text:
February 1

Pre-1600

 * 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
 * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).

1601–1900

 * 1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
 * 1713 – The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman sultan's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
 * 1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
 * 1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
 * 1814 – Mayon in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, the most devastating eruption of the volcano.
 * 1835 – Slavery is abolished in Mauritius.
 * 1861 – American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy a week later.
 * 1864 – Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.
 * 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
 * 1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
 * 1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.
 * 1895 – Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.
 * 1896 – La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.
 * 1897 – Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.
 * 1900 – Great Britain, defeated by Boers in key battles, names Lord Roberts commander of British forces in South Africa.

1901–present

 * 1908 – Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.
 * 1924 – Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.
 * 1942 – World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
 * 1942  – World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
 * 1942  – Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
 * 1942  – Mao Zedong makes a speech on "Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature", which puts into motion the Yan'an Rectification Movement.
 * 1946 – Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
 * 1946  – The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
 * 1950 – The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.
 * 1957 – Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crashes on Rikers Island in New York City, killing 20 people and injuring 78 others.
 * 1960 – Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 * 1964 – The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
 * 1968 – Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
 * 1968  – Canada's three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.
 * 1968  – The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.
 * 1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
 * 1974 – A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
 * 1979 – Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.
 * 1981 – The Underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred when Trevor Chappell bowls underarm on the final delivery of a game between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
 * 1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.
 * 1992 – The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.
 * 1996 – The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
 * 1998 – Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
 * 2002 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal, kidnapped on January 23, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.
 * 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
 * 2004 – Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.
 * 2004  – Double suicide attack in Erbil on the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties by members of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
 * 2005 – King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.
 * 2007 – The National Weather Service in the United States switches from the Fujita scale to the new Enhanced Fujita scale to measure the intensity and strength of tornadoes.
 * 2009 – The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country's first female prime minister and the world's first openly gay head of government.
 * 2012 – Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
 * 2013 – The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, opens its viewing gallery to the public.
 * 2021 – A coup d'état in Myanmar removes Aung San Suu Kyi from power and restores military rule.
 * 2022 – Five-year-old Moroccan boy Rayan Aourram falls into a 32-meter (105 feet) deep well in Ighran village in Tamorot commune, Chefchaouen Province, Morocco, but dies four days later, before rescue workers reached him.

Pre-1600

 * 1261 – Walter de Stapledon, English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1326)
 * 1435 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (d. 1472)
 * 1447 – Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1504)
 * 1459 – Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (d. 1508)
 * 1462 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (d. 1516)
 * 1552 – Edward Coke, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1634)
 * 1561 – Henry Briggs, British mathematician (d. 1630)

1601–1900

 * 1635 – Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and scholar (d. 1689)
 * 1648 – Elkanah Settle, English poet and playwright (d. 1724)
 * 1659 – Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (d. 1729)
 * 1663 – Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (d. 1748)
 * 1666 – Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (d. 1732)
 * 1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock, German violinist and composer (d. 1733)
 * 1690 – Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1768)
 * 1701 – Johan Agrell, Swedish-German pianist and composer (d. 1765)
 * 1761 – Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, South African-French mycologist and academic (d. 1836)
 * 1763 – Thomas Campbell, Irish minister and theologian (d. 1854)
 * 1796 – Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss minister, poet, and educator (d. 1865)
 * 1801 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (d. 1881)
 * 1820 – George Hendric Houghton, American clergyman and theologian (d. 1897)
 * 1836 – Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (d. 1898)
 * 1844 – G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and academic (d. 1924)
 * 1851 – Durham Stevens, American lawyer and diplomat (d. 1908)
 * 1858 – Ignacio Bonillas, Mexican diplomat (d. 1942)
 * 1859 – Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
 * 1866 – Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (d. 1924)
 * 1868 – Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
 * 1870 – Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish physician (d. 1949)
 * 1872 – Clara Butt, English opera singer (d. 1936)
 * 1872  – Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician (d. 1949)
 * 1873 – John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1901)
 * 1874 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1929)
 * 1878 – Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (d. 1955)
 * 1878  – Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (d. 1944)
 * 1881 – Tip Snooke, South African cricketer (d. 1966)
 * 1882 – Vladimir Dimitrov, Bulgarian artist (d. 1960)
 * 1882  – Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
 * 1884 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player and physician (d. 1949)
 * 1884  – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (d. 1937)
 * 1887 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (d. 1947)
 * 1890 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1942)
 * 1894 – John Ford, American director and producer (d. 1973)
 * 1894  – James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
 * 1895 – Conn Smythe, Canadian businessman (d. 1980)
 * 1897 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (d. 1985)
 * 1898 – Leila Denmark, American pediatrician and author (d. 2012)

