February 4: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

The US Military shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon.

The balloon was seen flying over Canada and the US from January 28th, carrying two railroad cars worth of spy equipment, and was downed off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Doctors in New York successfully performed the world’s first face and double hand transplant.

Post Malone released his debut single, “White Iverson,” to Soundcloud.

The song was the American rapper's first true hit, gaining over a million plays in its first month and drawing interest from record companies. Later that year, "White Iverson" was re-released officially under Republic Records.

Mark Zuckerberg founded the social networking website Facebook.

The very first Sims game was released for PC in North America.

How could anyone possibly forget their time playing the original Sims game? This unique life simulator allowed players to control the lives, relationships, careers, and homes of the game's characters, or "sims."

Bill gates had a pie thrown in his face while visiting EU officials in Brussels, Belgium.

The former United States Senator Strom Thurmond sent a secret memo to President Richard Nixon’s aide, saying John Lennon should be deported.

The Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn all aligned.

The electric typewriter went on sale for the first time in Syracuse, New York, USA.

Adolf Hitler appointed himself as the head of the Armed Forces High Command.

Dr. John J. Livingood reported the first synthetic production of a natural form of radium.

Radium was the first radioactive substance produced synthetically.

The Winter Olympics opened in Lake Placid, New York.

It was officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games.

American religious leader Mary Baker was allegedly cured of her spinal injury by reading The Bible.

After reading Matthew 9:2, she claimed that she arose, dusted herself off, and was in much better health.

The Codex Sinaiticus – one of the oldest known copies of the bible – was discovered in Egypt.

The first Mormon Pioneers left their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, and began the long trek to the Salt Lake Valley.

The Mormon Exodus from Illinois happened shortly after the death of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints leader, Joseph Smith. At the time, the church and its leaders practiced their new religion in extremely unorthodox and scandalous ways. They were all but driven out of Illinois after the church's neighbors grew increasingly hostile towards them.