Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on February 4th?

Death of Pyrrhus of Epirus, a skilled military leader known for the Pyrrhic victories.

King Sweyn I of Denmark reconquers England.

The Treaty of Jaffa is signed between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, ending the Third Crusade.

Pope John XXII issues the papal bull "Quia vir reprobus," condemning the teachings of Marsilius of Padua.

Death of Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher William of Ockham.

Britain formally declares an end to hostilities with its former colonies, recognizing the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris.

The State electors under the Constitution unanimously elect George Washington, the first president of the United States by all 69 presidential electors who cast their votes. John Adams of Massachusetts, who received 34 votes, was elected vice president. More

Seven seceding states — South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas meet in Montgomery, Alabama, and create the Confederate Constitution, a document similar to the United States Constitution, but with greater stress on the autonomy of each state. Jefferson Davis was named provisional president of the Confederacy until elections could be held. Four more States followed the secession path — Virginia (April 17, 1861), Arkansas (May 6, 1861), North Carolina (May 20, 1861), and Tennessee (June 8, 1861). These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. More

The Yalta Conference starts. Attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to discuss post-World War II plans. The Yalta Conference took place in a Russian resort town in the Crimea from February 4–11, 1945, during World War Two. Important decisions were made regarding the future progress of the war and the postwar world. More