1575 Indian Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Bengali army at the Battle of Tukaroi

1857 Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China

1861 Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them the full rights of free citizens [O.S. Feb 19]

1887 Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6 year old blind-deaf Helen Keller

1917 1st major strike of the Russian “February Revolution” starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [OS=Feb 18]

1921 Toronto’s Dr Banting & Dr Best announce discovery of insulin

1939 Mahatma Gandhi begins a fast in Mumbai (Bombay) to protest against autocratic rule in India

1943 Battle of the Bismarck Sea: Australian and American air forces devastate Japanese navy convoy

1991 Los Angeles police officers severely beat motorist Rodney King, the beating is famously captured on amateur video and later leads to riots when the police officers are acquitted

Source: Onthisday.com