So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

February 19th


- Flag Day, the birthday of the President Saparmurat Niyazov, established in 1997 (Turkmenistan)
- Birthday of Shivaji or Shivaji Jayanti (Maharashtra)
- Chaoflux (Discordianism)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Narconon Day (Church of Scientology)
- The hanging of Bulgaria's Apostle of Freedom Vassil Levski (Bulgaria)

February 19th


- 2002 - NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.
- 2001 - The Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated at the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
- 1999 - President Bill Clinton issues a posthumous pardon for U.S. Army Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper.
- 1986 - Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers the eastern province of Sri Lanka.
- 1986 - The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for 10 of those years.
- 1985 - Artificial heart recipient William J. Schroeder becomes the first such patient to leave hospital.
- 1985 - Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 crashes into Mount Oiz in Spain, killing 148.
- 1978 - Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat.
- 1976 - Executive Order 9066 is rescinded by President Gerald R. Ford's Proclamation 4417
- 1972 - The Asama-Sans? hostage standoff begins in Japan.
- 1963 - The publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique reawakens the Feminist Movement in the United States as women's organizations and consciousness-raising groups spread.
- 1959 - The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is then formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
- 1953 - Censorship: Georgia approves the first literature censorship board in the United States.
- 1949 - Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University.
- 1945 - World War II: Battle of Iwo Jima – about 30,000 United States Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima.
- 1943 - World War II: Battle of the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia begins.
- 1942 - World War II: nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin killing 243 people.
- 1942 - World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese-Americans to Japanese internment camps.
- 1937 - During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Eritrean nationalists attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades.
- 1921 - Reza Pahlavi takes control of Teheran during a successful coup
- 1884 - The Enigma tornado outbreak occurs.
- 1878 - Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.
- 1864 - Knights of Pythias are founded in Washington, D.C. by Justus H. Rathbone.
- 1861 - Serfdom is abolished in Russia.
- 1859 - Daniel E. Sickles, NY congressman, is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This is the 1st time this defense is successfully used in the United States.
- 1852 - The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity is founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
- 1847 - The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.
- 1846 - In Austin, Texas the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following Texas' annexation by the United States.
- 1819 - British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands, and claims them in the name of King George III.
- 1807 - In Alabama, Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason and confined to Fort Stoddert.
- 1674 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.
- 1600 - The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America.
- 1594 - Having already inherited the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through his mother Catherine Jagellonica of Poland, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, succeeding his father John III of Sweden.
- 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.