1901–present

 * 1901 – Frank Buckles, American soldier (d. 2011)
 * 1901  – Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)
 * 1902 – Therese Brandl, German concentration camp guard (d. 1947)
 * 1902  – Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (d. 1967)
 * 1904 – S.J. Perelman, American humorist and screenwriter (d. 1979)
 * 1905 – Emilio G. Segrè, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
 * 1906 – Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (d. 1993)
 * 1907 – Günter Eich, German author and songwriter (d. 1972)
 * 1907  – Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 1993)
 * 1908 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (d. 1980)
 * 1908  – Louis Rasminsky, Canadian economist and banker (d. 1998)
 * 1909 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
 * 1910 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Chinese general and politician (d. 2009)
 * 1915 – Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
 * 1917 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (d. 2013)
 * 1917  – Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (d. 1944)
 * 1918 – Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist (d. 2006)
 * 1918  – Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (d. 2012)
 * 1920 – Mike Scarry, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
 * 1920  – Zao Wou-Ki, Chinese-French painter (d. 2013)
 * 1921 – Teresa Mattei, Italian feminist partisan and politician (d. 2013)
 * 1921  – Patricia Robins, English writer and WAAF officer (d. 2016)
 * 1921  – Peter Sallis, English actor (d. 2017)
 * 1922 – Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (d. 2004)
 * 1923 – Ben Weider, Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (d. 2008)
 * 1924 – Richard Hooker, American novelist (d. 1997)
 * 1924  – Emmanuel Scheffer, German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2012)
 * 1926 – Vivian Maier, American street photographer (d. 2009)
 * 1927 – Galway Kinnell, American poet and academic (d. 2014)
 * 1928 – Sam Edwards, Welsh physicist and academic (d. 2015)
 * 1928  – Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American academic and politician (d. 2008)
 * 1928  – Stuart Whitman, American actor (d. 2020)
 * 1930 – Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh (d. 2022)
 * 1930  – Hussain Muhammad Ershad,Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh (d. 2019)
 * 1931 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (d. 2007)
 * 1932 – Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (d. 2016)
 * 1934 – Nicolae Breban, Romanian author, poet, and playwright
 * 1936 – Tuncel Kurtiz, Turkish actor, playwright, and director (d. 2013)
 * 1936  – Azie Taylor Morton, American educator and politician, 36th Treasurer of the United States (d. 2003)
 * 1937 – Don Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2021)
 * 1937  – Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian
 * 1938 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer (d. 2008)
 * 1938  – Jacky Cupit, American golfer
 * 1938  – Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (d. 2012)
 * 1939 – Fritjof Capra, Austrian physicist, author, and academic
 * 1939  – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (d. 1978)
 * 1939  – Paul Gillmor, American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
 * 1939  – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (d. 2009)
 * 1939  – Joe Sample, American pianist and composer (d. 2014)
 * 1941 – Jerry Spinelli, American author
 * 1942 – Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
 * 1942  – Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
 * 1942  – David Sincock, Australian cricketer
 * 1944 – Petru Popescu, Romanian-American director, producer, and author
 * 1944  – Burkhard Ziese, German footballer and manager (d. 2010)
 * 1945 – Serge Joyal, Canadian lawyer and politician, 50th Secretary of State for Canada
 * 1945  – Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
 * 1945  – Mary Jane Reoch, American cyclist (d. 1993)
 * 1946 – Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (d. 1977)
 * 1946  – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (d. 2011)
 * 1947 – Adam Ingram, Scottish computer programmer and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
 * 1947  – Normie Rowe, Australian singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1947  – Jessica Savitch, American journalist (d. 1983)
 * 1948 – Rick James, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2004)
 * 1950 – Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
 * 1950  – Ali Haydar Konca, Turkish politician, 4th Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs
 * 1950  – Rich Williams, American guitarist and songwriter
 * 1951 – Sonny Landreth, American guitarist and songwriter
 * 1952 – Owoye Andrew Azazi, Nigerian general (d. 2012)
 * 1954 – Chuck Dukowski, American singer-songwriter and bass player
 * 1954  – Bill Mumy, American actor, writer, and musician
 * 1955 – T. R. Dunn, American basketball player and coach
 * 1956 – Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1957 – Gilbert Hernandez, American author and illustrator
 * 1957  – Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Saudi Arabian businessman (d. 2007)
 * 1958 – Luther Blissett, Jamaican-English footballer and manager
 * 1958  – Eleanor Laing, Scottish lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
 * 1959 – Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (d. 2019)
 * 1961 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player and coach
 * 1961  – Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician (d. 2018)
 * 1961  – Daniel M. Tani, American engineer and astronaut
 * 1962 – José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (d. 2004)
 * 1962  – Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1962  – Takashi Murakami, Japanese painter and sculptor
 * 1964 – Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
 * 1964  – Eli Ohana, Israeli football player, and club chairman
 * 1964  – Mario Pelchat, Canadian singer-songwriter
 * 1964  – Linus Roache, English actor
 * 1965 – Sherilyn Fenn, American actress
 * 1965  – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (d. 1993)
 * 1965  – Stéphanie of Monaco
 * 1966 – Michelle Akers, American soccer player
 * 1967 – Meg Cabot, American author and screenwriter
 * 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2023)
 * 1968  – Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1968  – Pauly Shore, American actor and comedian
 * 1969 – Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer
 * 1969  – Andrew Breitbart, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 2012)
 * 1969  – Brian Krause, American actor
 * 1969  – Joshua Redman, American musician and composer
 * 1969  – Franklyn Rose, Jamaican cricketer
 * 1969  – Patrick Wilson, American musician and songwriter
 * 1970 – Yasuyuki Kazama, Japanese racing driver
 * 1970  – Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (d. 2000)
 * 1971 – Michael C. Hall, American actor and producer
 * 1971  – Tommy Salo, Swedish ice hockey player
 * 1972 – Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist
 * 1972  – Christian Ziege, German footballer
 * 1973 – Andrew DeClercq, American basketball player and coach
 * 1973  – Óscar Pérez Rojas, Mexican footballer
 * 1974 – Walter McCarty, American basketball player and coach
 * 1975 – Big Boi, American rapper
 * 1975  – Martijn Reuser, Dutch footballer
 * 1975  – Tomáš Vlasák, Czech ice hockey player
 * 1976 – Phil Ivey, American poker player
 * 1976  – Mat Rogers, Australian rugby player
 * 1977 – Robert Traylor, American basketball player (d. 2011)
 * 1978 – Tim Harding, Australian singer and actor
 * 1979 – Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
 * 1979  – Jason Isbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1979  – Juan, Brazilian footballer
 * 1980 – Héctor Luna, Dominican baseball player
 * 1981 – Hins Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
 * 1981  – Christian Giménez, Argentinian footballer
 * 1981  – Graeme Smith, South African cricketer
 * 1982 – Gavin Henson, Welsh rugby player
 * 1982  – Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer
 * 1983 – Heather DeLoach, American actress
 * 1983  – Kevin Martin, American basketball player
 * 1983  – Jurgen Van den Broeck, Belgian cyclist
 * 1983  – Andrew VanWyngarden, American singer-songwriter and musician
 * 1984 – Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer
 * 1985 – Dean Shiels, Irish footballer
 * 1986 – Jorrit Bergsma, Dutch speed skater
 * 1986  – Lauren Conrad, American fashion designer and author
 * 1986  – Ladislav Šmíd, Czech ice hockey player
 * 1987 – Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer
 * 1987  – Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer
 * 1987  – Austin Jackson, American baseball player
 * 1987  – Heather Morris, American actress, singer, and dancer
 * 1987  – Giuseppe Rossi, Italian footballer
 * 1987  – Ronda Rousey, American mixed martial artist, wrestler and actress
 * 1988 – Brett Anderson, American baseball player
 * 1989 – Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
 * 1990 – Tyler Myers, American-Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1991 – Blake Austin, Australian rugby league player
 * 1991  – Kyle Palmieri, American hockey player
 * 1992 – Sean Manaea, American baseball player
 * 1993 – Diego Mella, Italian footballer
 * 1994 – Anna-Lena Friedsam, German tennis player
 * 1994  – Julia Garner, American actress
 * 1994  – Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1996 – Ahmad Abughaush, Jordanian taekwondo athlete
 * 1997 – Drew Eubanks, American basketball player
 * 1997  – Jihyo, South Korean singer
 * 1999 – Mohamed Abdelmonem, Egyptian footballer
 * 2000 – Talanoa Hufanga, American football player

