February 18, 1885
Mark Twain publishes his famous—and famously controversial—novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Battle of Iwo Jima
February 19, 1945
U.S. troops land on Iwo Jima. With more than 7,000 U.S. troops killed, it was one of the costliest battles of World War II. The famous raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi would take place four days later. The battle lasted till March 26th.
First American to Orbit the Earth
February 20, 1962
John Glenn in the Friendship 7. Glenn circled the globe three times in 4 hours and 56 minutes, reaching speeds of more than 17,000 miles per hour. The successful mission concluded with a splashdown and recovery in the Atlantic Ocean, 800 miles southeast of Bermuda.