February 19th


- 1993 - Victoria Justice, American actress
- 1993 - Empress Schuck, Filipina actress
- 1989 - Luke Pasqualino, English actor
- 1988 - Miyu Irino, Japanese voice actor
- 1986 - Kyle Chipchura, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 - Reon Kadena, Japanese model/actress
- 1986 - Henri Karjalainen, Finnish racing driver
- 1986 - Maria Mena, Norwegian singer
- 1986 - Jayde Nicole, Canadian model
- 1986 - Marta, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 - Björn Gustafsson, Swedish comedian
- 1985 - Haylie Duff, American singer/actress
- 1985 - Arielle Kebbel, American actress
- 1984 - Chris Richardson, American Idol finalist
- 1983 - Assunta De Rossi, Filipino actress
- 1983 - Mika Nakashima, Japanese singer/actress
- 1983 - Ryan Whitney, American ice hockey player
- 1983 - Koto?sh? Katsunori, Bulgarian sumo wrestler
- 1982 - Camelia Potec, Romanian swimmer
- 1981 - Ronnie Arniell, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1981 - Beth Ditto, American singer (The Gossip)
- 1981 - Gil Reyes, American boxer
- 1981 - Nicky Shorey, English footballer
- 1981 - Vitas, Russian singer
- 1981 - Kyle Martino, American soccer player
- 1981 - Daniel Letterle, American actor and singer
- 1980 - Neleh Dennis, American Survivor contestant
- 1980 - Dwight Freeney, American football player
- 1980 - Mike Miller, American basketball player
- 1980 - Ma Lin, Chinese table tennis player
- 1980 - David Gandy, British Male Model
- 1979 - Mariska, Finnish rapper
- 1979 - Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
- 1979 - Steve Cherundolo, American soccer player
- 1978 - Michalis Konstantinou, Greek-Cypriot footballer
- 1978 - Immortal Technique, American rapper
- 1977 - Ola Salo, Swedish singer (The Ark)
- 1977 - Gianluca Zambrotta, Italian footballer
- 1976 - Jahidi White, American basketball player
- 1975 - Daniel Adair, Canadian Drummer (Nickelback)
- 1975 - Mikko Kavén, Finnish footballer
- 1975 - Katja Schuurman, Dutch actress and singer
- 1975 - Daewon Song, Korean professional skateboarder
- 1974 - Danny Doring, American professional wrestler
- 1972 - Francine, American professional wrestler
- 1971 - Miguel Batista, Dominican baseball player
- 1971 - Gil Shaham, Israeli-born American violinist
- 1971 - Lisa McCune, Australian actress
- 1969 - Burton C. Bell, American vocalist
- 1967 - Benicio del Toro, Puerto Rican actor
- 1966 - Justine Bateman, American actress
- 1966 - Paul Haarhuis, Dutch tennis player
- 1966 - Enzo Scifo, Belgian footballer
- 1965 - Cathy Lane, English Swimmer
- 1965 - Leroy, American musician (Smash Mouth)
- 1965 - Jon Fishman, American musician (Phish)
- 1964 - Dmitri Lipskerov, Russian writer
- 1964 - Sonu Walia, Indian actress
- 1964 - Doug Aldrich, American musician (Whitesnake)
- 1963 - Laurell K. Hamilton, American writer
- 1963 - Seal, English singer
- 1963 - Jessica Tuck, American actress
- 1962 - Hana Mandlíková, Czech tennis player
- 1962 - John Laroche, American orchid poacher
- 1961 - Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
- 1961 - Andy Wallace, English race car driver
- 1961 - Benoît Chamoux, French mountaineer (d. 1995)
- 1960 - Andrew, Duke of York
- 1960 - Leslie Ash, English actress
- 1958 - Helen Fielding, English writer
- 1957 - Falco, Austrian singer (d. 1998)
- 1957 - Lorianne Crook, Television Personality
- 1957 - Ray Winstone, British actor
- 1956 - Kathleen Beller, American actress
- 1956 - Roderick MacKinnon, American biologist, Nobel laureate
- 1956 - Dave Wakeling, English musician (The (English) Beat, General Public)
- 1955 - Jeff Daniels, American actor
- 1954 - Socrates, Brazilian footballer
- 1953 - Massimo Troisi, Italian actor (d. 1994)
- 1953 - Bill Kirchenbauer American comedian and actor
- 1953 - Cristina Elisabet Fernández – President of Argentina
- 1952 - Amy Tan, American novelist
- 1952 - Rodolfo Neri Vela, Mexican astronaut
- 1951 - Stephen Nichols, American actor
- 1951 - Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (Db), Pakistani Islamic Sufi Scholar
- 1950 - Andy Powell, British musician
- 1949 - Dan Bunten, American software developer (d. 1998)
- 1949 - William Messner-Loebs, American comics writer
- 1948 - Mark Andes, American musician
- 1948 - Pim Fortuyn, Dutch politician (d. 2002)
- 1948 - Big John Studd, American professional wrestler (d. 1995)