Pre-1600

 * 583 – Kan B'alam I, ruler of Palenque (b. 524)
 * 772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
 * 850 – Ramiro I, king of Asturias
 * 1222 – Alexios Megas Komnenos, first Emperor of Trebizond
 * 1248 – Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
 * 1328 – Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
 * 1501 – Sigismund of Bavaria (b. 1439)
 * 1542 – Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (b. 1480)
 * 1563 – Menas of Ethiopia
 * 1590 – Lawrence Humphrey, English theologian and academic (b. 1527)

1601–1900

 * 1691 – Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
 * 1718 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1660)
 * 1733 – Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (b. 1670)
 * 1734 – John Floyer, English physician and author (b. 1649)
 * 1743 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (b. 1657)
 * 1750 – Bakar of Georgia (b. 1699)
 * 1761 – Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French priest and historian (b. 1682)
 * 1768 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (b. 1685)
 * 1793 – William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1717)
 * 1803 – Anders Chydenius, Finnish economist, philosopher and Lutheran priest (b. 1729)
 * 1832 – Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (b. 1777)
 * 1851 – Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (b. 1797)
 * 1871 – Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (b. 1820)
 * 1893 – George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
 * 1897 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)

1901–present

 * 1903 – Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
 * 1907 – Léon Serpollet, French businessman (b. 1858)
 * 1908 – Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
 * 1916 – James Boucaut, English-Australian politician, 11th Premier of South Australia (b. 1831)
 * 1917 – Georg Andreas Bull, Norwegian architect (b. 1829)
 * 1922 – William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (b. 1872)
 * 1924 – Maurice Prendergast, American painter (b. 1858)
 * 1928 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
 * 1936 – Georgios Kondylis, Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1878)
 * 1940 – Philip Francis Nowlan, American author, created Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
 * 1940  – Zacharias Papantoniou, Greek journalist and critic (b. 1877)
 * 1944 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (b. 1872)
 * 1949 – Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, Romanian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1880)
 * 1949  – Herbert Stothart, American conductor and composer (b. 1885)
 * 1957 – Friedrich Paulus, German general (b. 1890)
 * 1958 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
 * 1959 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (b. 1873)
 * 1965 – Johan Scharffenberg, Norwegian psychiatrist (b. 1869)
 * 1966 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and journalist (b. 1885)
 * 1966  – Buster Keaton, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
 * 1968 – Echol Cole and Robert Walker - sparking the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
 * 1970 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
 * 1976 – Werner Heisenberg, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
 * 1976  – George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1878)
 * 1979 – Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
 * 1980 – Yolanda González (activist), Basque activist (b.1961)
 * 1981 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American engineer and businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (b. 1892)
 * 1981  – Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian pianist and composer (b. 1908)
 * 1986 – Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
 * 1987 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
 * 1988 – Heather O'Rourke, American child actress (b. 1975)
 * 1989 – Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (b. 1918)
 * 1989 – Eduardo Franco, Uruguayan lead singer of the band "Los Iracundos" (b. 1945)
 * 1991 – Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur Attar, Saudi Arabian writer and journalist (b. 1916)
 * 1992 – Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (b. 1909)
 * 1993 – Sven Thofelt, Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer (b. 1904)
 * 1996 – Ray Crawford, American race car driver, pilot, and businessman (b. 1915)
 * 1997 – Herb Caen, American journalist and author (b. 1916)
 * 1999 – Paul Mellon, American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1907)
 * 2001 – André D'Allemagne, Canadian political scientist and academic (b. 1929)
 * 2002 – Aykut Barka, Turkish geologist and academic (b. 1951)
 * 2002  – Hildegard Knef, German actress and singer (b. 1925)
 * 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia crew
 * Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1959)
 * David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1956)
 * Kalpana Chawla, Indian-American engineer and astronaut (b. 1961)
 * Laurel Clark, American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (b. 1961)
 * Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1957)
 * William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1961)
 * Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1954)
 * 2003  – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (b. 1922)
 * 2004 – Suha Arın, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
 * 2005 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (b. 1932)
 * 2007 – Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian-American playwright and composer (b. 1911)
 * 2008 – Beto Carrero, Brazilian actor and businessman (b. 1937)
 * 2012 – Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (b. 1936)
 * 2012  – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1923)
 * 2013 – Helene Hale, American politician (b. 1918)
 * 2013  – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (b. 1924)
 * 2013  – Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (b. 1928)
 * 2013  – Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
 * 2014 – Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1938)
 * 2014  – Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (b. 1917)
 * 2014  – Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (b. 1946)
 * 2014  – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
 * 2015 – Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (b. 1925)
 * 2015  – Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (b. 1935)
 * 2015  – Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (b. 1981)
 * 2016 – Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (b. 1930)
 * 2017 – Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (b. 1926)
 * 2018 – Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (b. 1910)
 * 2018  – Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (b. 1985)
 * 2019 – Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (b. 1961)
 * 2019  – Clive Swift, English actor (b. 1936)
 * 2019  – Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (b. 1959)
 * 2021 – Dustin Diamond, American actor, director, stand-up comedian, and musician (b. 1977)
 * 2021  – Temur Tsiklauri, Georgian pop singer and actor (b. 1946)
 * 2022 – Remi De Roo, Canadian bishop of the Catholic Church (b. 1924)

Holidays and observances

 * Abolition of Slavery Day (Mauritius)
 * Air Force Day (Nicaragua)
 * Christian feast day:
 * Blessed Candelaria of San José
 * Brigid of Ireland (Saint Brigid's Day)
 * Verdiana
 * February 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico)
 * Federal Territory Day (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, Malaysia)
 * Heroes Day (Rwanda)
 * Saint Brigid's Day/Imbolc (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some Neopagan groups in the Northern hemisphere)
 * Memorial Day of the Republic (Hungary)
 * National Freedom Day (United States)
 * The start of Black History Month (United States and Canada)
 * World Hijab Day

title: February 1


text:
First Lady of the United States

First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the United States. Since the early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by official staff, known as the Office of the First Lady and headquartered in the East Wing of the White House.

