Did you know
Once independence was achieved, it then became an anti-communist group, which confronted the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, also known as the MPLA, during the Angolan Civil War.
Notable Deaths on February 22
2002 — Jonas Savimbi
Angolan general, founded UNITA (born 1934)
February 22 has 99 recorded notable deaths across history, from 556 to 2026. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
99 source records
556 – 2026
Today in history
Major events on February 22
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1973 Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices. Source
- 1862 American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is officially inaugurated for a six-year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously inaugurated as a provisional president on February 18, 1861. Source
- 1848 The French Revolution of 1848, which would lead to the establishment of the French Second Republic, begins. Source
- 1899 Filipino forces led by General Antonio Luna launch counterattacks for the first time against the American forces during the Philippine–American War. The Filipinos fail to regain Manila from the Americans. Source
Did you know
Upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, becoming the first Scottish monarch to be anointed at his coronation.
Did you know
Ballard was the first woman posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes in 1988.
Did you know
After Díaz claimed to have won the fraudulent election of 1910 despite promising a return to democracy, Madero started the Mexican Revolution to oust Díaz.
Did you know
On the long-running Western Gunsmoke, he played 16 different characters in 19 episodes, most appearances of any actor on the show.
More major people who died on February 22
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1371
David II
King of Scotland (born 1324)
David II was King of Scotland from 1329 until his death in 1371.
1976
Florence Ballard
American singer (born 1943)
Florence Glenda Chapman was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including nine number-one hits.
1913
Francisco I. Madero
Mexican president and author (born 1873)
Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer, politician and statesman who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed and assassinated in a coup d'état in…
2019
Morgan Woodward
American actor (born 1925)
Thomas Morgan Woodward was an American actor who is best known for his recurring role as Marvin "Punk" Anderson on the television soap opera Dallas and for his portrayal of Boss Godfrey, the sunglasses-wearing "man with…
1973
Winthrop Rockefeller
American colonel and politician, 37th Governor of Arkansas (born 1912)
Winthrop Rockefeller was an American politician and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fourth son and fifth child of American financier John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.
2006
S. Rajaratnam
Singaporean politician, 1st Senior Minister of Singapore (born 1915)
Sinnathamby Rajaratnam was a Singaporean statesman, journalist and diplomat.
1799
Heshen
Chinese politician (born 1750)
Heshen (Manchu: ᡥᡝᡧᡝᠨ, romanized: Hešen; Chinese: 和珅; pinyin: Héshēn; Wade–Giles: Ho2-shen1; 1 July 1750 – 22 February 1799) of the Manchu Niohuru clan, was an official of the Qing dynasty.
1875
Charles Lyell
Scottish geologist (born 1797)
Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history.
1939
Antonio Machado
Spanish-French poet and author (born 1875)
Antonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz, simply known as Antonio Machado, was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98.
1983
Adrian Boult
English conductor (born 1889)
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH was a British conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera…
1731
Frederik Ruysch
Dutch physician and anatomist (born 1638)
Frederik Ruysch was a Dutch botanist and anatomist. He is known for developing techniques for preserving anatomical specimens, which he used to create dioramas or scenes incorporating human parts.
1680
La Voisin
French occultist (born 1640)
Catherine Monvoisin, or Montvoisin, née Deshayes, known as "La Voisin", was a French fortune teller, commissioned poisoner, accused of witchcraft.
1983
Romain Maes
Belgian cyclist (born 1913)
Romanus Maes was a Belgian cyclist who won the 1935 Tour de France after wearing the yellow jersey of leadership from beginning to end. Maes was the 13th child in his family. He started racing when he was 17.
2012
Marie Colvin
American journalist (born 1956)
Marie Catherine Colvin was an American journalist who worked as a foreign affairs correspondent for the British newspaper The Sunday Times from 1985 until her death.
1987
Andy Warhol
American painter and photographer (born 1928)
Andy Warhol was an American artist and filmmaker. Widely regarded as the most important artist of the second half of the 20th century, Warhol's practice spanned various media, including painting, filmmaking,…
2026
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (born 1966)
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, commonly referred to by his alias "El Mencho", was a Mexican drug lord and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an organized crime group based in Jalisco.
2021
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
American poet, painter (born 1919)
Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers.
1511
Henry
Duke of Cornwall (born 1511)
Henry, Duke of Cornwall was the first living child of King Henry VIII of England and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and though his birth was celebrated as that of the heir apparent, he died within weeks.
1961
Nick LaRocca
American trumpet player and composer (born 1889)
Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca, was an American early jazz cornetist and trumpeter and the leader of the Original Dixieland Jass Band, who is credited by some as being "the father of modern jazz".