st Senior Minister of Singapore (born 1915)

Lee Eun-ju, South Korean actress and singer (born 1980)

Simone Simon, French actress (born 1910)

Andy Seminick, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1920)

Chuck Jones, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (born 1912)

Jonas Savimbi, Angolan general, founded UNITA (born 1934)

William Bronk, American poet and academic (born 1918)