Jill Biden has served as the first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of the 46th president, Joe Biden. Jill Biden is also one of twelve second ladies to have gone on to become first ladies during their spouses' terms as president.

While the title was not in general use until much later, Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington, the first U.S. president (1789–1797), is considered to be the inaugural first lady of the United States. During her lifetime, she was often referred to as "Lady Washington".

Since the 1900s, the role of first lady has changed considerably. It has come to include involvement in political campaigns, management of the White House, championship of social causes, and representation of the president at official and ceremonial occasions.

Though, additionally, over the years individual first ladies have held influence in a range of sectors, from fashion to public opinion on policy, as well as advocacy for female empowerment. Historically, when a president has been unmarried or a widower, he has usually asked a relative to act as White House hostess.

Origins of the title

The use of the title First Lady to describe the spouse or hostess of an executive began in the United States. In the early days of the republic, there was not a generally accepted title for the wife of the president. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady", "Mrs. President" and "Mrs. Presidentress"; Martha Washington was often referred to as "Lady Washington". One of the earliest uses of the term "First Lady" was applied to her in an 1838 newspaper article that appeared in the St. Johnsbury Caledonian, the author, "Mrs. Sigourney", discusses how Martha Washington had not changed, even after her husband George became president. She wrote that "The first lady of the nation still preserved the habits of early life. Indulging in no indolence, she left the pillow at dawn, and after breakfast, retired to her chamber for an hour for the study of the scriptures and devotion."

According to popular belief, Dolley Madison was referred to as first lady in 1849 at her funeral in a eulogy delivered by President Zachary Taylor; however, no written record of this eulogy exists, nor did any of the newspapers of her day refer to her by that title. Sometime after 1849, the title began being used in Washington, D.C., social circles. The first person to have the title applied to her while she was actually holding the office was Harriet Lane, the niece of James Buchanan; Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper used the phrase to describe her in an 1860 article about her duties as White House hostess. Another of the earliest known written examples comes from a November 3, 1863, diary entry of William Howard Russell, in which he referred to gossip about "the First Lady in the Land", referring to Mary Todd Lincoln. The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when newspaper journalist Mary C. Ames referred to Lucy Webb Hayes as "the First Lady of the Land" while reporting on the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes. The frequent reporting on Lucy Hayes' activities helped spread use of the title outside Washington. A popular 1911 comedic play about Dolley Madison by playwright Charles Nirdlinger, titled The First Lady in the Land, popularized the title further. By the 1930s, it was in wide use. Use of the title later spread from the United States to other nations.

When Edith Wilson took control of her husband's schedule in 1919 after he had a debilitating stroke, one Republican senator labeled her "the Presidentress who had fulfilled the dream of the suffragettes by changing her title from First Lady to Acting First Man".

According to the Nexis database, the abbreviation FLOTUS (pronounced ) was first used in 1983 by Donnie Radcliffe, writing in The Washington Post.

Non-spouses in the role
Several women (at least thirteen) who were not presidents' wives have served as first lady, as when the president was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the president was unable to fulfill the duties of the first lady herself. In these cases, the position has been filled by a female relative of the president, such as Jefferson's daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph, Jackson's daughter-in-law Sarah Yorke Jackson and his wife's niece Emily Donelson, Taylor's daughter Mary Elizabeth Bliss, Benjamin Harrison's daughter Mary Harrison McKee, Buchanan's niece Harriet Lane, Chester A. Arthur's sister Mary Arthur McElroy and Cleveland's sister Rose Cleveland.

Potential male title
Each of the 45 presidents of the United States have been male, and all have either had their wives, or a female hostess, assume the role of first lady. Thus, a male equivalent of the title of first lady has never been needed. However, in 2016, as Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win a major party's presidential nomination, questions were raised as to what her husband Bill would be titled if she were to win the presidency. During the campaign, the title of First Gentleman of the United States was most frequently suggested for Bill Clinton, although as a former president himself, he might have been called "Mr. President". In addition, state governors' male spouses are typically called the First Gentleman of their respective state (for example, Michael Haley was the first gentleman of South Carolina while his wife, Nikki, served as governor). Ultimately, Hillary Clinton lost the election, rendering this a moot point.

In 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman to hold a nationally elected office when she took office as vice president, making her husband Doug Emhoff the first male spouse of a nationally elected officeholder. Emhoff assumed the title of Second Gentleman of the United States ("gentleman" replacing "lady" in the title) making it likely that any future male spouse of a president will be given the title of first gentleman.

Role
The position of the first lady is not an elected one and carries only ceremonial duties. Nonetheless, first ladies have held a highly visible position in American society. The role of the first lady has evolved over the centuries. She is, first and foremost, the hostess of the White House. She organizes and attends official ceremonies and functions of state either along with, or in place of, the president. Lisa Burns identifies four successive main themes of the first ladyship: as public woman (1900–1929); as political celebrity (1932–1961); as political activist (1964–1977); and as political interloper (1980–2001).

Martha Washington created the role and hosted many affairs of state at the national capital (New York and Philadelphia). This socializing became known as the Republican Court and provided elite women with opportunities to play backstage political roles. Both Martha Washington and Abigail Adams were treated as if they were "ladies" of the British royal court.

