On this day

28 February in history.

5 moments from 1835 to 1997: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

1928

C. V. Raman discovers a new effect of light. Indian physicist C. V. Raman found that light changes colour slightly when it scatters off molecules. He won the Nobel Prize, and India celebrates this day as National Science Day.

Wikipedia: C. V. Raman

Photo: Nobel Foundation / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 28 February

  1. Inside front title page of The "Old" Kalevala, Finnish national epos, collection of old Finnish poems, by Elias Lönnrot. First edition; volume 1, 1835

    1835

    The Kalevala

    Elias Lönnrot signed the foreword to the Kalevala, a long poem he put together from folk songs he collected. It helped shape Finland's sense of itself.

    Wikipedia: KalevalaWikipedia: Elias Lönnrot

    Photo: Elias Lönnrot / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Benfica's Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal

    1904

    Benfica is founded

    A football club called Sport Lisboa was founded in Lisbon. As Benfica, it became the most successful club in Portugal.

    Wikipedia: S.L. Benfica

    Photo: Florent Dusonchet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  3. Alan Alda

    1983

    Goodbye, M*A*S*H

    More than 100 million Americans watched the last episode of the TV series M*A*S*H, for decades the most-watched TV episode in the US.

    Wikipedia: Goodbye, Farewell and AmenWikipedia: M*A*S*H (TV series)

    Photo: Moody College of Communication from Austin, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

  4. BeppoSax X-ray satellite. Courtesy of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) and the BeppoSAX Science Data Center (SDC)

    1997

    Tracking a flash from deep space

    An Italian-Dutch satellite caught a gamma-ray burst, and telescopes then spotted its afterglow, showing these huge blasts come from far beyond our galaxy.

    Wikipedia: GRB 970228Wikipedia: Gamma-ray burst

    Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.