Editing February 15 (section)

===1601–1900===
*[[1637]] &ndash; [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand III]] becomes [[Holy Roman Emperor]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lynn|first=Robert A.|chapter=Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608-1657)|title=Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Vol. 1: A—F|editor-last=Zabecki|editor-first=Davd T.|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|publisher=ABC-CLIO|date=2014|isbn=9781598849806|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rCWMBQAAQBAJ|page=415|access-date=2021-02-15|archive-date=2021-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601234131/https://books.google.com/books?id=rCWMBQAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[1690]] &ndash; [[Constantin Cantemir]], Prince of [[Moldavia]], and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] sign a secret treaty in [[Sibiu]], stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the [[House of Habsburg]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]].
*[[1764]] &ndash; The city of [[St. Louis]] is established in [[Louisiana (New Spain)|Spanish Louisiana]] (now in [[Missouri]], USA).<ref>{{cite journal|last=Primm|first=Wilson|title=History of St. Louis|journal=Missouri Historical Society Collections|volume=4|number=2|date=1913|page=163|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoEyAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=February 15, 2021|archive-date=February 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215150645/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoEyAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[1798]] &ndash; The [[Roman Republic (18th century)|Roman Republic]] is proclaimed after [[Louis-Alexandre Berthier]], a general of [[Napoleon]], had invaded the city of [[Rome]] five days earlier.
*[[1835]] &ndash; Serbia's [[Sretenje Constitution]] briefly comes into effect.
*[[1852]] &ndash; The [[Helsinki Cathedral]] (known as ''St. Nicholas' Church'' at time) is officially inaugurated in [[Helsinki]], [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finland]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruuth|first=Martti|title=Helsingin Suurkirkko satavuotias|page=7|publisher=Helsingin evankelis-luterilaisten seurakunta|location=Helsinki|year=1952|language=fi}}</ref>
*[[1862]] &ndash; [[American Civil War]]: Confederates commanded by Brig. Gen. [[John B. Floyd]] attack General [[Ulysses S. Grant]]'s Union forces [[Battle of Fort Donelson|besieging Fort Donelson]] in [[Tennessee]]. Unable to break the fort's encirclement, the Confederates surrender the following day.<ref>Nevin, David, and the Editors of Time-Life Books. ''The Road to Shiloh: Early Battles in the West''. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983. {{ISBN|0-8094-4716-9}} pp. 84–86</ref>
*[[1870]] &ndash; [[Stevens Institute of Technology]] is founded in New Jersey, US, and offers the first [[Bachelor of Engineering]] degree in [[mechanical engineering]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Stevens Indicator|publisher=Stevens Alumni Association|year=1955|page=5}}</ref>
*[[1879]] &ndash; [[Women's rights]]: US President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] signs a bill allowing female [[Lawyer|attorneys]] to argue cases before the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].
*[[1898]] &ndash; The battleship {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|6}} explodes and sinks in [[Havana]] harbor in [[Cuba]], killing about 274 of the ship's roughly 354 crew.<ref>{{cite book|last=Axelrod|first=Alex|title=Profiles in Folly: History's Worst Decisions and Why They Went Wrong|location=New York|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|date=2008|isbn=9781402747687|url=https://archive.org/details/profilesinfollyh00axel|url-access=registration|pages=67–68}}</ref> The disaster pushes the [[United States]] to [[Spanish–American War|declare war]] on [[Spain]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dyal|first=Donald H.|chapter=Maine (ship)|title=Historical Dictionary of the Spanish American War|location=Westport, Conn.|publisher=Greenwood Press|date=1996|isbn=9781429472845|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWaCEfeuQXkC|pages=200–201}}</ref>
*[[1899]] &ndash; [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II of Russia]] issues a declaration known as the [[February Manifesto]], which reduces the autonomy of the [[Grand Duchy of Finland]], thus beginning the [[Russification of Finland|first period of oppression]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.histdoc.net/history/keisarik.html|title=1899. The Collection of Decrees of the Grand Duchy of Finland. No 3.|website=Histdoc.net|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209100043/https://www.histdoc.net/history/keisarik.html|url-status=live}}</ref>