Dolley Madison popularized the first ladyship by engaging in efforts to assist orphans and women, by dressing in elegant fashions and attracting newspaper coverage, and by risking her life to save iconic treasures during the War of 1812. Madison set the standard for the ladyship and her actions were the model for nearly every first lady until Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s. Roosevelt traveled widely and spoke to many groups, often voicing personal opinions to the left of the president's. She authored a weekly newspaper column and hosted a radio show. Jacqueline Kennedy led an effort to redecorate and restore the White House.

Many first ladies became significant fashion trendsetters. Some have exercised a degree of political influence by virtue of being an important adviser to the president.

Over the course of the 20th century, it became increasingly common for first ladies to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the first lady to hire a staff to support these activities. Lady Bird Johnson pioneered environmental protection and beautification. Pat Nixon encouraged volunteerism and traveled extensively abroad; Betty Ford supported women's rights; Rosalynn Carter aided those with mental disabilities; Nancy Reagan founded the Just Say No drug awareness campaign; Barbara Bush promoted literacy; Hillary Clinton sought to reform the healthcare system in the U.S.; Laura Bush supported women's rights groups, and encouraged childhood literacy. Michelle Obama became identified with supporting military families and tackling childhood obesity; and Melania Trump used her position to help children, including prevention of cyberbullying and support for those whose lives are affected by drugs.

Since 1964, the incumbent and all living former first ladies are honorary members of the board of trustees of the National Cultural Center, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Near the end of her husband's presidency, Hillary Clinton became the first first lady to seek political office, when she ran for United States Senate. During the campaign, her daughter Chelsea took over much of the first lady's role. Victorious, Clinton served as junior senator from New York from 2001 to 2009, when she resigned to become President Obama's secretary of state. Later, she was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 2016 election, but lost to Donald Trump.

Office of the First Lady

The Office of the First Lady of the United States is accountable to the first lady for her to carry out her duties as hostess of the White House, and is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House. The first lady has her own staff that includes a chief of staff, press secretary, White House Social Secretary, and Chief Floral Designer. The Office of the First Lady is an entity of the White House Office, a branch of the Executive Office of the President. When First Lady Hillary Clinton decided to pursue a run for Senator of New York, she set aside her duties as first lady and moved to Chappaqua, New York, to establish state residency. She resumed her duties as first lady after winning her senatorial campaign, and retained her duties as both first lady and a U.S. senator for the seventeen-day overlap before Bill Clinton's term came to an end.

Exhibitions and collections
Established in 1912, the First Ladies Collection has been one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian Institution. The original exhibition opened in 1914 and was one of the first at the Smithsonian to prominently feature women. Originally focused largely on fashion, the exhibition now delves deeper into the contributions of first ladies to the presidency and American society. In 2008, "First Ladies at the Smithsonian" opened at the National Museum of American History as part of its reopening year celebration. That exhibition served as a bridge to the museum's expanded exhibition on first ladies' history that opened on November 19, 2011. "The First Ladies" explores the unofficial but important position of first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to the presidential administrations and the nation. The exhibition features 26 dresses and more than 160 other objects, ranging from those of Martha Washington to Michelle Obama, and includes White House china, personal possessions and other objects from the Smithsonian's unique collection of first ladies' materials.

Fashion influence
Some first ladies have garnered attention for their dress and style. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for instance, became a global fashion icon: her style was copied by commercial manufacturers and imitated by many young women, and she was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1965. Mamie Eisenhower was named one of the twelve best-dressed women in the country by the New York Dress Institute every year that she was First Lady. The "Mamie Look" involved a full-skirted dress, charm bracelets, pearls, little hats, and bobbed, banged hair. Michelle Obama also received significant attention for her fashion choices: style writer Robin Givhan praised her in The Daily Beast, arguing that the First Lady's style had helped to enhance the public image of the office.

Causes and initiatives
Since the 1920s, many first ladies have become public speakers, adopting specific causes. It also became common for the First Lady to hire a staff to support her agenda. Recent causes of the First Lady are:

 * Eleanor Roosevelt; Women's rights, civil rights, and humanitarian efforts
 * Jacqueline Kennedy; White House restoration and the Arts
 * Lady Bird Johnson; Environmental protection and Beautification
 * Pat Nixon; Volunteerism
 * Betty Ford; Women's rights, Substance abuse
 * Rosalynn Carter; Mental health
 * Nancy Reagan; "Just Say No", drug awareness
 * Barbara Bush; Childhood literacy
 * Hillary Clinton; Healthcare in the United States
 * Laura Bush; Childhood literacy
 * Michelle Obama; "Let's Move!"; reducing childhood obesity
 * Michelle Obama; "Let Girls Learn"; increasing education for girls
 * Melania Trump; "Be Best"; cyberbullying awareness
 * Jill Biden; "Joining Forces"; military families

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: First Lady of the United States


text:
Frank Herbert

Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.

Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the series is a classic of the science-fiction genre. The Dune saga, set in the distant future and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics, sex, and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and colonized many thousands of worlds.

The series has been adapted numerous times, including the feature film Dune (1984), the miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and Children of Dune, and a motion picture trilogy currently in production, with Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) having been released.

Early life
Frank Patrick Herbert Jr. was born on October 8, 1920, in Tacoma, Washington, to Frank Patrick Herbert Sr. and Eileen (née McCarthy) Herbert. His upbringing included spending a lot of time on the rural Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. He was fascinated by books, could read much of the newspaper before the age of five, had an excellent memory, and learned quickly. He had an early interest in photography, buying a Kodak box camera at age ten, a new folding camera in his early teens, and a color film camera in the mid-1930s. Due to an impoverished home environment, largely due to the Great Depression, he left home in 1938 to live with an aunt and uncle in Salem, Oregon.

Education
He enrolled in high school at Salem High School (now North Salem High School), where he graduated the next year. In 1939, he lied about his age to get his first newspaper job at the Glendale Star. Herbert then returned to Salem in 1940 where he worked for the Oregon Statesman newspaper (now Statesman Journal) in a variety of positions, including photographer.

