Ramadan begins at sundown. The exact timing is subject to the first sighting of the Moon. Beginning at age 12, all Muslims take part in the month-long sunrise-to-sunset fast that is the hallmark of Ramadan. Eating and drinking (including water) is prohibited during daylight hours, and the day’s abstinence is offset by a nightly meal known as iftar. The holiday honors the time when the angel Gabriel revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, to a desert-wandering caravan trader named Muhammad. Muslims believe that fasting cleanses the body, and the practice reminds them of the suffering of the poor. Food is often shared with a poor family during Ramadan. At the end of the 30-day fast is Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast), replete with feasting and celebration. Read more about Ramadan.
Daily Calendar for Friday, February 28, 2025
Born
- Vincente Minnelli (film director) –
- Gavin MacLeod (actor) –
- Tommy Tune (choreographer) –
- Mario Andretti (race car driver) –
- Kelly Bishop (actress) –
- Bernadette Peters (actress & singer) –
- John Turturro (actor) –
- Robert Sean Leonard (actor) –
- Smarty Jones (Kentucky Derby winning horse) –
Died
- Henry James (writer) –
- Ruby Keeler (actress, singer, & dancer) –
- Daniel Boorstin (Pulitzer Prize-winning author and social historian who served as the librarian of Congress for 12 years) –
- Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (Pulitzer Prize-winning historian) –
- Mike Smith (lead singer of Dave Clark Five) –
- Paul Harvey (radio broadcaster) –
Events
- Baltimore and Ohio railroad incorporated–
- Congress created the Territory of Colorado–
- Vincent Massey became the first Canadian born Governor General of Canada–
- James D. Watson and Francis H. C. Crick announced discovery of DNA’s chemical structure–
- Parliament created VIA Rail Canada Inc.–
- The last episode of M*A*S*H, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, aired on television–
- The last episode of M*A*S*H aired on TV –
- Performer Natasha Veruschka swallowed 22.83-inch sword–
- Pope Benedict XVI stepped down as leader of the Roman Catholic church, becoming the first pope in about 600 years to retire–
Weather
- A record snowstorm brought 43 inches of snow to Rochester, New York–
- An area from Kansas to New York experienced record snowfalls–
- A sandstorm with hurricane-force winds derailed a train in western China–