- 1948 - Tony Iommi, English guitarist (Black Sabbath)
- 1947 - Tim Shadbolt, mayor of Invercargill, New Zealand
- 1946 - Paul Dean, Canadian guitarist (Loverboy)
- 1946 - Peter Hudson, Australian rules footballer
- 1946 - Karen Silkwood, American activist (d. 1974)
- 1945 - Michael Nader, American actor
- 1943 - Tim Hunt, British biochemist, Nobel laureate
- 1943 - Lou Christie, American singer
- 1943 - Homer Hickam, American author and retired NASA engineer
- 1942 - Paul Krause, American football player
- 1941 - David Gross, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1940 - Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan (d. 2006)
- 1940 - Smokey Robinson, American singer
- 1939 - Gwen Taylor, English actress
- 1938 - René Muñoz, Cuban actor, screenwriter of telenovelas and the cinema of Mexico (d. 2000)
- 1938 - Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, Tibetan religious figure (d. 1989)
- 1937 - Robert Walker Jr., American blues guitarist
- 1936 - Sam Myers, American musician and songwriter (d. 2006)
- 1936 - Marin Sorescu, Romanian writer and novelist (d. 1997)
- 1935 - Dave Niehaus, American sportscaster
- 1934 - Carole Eastman, American screenwriter (d. 2004)
- 1932 - Joseph P. Kerwin, NASA astronaut
- 1930 - John Frankenheimer, American film director (d. 2002)
- 1930 - K Viswanath, South Indian film director
- 1929 - Jacques Deray, French film director (d. 2003)
- 1924 - David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player (d. 2006)
- 1924 - Lee Marvin, American actor (d. 1987)
- 1924 - Bruce Norris, American ice hockey executive (d. 1986)
- 1924 - František Vlá?il, Czech film director, painter, and graphic artist (d. 1999)
- 1920 - C. Z. Guest, American socialite (d. 2003)
- 1920 - Jaan Kross, Estonian writer (d. 2007)
- 1920 - George Rose, British music hall entertainer (d. 1988)
- 1917 - Carson McCullers, American author (d. 1967)
- 1916 - Eddie Arcaro, American jockey (d. 1997)
- 1914 - Jacques Dufilho, French comedian (d. 2005)
- 1913 - Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, pretender to the Brazilian throne (d. 2007)
- 1912 - Saul Chaplin, American composer (d. 1997)
- 1911 - Merle Oberon, British actress (d. 1979)
- 1910 - Dorothy Janis, American silent film actress (d. 2010)
- 1904 - Havank, Dutch writer (d. 1964)
- 1902 - Kay Boyle, American writer (d. 1992)
- 1899 - Yury Olesha, Russian novelist (d. 1960)
- 1897 - Alma Rubens, American actress (d. 1931)
- 1896 - André Breton, French poet (d. 1966)
- 1895 - Louis Calhern, American actor (d. 1956)
- 1895 - Diego Mazquiarán, Spanish matador ( d. 1940 )
- 1893 - Sir Cedric Hardwicke, British actor (d. 1964)
- 1888 - José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian writer (d. 1928)
- 1888 - Aurora Quezon, First Lady of the Philippines (d. 1949)
- 1880 - Alvaro Obregon, Mexican president (d. 1928)
- 1877 - Gabriele Münter, German painter (d. 1962)
- 1876 - Constantin Brancusi, Romanian sculptor (d. 1957)
- 1869 - Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenian poet and writer (d. 1923)
- 1865 - Sven Hedin, Swedish explorer (d. 1952)
- 1859 - Svante Arrhenius, Swedish chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1927)
- 1855 - Nishinoumi Kajir? I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 16th Yokozuna (d. 1908)
- 1833 - Élie Ducommun, Swiss journalist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1906)
- 1821 - August Schleicher, German linguist (d. 1868)
- 1804 - Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky, German physician (d. 1878)
- 1804 - David Wark, Canadian politician (d. 1905)
- 1802 - Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councillor (d. 1881)
- 1780 - Richard McCarty, American politician (d. 1844)
- 1743 - Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer (d. 1805)
- 1722 - Tiphaigne de la Roche, French writer (d. 1774)
- 1717 - David Garrick, British actor (d. 1779)
- 1660 - Friedrich Hoffmann, German physician and chemist (d. 1742)
- 1630 - Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire (d. 1680)
- 1552 - Melchior Klesl, Austrian cardinal and statesman (d. 1630)
- 1526 - Charles de L'Ecluse, Flemish botanist (d. 1609)
- 1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus, mathematician and astronomer (d. 1543)