Herbert married Flora Lillian Parkinson in San Pedro, California, in 1941. They had one daughter, Penelope (b. February 16, 1942), and divorced in 1943. During 1942, after the U.S. entry into World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy's Seabees for six months as a photographer, but suffered a head injury and was given a medical discharge. Herbert subsequently moved to Portland, Oregon where he reported for The Oregon Journal.

After the war, Herbert attended the University of Washington, where he met Beverly Ann Stuart at a creative writing class in 1946. They were the only students who had sold any work for publication; Herbert had sold two pulp adventure stories to magazines, the first to Esquire in 1945 titled "Survival of the Cunning", and Stuart had sold a story to Modern Romance magazine. They married in Seattle in 1946, and had two sons, Brian (b. 1947) and Bruce (1951–1993). In 1949 Herbert and his wife moved to California to work on the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. Here they befriended the psychologists Ralph and Irene Slattery. The Slatterys introduced Herbert to the work of several thinkers who would influence his writing, including Freud, Jung, Jaspers and Heidegger; they also familiarized Herbert with Zen Buddhism.

Herbert never graduated from college. According to his son Brian, he wanted to study only what interested him and so did not complete the required curriculum. He returned to journalism and worked at the Seattle Star and the Oregon Statesman. He was a writer and editor for the San Francisco Examiner California Living magazine for a decade.

Early career
In a 1973 interview, Herbert stated that he had been reading science fiction "about ten years" before he began writing in the genre, and he listed his favorite authors as H. G. Wells, Robert A. Heinlein, Poul Anderson and Jack Vance.

Herbert's first science fiction story, "Looking for Something", was published in the April 1952 issue of Startling Stories, then a monthly edited by Samuel Mines. Three more of his stories appeared in 1954 issues of Astounding Science Fiction and Amazing Stories. His career as a novelist began in 1955 with the serial publication of Under Pressure in Astounding from November 1955; afterward it was issued as a book by Doubleday titled The Dragon in the Sea. The story explored sanity and madness in the environment of a 21st-century submarine and predicted worldwide conflicts over oil consumption and production. It was a critical success but not a major commercial one. During this time Herbert also worked as a speechwriter for Republican senator Guy Cordon.

Dune
Herbert began researching Dune in 1959. He was able to devote himself wholeheartedly to his writing career because his wife returned to work full-time as an advertising writer for department stores, becoming their breadwinner during the 1960s. The novel Dune was published in 1965, which spearheaded the Dune franchise. He later told Willis E. McNelly that the novel originated when he was assigned to write a magazine article about sand dunes in the Oregon Dunes near Florence, Oregon. He got overinvolved and ended up with far more raw material than needed for an article; while the article was never written, it planted in Herbert the seed that would become Dune. Another possible source of inspiration for Dune was Herbert's purported experiences with psilocybin, according to mycologist Paul Stamets's account, which describes Herbert's hobby of cultivating chanterelles. The biography of Frank Herbert, Dreamer of Dune, written by his son Brian Herbert, confirms that the author was passionate about culinary mushrooms but not his use of psilocybin.

Dune took six years of research and writing to complete and was much longer than other commercial science fiction of the time. Analog (the renamed Astounding, still edited by John W. Campbell) published it in two parts comprising eight installments, "Dune World" from December 1963 and "Prophet of Dune" in 1965. It was then rejected by nearly twenty book publishers. One editor prophetically wrote, "I might be making the mistake of the decade, but..."

Sterling E. Lanier, an editor of Chilton Book Company (known mainly for its auto-repair manuals), had read the Dune serials and offered a $7,500 advance plus future royalties for the rights to publish them as a hardcover book. Herbert rewrote much of his text.

Dune was soon a critical success. It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965 and shared the Hugo Award in 1966 with ...And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny.

Dune was not an immediate bestseller, although by 1968 Herbert had made $20,000 from it, far more than most science fiction novels of the time. It was not, however, enough to let him take up full-time writing. The publication of Dune did open doors for him; he was the Seattle Post-Intelligencer education writer from 1969 to 1972 and lecturer in general studies and interdisciplinary studies at the University of Washington (1970–1972). He worked in Vietnam and Pakistan as a social and ecological consultant in 1972, and in 1973 he was director-photographer of the television show The Tillers.

"I don't worry about inspiration or anything like that.... later, coming back and reading what I have produced, I am unable to detect the difference between what came easily and when I had to sit down and say, 'Well, now it's writing time and now I'll write.'"

By the end of 1972, Herbert had retired from newspaper writing and became a full-time fiction writer. During the 1970s and 1980s, he enjoyed considerable commercial success as an author. He divided his time between homes in Hawaii and Washington's Olympic Peninsula; his home in Port Townsend on the peninsula was intended to be an "ecological demonstration project". During this time he wrote numerous books and pushed ecological and philosophical ideas. He continued his Dune saga with Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984) and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985). Herbert planned to write a seventh novel to conclude the series, but his death in 1986 left storylines unresolved.

Other works by Herbert include The Godmakers (1972), The Dosadi Experiment (1977), The White Plague (1982) and the books he wrote in partnership with Bill Ransom: The Jesus Incident (1979), The Lazarus Effect (1983) and The Ascension Factor (1988), which were sequels to Herbert's 1966 novel Destination: Void. He also helped launch the career of Terry Brooks with a very positive review of Brooks' first novel, The Sword of Shannara, in 1977.

Success, family changes, and death
Herbert's change in fortune was shadowed by tragedy. In 1974, his wife Beverly underwent treatment for lung cancer. She lived ten more years, but her health was adversely affected by the treatment. In October 1978, Herbert was the featured speaker at the Octocon II science fiction convention held at the El Rancho Tropicana in Santa Rosa, California. In 1979, he met anthropologist Jim Funaro with whom he conceived the Contact Conference. Beverly Herbert died on February 7, 1984. Herbert completed and published Heretics of Dune that year. In his afterword to 1985's Chapterhouse: Dune, Herbert included a dedication to Beverly.

