1909: NAACP Founded:
- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is established in New York City. It becomes a leading organization in the civil rights movement.
1921: Irish Free State:
- The Parliament of Southern Ireland ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty, leading to the establishment of the Irish Free State (now Ireland).
1946: Birth of James Dean:
- American actor James Dean, known for his roles in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant," is born in Marion, Indiana.
1961: Vostok 1:
- Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to journey into outer space in the Vostok 1 spacecraft. He completes one orbit around Earth.
1990: Nelson Mandela Released:
- South African anti-apartheid activist and future president Nelson Mandela is released from prison after spending 27 years behind bars.
2002: Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City:
- The 2002 Winter Olympics open in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
2010: 2010 Winter Olympics:
- The 2010 Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
2016: Super Bowl 50:
- Super Bowl 50, the championship game of the 2015-2016 NFL season, takes place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
2018: Pyongyang Olympics:
- The XXIII Olympic Winter Games open in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and run until February 25th.
2022: James Webb Telescope Deployment:
- NASA launches the James Webb Space Telescope, a powerful space telescope designed to observe the universe in infrared light.