The year 1984 was a tumultuous year in Herbert's life. During this same year of his wife's death, his career took off with the release of David Lynch's film version of Dune. Despite high expectations, a big-budget production design and an A-list cast, the movie drew mostly poor reviews in the United States. However, despite a disappointing response in the US, the film was a critical and commercial success in Europe and Japan.

In 1985, after Beverly's death, Herbert married his former Putnam representative Theresa Shackleford. The same year he published Chapterhouse: Dune, which tied up many of the saga's story threads. This would be Herbert's final single work (the collection Eye was published that year, and Man of Two Worlds was published in 1986). He died of a massive pulmonary embolism while recovering from surgery for pancreatic cancer on February 11, 1986, in Madison, Wisconsin, aged 65.

Political views
Herbert was a Republican and an environmentalist. His political views have been variously described as conservative, reactionist, and libertarian. Herbert was politically active within the Republican party, and worked as a speechwriter for several politicians, including Senator Guy Cordon. Herbert also volunteered on the campaign of Republican William Blintz in the 1958 Washington Senate election, who unsuccessfully challenged the incumbent Democrat Henry M. Jackson.

Herbert was a critic of the Soviet Union. He was a distant relative of the Republican senator Joseph McCarthy, whom he referred to as "Cousin Joe". However, he was appalled to learn of McCarthy's blacklisting of suspected communists from working in certain careers and believed that he was endangering essential freedoms of citizens of the United States. Herbert also opposed American involvement in the war in Vietnam. He was also critical of welfare, arguing that it increased dependence on the state.

Herbert believed that governments lie to protect themselves and that, following the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon had unwittingly taught an important lesson in not trusting government. He considered Nixon a better president than John F. Kennedy, calling the latter "one of the most dangerous presidents this country ever had." He praised President Ronald Reagan, for his pro-family and pro-individualist stances, while opposing his foreign policy.

In Chapterhouse: Dune, he wrote: "All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."Frank Herbert believed civil service to be "one of the most serious errors we made as a democracy" and that bureaucracy negatively impacts the lives of people in all forms of government. He stated that "every such bureaucracy eventually becomes an aristocracy" and uses preferential treatment and nepotism in favor of bureaucrats as his main arguments.

Ideas and themes
Frank Herbert used his science fiction novels to explore complex ideas involving philosophy, religion, psychology, politics and ecology. The underlying thrust of his work was a fascination with the question of human survival and evolution. Herbert has attracted a dedicated fan base, many of whom have attempted to read everything he wrote (fiction or non-fiction); indeed, such was the devotion of some of his readers that Herbert was at times asked if he was founding a cult, a proposition which he very much rejected.

There are a number of key themes found in Herbert's work:
 * A concern with leadership: Herbert explored the human tendency to slavishly submit itself to charismatic leaders. He delved into both the flaws and potentials of bureaucracy and government.
 * Herbert was among the first science fiction authors to popularize ideas about ecology and systems thinking. He stressed the need for humans to think both holistically and with regards to the long-term.
 * The relationship between religion, politics and power.
 * Human survival and evolution: Herbert writes of the Fremen, the Sardaukar, and the Dosadi, who are molded by their terrible living conditions into dangerous super races.
 * Human possibilities and potential: Herbert offered Mentats, the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax as different visions of human potential.
 * The nature of sanity and madness. Frank Herbert was interested in the work of Thomas Szasz and the anti-psychiatry movement. Often, Herbert poses the question, "What is sane?", and while there are clearly examples of insane behavior and psychopathy to be found in his works (as evinced by characters such as Piter De Vries), it is often suggested that normal and abnormal are relative terms which humans are sometimes ill-equipped to apply to one another, especially on the basis of statistical regularity.
 * The possible effects and consequences of consciousness-altering chemicals, such as the spice in the Dune saga, as well as the 'Jaspers' fungus in The Santaroga Barrier, and the Kelp in the Destination: Void sequence.
 * How language shapes thought. More specifically, Herbert was influenced by Alfred Korzybski's General Semantics. Algis Budrys wrote that Herbert's knowledge of language and linguistics was 'worth at least one PhD and the Chair of Philology at a good New England college'.
 * Learning, teaching, and thinking.

Frank Herbert refrained from offering his readers formulaic answers to many of the questions he explored.

Status and influence on science fiction

Dune and the Dune saga constitute one of the world's best-selling science fiction series and novels; Dune in particular has received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Nebula Award in 1965 and sharing the Hugo Award in 1966, and is frequently considered one of the best science fiction novels ever, if not the best. Locus subscribers voted it the all-time best SF novel in 1975, again in 1987, and the best "before 1990" in 1998.

Dune is considered a landmark novel for a number of reasons:

 * Dune is a landmark of soft science fiction. Herbert deliberately suppressed technology in his Dune universe so that he could address the future of humanity, rather than the future of humanity's technology. Dune considers the way humans and their institutions might change over time.
 * Frank Herbert was a great popularizer of scientific ideas. In Dune, he helped popularize the term ecology. Gerald Jonas explains in The New York Times Book Review: "So completely did Mr. Herbert work out the interactions of man and beast and geography and climate that Dune became the standard for an emerging subgenre of 'ecological' science fiction."
 * Dune is considered an example of literary world-building. The Library Journal reports that "Dune is to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy". Arthur C. Clarke is quoted as making a similar statement on the back cover of a paper edition of Dune. Frank Herbert imagined every facet of his creation. He included glossaries, quotes, documents, and histories, to bring his universe alive to his readers. No science fiction novel before it had so vividly realized life on another world.

Herbert never again equalled the critical acclaim he received for Dune. Neither his sequels to Dune nor any of his other books won a Hugo or Nebula Award, although almost all of them were New York Times Best Sellers.

Malcolm Edwards wrote, in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction:

"Much of Herbert's work makes difficult reading. His ideas were genuinely developed concepts, not merely decorative notions, but they were sometimes embodied in excessively complicated plots and articulated in prose which did not always match the level of thinking [...] His best novels, however, were the work of a speculative intellect with few rivals in modern science fiction."

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted Herbert in 2006.

California State University, Fullerton's Pollack Library has several of Herbert's draft manuscripts of Dune and other works, with the author's notes, in their Frank Herbert Archives.

Metro Parks Tacoma built Dune Peninsula and the Frank Herbert Trail at Point Defiance Park in July 2019 to honor the hometown writer.

Posthumously published works
Beginning in 2012, Herbert's estate and WordFire Press have released four previously unpublished novels in e-book and paperback formats: High-Opp (2012), Angels' Fall (2013), A Game of Authors (2013), and A Thorn in the Bush (2014).

In recent years, Frank Herbert's son Brian Herbert and author Kevin J. Anderson have added to the Dune franchise, using notes left behind by Frank Herbert and discovered over a decade after his death. Brian Herbert and Anderson have written three prequel trilogies (Prelude to Dune, Legends of Dune and Great Schools of Dune) exploring the history of the Dune universe before the events of the original novel, two novels that take place between novels of the original Dune sequels (with plans for more), as well as two post-Chapterhouse Dune novels that complete the original series (Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune) based on Frank Herbert's own Dune 7 outline.

Biography and criticism

 * Frank Herbert biography at the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
 * Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert's Dune novels
 * Study by Tim O'Reilly of Frank Herbert's work up to the Jesus Incident; one of the more in-depth studies of Frank Herbert's thoughts and ideas
 * Article on the inspirations for Dune
 * "Frank Herbert, the Dune Man" – (Frederik Pohl)
 * "Frank Herbert, the Dune Man, Part 2"

title: Frank Herbert


text:
Fictional language

Fictional languages are the subset of constructed languages (conlangs) that have been created as part of a fictional setting (e.g. for use in a book, movie, television show, or video game). Typically they are the creation of one individual, while natural languages evolve out of a particular culture or people group, and other conlangs may have group involvement. Fictional languages are also distinct from natural languages in that they have no native speakers. By contrast, the constructed language of Esperanto now has native speakers.

Fictional languages are intended to be the languages of a fictional world and are often designed with the intent of giving more depth, and an appearance of plausibility, to the fictional worlds with which they are associated. The goal of the author may be to have their characters communicate in a fashion which is both alien and dislocated. Within their fictional world, these languages do function as natural languages, helping to identify certain races or people groups and set them apart from others.

While some less-formed fictional languages are created as distorted versions or dialects of a pre-existing natural language, many are independently designed conlangs with their own lexicon (some more robust than others) and rules of grammar. Some of the latter are fully formed enough to be learned as a speakable language, and many subcultures exist of those who are 'fluent' in one or more of these fictional languages. Often after the creator of a fictional language has accomplished their task, the fandom of that fictional universe will pick up where the creator left off and continue to flesh out the language, making it more like a natural language and therefore more usable.

Purpose
Fictional languages are separated from artistic languages by both purpose and relative completion: a fictional language often has the least amount of grammar and vocabulary possible, and rarely extends beyond the absolutely necessary. At the same time, some others have developed languages in detail for their own sake, such as J. R. R. Tolkien's Quenya and Sindarin (two Elvish languages), Star Treks Klingon language and Avatars Na'vi language which exist as functioning, usable languages.

By analogy with the word "conlang", the term conworld is used to describe these fictional worlds, inhabited by fictional constructed cultures. The conworld influences vocabulary (what words the language will have for flora and fauna, articles of clothing, objects of technology, religious concepts, names of places and tribes, etc.), as well as influencing other factors such as pronouns, or how their cultures view the break-off points between colors or the gender and age of family members. Sound is also a directing factor, as creators seek to show their audience through phonology the type of race or people group to whom the language belongs.

Commercial fictional languages
Commercial fictional languages are those languages created for use in various commercial media, such as:

 * Books (The Lord of the Rings' Quenya and Sindarin)
 * Films (Avatars Na'vi, Baahubali's Kiliki and Star Wars Huttese.)
 * Television shows (Star Treks Klingon, Game of Thrones Valyrian and Dothraki)
 * Video games (Far Cry Primals Wenja, The Sims Simlish, Splatoon's inkling typeface, The Ar Tonelico Series' Hymmnos. )
 * Comics (The Adventures of Tintin's Bordurian and Syldavian)
 * Toys (Furby's Furbish)
 * Musical albums (Magma's Kobaïan)
 * Children's TV shows (Pingu's Penguinese)

While some languages are created purely from the desire of the creator, language creation can be a profession. In 1974, Victoria Fromkin was the first person hired to create a language (Land of the Lost's Paku). Since then, notable professional language creators have included Marc Okrand (Klingon), David Peterson (Dothraki and others in Game of Thrones), and Paul Frommer (Na'vi).

Alien languages

A notable subgenre of fictional languages are alien languages, the ones that are used or might be used by putative extraterrestrial life forms. Alien languages are subject of both science fiction and scientific research. Perhaps the most fully developed fictional alien language is the Klingon language of the Star Trek universe – a fully developed constructed language.

The problem of alien language has confronted generations of science fiction writers; some have created fictional languages for their characters to use, while others have circumvented the problem through translation devices or other fantastic technology. For example, the Star Trek universe makes use of a "universal translator", which explains why such different races, often meeting for the first time, are able to communicate with each other. Another more humorous example would be the Babel fish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an aurally-inserted fish that instantaneously translates alien speech to the speaker's native language.

While in many cases an alien language is but an element of a fictional reality, in a number of science fiction works the core of the plot involves linguistic and psychological problems of communication between various alien species.

Visual alien languages
A further subgenre of alien languages are those that are visual, rather than auditory. Notable examples of this type are Sherman's Circular Gallifreyan from BBC's Doctor Who series and the heptapod's written language, which is distinct from their spoken language, from the 2016 film Arrival.

Internet-based fictional languages
Internet-based fictional languages are hosted along with their "conworlds" on the internet, and based at these sites, becoming known to the world through the visitors to these sites. Verdurian, the language of Mark Rosenfelder's Verduria on the planet of Almea, is an Internet-based fictional language.

Many other fictional languages and their associated conworlds are created privately by their inventor, known only to the inventor and perhaps a few friends.

title: Fictional language